State-of-the-Art Recordings of Classical Works (SACDs)

[Audiocrack]

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Strauss Don Juan, Op. 20 Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24 Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op. 28

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra/Manfred Honeck Reference Recordings FR-707 SACD Revisited​

A truly amazing and demonstration quality disc! The performances are also world-class. The orchestral dynamics are awesome and effortless in these recordings. The strings are ravishing. The woodwinds are enchanting. The brass are radiant, lifelike and rich. The soundstage is immense and resonant.

I do not have this album available as an sacd but as a dsd file. All recordings of Manfred Honeck and the Soundmirror team in Pittsburgh sound wonderful, not only in dsd 64 and dsd 256 but in dxd as well.

 

[Yuen A.]

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring The Firebird Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Andrés Orozco-Estrada PENTATONE PTC 5186 556 SACD

Wow, listening to these recordings via my sound system gave me the illusion that I am listening to a live event! Orchestra timbre and dynamics are all lifelike. Orchestra/bass slam is awesome and realistic. The performances were first-rate, played with great precision, clarity and refinement. The pacing and energy are very fine.

 

[Yuen A.]

Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur LPO 0001 SACD

An astonishing performance of the Shostakovich symphonies - very dynamic, and emotive. This disc is also one of the most realistic recordings. Via my sound system, the soundstage is immense and naturally resonant.​

 

[Birdwatcher]

Dear Yuen, please apologize my posting. I hesitate a long time to write it, but now I do it, sorry.

All (really all!) your postings are filled with superlatives, everything is first rate, phenomenal, most….. and very ….. and to die for.
I have many of these recordings, and many of them are just OK, some are at least good, some are not really good interpretations and/or sound quality.
For me some more differentiation would be welcome.
I think, if you really own all these recordings and listen to them with sense and attention, and own enough other great interpretations of classical music to compare with them, you will come to some different, relativized and more differentiated conclusions.

Of course, your postings are a pleasure to read and wakes desirability to buy these recordings, but after so many recordings to die for i slowly find it difficult to believe it….
…and, as mentioned, for several of the recordings I have another assessment, what in its own of course is normal, as it is subjective.

 

[Yuen A.]

Dear Yuen, please apologize my posting. I hesitate a long time to write it, but now I do it, sorry.

All (really all!) your postings are filled with superlatives, everything is first rate, phenomenal, most….. and very ….. and to die for.
I have many of these recordings, and many of them are just OK, some are at least good, some are not really good interpretations and/or sound quality.
For me some more differentiation would be welcome.
I think, if you really own all these recordings and listen to them with sense and attention, and own enough other great interpretations of classical music to compare with them, you will come to some different, relativized and more differentiated conclusions.

Of course, your postings are a pleasure to read and wakes desirability to buy these recordings, but after so many recordings to die for i slowly find it difficult to believe it….
…and, as mentioned, for several of the recordings I have another assessment, what in its own of course is normal, as it is subjective.

Hi, I am sorry that my postings have upset you to some extend! However, please take note of the title of this thread: State of the Art Recordings. In other words, I would not post it if a particular recording is not up to that standard (in my opinion)! One thing I learn from my personal experiences is that too often we are so quick to blame the audio issues to a particular recording instead of our listening room or sound system which also includes the quality of our signal and power cables, resonance control footers and racks. But please rest assured that whatever I said in these postings are really my honest opinion!

Of course our assessment of a particular performance is very subjective. To illustrate the point, let me quote some opinions from various sources regarding this disc (Shostakovich Symphonies Nos 1 and 5, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur, LPO 0001 SACD): "... a tour de force .... with the stamp of sizzling authority (Symphony No 1) - Financial Times. "... a tremendous performance of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony. - The Guardian.

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[Birdwatcher]

The Shostakovich with Masur is really very good, today received and just heard. Thanks a lot.
Maybe not as hard, dark and sarcastic as some other interpretations, more on the melodic and lighter side, but indeed very lively, well enlightened acoustics and good details.

 

[Yuen A.]

Sibelius Symphonies 2 & 7
BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Thomas Søndergård LINN RECORDS SACD CKD 462

I would say that the 2nd is certainly very fine playing (more reflective) without the usual excesses. Søndergård kept a tight rein on emotions here. The sound is transparent and detailed. I especially like the bassline, which sounded full, clear, resonant, like the real thing. But I wish that the timpani to be more visceral. (ClassicsToday, review by David Hurwitz, gave it a nine for artistic quality and a nine for sound quality. He says: "These performances of the Second and Seventh symphonies are impressive–particularly the case with the Second."

 

[Yuen A.]

César Franck’s Sonata for Piano and Violin in A, Richard Strauss’ Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat, Op. 18. Violinist Arabella Steinbacher and pianist Robert Kulek. Pentatone SACD PTC 5186 470

Wow, a record to die for! Superb performances by Steinbacher and Kulek. The recording is first-rate. There are plenty of air and space between violin and piano. The instruments are immediate, physical, lifelike and timbres are spot-on. Dynamics and fortissimos are awesome. The violin sounded so gorgeous, sweet, delicate and crystalline. The piano is pitch perfect, rich, warm and amazingly resonant.

 

[Yuen A.]

Edvard GRIEG Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16 Havard Gimse, piano.
In Autumn Concert Overture, Op. 11. Symphonic Dances, Op. 64.
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Bjarte Engeset. Hybrid SACD NAXOS 6.110060 Revisited

I had never expected this disc to sound so good. The sound is alive, transparent, pure, and dynamic. The piano sounded vivid, rich and pure. Based on my previous listening which was long time ago, the recordings were just passable. However, my sound system has improved dramatically since then. Bjarte Engeset seems to be able to make this Scottish orchestra play usually well (especially the brass)!

 

[Yuen A.]

Dvorak Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 Budapest Festival Orchestra/Iván Fischer Recorded March, May 1999, Italian Institute, Budapest, Hungary CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS SA 90210 SACD Revisited (This is an improved version of the stereo layer of
the original by Hein Dekker - more refined)

World class performances by the BFO - vivid, polish, passionate, and dazzling. The soundstage is huge (wall to wall and floor to ceiling) and deep. The dynamics are stunning. The brass blazing.

 

[Yuen A.]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 15 in B flat, K. 450 Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat, K. 595 Martin Helmchen (piano)
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra/Gordan Nikoli? PENTATONE CLASSICS PTC 5186 305 SACD

These are very fine, rich, fascinating and dynamic performances! The soundstage is wide, spacious, atmospheric, and alive! The strings and the piano sounded gorgeous and detailed. The bassline is clean, full, resonant and like the real thing (You can feel it).

 

[Audiocrack]

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STRAVINSKY Petrouchka (1947 version) Scherzo à la Russe (1945 version)
Firebird Suite (1919 version) Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi TELARC SACD 60587

Listen especially to the Firebird Suite. The performance and sound (purity and transparency) are excellent. Instrumental timbre sounded so right. The bassoon and horn solos sounded so real and beautiful. The bass drum sounded awesome.

Yes, in particular the firebird is recorded very well indeed. I do not have a sacd version available but only a dsd 64 file. The latter sounds impressive. One Of the very best string tones on a Telarc recording.

 

[Audiocrack]

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Tour de France Musicale Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Amsterdam, Yakov Kreizberg. Meitner DSD AD Converter. Pentatone PTC 51866 058 SACD ​

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Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No. 2; Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 80 (suite); Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, La vallée des cloches; Ravel: Boléro ​

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Listen especially to the Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No. 2. Fascinating and magical! Listen also to the last track: Ravel: Boléro - effortless and totally without any compression!​

Just listened - via a dsd 64 file - to La Vallee des closhes, composed by Claude Debussy. Inter alia the bells are beautifully recorded.

 

[Michael S.]

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Hebrides Overture

Jennifer Vyvyan, Marion Lowe (sopranos)
Female Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
London Symphony Orchestra
Peter Maag

I have an old vinyl copy on Decca Ace of Diamonds, which is worn out so to say. So the interpretation of Maag and the LSO isn’t new to me, but the fresh and vivid sound of this Sacd let me explore it new.

Just wonderful.

 

[Audiocrack]

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Shostakovich Symphony No. 13 'Babi Yar' Oleg Tsibulko (bass) Russian National Orchestra / Kirill Karabits PentaTone PTC 5186 618 SACD​

Amazing colors, details, transparency, control, refinement, scale, and power. The bassline is dark, powerful, crushing, thrilling and scary. Tsibulko's voice is first-rate and so are the male choruses.

I downloaded this piece this afternoon from the Nativedsd website. According this site this recording was originally made in dxd and therefore I downloaded the dxd file. Great recording and a great performance!

 

[Yuen A.]

Handel in Italy Solo Cantatas Emma Kirkby (soprano) London Baroque BIS SACD 1695​

Wow, Emma Kirkby is on superb form. Her voice and the accompanying instruments (violins and continuo) sounded so real (3--dimensional) and the recorded sound is amazingly resonant and transparent!

 

[Yuen A.]

Grieg - Choral Music Det Norske Solistkor Grete Pedersen BIS SACD1661​

Det Norske Solistkor is world-class! The sounds of these choral works are pain gorgeous, full-bodied and resonant.​

 

[Yuen A.]

Beethoven String Quartets Op. 74 & 95 Tokyo String Quartet harmonia mundi SACD HMU 807460

Impassioned playing by the Tokyo Quartet. Awesome details, dynamics and presence and awesome pizzicato!

 

[Tuckers]

Marrow: The 6 Suites For Solo Cello by J.S. Bach by cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir

I'm always looking for a killer recording of this work. Artistically I prefer the Janos Starker versions. This artist is definitely influenced by Starker, and I like the interpretation a lot, one of the top versions, an upbeat lighter rendition. I need to listen more to see if I like it better than his. The sound though is really wonderful. Light and airy soundscape behind a very rich, vibrant, and resonant cello. Recorded in DXD there are version up to DSD256 available. I got the DXD version because there is one less conversion step.

 

[Yuen A.]

Works for Cello and Piano by Rachmaninov and Prokofiev Johannes Moser, Cello, Andrei Korobeinikov, Piano, Pentatone SACD Catalogue No: PTC 5186 594

Wow, via my updated DAC, the cello and piano (especially the Prokofiev's Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119) sounded uncannily real! Listen also to Moser's reverberant pizzicatos - amazingly good transient response here. The performances are also world-class.