Embarking on building a classical LP collection...in 2023!

[spiritofmusic]

Honorable project... and in 2023!
I agree completely with Larry/Astrotoy.
My two cents? Take a look to the Arthur Salvatore's list in the web of fine recordings on lp. There are detailed opinions almost shareables. I also own many lp's of his list and I agree with him and recommend many titles.
One example: a good number of Lyrita's recordings of British symphonic and chamber music) are surprisingly enjoyable and well recorded, mostly of them cheap... now I'm playing "The Pure" by Gustav Holst, very very good...

Analyzer, my dip in record buying also coincided with me spending too much time online being irritated with the state of the world. I've wrangled myself off such negative habits, and need to reinvest my time more practically, and sources like Arthur's will be a better use of my time.
Is there a specific link, or do I just Google "Arthur Salvatore fine recordings"?

 

[bonzo75]

Honorable project... and in 2023!
I agree completely with Larry/Astrotoy.
My two cents? Take a look to the Arthur Salvatore's list in the web of fine recordings on lp. There are detailed opinions almost shareables. I also own many lp's of his list and I agree with him and recommend many titles.
One example: a good number of Lyrita's recordings of British symphonic and chamber music) are surprisingly enjoyable and well recorded, mostly of them cheap... now I'm playing "The Pure" by Gustav Holst, very very good...

Salvatore’s recordings are lol. Been there done that. Occasionally you might hit a good performance/pressing combo

 

[tima]

I certainly have a predeliction for bombastic, reinforced by recent concerts in Cambridge featuring Shostakovich 11th and Petrushka.

Try Shostakovich's 5th with Haitink (London LDR 71051)


Some Western critics consider Dimitri Shostakovich's 5th Symphony to be his answer to Pravda's (Stalin's) condemnation of an earlier composition. Having written it at age 30, the composer characterized the 5th as a "narrative representation of a hero's life and death." It is more lyrical and psychological, less styptic but, at times, no less raucous than some of his other works. It won him praise and a reprieve, perhaps saving his career as a Soviet composer.

having heard Vaughn Williams Lark Ascending in concert for first time ever, I need to fill out pure beauty in my life as well,

Argo ZRG 696

Argo is a generally excellent label. If you get a choice between the word 'Argo' in a round circle or in a rectangle, round is the earlier release.

Salvatore - as ked sez, grain of salt but it's a list

https://high-endaudio.com/supreme.html

Agree about Lyrita - excellent label for British music, from composer between and around the two wars.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Salvatore’s recordings are lol. Been there done that. Occasionally you might hit a good performance/pressing combo

You "might" get lucky?

 

[bonzo75]

Ked, I'd have come to you more directly for advice, but when you stated only the best vinyl (I'm assuming you mean most exhalted conductors/masterings), otherwise it's Lampi all the way, I can't really hack that elitism.
Of my 500 classical LPs, only a fraction would fit your definition, and yet only a fraction (a different fraction, obviously) are meh.
I'm obviously enjoying a lot of LPs you wouldn't.
--

I lost a lot of money going through Salvatore, TAS, and Fremer lists, as well as trying to scrounge cheap collections for the golden one including the Notting Hill shop Larry mentioned. Yes he will give you inexpensive stuff there but he is not going to give you quality stuff at low prices, he knows the market.

The guys who have good valuables LPs don’t sell them unless you come across a family selling the collection of a guy who passed away unexpectedly without telling them the value, and all of them were too clueless to check with another friend. Anyone who doesn’t know the value of an LP, wouldn’t know how to pick one so he would have trash anyway. And most experienced audiophiles don’t know LPs. So you are on the wrong forum asking for LP advice and you will likely lose money

 

[spiritofmusic]

Try Shostakovich's 5th with Haitink (London LDR 71051)

View attachment 103010
Some Western critics consider Dimitri Shostakovich's 5th Symphony to be his answer to Pravda's (Stalin's) condemnation of an earlier composition. Having written it at age 30, the composer characterized the 5th as a "narrative representation of a hero's life and death." It is more lyrical and psychological, less styptic but, at times, no less raucous than some of his other works. It won him praise and a reprieve, perhaps saving his career as a Soviet composer.




View attachment 103011
Argo ZRG 696

Argo is a generally excellent label. If you get a choice between the word 'Argo' in a round circle or in a rectangle, round is the earlier release.

Salvatore - as ked sez, grain of salt but it's a list

https://high-endaudio.com/supreme.html

Agree about Lyrita - excellent label for British music, from composer between and around the two wars.

Yes, I have a fair few Aygo's. All excellent. Also love sonics off my Philips vinyl.
And, don't all shoot now, DG digital!

 

[bonzo75]

Yes, I have a fair few Aygo's. All excellent. Also love sonics off my Philips vinyl.
And, don't all shoot now, DG digital!

them mostly buy Phillips and Melodiya, Argo and Lyrita, and tulip DGG, Harmonia Munidi and Hungaratron for value.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I lost a lot of money going through Salvatore, TAS, and Fremer lists, as well as trying to scrounge cheap collections for the golden one including the Notting Hill shop Larry mentioned. Yes he will give you inexpensive stuff there but he is not going to give you quality stuff at low prices, he knows the market.

The guys who have good valuables LPs don’t sell them unless you come across a family selling the collection of a guy who passed away unexpectedly without telling them the value, and all of them were too clueless to check with another friend. Anyone who doesn’t know the value of an LP, wouldn’t know how to pick one so he would have trash anyway. And most experienced audiophiles don’t know LPs. So you are on the wrong forum asking for LP advice and you will likely lose money

I understand getting noisy vinyl when it's advertised as NM, or occasional sonics that just don't satisfy. But your gist is that the vast majority of classical vinyl is poor or a crapshoot at best. Yes, maybe if I had The General's or Bill's or Mike's or Dave's systems (no offense to others not on this list lol) I might find more schizophrenia in vinyl.
I'm kinda glad I'm not at the Michelin Starred end of the market, more the provincial gastropub end lol.

 

[spiritofmusic]

them mostly buy Phillips and Melodiya, Argo and Lyrita, and tulip DGG, Harmonia Munidi and Hungaratron for value.

Now you're getting into the spirit of things. Up until now you've been the grumpy guy sitting at the edge of the pool.

 

[bonzo75]

I understand getting noisy vinyl when it's advertised as NM, or occasional sonics that just don't satisfy. But your gist is that the vast majority of classical vinyl is poor or a crapshoot at best. Yes, maybe if I had The General's or Bill's or Mike's or Dave's systems (no offense to others not on this list lol) I might find more schizophrenia in vinyl.
I'm kinda glad I'm not at the Michelin Starred end of the market, more the provincial gastropub end lol.

actually, if you have good vinyl you don’t need to spend as much as those guys on systems. Just have a transparent low SET small speaker system and you will be fine

 

[tima]

And most experienced audiophiles don’t know LPs. So you are on the wrong forum asking for LP advice and you will likely lose money

I tend to think in terms of performances. A great performance on a so-so LP can be enjoyable. Re-issues can get you access to music that might otherwise be very rare or very expensive.

 

[spiritofmusic]

actually, if you have good vinyl you don’t need to spend as much as those guys on systems. Just have a transparent low SET small speaker system and you will be fine

No argument there. But since a small fortune spent on room construction, balanced power and dedicated lines, radical modification of analog front end incl plinth and motor, carbon fibre remodelled LT arm, bespoke stylii and LPS to cartridge energizer, major amp mods, sub amps upgrades and magic of Airblades, I'm really done on the system, a flea watt SETs/horns setup I can't deny would be nice, but in this "sliding doors" scenario, I'm in "this" train carriage, not "that" one.
And it's my dramatic uptick in transparency to recordings, lower noise, greater reproduction of air and imaging, timbral accuracy, cleaner bass, elimination of a major part of grey/grainy homogenity in the past that "crushed" the delicacy and tone of classical (and jazz) in the past, that has now opened up this part of the hobby to me.

 

[bonzo75]

I tend to think in terms of performances. A great performance on a so-so LP can be enjoyable. Re-issues can get you access to music that might otherwise be very rare or very expensive.

Agreed. Reissues are easy to get there is no learning there. So he can start with that anyway. I would never buy Oistrakh Scottish Fantasia original myself for 2000 I will buy the speaker’s corner reissue so what if it i isn’t as good. Problem is when you try to game the system by buying cheaper decca, EMI, etc from non speakers corner, non analog productions types, there are a lot of ways to lose money. Or be in it forever searching, addicted to eBay auctions, etc

 

[spiritofmusic]

I tend to think in terms of performances. A great performance on a so-so LP can be enjoyable. Re-issues can get you access to music that might otherwise be very rare or very expensive.

Interesting Tim. I've had mixed results w rock and jazz reissues. Love a lot of the Tone Poets despite a couple of caveats. My Steely Dan Can't Buy A Thrill and Jimi H Are You Experienced? remastered 180g vinyls have left me a little under impressed.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Try Shostakovich's 5th with Haitink (London LDR 71051)

View attachment 103010
Some Western critics consider Dimitri Shostakovich's 5th Symphony to be his answer to Pravda's (Stalin's) condemnation of an earlier composition. Having written it at age 30, the composer characterized the 5th as a "narrative representation of a hero's life and death." It is more lyrical and psychological, less styptic but, at times, no less raucous than some of his other works. It won him praise and a reprieve, perhaps saving his career as a Soviet composer.




View attachment 103011
Argo ZRG 696

Argo is a generally excellent label. If you get a choice between the word 'Argo' in a round circle or in a rectangle, round is the earlier release.

Salvatore - as ked sez, grain of salt but it's a list

https://high-endaudio.com/supreme.html

Agree about Lyrita - excellent label for British music, from composer between and around the two wars.

Great pics, Tim. I really can't get enough Shostakovich, Ked "Pop Pickers" can spin some at my funeral lol.
And hearing the first plaintive drawn out violin line at Larks Ascending live concert will live w me and Ra forever.

 

[bonzo75]

Ked "Pop Pickers" can spin some at my funeral lol.

You might kill me before

 

[spiritofmusic]

You might kill me before

Not while you remain so positive, upbeat and hopeful on this thread. But become a stick in the mud, all bets are off.

 

[tima]

Interesting Tim. I've had mixed results w rock and jazz reissues. Love a lot of the Tone Poets despite a couple of caveats. My Steely Dan Can't Buy A Thrill and Jimi H Are You Experienced? remastered 180g vinyls have left me a little under impressed.

If you can find originals in M- that you can afford, that's usually the choice. I agree it can be a crap shoot with reissues and with rock originals. In Classical, many (not all) of the Classic Records reissues are fine. Imo, it depends if you are into the music or into the sound. Sure we all want good sound, but some of us want good music too.

 

[bonzo75]

My Steely Dan Can't Buy A Thrill and Jimi H Are You Experienced? remastered 180g vinyls have left me a little under impressed.

weak bass? Tweaked highs?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hard to specify, just didn't blow me away. Granted my existing Experienced? is a very good pressing, but my Dan one is a bog standard late 80s cheap and cheerful from the days when CD was washing over the vinyl market like a toxic spill.