100 Greatest Symphonies

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by bart

Which is outstanding!
SA-CD.net - Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1-15 - Kitajenko

I got my copy of this today. When I went looking it was around $150 on Amazon, but I found it for far less on jpc.de. With shipping and for. tranasaction fee and still paid less then $65 for the boxed set of 12 SACDs.

Ripping the CD layer now for streaming to my Naim.

[Amfibius]

Originally Posted by ptr

As for Shostakovich recomendations (one of my top 10 faves), I havent quite warmed up to the Kitajenko box, mostly because I really dont like the sound the orchestra makes. This mostly because I'm imprinted with the sound the Russian Orchestras of yesteryears made (like the Moscow Symphony or Lenigrad Philharmonic).
On the whole I've settled on Kirill Kondrashin as the most complete interpreter of Shostakovich symphonies, unfortunatly, the sound of the Studios where his Soviet period recordings where made rae generally awful and not something one mentions in the prescens of Audiophiles! (A box of these are availible on Melodiya)
I quite lament his misfortunate death in the early 80ties, as he was on the verge on embarking on a new symphony cycle for DECCA/London and the Concertgebouw Orkest, Amsterdam, a cycle we now know that Mr Haitink got to make insted. For those who are willing to search, there are a bunch of live recording with Kondrashin and Concertgebouw (mostly released by Philips in Holland) that are quite stunning musically!
I find it quite hard to recomend a complete symphony box if sound quality is very important, but if you don't mind to mix and match the on going series' on Pentatone with the Russian National Orchestra and those on the Mariinsky label with the Kirov Orchestra are quite good (I belive that Mr Gergiev will release a complete set in the future).

Thank you!! Someone who knows what he is talking about! Like you, after repeated listening I have found the Kitajenko to be a little bit cold. The sound quality is astounding to be sure, but the performances seem to lack the intensity and passion brought by Kondrashin or Haitink. For sheer angst, you can't go past Haitink. Also, I am waiting for the complete Gergiev Shostakovich box set, but Gergiev can be a little bit patchy. Sometimes he is inspired, sometimes he is insipid.

I would really like to hear Gustavo Dudamel record Shostakovich, preferably on SACD I have heard him do some individual symphonies, and he is brilliant. It is almost unbelievable how he keeps his little fancied no-name orchestra playing the right notes at the right time at the crazy tempi he tends to choose.

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by Amfibius

Thank you!! Someone who knows what he is talking about! Like you, after repeated listening I have found the Kitajenko to be a little bit cold. The sound quality is astounding to be sure, but the performances seem to lack the intensity and passion brought by Kondrashin or Haitink. For sheer angst, you can't go past Haitink. Also, I am waiting for the complete Gergiev Shostakovich box set, but Gergiev can be a little bit patchy. Sometimes he is inspired, sometimes he is insipid.

I would really like to hear Gustavo Dudamel record Shostakovich, preferably on SACD I have heard him do some individual symphonies, and he is brilliant. It is almost unbelievable how he keeps his little fancied no-name orchestra playing the right notes at the right time at the crazy tempi he tends to choose.

I think my purpose with the Kitajenko here will be to pick out a few symphonies that I like better than others, and then go look for good recordings on vinyl. But this was a good way to get the entire set relatively inexpensively. I'm now down to ripping the last SACD, so I might start listening to some of this tonight or tomorrow.

[redm]

Originally Posted by RaceTripper

I stumbled across this list of the 100 Greatest Symphonies. While I don't usually put much stock in lists like these, I thought this one was pretty good.

What do you all think? Are there any glaring omission? Is there something there that shouldn't be. Why or why not? If think something is missing, is it a personal preference, or do you think a perennial favorite was omitted.

I'll go first. I think a huge omission that belongs in the top 10 or 20 is Bartok's "Concerto For Orchestra." This is certainly a symphony in a reasonable sense. It's not a concerto for solo instruments, not really. It is a true masterpiece and deserves a place in the very upper echelon.

This is a great find, I enjoy classical music, but I always have trouble picking it out, they all look the same so I usually just listen to classical radio.

Thanks for pointing this out!

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by redm

This is a great find, I enjoy classical music, but I always have trouble picking it out, they all look the same so I usually just listen to classical radio.

Thanks for pointing this out!

Just don't pay too much attention to the order, and don't hesitate to explore outside that list. It is -- after all -- just someone's idea of it. But it's a pretty good list for a starter.

[redm]

Originally Posted by RaceTripper

Just don't pay too much attention to the order, and don't hesitate to explore outside that list. It is -- after all -- just someone's idea of it. But it's a pretty good list for a starter.

I'm not sure if I could, they still all read the same to me, this symphony #x in x minor.

I'll just try the top 10

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by redm

I'm not sure if I could, they still all read the same to me, this symphony #x in x minor.

I'll just try the top 10

If you do the top 10, I would go with just one of the Beethoven's, and add Sibelius (2nd), plus a Mahler (2nd or 5th) and a Bruckner (4th or 7th). That's a little better balance.

I hate how top-heavy that list is with Beethoven. And I don't know that the 9th is a good first one. That's the one to build up to. Maybe start off with the 6th or 3rd?

[Wasatch]

Some nice stuff there.