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Classical Music Guides & Reviews

rodrigaj

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I really enjoy Idagio. They have begun offering "Booklets" with their albums, they now have an Idagio "Live" section which features video broadcasts and they have recently begun selling "Tickets" to live events being held in pandemic required empty halls. All told, they have really improved since they started up in the USA.
 
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MRC01

MRC01

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Idagio is great, and I also like the booklets. Primephonic has booklets too. Better yet, they have them for more albums, and the booklets are also available not only from the browser, but also from their Android app. With Idagio, booklets are browser only. For just one example, Pollini's 1972 recording of Chopin's Etudes 10 & 25: Idagio doesn't have the booklet but Primephonic does.
 

Daverz

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I recommend this book as it includes brief CD and performance recommendations for each composer (although they are not very indepth reviews, so it might be considered shallow by people who already know their way around). I don't really use anything else to guide what I buy, apart from online reviews though.
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It's available second-hand very cheaply
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rough-Guide-Classical-Music-Guides/dp/1843532476

I love that they put Sir Simon so prominently on the cover. Probably the most overrated and mediocre conductor still active. Yeah, I'd trust them as a guide.
 

rodrigaj

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Idagio is great, and I also like the booklets. Primephonic has booklets too. Better yet, they have them for more albums, and the booklets are also available not only from the browser, but also from their Android app. With Idagio, booklets are browser only. For just one example, Pollini's 1972 recording of Chopin's Etudes 10 & 25: Idagio doesn't have the booklet but Primephonic does.

Has Primephonic improved their search function? I tried them a while back, but I thought the search was non-intuitive. IDAGIO's search function OTOH is the first and foremost the reason that I subscribe.

I also subscribe to Spotify Connect for popular music and their vast library of classical and jazz. Subscribed to Tidal but they have no interest in the world of Classical music now. Have not tried Qobuz.
 
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MRC01

MRC01

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Has Primephonic improved their search function? I tried them a while back, but I thought the search was non-intuitive. IDAGIO's search function OTOH is the first and foremost the reason that I subscribe. ...
Yes, Idagio's search was a bit better than Primephonic, at least in the browser if not in the app. Though they're closer to parity now. I reviewed both services in detail a few months ago. I've updated that review with recent changes to the services.
 

rodrigaj

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Thanks, I'd not seen that review. Waiting patiently for the day when the Hyperion label begins streaming. That will be the day when I cease buying downloads. The most recent offering by Alina Ibragimova - her Shostakovich Violin Concertos - should be heard by all classical music lovers.
 

REK2575

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How do Idagio / Primephonic's classical libraries compare to Qobuz or Spotify these days? Last time I checked was probably over a year ago, but I wasn't impressed by the limited offerings.

+1 to wanting Hyperion to start streaming. Would love to get access to Hyperion's complete Schubert Lieder collection.
 

rodrigaj

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I've got to get back to trying Primephonic. The "Sort By" function of Idagio on my iPad is infuriating.

Also, Idagio allows you to add entire albums and works (recordings) to playlists, but they don't allow you to remove entire albums - you can only remove track by track.

Idagio is headed in a direction that seems to be away from their original purpose (i.e.,..metadata focus on classical music). For example, they are now selling "tickets" to exclusive live performances.

Time to reconnect with Primephonic.
 
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MRC01

MRC01

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I switched from Idagio to Primephonic a few months ago. Over the past year, Primephonic fixed the bugginess in their app and stream delivery. Both have a nice big catalog and responsive support. Both have loss-less audio quality, though Idagio converts everything to 44-16 while Primephonic streams each album at its native rate, and most of the new albums are higher than 44-16.

Thanks for the coupon - I'll see if I can use it, as a current subscriber.
 

Jmudrick

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I've got to get back to trying Primephonic. The "Sort By" function of Idagio on my iPad is infuriating.

Also, Idagio allows you to add entire albums and works (recordings) to playlists, but they don't allow you to remove entire albums - you can only remove track by track.

Idagio is headed in a direction that seems to be away from their original purpose (i.e.,..metadata focus on classical music). For example, they are now selling "tickets" to exclusive live performances.

Time to reconnect with Primephonic.

Primephonic has that same playlist flaw...if you accidentally add an album to a playlist twice, for example, you're stuck having to remove it track by track.

Also kinda strange, the Primephonic app for Android nowhere shows the bit rate(?).

Using it with Chromecast to TP Link so not quite gapless but very short pause compared to streaming Qobuz from TP Link directly.
 
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MRC01

MRC01

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... Using it with Chromecast to TP Link so not quite gapless but very short pause compared to streaming Qobuz from TP Link directly.
Playing from Firefox or Chrome, Idagio typically gapped about 1 second between tracks. Primephonic gaps a few milliseconds, not true gapless but very close.
 

rodrigaj

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I use Idagio with airplay, and while airplay supports gapless, there is always a short "hiccup" between tracks with Idagio.
 

rodrigaj

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I just signed up with the 50% voucher for one year of Primephonic. Thanks @Jmudrick

The Primephonic App is much improved over two years since I last tried it. One thing to note is that the default is for 320bps even if you sign up for "Platinum" subscription. You have to go into the Profile and make changes to the stream quality.

First impressions are that the App is better than IDAGIO. We'll see. I won't be charged for 14 days, so I'll get a chance to try it.
 

rodrigaj

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Regarding Primephonic - The booklet view messes up the now playing view (the pull up view with the moving time bar). Start an album, go into the booklet view, come back to the album view, pull up the now playing view and all of the information is gone - album art, info, artist, track. The only thing still functioning is the moving time bar. You have to stop, double click iPad home, swipe up and restart the app to get the album view back.

iPad mini 2, iOS 12.4.8

I submitted a bug report to Primephonic.
 

oboist

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I'm a professional classical musician new to this forum and proud new owner of a nice new DAC and headphones. I'm an Idagio subscriber and am very happy with the ability to find pretty much anything I'm looking for. Looking for something to challenge my new equipment I came across a recent recording of Rachmaninoff Symphony #1 and Symphonic Dances with the Philadelphia Orchestra with Yannick Nezet-Seguin. I think it's an excellent example of why new classical recording is still relevant. Even with the great conductors of the past nobody was making anything that sounds like this. The playing, interpretation, and recording are all exceptional. It's available on all the streaming services so give a listen. It will help you justify your nice audio equipment :).

There's also a lot of great music "live" on line these days. The Boston Symphony, Concertgebouw, Berlin and many others are doing great live streams as are a number of chamber series. If you want to hear some great cello playing by a new star try Zlatomir Fung's recital at https://www.musicworcester.org/.
 

Kal Rubinson

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'm a professional classical musician new to this forum and proud new owner of a nice new DAC and headphones. I'm an Idagio subscriber and am very happy with the ability to find pretty much anything I'm looking for. Looking for something to challenge my new equipment I came across a recent recording of Rachmaninoff Symphony #1 and Symphonic Dances with the Philadelphia Orchestra with Yannick Nezet-Seguin. I think it's an excellent example of why new classical recording is still relevant. Even with the great conductors of the past nobody was making anything that sounds like this. The playing, interpretation, and recording are all exceptional. It's available on all the streaming services so give a listen. It will help you justify your nice audio equipment :).
Glad you liked it. Didn't move me.
 

Kal Rubinson

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Not willing to write a review but I found it lacking in pace and not particularly well-recorded. Recording quality is OK.
I like old EMI/Previn recording and, among modern ones, those by Gergiev and Feltz. The Gergiev is one of his best but the Feltz is a barn-burner recorded in marvelous multichannel.
 

Cheztumoé

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Not willing to write a review but I found it lacking in pace and not particularly well-recorded. Recording quality is OK.
I like old EMI/Previn recording and, among modern ones, those by Gergiev and Feltz. The Gergiev is one of his best but the Feltz is a barn-burner recorded in marvelous multichannel.
Thank you for the information. Feltz with DORTMUNDER PHILH ?
 
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