Buying Western Classical Music

[ajay124]

Recent additions of good classical cd's at Rhythm House.
Only including the stuff which is currently available,brilliant and reasonably priced.
Rhythm House Product Details
Rhythm House Product Details
Rhythm House Product Details
Rhythm House Product Details
Rhythm House Product Details

 

[ajay124]

The complete symphonies of Beethoven.Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic.Simon Rattle. 9 CD Box Set for 995/-.
Great introduction to Beethoven's music.Box Sets this good,at this price,do not come around very often.Grab and cherish forever!
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And one more.Dinu Lupati is a great pianist.Music selection on these CD's is great. 7 CD Set for 1095/- Bargain.
http://www.rhythmhouse.in//Detail.aspx?productListing=91411

 

[ssf]

Ordered for the Set. Might have to wait for 2 years to listen to it on a system that could do it justice.


Regards and thanks,

Sunil

 

[sivasarjun]

thanks Ajay, going to order.Also the jazz boxset.

 

[ajay124]

thanks Ajay, going to order.Also the jazz boxset.

Too late for the Beethoven Box Set.It was available when I posted the link.It's gone now.I think Sunil beat you to it.But you can register for a stock alert.For the price it was truly a great bargain.I have an identical EMI/Simon Rattle Box Set of Bela Bartok.The packaging,cover design and sound quality is excellent.I have the Beethoven Complete Symphonies Box Set of Duetsche Gramophone/Berlin Philharmoniker/Herbert Von Karajan,both on CD and DVD,otherwise I would have grabbed this one!
@Sunil
You will love it on any music system you have.But on a good two channel set up there are very few pleasures in the world which can rival this music for a lifetime of happiness.If you have Beethoven's Piano Sonatas 1-6 also,then you have a sort of of Best of Beethoven.In full versions rather than compilations.While all the symphonies are great ,perhaps you could begin with 5,6,9 if you have not heard them before.I envy you the first ray of light when Beethoven's magic first dawns on you.I remember the first time I actually connected with western classical music.Had been listening to it casually for about a year or so.But one day while playing Mozart's 20th Piano Concerto I actually 'connected' with this eternal river of music/life.For a few months/forever? all the pain,sorrows,emptiness of my life melted away.I had found something which would give me joy, and be justification enough for living the rest of my life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtTqpqGIIYU

 

[sivasarjun]

Too bad.Anyway I have spend far too much on cds this month.
I have a few Karajans.(th by both karajan and Furtwangler.Interestingily Furtwangler detested Karajan.Great film about him by Istvan Szabo "Taking sides".The americans suspected him of being a nazi sympathiser and he had to appear before a brash American who has no appreciation of classical music.

 

[hifiashok]

guys, this is turning out to be an excellent thread. thanx.

can anyone guide on which is (considered/ack.) a longish but best rendition of 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' (piano)? also, is there some form of a thesaurus for western classical. have a tune in mind but dunno how to search. this was used for a DD (TV) science program long, long ago (late 80s - early 90s, very fast). had small plasticine animated figurines dancing around a fire as the visual.

YouTube - OFFICIAL WORLD RECORD GUITAR SPEED - Guinness World Records

 

[ssf]

@Sunil
You will love it on any music system you have.But on a good two channel set up there are very few pleasures in the world which can rival this music for a lifetime of happiness.If you have Beethoven's Piano Sonatas 1-6 also,then you have a sort of of Best of Beethoven.In full versions rather than compilations.While all the symphonies are great ,perhaps you could begin with 5,6,9 if you have not heard them before.I envy you the first ray of light when Beethoven's magic first dawns on you.I remember the first time I actually connected with western classical music.Had been listening to it casually for about a year or so.But one day while playing Mozart's 20th Piano Concerto I actually 'connected' with this eternal river of music/life.For a few months/forever? all the pain,sorrows,emptiness of my life melted away.I had found something which would give me joy, and be justification enough for living the rest of my life.

Ajay,

I am finding myself at a loss for words to respond to the passion that you have for Classical music. I am going to place my passion for music at many many levels below yours. I have heard most of the famous classical compositions, albeit, casually, but I am a fan. I will be spending more time with music in the days to come and I would love to have you point me in the right direction.

I should also thank you for the Rhythm House link.

Sivasarjun,

My apologies for grabbing the Set.

Regards,

Sunil.

 

[ajay124]

Ajay,

I am finding myself at a loss for words to respond to the passion that you have for Classical music. I am going to place my passion for music at many many levels below yours. I have heard most of the famous classical compositions, albeit, casually, but I am a fan. I will be spending more time with music in the days to come and I would love to have you point me in the right direction.

I should also thank you for the Rhythm House link.

Sivasarjun,

My apologies for grabbing the Set.

Regards,

Sunil.

It's a pleasureto share my 'passion' with other people.The reason I began this thread was to help buyers of western classical music to gradually put together a good collection at a reasonable cost.Let me know If there is any particular composer you are interested in and I can dig around and find some good stuff for you.

 

[hifiashok]

sincere apologies if this is a re-post, but has this been discussed here?

Living Stereo 60 CD Collection Box

I'm told these are SACDs (there remains some confusion, tho').

 

[sivasarjun]

It's a pleasureto share my 'passion' with other people.The reason I began this thread was to help buyers of western classical music to gradually put together a good collection at a reasonable cost.Let me know If there is any particular composer you are interested in and I can dig around and find some good stuff for you.

Leos Janacek?

 

[ajay124]

Leos Janacek?

Leos Janacek was a Czech composer who mostly wrote opera.Have not heard him as I have not spent much time with opera's.His countryman Boris Smetana wrote a very famous opera called 'The Bartered Bride'.Have not heard that one too.But I do have a box set of Antonin Dvorak and he is one of my favorite composers.His 'New World Symphony' and Slavonic Dances are really great.

 

[ssf]

It's a pleasureto share my 'passion' with other people.The reason I began this thread was to help buyers of western classical music to gradually put together a good collection at a reasonable cost.Let me know If there is any particular composer you are interested in and I can dig around and find some good stuff for you.

Thank you Ajay.

Regards,

Sunil

 

[ajay124]

Johann Sebastian Bach's finest and most easily accessible music.Brandeburg Concertos 1-6.I and my wife's love it.Love to play it LOUD as the music fills the house (and the neighbourhood)with joy and beauty.Have played this music more than any other ever.Riccardo Chailly is not in the top rung of my conductor preferences but he's good.At the moment I have an EMI 7CD Box Set of Yehudi Menuhin/Bath Festival Orchestra performing Brandenburg and Bach's Orchestral Suites.
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Johann Sebastian Bach wrote all his music for God.I consider it a gift from God that I'm allowed to listen to it.Divine Dispensation.
YouTube - Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No.5 - I - Allegro

 

[hifiashok]

Toccata and Fugue in 'Organ at First Congressional Church, LA' by Micheal Murray (Bach) 1983

Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, organ | You Tube Videos - Collection of Videos from YouTube.

 

[ssf]

Johann Sebastian Bach's finest and most easily accessible music.Brandeburg Concertos 1-6.I and my wife's love it.Love to play it LOUD as the music fills the house (and the neighbourhood)with joy and beauty.Have played this music more than any other ever.Riccardo Chailly is not in the top rung of my conductor preferences but he's good.At the moment I have an EMI 7CD Box Set of Yehudi Menuhin/Bath Festival Orchestra performing Brandenburg and Bach's Orchestral Suites.
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Johann Sebastian Bach wrote all his music for God.I consider it a gift from God that I'm allowed to listen to it.Divine Dispensation.

Wonderful music, Ajay.

But I am listening to it on my Altec Lansing 2.1 which cost me all of 3500 rupees. Till the first half of the music I was hearing the double bass and the violins and when I listened very carefully, to the flute. But the piano (or it it an organ), I could see but couldn't hear. Until almost the end of the composition when the piano and only the piano is played.

Beautiful music played beautifully.

Now, if only I had the privilege of listening to it on a Beethoven

 

[ajay124]

"Now,if only I had the privilege of listening to it on a Beethoven "

If you retain your passion for music ultimately you will reach 'Audio Nirvana'.From the age of 12-25,I was playing cassettes on broken down tape recorders,(top open,loose connections,faulty rollers and heads) which had to be 'nudged' awake everytime I wanted to hear something.My first 'HiFi' was a rundown Pioneer CDP/Sonodyne Amp/Speakers which I bought for 3500/-.
'Audio Nirvana' for me is: Bach,Beethoven,Mozart,Schubert,Haydn,Schumann,Brahms,Chopin,Handel,Mendelssohn,Mahler,Stravinsky....
What I am listening to it on is secondary.

 

[ssf]

'Audio Nirvana' for me is: Bach,Beethoven,Mozart,Schubert,Haydn,Schumann,Brah ms,Chopin,Handel,Mendelssohn,Mahler,Stravinsky....
What I am listening to it on is secondary.

My reference to Beethoven was my way of subtly letting you know that I am envious of your Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grand which you 'Love to play it LOUD as the music fills the house (and the neighbourhood) with joy and beauty'

I am still 'Living in a Material World'.

Regards,

Sunil

 

[ajay124]

My reference to Beethoven was my way of subtly letting you know that I am envous of your Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grand which you 'Love to play it LOUD as the music fills the house (and the neighbourhood) with joy and beauty'

I am still 'Living in a Material World'.

Regards,

Sunil

I 'got' your Vienna Acoustic reference,which is why I posted that it is primarily essential to own and be listening to good music and secondarily essential to have good equipment to listen to it on.I am not underestimating the pleasures of HiFi.A good two channel system is one of the best and most refined pleasures of life but it's fairly expensive,and money unfortunately always falls short of desires.Collecting good music does not require a lot of money,but it does require knowledge and good taste.After 30+ years of listening to music (unlike many of my friends I never stopped listening,even in my busiest years) I have simplified my collection down to the essence that all popular forms of music (with a little bit of lee-way given to jazz) are essentially 'noise'.Good for an occasional nostalgia trip,but the bulk of one's time and money should be dedicated to Classical Music (Western/Indian/Other).However many changes come with age and experience.There was a time when Rock ruled my world!

 

[ssf]

all popular forms of music (with a little bit of lee-way given to for jazz) are essentially 'noise' which one can tolerate now and then

Haha, I like the way you put it.

I have a very different view though. For me, music is something that makes me want to sing along, something that makes me nostalgic, sad, happy, something that makes me want to dance so on and so forth. Good music for me in other words is something that gets me to feel. You, am sure will be of the opinion that you get this wide range of emotions from just Classical Music. I might need to listen to a lot more variety to get me there.

I agree with your saying that changes come with time and experience. I remember a time almost 25 years ago, when I was in my late teens passionately telling an older friend that I will be listening to metal all my life. He told me to talk to him about this after 10 years. He was implying just that.

Listening to music too isnt as simple as we make it out to be. Take for instance, me, pouring myself a glass of whisky, browsing through youtube for songs that I am in a mood to listen to and in walks my dear wife questioning my taste in music (especially if it happens to be the likes of Robert Plant talking about a lady who wants to buy a stairway to heaven) asking me to turn down what little volume I was listening to it in. :lol:

Regards,

Sunil