State-of-the-Art Recordings of Classical Works (SACDs)
- Thread starter Yuen A.
- Start date
Wow, love this thread! I’ve just bought an Ayre DX-5 DSD SACD & etc player and need to build my collection.
For starters I’d love to have a recommendation for a Richard Strauss recording in SACD. But most any outstanding recording would be good to learn about.
For starters I’d love to have a recommendation for a Richard Strauss recording in SACD. But most any outstanding recording would be good to learn about.
Andris Nelsons has a quite complete set of Richard Strauss orchestral works on DGG (with Yo-Yo Ma and Yuja Wang as soloists in the two works with major soloists). There are a total of 7 CD's or you can buy them on relatively hirez 96/24 from Qobuz or Presto Music. In the US Amazon charges less than $30 for the entire set of CD's and Qobuz charges less than $50 for the hirez downloads. Nelsons splits the works between his two orchestras, the Boston Symphony and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. I bought the hirez version from Qobuz.
www.qobuz.com
I don't see the albums on SACD.
There is a quite famous multi box set of records on EMI by Rudolf Kempe conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden from the '60s that I had in my now departed record collection. It was a bunch of records - maybe 15 or more spread over many boxes. I see it on Amazon used for the 9 CD set (not hirez) for very cheap. I only heard the vinyl, not the CD.
Larry
Strauss, Andris Nelsons - Qobuz
Listen to unlimited streaming or download Strauss by Andris Nelsons in Hi-Res quality on Qobuz. Subscriptions from $10.83/month.
www.qobuz.com
I don't see the albums on SACD.
There is a quite famous multi box set of records on EMI by Rudolf Kempe conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden from the '60s that I had in my now departed record collection. It was a bunch of records - maybe 15 or more spread over many boxes. I see it on Amazon used for the 9 CD set (not hirez) for very cheap. I only heard the vinyl, not the CD.
Larry
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Kreizberg's death was a great loss. He had the potential to be a much more significant conductor than his brother.
Richard STRAUSS Elektra, Op. 58, Suite from the opera (1909) (version conceptualised by Manfred Honeck, realised by Tomáš Ille)
Der Rosenkavalier Op. 59, Suite from the opera (1910) (version arranged by Artur Rodzinski) Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra/Manfred Honeck
Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, PA, USA REFERENCE RECORDINGS FR-722 SACD
Everything about this SACD is awesome - the interpretation (thrilling), the performance (virtuosic), the sonic (like the real thing)! MusicWeb International says: "On an album where the highlights come thick and fast, the world class Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck is on magnificent form. Playing with astonishing virtuosity, this opulent performance of Elektra, full and expressive, is brilliantly executed. Its climaxes are stunningly powerful, generating a tension which feels overwhelming. Conversely the Rosenkavalier waltzes have a poignant bittersweet quality that is entirely captivating." Via my sound system, I was transported to Heinz Hall! Everything here sounded right (the dynamics, the timbre, the bassline, the hall resonance, etc.).
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Manfred Honeck, conductor, Michael Rusinek, clarinet
Giuseppe VERDI La forza del destino: Overture Alan FLETCHER Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra Richard STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40Exton SACD OVCL-00338
Wow, listen especially to the dramatic Verdi's overture La forza del destino! This particular recording/performance is a tour de force! A true demonstration quality piece. Listen to its awesome dynamics, airy sound, transparency, clarity (woodwinds), timbres (especially the brass), immediacy, aliveness, imaging and soundstaging.
Richard Strauss: Dance of the Seven Veils (Salome); Waltz sequence No. 1 (Der Rosenkavalier) Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No.1
Korngold: Straussiana Busoni: Tanzwalzer, Op. 53 Schreker: Ein Tanzspiel (Rokoko) Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Kazuki Yamada
Pentatone PTC: 5186518 SACD
Wow, the recording delivers a huge soundstage with lots of air, ambience, great depth and spaciousness that enhance the natural resonance! Very detailed, alive, dynamic and like the real thing. The performances are world-class.
Passion & Resurrection – Recordings – Stile Antico
Stile Antico's seventh recording focuses on the dramatic events of Holy Week, retracing in music the journey from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Twelve
Harmonia Mundi’s Stile Antico sacd (vocal only) recordings produced by Robina G. Young and recorded by Brad Michel at All Hallows’ church, Gospel Oak, London all sound very good indeed. From those recordings I only list the Passion & Resurrection sacd from 2012. On their various sacd’s you will find mostly beautiful and touching English music from mostly the Tudor age.
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HARMONIA MUNDI 807567 SACD
Wow! I was transported to Kodak Hall, Rochester, New York. Robina G. Young did a great job. These are world class performances and recordings. Extraordinarily rich in nuances of tonal quality and dynamics. The English horn and viola solos in the slow movement are hauntingly beautiful. The strings, woodwinds and brass sounded realistic, lifelike. Awesome and effortless reproduction of large dynamic swings. Huge soundstage. Play loud.
Beethoven: String Quartet in C minor Op. 18 No. 4, String Quartet in B flat major Op. 130 with the "Grosse Fuge" Op. 133. Fry Street Quartet. IsoMke SACD
The performances and recordings are first--rate. Certainly of demonstration quality. The cello and viola sounded tangible. The violins soar with resinous smoothness.
Attachments
I am curious of whether these nominations of state-of-the-art recordings, most of which are SACDs, were based on auditions in stereo or multichannel. Just curious.
Hi Kal, I listened to all these SACDs in stereo only. I don't have a multichannel sound system.
Maybe it is a good idea, Yuen, to inform the WBF members about the various components of your (stereo) audio system.
My (stereo only) system consists of:
- loudspeakers: Tidal La Assoluta
- Amps: Kondo G-1000 linestage and Kondo Gakuoh 300b / Kagura 211 amps
- Dac: Wadax reference dac
- CD-transport: Zanden 2000p
- Grounding: Tripoint Audio Elite NG and Emperor ‘grounding’ stations and top of the line Tripoint Audio grounding cables
- Cabling: Taralabs top of line ic’s and loudspeaker cables
Hi, I did list the various components of my stereo system in my first post here. They are as follows: EMM Labs SACD transport (I listen exclusively to SACDs), EMM Labs DV2 (current version; a major upgrade [software, hardware and power supply] is forthcoming - end of the year), Aural Symphonics Optimism Lotus ST optical cable (for connecting the SACD transport to the DAC), Constellation Audio Centaur Amplifier, Magico M2 speakers, Magico Q-Sub 15, Ansuz Acoustic DTC supreme and DTC2 signal cables, Ansuz Acoustic DTC2 PowerBox (grounding), Shunyata Sigma NR power cables, Shunyata power conditioners (I have compared the Shunyata Sigma power cables to the latest Ansuz Acoustics DTC2 power cables in my sound system. However, I still prefer the Shunyata Sigma power cables to the DTC2 power cables - richer and excellent hall ambience recovery. The DTC2 sounded 'dry' in comparison), Ansuz Acoustics DTC resonance control footers, Critical Mass Systems Maxxum racks and amp stand.
My listening room's frequency response measured at the listening position:
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez and Works by Francisco Coll & Pete Harden Jacob Kellermann, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Norrbotten NEO, Conductor BIS 2485 SACD
This is a demonstration quality disc. Listen especially to the Turia by Francisco Coll and the Solace and Shimmer by Pete Harden. The dynamics (both micro and macro), the transients, the reverberation sounded so real! Listen also to Rodrigo' Adagio (Concierto de Aranjuez) It is so heartbreakingly beautiful. The London Philharmonic accompany Kellermann with amazing dazzling textures that shimmer! Play loud.
OK. Too bad I am terminally bored by the Rodrigo concerto.
Will do but I can whole-heartedly recommend this one, especially the Four Iberian Miniatures. Spectacular multichannel sound.
Joachim RAFF (1822-1882)
Symphony No. 2 in C major for Large Orchestra, Op. 140 (1866) [33:41]
Orchestral Prelude to Shakespeare's: The Tempest in G minor, WoO 49 (1879) [14:10]; Macbeth in C minor, WoO 50 (1879) [11:22]; Romeo and Juliet in D major, WoO 51 (1879) [9:46]; Othello in D major, WoO 52 (1879) [8:14]
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Neeme Järvi CHANDOS CHSA 5117 SACD
As Gramophone rightly puts it: "a perfect place to dip a toe into Raffian waters." The performances by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande are world-class. The sound is excellent.
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