Western Classical Music

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pindranil said:
Yes indeed…but this is not new. I have been a subscriber for over two years now. And I can attest to its excellence especially of its archival content. The BPO, like the other top European and US orchestras can now make available to its subscribers repertoire and concerts which were not viable for record companies for commercial release. The BPO, in particular, have the best app and arguably some of the best content. Though of course, the great US orchestras are also getting into the game. Thank you for flagging this…my subscription has come up for renewal!

cheers,
IP
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The BRSO too does their own thing. Good recordings. Their Mahler cycle with Mariss Jansons is very interesting. Though Mr. Jansons came into the Mahler fold pretty late in his career its a good cycle to listen to. Not everyones cup of tea mind you but different. The orchestra though is more than adept and they do have a long standing history with the composers work.

For those who like Mahler pls listen to Gurzenich Koln Orchestra with Markus Stenz. Superb Mahler cycle. They dont seem to figure in the top 10 or even 20 by popular ratings but their concert hall sound and their playing is awesome. Must hear.

Nalzan said:
Completely agree with you! A great conductor some of his performances remain benchmark versions!
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The Verdi Requiem for example is awesome…

Lizard King said:
Mahler was not even 30 when he composed Titan. Sign of what the word "Mahlerian" would stand to mean. Gigantic, ponderous, deep, and profound. Yet earthy. It's still possibly the most accessible Mahler.
And yes, it will test your $6000 hifi system to its limits. Hell Yeah.


If the 1st Symphony is a elaborate Roman feast, its 2nd movement, 'Hunter's Funeral' is the 'antipasto', the easily digestible appetite stimulant. The 'McMahler', if ever the was one.
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Maybe you meant “test a 6 million dollar system to its limits” , 😂, cause Mahler sure can 😉
 
Edouard Lalo's Piano Concerto No. 1 hardly makes it to the popular canon. It does not have virtuosic keyboard pyrotechnics but the melody and the beautiful chord progression is what carries it through.


 
Hello Peeps

Listening right now to one of my fav conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2 with Yefim Bronfman as soloist.

Mr. Salonen never disappoints with concerto’s. He excels in bringing together the soloist and the orchestra beautifully. The right balance.

He has another cracker of a recording with Cho-Liang Lin and the Philharmonia Orchestra for the Sibelius Violin Concerto. This recording was my introduction to this piece many many moons ago and till date remains my goto recording.

Do listen if you have the time or are looking for versions different from what you are used to listening to.
 
manek said:
Hello Peeps

Listening right now to one of my fav conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2 with Yefim Bronfman as soloist.

Mr. Salonen never disappoints with concerto’s. He excels in bringing together the soloist and the orchestra beautifully. The right balance.

He has another cracker of a recording with Cho-Liang Lin and the Philharmonia Orchestra for the Sibelius Violin Concerto. This recording was my introduction to this piece many many moons ago and till date remains my goto recording.

Do listen if you have the time or are looking for versions different from what you are used to listening to.
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The Sibelius violin concerto with Cho Liang Lin is super…Did it come out on cassette as well? I love the Accardo version on Philips with Colin Davis as well as the Rachlin one with Maazel in Pittsburg if I recall correctly…as for the Rachmaninov 2nd almost everyone does it fairly well these days though Salonen is not your usual heart on your sleeve type of conductor, but of course as a composer himself, Salonen has a clear grasp of structure.

IP
 
pindranil said:
The Sibelius violin concerto with Cho Liang Lin is super…Did it come out on cassette as well? I love the Accardo version on Philips with Colin Davis as well as the Rachlin one with Maazel in Pittsburg if I recall correctly…as for the Rachmaninov 2nd almost everyone does it fairly well these days though Salonen is not your usual heart on your sleeve type of conductor, but of course as a composer himself, Salonen has a clear grasp of structure.
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pindranil said:
The Sibelius violin concerto with Cho Liang Lin is super…Did it come out on cassette as well? I love the Accardo version on Philips with Colin Davis as well as the Rachlin one with Maazel in Pittsburg if I recall correctly…as for the Rachmaninov 2nd almost everyone does it fairly well these days though Salonen is not your usual heart on your sleeve type of conductor, but of course as a composer himself, Salonen has a clear grasp of structure.

IP
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Not sure about the cassette issue of the Sibelius. I heard it on cd first.

pindranil said:
The Sibelius violin concerto with Cho Liang Lin is super…Did it come out on cassette as well? I love the Accardo version on Philips with Colin Davis as well as the Rachlin one with Maazel in Pittsburg if I recall correctly…as for the Rachmaninov 2nd almost everyone does it fairly well these days though Salonen is not your usual heart on your sleeve type of conductor, but of course as a composer himself, Salonen has a clear grasp of structure.

IP
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There is also a good version by Sarah Chang at the Concertgebouw. Its on the tube. Cant find an album recording. Have a go.

Back to back, mahler symphony 2. First zubin mehta - vpo - decca
Second klaus tennstedt - lpo - emi(now warner)

Heaven on earth….for me atleast
 
I discovered this gem a few months ago - based on a friend's recommendation. It's not new but it's become so much a part of my regular listening that I wanted to share here

I find it surprising that Karl Jenkins is not mentioned in most lists of modern composers.
 
Btw, i dont know how many of you guys use prestodigital.com - you get a lot of amazing music there for $1.50-$2.50 for FLAC downloads. I just picked up Ozawa and Solti’s Mahler #2 after going through a huge Shostakovich binge there last few months.

(Yeah, streaming and all that - i prefer having the music on my devices)
 
vkalia said:
Btw, i dont know how many of you guys use prestodigital.com - you get a lot of amazing music there for $1.50-$2.50 for FLAC downloads. I just picked up Ozawa and Solti’s Mahler #2 after going through a huge Shostakovich binge there last few months.

(Yeah, streaming and all that - i prefer having the music on my devices)
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Are you sure the website url is right? it redirects to https://www.prestodigital.net// which is a web designing company.
 
vkalia said:
Btw, i dont know how many of you guys use prestodigital.com - you get a lot of amazing music there for $1.50-$2.50 for FLAC downloads. I just picked up Ozawa and Solti’s Mahler #2 after going through a huge Shostakovich binge there last few months.

(Yeah, streaming and all that - i prefer having the music on my devices)
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Presto issues are good !
My way of doing it is to hear on streaming services, and if you like it then download on disk from the websites.

But the material on the good classical streaming services is soooooo extensive, with near complete catalogues of the labels, streaming services will at some point in time convince you 😂. I am now of the firm belief that the bigger the names (orchestra+conductor+recordlabel) the bigger the chances of disappointment. Experienced it a few times with the same gentleman Solti and others. There are gems hidden waiting to be found and streaming services help you do just that e.g. how smaller labels mostly do so well on recording quality or finding those awesome German Orchestras other than the usual top 5+ like Gurzenich Koln, Elb Philharmonie, etc.

I found a near complete catalogue of Mercury Living Presence including the 35mm tape recordings of Antal Dorati and Paul Paray. Quite fascinating.
True they are not upto scratch compared to the CD and SACD releases which are something else, but it takes you into the world of the magic those great sound engineers managed to weave so many decades ago. Also it gives you a window to hear how good the orchestras which were considered second rung can be and can sound.

I am truly sold on the streaming services as a treasure trove of goodies.
 
I do the same - i use the streaming services to try various performances and then buy the version i like.

I hear what you are saying about materials on streaming being super extensive and allowing for a lot of opportunities to sample various works. I was on a big Shostakovich binge last month and really enjoyed hearing performances by various conductors. And then i ended up purchasing the versions i liked :)

Something about owning the music feels permanent - i cant describe it.
 
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