Best Symphonic Recordings

[q3cpma]

Hurwitz on the Alpine Symphony:

It might be worthwhile to subscribe to one of the cheaper levels of one of the streaming services like Spotifiy, Qobuz or Tidal.

If I had one month of holidays, I'd certainly buy a one time subscription and do my homework exhaustively.

 

[mkt]

I'm still having a hard time, navigating between excellent labels who don't have what I want, badly designed websites and "Live recordings" I'm not too interested in.
Basically, is there anywhere a ranking where I can search for a specific piece by a composer? Even no ranking, but the ability to hear a preview for each track. For example, I'm searching for the best version of Strauss' Eine Alpensinfonie, and I currently have this version (because Karajan is a known value for profanes like me) but I want to know if there's better.

EDIT
Chandos' internet store is very nice, but what would you choose amongst these? I'm listening to all of them, but it's hard to choose; Chandos and Naxos both have a "classic" mixed/congested sound that I usually associate with older releases, but maybe it is more realistic? BIS and Pentatone have more modern feel to me. The Cappricio Classic Masterworks' preview doesn't work here, sadly, as it's a very nice Strauss assortment.
But really, this illustrates how classical can be massive pain for people like me, who prefer to curate a collection instead of streaming.

EDIT2
Any opinion on Naxos and Pentatone? They seem to have nice material and a useful store for Pentatone. Since I only buy physical then rip, it's a big plus for labels to have a direct CD order internet shop.

EDIT3

Didn't take long for my money to start oozing out of my pockets.

Looks like a well-reviewed choice https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8024084--r-strauss-eine-alpensinfonie#reviews

 

[Daverz]

Basically, is there anywhere a ranking where I can search for a specific piece by a composer?

I would recommend a one-time subscription to Classics Today and perusing their "insider" archive for recommendations.

https://www.classicstoday.com/classics-today-insider-sign-up/

I do think it's worth it if you are just starting to collect classical music.

Chandos' internet store is very nice, but what would you choose amongst these?

Chandos has an excellent store, but you'll get a much wider selection at Presto:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/search?search_query=alpensinfonie

For the Alpensinfonie, I think a safe bet is the classic Previn on Telarc, but see the Hurwitz video I posted for more recommendations:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7928179--strauss-r-eine-alpensinfonie-op-64

Any opinion on Naxos and Pentatone? They seem to have nice material and a useful store for Pentatone. Since I only buy physical then rip, it's a big plus for labels to have a direct CD order internet shop.

I think Pentatone's thing is multi-channel, which I can't judge on my stereo-only system. Otherwise, to me, they are just another excellent label competing with all the others.

Naxos outsources the engineering so they can be variable, but generally their engineering is excellent these days. If the music interests me, I don't hesitate to buy Naxos CDs.

Chandos has a long history, and their sound has changed over the years. Their recordings in the 80s/90s could sometimes be too reverberant or muffled, but there were many excellent recordings as well (recording with the Scottish National or Ulster orchestras were usually good). Their recordings from recent years have been generally on a very high level of technical quality, one of the best current labels for interesting repertoire as well as sound.

 

[Daverz]

Led Zeppelin type of guy asks: Can you point me to a great classical piece on Tidal Hifi that is recorded and performed very well. Total classical newbie here, so please give me a easy to digest "gateway drug"

https://tidal.com/browse/album/12665144

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Hurwitz on the Alpine Symphony:

TL-DL! What's he say?

I think Pentatone's thing is multi-channel, which I can't judge on my stereo-only system.

Pentatone does multichannel but not exclusively.

 

[Robin L]

Hurwitz on the Alpine Symphony:

It might be worthwhile to subscribe to one of the cheaper levels of one of the streaming services like Spotifiy, Qobuz or Tidal.

"Eine Alpo Symphonie".

I'll never get into that piece, and it's not for lack of trying. Strauss gets really interesting for me in his last works, the Oboe Concerto, second Horn Concerto, 4 Last Songs, Metamorphosen. And I listen to Zarathrustra pretty frequently. But the Alpine Symphony just makes a lot of noise, as far as I can tell.

I'm having pretty good luck with Amazon's streaming, the selection is pretty amazing. They've got the Kazimierz Kord /Warsaw Philharmonic recording David Hurwitz is raving about. For someone crazy for the sound of this recording, you'd think Hurwitz would have the sense to play the excerpt by routing the audio directly into his feed instead of using his low-fi microphone to pick up the sound from his speakers so you can hear all the resonances of his room on top of the the room the piece was recorded in. Unfortunately, the playback isn't continuous on the Amazon stream, at least with this piece. I suppose I didn't notice this problem with Amazon's playback before on account of listening to works that aren't subdivided into separate tracks for a piece that plays seamlessly.

 

[Robin L]

TL-DL! What's he say?

He sez the best version is an obscure orchestra/conductor from Poland that's OOP. How many times have I heard that before?

 

[q3cpma]

"Eine Alpo Symphonie".

I'll never get into that piece, and it's not for lack of trying. Strauss gets really interesting for me in his last works, the Oboe Concerto, second Horn Concerto, 4 Last Songs, Metamorphosen. And I listen to Zarathrustra pretty frequently. But the Alpine Symphony just makes a lot of noise, as far as I can tell.

I'm having pretty good luck with Amazon's streaming, the selection is pretty amazing. They've got the Kazimierz Kord /Warsaw Philharmonic recording David Hurwitz is raving about. For someone crazy for the sound of this recording, you'd think Hurwitz would have the sense to play the excerpt by routing the audio directly into his feed instead of using his low-fi microphone to pick up the sound from his speakers so you can hear all the resonances of his room on top of the the room the piece was recorded in. Unfortunately, the playback isn't continuous on the Amazon stream, at least with this piece. I suppose I didn't notice this problem with Amazon's playback before on account of listening to works that aren't subdivided into separate tracks for a piece that plays seamlessly.

I find strange the idea of liking Also sprach Zarathustra but not Eine Alpensinfonie as both are very similar to me; the quintessential Strauss tone poem type.

 

[Robin L]

I find strange the idea of liking Also sprach Zarathustra but not Eine Alpensinfonie as both are very similar to me; the quintessential Strauss tone poem type.

Zarathrustra is shorter, has that organ thing going on in the opening, there's lots of different episodes. Alpensinfonie sounds like it's one voice throughout, and it's always shouting. Also 2001.

 

[LTig]

"Eine Alpo Symphonie".

I'll never get into that piece, and it's not for lack of trying. Strauss gets really interesting for me in his last works, the Oboe Concerto, second Horn Concerto, 4 Last Songs, Metamorphosen. And I listen to Zarathrustra pretty frequently. But the Alpine Symphony just makes a lot of noise, as far as I can tell.

What about Ferdinand Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite?

 

[julian_hughes]

BIS, Chandos, Sony Classical all have high hit rates for me. The latter has top artists.

DG tends to sign the most coveted artists, along with Sony Classical and Decca. Chamber music is usually fine on all these labels, but orchestra recording on DG hasn’t been great since the 1960s and was just awful in the 1980s.

Agreed, BIS & Chandos in particular never seem less than outstanding. But most classical labels are very unlikely to release a poorly produced album these days. I can't remember the last time I bought a classical CD or SACD produced this century which wasn't at least very good. I remember buying some fairly awful symphonic recordings in the 80s & 90s on Naxos (and on some small labels), but these days they are, so far as I can tell, uniformly *excellent* and they also have worked their way through their catalogue removing and replacing their clunkers. I still buy used CDs and occasionally hear poorly produced works, even audible clipping and such, but these are always older recordings and usually from tiny labels.

Chandos's store is excellent, as is Presto. eClassical is also worth looking at. Maybe the most useful thing a person can do is get a qobuz or primephonic subscription and just listen!

 

[Robin L]

What about Ferdinand Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite?

What about Randy Newman?

 

[Robin L]

I was just listening to my rip of the CD layer of one of the Classic RCA Victor Red Seal recordings, Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing Mussorgsky and works by other Russian composers. Looking at Amazon's listings, I see that the most recent complete collection of Reiner/CSO RCA recordings is OOP, and there's one copy going for $700 + shipping for 63 CDs. I mention these recordings as quite a few have really fine recorded sound, particularly considering they are as old as I am. Though Reiner didn't get around to Eine Alpensinfonie he did make some fine Richard Strauss recordings. Also worthy of note is the 9 CD set of R. Strauss featuring Rudolf Kempe with the Staatskapelle Dresden on Warner Classics [used to be EMI].

 

[LTig]

What about Randy Newman?

No sunrise, no thunderstorm: how can this compete with Grofé and Strauss?

 

[Alexanderc]

I really like most of the Telarc catalog, especially recordings of the Atlanta and St. Louis symphonies. Very few of these are available on Qobuz or Amazon HD, sadly.

 

[MuseIcal]

I like Linn Records for high, very high quality recordings.

https://www.linnrecords.com

https://www.linnrecords.com/catalogue/featured-artists

They also have radio stations with high bit rates for both Classical and Jazz;

https://www.linn.co.uk/linn-radio

 

[Robin L]

No sunrise, no thunderstorm: how can this compete with Grofé and Strauss?

He still knocks it out of the park.
I'm always struck by Randy Newman's orchestration and his harmonic sense, sweet but often off-kilter.

 

[maxxevv]

Its interesting that there's so much variability in quality of recordings.

But in terms of collecting, I usually seek out the so called " landmark recordings " that have left and indelible post in the classical landscape.

Something like Du Pre's Elgar Cello with Barbirolli and the LSO. Mullova with Ozawa and the BSO was well as Ostrakh with Ormandy with the CSO for the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.

Then when I listen to different renditions of the same compositions, I get a better grasp of why people leave certain comments on them. And why certain compositions evoke different emotions when performed by different artistes at different times in their careers.

I listen to a lot of violin, to me, Sarah Chang early in her career playing Sibelius evokes a different vibe compared to her rendition with the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest a fair number of years later. Similarly, Hilary Hahn playing Sibelius early in her career and much later after having her second child has a different feel to it too.

Recording quality notwithstanding, I tend to seek out recordings/ performances that provide a difference in emotional evocation.

 

[Robin L]

Recording quality notwithstanding, I tend to seek out recordings/ performances that provide a difference in emotional evocation.

That's why I'm still playing Schnabel's, Cortot's and Richter's recordings, despite less than ideal sound.

 

[Daverz]

What about Randy Newman?

I don't get it. What's the connection?