What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?
 

If the recent thread posted by Cyril - http://audioaficionado.org/music/373...ggestions.html is any indicator, there aren't an overwhelming number of classical music fans on Audio Aficionado -

NEVERTHELESS - I think it worth giving a try at seeking out those people who probably like classical music IN ADDITION TO all the rock, jazz, folk etc. etc. etc. that is posted on the other "What are You Listening To" threads.

With that in mind . . . Please give a try at posting your favorite classical discs. Remember:

CLASSICAL MUSIC SOUNDS AWESOME ON YOUR FABULOUS SYSTEMS

I'm listening to MISSA CRIOLLA - Jose Carreras

This CD has been included on almost every "best of" list ever published - TAS, Stereophile, etc. A Philips recording with unbelievably beautiful male vocal and choral performances.

Try it, I promise, you'll like it!!!!! :lala:

Julian


http://www.tivolihifi.com/sites/defa...e_carreras.jpg

Now, I'm listening to SOLID BRASS AT THE OPERA - Opera Favorites for Brass and Percussion - a Dorian Recording on CD

Great music for a demonstration of the refinement and power of your stereo. . . . . No singing - just great music.

On Mercury Living Presence - Morton Gould - Spirituals & Samuel Barber Medea - Ballet Suite. Performed by Howard Hanson & The Eastman Rochester Orchestra (recorded in 1959)

Kinda boring so far - If it doesn't get better, I'm going to change records.

:sorry-3:

Julian.......Just finished listening to Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (SACD) on the tube system in the studio. Excellent.

http://192.168.1.104/7.0.5/Database/...ons-1226583168

Julian...I remembered I had Glen Gould's Goldberg Variations CD on hand. So just popped it on. Beautiful. I ordered some of your suggestions so I am waiting for the goodies to arrive and will start spinning some classical once I have new stuff to check out. Thx for the suggestions again:

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You ain't going to believe it . . . . But. . . . .

I am listening to an extraordinary classical composition by:

ELVIS COSTELLO

Elvis Costello - - - Il Sogno A Ballet after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas on Deutsche Grammophon

This was Costello's first composition for Orchestra and "stands up well in comparison with George Gershwin's concert music".

I kid you not, this is great stuff.

Julian

wow...interesting...on LP or CD?

it is a CD produced in 2004. Don't think it is available on LP.

Julian

I'm playing CARMINA BURANA - by Carl Orff - a definitive recording on Telarc SACD - Donald Runnicles - The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. :tresbon:

Brahms Symphony #1, Karl Bohm conducting (Japan)

Dave

The Planets - Andre Previn - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - - - - WOW!

having coffee with Mozart and Brahms

Dave

For folks who don't think they like CLASSICAL MUSIC, I'm listening to Béla Fleck PERPETUAL MOTION - A Grammy Award Winning CD With Béla playing 16 Classical "hits" on the banjo.

Although it appears that only one or two of us listen to classical music, I'm going to try to keep this thread alive.

I'm listening to Handel's Water Music

:roots::roots::roots::roots:

Bach - Cantatas BWV 64 & 134 - Holland Boys Choir

Indrek Laul - My Favorite Liszt vol. II

If you're not into classical but have a killer system, this is highly recommended.

Andre Previn-Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Album-Essential Gershwin go ahead preview it on rhapsody

I was reading about Gershwin. I knew about his young death but I was surprised to learn how few recordings exist of him actually performing. He used to make piano rolls and so when played back on a piano it is almost like he is playing. Some recordings were made of him this way. Good quality primary electrical recordings of him are apparently very rare. It is reported his estate has grossed more money than any other musical artist in history.

Handels Water Music

Dave

Corelli (Arcangelo Corelli 1653-1713) Concerti Grosso Opus 6

An extraordinary recording on Harmonia Mundi by Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra - Recorded by Peter McGrath - Currently sales manager of Wilson Audio - and one of the world's best recording engineers.

David, this is very interesting. The more I read of your posts,the more I'm convinced that you are a person of huge substance.

I recently heard a recording of Gershwin played back on a Bosendorfer reproducing piano which, supposedly, catches every nuance of the original performance.

I have a couple of cd's of Rachmaninoff reproduced from the original piano rolls on the same type of computer driven piano and they are extraordinary.

Julian

Ravel - Bolero, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Our 13-year-old enjoyed it; his first guess was Tchaikovsky

Beethoven - Triple Concerto - Violin, Cello & Piano - Yo Yo Ma on Cello.

Leopold Stokowski - conducts Russian Masterpieces

Dave

Beethoven - Violin Concerto - Anne-Sophie Mutter - Berlin Philharmonic - Herbert von Karajan. - CD - Deutsche Grammophon

A really good recording of some of the world's most beautiful music.

The Red Violin - sndtrk.

Dave

Mozart Concerto 21 & 24 Seattle Sym. Eugene Isotomin piano

Dave

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 [Hybrid SACD] - Herbert von Karajan with Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

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Gentle music for early morning listening - - - -

Romance of the Violin - Joshua Bell with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Michael Stern

Mozart for Morning Coffee - one of a number of Mozart compilations on Philips - These are all very well done and enjoyable MOZART FOR . . . . .

Fry Street Quartet - Haydn Violin Concerto....a Kimber Kable IsoMike recording.

Dave

Chopin: Piano Concerto #1 in E minor - Emanuel Ax playing a period (~1851) piano

You listen to some nice stuff. I just finished listening to Chopin's Nocturnes - from the album Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes And Impromptus - Claudio Arrau. Two discs - Philips

Julian, thanks for the kind words, and starting this thread, it's inspired me to call up some old favorites and share with my 8th grader, (we still jam to Miles or Led Zeppelin as well). :thumbsup:

Bach: Cantata #140, BWV 140, "Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme" - Ruth Holton, Sytse Buwalda, Etc.; Piet Jan Leusink: Netherlands Bach Collegium, Holland Boys Choir

Paul

Thank you Paul - I'm glad that your 8th grader is expanding his musical horizons.

I love and enjoy almost every type of music - except recent rock - I guess I'm just too old to appreciate loud clanging and gonging with no recognizable melody, being performed by "artists" with no particular talent and/or lousy singing voices. . . . .

I do love all types of jazz, folk, older rock (especially 50's & 60's - way back when it was called "Rock and Roll"), some country, Pop, "Easy Listening", Soundtracks, etc., etc., But I spend hours and hours listening to classical music.

In my opinion, as I said earlier in this thread, Classical Music performed by a good orchestra, is the absolute best type of music to show off the quality of a good audio system.

'Nuff said, but, I think that our fellow AA members are doing themselves and their huge investment in world class stereo systems, a grave injustice by not giving Classical Music a chance.

Paul, I've noticed that you often listen to Bach's Cantatas - I have a complete set of the Cantatas on LP, which are in storage and I hope to locate them and get them out to enjoy. Most of them are incredibly beautiful.

I found an interesting web-site with much information about the Cantatas at Bach Cantatas Website - Home Page

Julian,
Thanks, I'll check out that site. Those LPs must be something special on either of your systems. I got the complete box set of Bach CDs, which can be had for a steal (~$110), and has brought a lot of listening pleasure. There's a bit of it that doesn't do much for me, but that's overwhelmingly compensated by the discoveries that I've made of his music by the convenience of having all of it loaded on the Mac Mini (my "Box o' Bach" playlist).

Currently listening to the 2nd Ax/Chopin CD I got the other day: Chopin: Concerto No.2 in F minor

Will play some nocturnes later in honor of those who died in that tragic plane crash earlier today. Katyn is truly a cursed place.

Julian,
Couldn't agree with you more. That variety keeps things interesting.

As a kid we listened to my dad's Toscanini LPs of Beethoven symphonies and the 1812 overture, but that was about it beyond the FM rock of the 70s. Not having any musical talent nor training, I gained more appreciation from a course-on-tape (or, as my boy would say a Podcast :D) mentioned elsewhere on the forum, and have grasped more about the music which brings the appreciation to a much higher level.

That being said, I'll never appreciate it like my son already can. He's played the piano since age five, and his teacher has spent a lot of time with him on music theory, playing mostly classical pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, etc.. When I tell him he's way beyond my comprehension it still doesn't sink in with him. He's actually in Disney World with his school band this weekend, performing today as lead trumpet soloist.

Paul

Paul...I don't know if you have ever used The Teaching Company courses but they have a whole suite of courses on understanding the fundamentals of music, to understanding symphonies, concertos, operas, as well as Great Masters series, where they explore the works and lives of great masters, including Beethoven, Bach, Verdi, Mozart, Tchaikovosky, Stravinsky, Mahler, Brahms, Shostakovich, Liszt, and Schumann, etc...The courses come on DVDs with companion book material for further study, and can go for $200-$600 but very often they go on sale for 50-75% off. I am providing the link below (by the way the Teaching Company has courses on every subject imaginable but the link below is to their music setion), and today they have almost every course for 75% off, so something may strike your fancy. I ordered the Fundamentals of Music course and found it immeasurably enjoyable and useful. You can see course description/outlines for each course and so that's helpful when deciding whether something is too remedial for you or not. I figured I'd highlight it incase you wanted to do deep dives on a specific composer or genre or what have you. Here you go :thumbsup:

The Teaching Company - Courses By Subject