What are you currently listening to (Classical)?

[marslo]

My today’s discovery from HDTT, outstanding in DSD 256
https://www.highdeftapetransfers.co...soldat-robert-mandell-ars-nova-redux-pure-dsd

 

[CKKeung]

Andras Schiff dislikes "globalization/Steinwayization of piano music".
The insert booklet is a good read.

And which version you like more : his 1921 Bechstein Diabelli or the 1820 Brodmann fortepiano Diabelli?

 

[LL21]

https://www.pristineclassical.com/collections/artist-wilhelm-furtwangler



From the website: "PristineClassical.com was launched in 2005. We specialise in bringing classic historic recordings back to life using cutting edge digital technology and making them available as high quality downloads and on compact disc.

At the helm since day one has been Andrew Rose, music graduate and previously a senior sound engineer at the BBC. Andrew has been instrumental in developing the Pristine sound and style and innovating in the field of audio restoration, and is responsible for remastering the majority of the music on the label. Other major contributors to the Pristine catalogue include the renowned historic audio engineers Mark Obert-Thorn, Ward Marston and Peter Harrison. Together they have built a large and rich catalogue of final music recordings dating as far back as 1899, through the classic “golden age” of 78rpm recordings and on into the era of the LP and the early years of high fidelity stereo. Our catalogue concentrates in the classical field, but we do make occasional diversions into the worlds of classic jazz and early blues.

Our recordings and audio engineering prowess have earned acclaim around the world:

“Andrew Rose, that miracle worker among audio-restoration engineers, at his company Pristine Audio…” – The Washington Post

“Hooked on the sensation, I spent days browsing Pristine’s archives, relishing the newly robust sound of classic recordings…” – Alex Ross, The New Yorker

“His label is called Pristine Classical and its catalogue contains so many marvels that I’ve become — slightly to his embarrassment, I think — the Pristine equivalent of an Apple fanboy” – Damian Thompson, The Spectator

In 2015 five of the top ten historic recordings in The Sunday Times’ annual awards came from Pristine. In 2012 a top Hollywood director insisted on using our remastered transfer of Tchaikovsky in an award-winning film over Sony’s original master tape. Multi-platinum-selling rock guitarists reacted in gushing amazement to our 1930s Robert Johnson blues restorations. Thousands of reviews in magazines, newspapers and on specialist websites around the world have praised our recordings and our Pristine sound.

Elsewhere on this site you can read more about what we do and how we do it, browse our extensive catalogue and listen to our recordings in hundreds of high quality samples. Each release is available for download at the highest possible audio quality, can be streamed from our online player, and can be obtained on made-to-order CDs, shipped worldwide direct from our little village location in rural France.

Happy listening!"



...Check this out! A specialist company has remastered the World War II complete Beethoven Symphony recordings of Furtwangler...just arrived! So far, so fantastic! I give them a lot of credit. Listening to 1940s recordings of mixed quality is TOUGH (for me) when I enjoy both music and great sound reproduction at the same time.

But I have to say, I am surprised at how listenable the 9th Symphony is...no its not been recorded yesterday and mastered by the best...but it is darned listenable, and allows me (for the first time) to enjoy what is quite possibly my favorite Beethoven 9th (the 1942 Furtwangler).

...will report back on the 1-8th later!

 

[Manesp2]

 

[CKKeung]

View attachment 66229

How's the performance of Lorin Maazel this time?
Sonics also good?

 

[Jazzhead]

 

[Manesp2]

How's the performance of Lorin Maazel this time?
Sonics also good?

Enjoyed every note of this LP.

I am confident you are aware of Maazel's comfort, if you like, with Schubert's " Unfinished" Symphony No.8 in B Minor. IMHO that headset reveals itself on this DGG LP. Solid might be the apt description of his performance.

Sonics? Good ...sure. I have two music rooms ...one much larger than the other. An LP such as this tulip DGG (RCA made in USA) sounds sweeter? ...okay, better...in the larger of the 2 rooms.

Stay safe.

 

[marty]

Helene Grimaud is rapidly becoming one of my favorite pianists. She is unarguably unique and extremely talented even among the many great pianists working today. But there’s something special about her and listening to her is a joy. She is known to excel at muscular pieces with a force reminiscent of Martha Argerich, but with the silkiness of Richter and with technique that leaves you breathless. This album is a her latest 2020 release and it’s a delight. Track after track. I have never heard Bach played this way (Piano Concerto #1). Her counterpoint is totally inspired by Gould but yet there is more, a lot more. Mesmerizing. I was supposed to see her at Carnegie next March, but Concerts have just been canceled through next January so all I can do is hope this damn COVID thing is under control by then. In the meantime, there are plenty of recordings of hers to enjoy at home. At 50, she’s at the peak of her art, which has been stratospheric since her days as a young French piano prodigy.

 

[CKKeung]

I was so moved by Horowitz (#2475 & #2476) that I decided to buy and complete the whole Complete Masterworks Recordings series.

I guess many weekends are needed to finish them.
But I am sure I will keep going back for enjoyment in future.

 

[howiebrou]

 

[Jazzhead]

 

[CKKeung]

Will any of you buy this "brick set"?

 

[marty]

I'm not familiar with the Barbirolli set, but this one delivers the goods for program content, performers and recording quality (many engineered by the legendary Ken Wilkinson) that is terrific. The 100+ page booklet contains outstanding liner notes and 20 pages on the audio engineering history at Decca that is equally superb. The booklet is a big reason to own this as it is not available on streaming as far as I know. I think the box is now Decca Red and Blue, but it is a the same set as the one pictured here,. It is a desert island collection for me (among a limited few).

 

[rando]

I think the box is now Decca Red and Blue

Decca issued a number of "The Decca Sound" boxed sets. Latest being 'The Piano Edition.' 'The Analog Years' is the most desirable with only their best legacy recordings. Red and blue box contains multiple less desirable offerings packaged in with some very fine selections.

The label's new wave; Fleming, Bell, and Bartoli, are here because they had to be, not because any of this is their best work... There are also some recordings where the "Decca Sound" is frankly lacking. The New Year's Concert from Vienna is an important historical document, magnificently played, but the sound and especially applause are brittle and unpleasant. And the Walton disc at the end of the set is swallowed by a simply awful acoustic that the engineers were powerless against.

 

[CKKeung]

The Art of Erica Morini.
Surprisingly good recoelrding quality.
A happy Father Day morning!

 

[Jazzhead]

 

[marty]

View attachment 66452

This is a 1983 digital recording which is a relatively early period for DGG digital and was not exactly their finest hour. Typically I gravitate to the EMI analogs recording of Perlman from 72-80 that are now part of a huge Warner boxed set. Unfortunately he never recorded the Saint Saens with EMI as far as I know but this performance is very highly regarded (no surprise- everything this guy does is highly regarded!). What is really astonishing however is that while the CD is readily available in several versions ranging from $7-$13 on Amazon, there is one version that is priced at a shocking $970!! (And it's clearly a CD, not vinyl).



Seems to me one of two things are possible. The first is that it's simply a pricing mistake. The second is that perhaps it says somewhere in the fine print that if you buy it, you too will play the violin like Perlman. If that's the case, then it's a bargain!

 

[rando]

 

[howiebrou]

 

[rando]