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Newbee's Responses in Music	Posts
Jazz for aficionados Rok2kid, I too share your technical ignorance about music form, etc. In fact mine ignorance is rather profound, at least so I'm told. :-) That said, consider that most folks, and I. . .	689
What's your favorite lyric from a song? I'm sort of an Irish nationalist, in spirit at least, and have always been touched by the lyrics of Danny Boy, a true song of protest. And as sung by Eva Cassidy it can bring tears. . .	429
Album which you have listened to most? Ahmad Jamal - "I remember Duke, Hoagy & Strayhorn" on Telarc. Great, natural sounding piano recording and an outstanding performance. Andre Previn & Thomas Stevens ". . .	282
What music do you want to play really loud? The first movement of La Bohemme and the last movement of Mahlers 2d symphony	270
Beethoven Symphonies - best perf + sonics on CD Lloyddelee, Have you considered Harnoncourt's cycle? Don't be put off by the fact that it is HIP. It is, but not to the extreme. I like it a lot. Much more in fact than most of the. . .	227
What's your latest "Discovery" Jazz Singer, relatively new on recordings, Rene Marie. I started out with Live at Jazz Standard on MaxJazz. She has 3 other albums on MaxJazz since 2000. She's the real thing! No . . .	216
Another sign SACD is dying Could someone explain why it costs so much more to produce a SACD than a Redbook CD? That has always been for me the killer. No one who is not an 'audiophile' is going to pay the . . .	196
Modern day female jazz recommendations Laverne Butler, Rene Marie and Mary Stallings. Fine jazz singers	170
Amazing Solo Piano Recordings Volados playing Schubert Solo Piano Works, which includes an outstanding version of the Sonata in G major (894). Who would have guessed that Volados could have given such a . . .	152
Who's your guitar daddy now? For a classical guitarist, based on what I just heard live Friday night, I would add Sharon Isbin to your list. I just ordered a half dozen of her CD's - it will be interesting to . . .	145
Your favorite recent discovery Rustem Hayroudinoff playing Rachmaninov's 24 Piano Preludes. Outstanding playing and the recorded sound of the piano is full bodied and excellent. Highly recommended for anyone . . .	143
An observation about "Modern" classical music. All this silence signifies to me is a possible choice made by the recording engineer. Frankly I can't even think of a good reason for including audience applause on recordings. I'm. . .	124
I need a female jazz vocalist. No Krall, No Norah Well, she's not a new sultry lady, she's an old one now, but she's the one that Diana Krall holds in high esteme, and in my estimation, trys to emulate (unsuccessfully), Shirley . . .	113
sexiest sounding female vocalists? Going back a few years - Julie London - deep throaty voice - not bad to look at either. Fine if you like old pop music. Personally I like a little more upbeat jazz - of the newer . . .	100
Top 5 Classical recordings Lowrider, re Mahler and Bruckner. Bruckner can be a tough choice for a beginner, or even a novice, great though it is. I'll flesh out your recommendation for an introduction, and . . .	93
Who is your favorite jazz pianist Anybody like Ahmad Jamal besides me? If you haven't heard him you should give him a listen. For anyone who likes an easy going jazz (not smooth jazz!) excellent sound check him out. . .	89
Most Influential American Musician of All Time? Leonard Bernstein in classical music. He was a Conductor Composer Musician Teacher and a very public advocate of classical music written in America. In jazz I'd have to agree . . .	88
How to reproduce sound of piano IMHO, apart from the issue of the ability of recording engineers to get it down in the first place, and getting an audio system that could make it sound real (i.e. as it would . . .	88
What is the standard for judging a systems sound? Good analysis! In the end there is not now, now will there ever be, a reproduced sound that sounds like the live sound in its original venue. While many claim to search for . . .	78
Who was the best jazz guitarist ever? Orpheus10, Have you tried Charlie Byrd yet? He played a lot of Latin American music. No claim that he was the 'best' but he certainly was good and got a lot down. Check him out via. . .	72
What's the funniest song you ever heard? This will make me odd man out, but I love Gilbert and Sullivans operettas of which my favorites are HMS Pinafore and the Mikado. But my favorite G&S witty ditty is A Capitol Ship. . .	71
Pat Metheny Fans, Great Suggestions Please ?? Re Beyond the Missouri Sky recommendation whcih couples Metheny and Haden - If you like that recording a must have is Charlie Haden and Kenny Barron in Night and the City. With all. . .	69
Who was your first Not sure whether it was Bill Evan's (Trio) Debbie, or Oscar Peterson's (Trio) We Get Requests. In either event it was a great place to start and has anchored a lot of my jazz . . .	69
what is the difference between good and bad music Its amazing how many of you guys seem to actually listen to music and care whether or not its "good or bad". Hell, I thought this hobby was all about listening to trains. . .	64
Would Audiogoners be interested in this? Love the idea in general - however, if not carefully set up or managed, it can result is a forum of constant argument with some contributors assuming the role of an (self . . .	64
Favorite Music When Having Sex Buscis2, Are you single? Married men don't have sex, everybody knows that! I suppose I could listen to some coyboy sing "I'm back in the saddle again"	63
Favorite Pianists Next to last generation should include Ivan Moravec. An outstanding if under recorded and publicized player of classical music. His Chopin is some of the finest available. Hard to. . .	61
Greatest Composers of All Time I agree with Learsfool about the value of 'best' lists. Silly and at best fun. Ultimately, in most audio forums anyway, it is a value assigned with no foundation beyond which . . .	59
Three best audiophile CD/LP in your collection The Magnificent Seven on the Koch label. An excellent demo record and a fun listen for movie buff's (not a soundtrack) as well as those not inclined to classical music, but who . . .	59
Norah Jones a tinge short Jswarnke, Couldn't agree with you more about Butler. Excellent! I didn't read all of the posts carefully but I didn't notice any mention of Mary Stallings, Rene Marie, or for that . . .	56
What song best describes you or your life? Frank Sinatra's "I did it my way", or so my wife sez! :-) But, I do identify with the sentiment	55
Under Appreciated Jazz Piano Players Did anybody mention Andre Previn? If not they should have	55
artists who most deeply touch you I tear up when i listen to Eva Cassidy! no one else has ever done that for me	54
Jazz from 1957 to 1967 was the most definitive. It seems you are very knowledgeable about jazz. What exactly would you like to discuss? BTW, I think some folks might just not agree with you that 1957 to 1967 was 'most' . . .	52
does a stereo system sound like live music ? Jafox, I think Mr T is just bored again. As he is 64 years old (from another of his posts) I assume he has retired and is just trying to fill his day. We should be flattered that . . .	52
Which Beethoven's symphony do you like the best? Eldartford, It is one thing to say you do not like Beethovens 9th, or any of the rest of his symphonies for that matter. But, to dismiss them as valueless, not just to you, but in . . .	52
How large is your music collection? I've long ago thinned down my LP's to the essential and these are now more for occasional reference than anything else (my analogue system is in the closet just now). Haven't done . . .	50
What piece of music can you play over & over? I listen to mainly classical and jazz. I've learned that it is best with music that I could 'play over and over' to not do so, once I understand the piece or the performance. . . .	50
How Big is Your Music Collection I've thinned out my LP collection and I'm down to about 500. My CD collection is at about 4500, needs more thinning out, but recent additions have slowed substantially and I've . . .	50
What is a good intro to "Mahler"? got any tough requests :-D normally i would recommend starting with symphony #1 and progressing thru #9. however since you want "life" and "fire" in great . . .	44
Chopin Fantasie Impromptu, Opus 66 Tough assignment - recommending a 'great' recording of a great performance for someone who has a great audio system, with no clues as to what aspects of this piece, or Chopin for . . .	42
Waltz for Debby-Bill Evans Trio I assume you are familar with Evan's other recordings made at the Village Vanguard about the same time. If you like late night, laid back, jazz by a sax based trio it's hard to . . .	41
Where do I go from Eva Cassidy? One of the few new jazz singers that I have been very impressed by is Rene' Marie - she has a great voice and sings in an upbeat style. Give a listen to her album, Live at Jazz . . .	39
Music for the spirit and the soul Faure's Requiem, in it orignal version sung in a chapel by a small group, Herreweghe's 1st version on Harmonia Mundi, is as intimate and moving as Requiems come. Subsequently he . . .	39
Best demo CD for hi-end audio? Most importantly, I agree with those above who suggest listening with music that you are intimately familar with, warts and all, is the best way to test components. I have ordinary. . .	38
Danny Boy - Recommendations Dtc, I can't really help you as I've never really focused on the various performances of this song. I've Cassidy's version and I love her performance as well. My question for you . . .	37
New to Classical Music - Album to try first?? Based on the minimum information you have about classical music, and assuming your primary interest is something that really sounds 'good' just buy a couple of Reference Recordings. . .	37
Music you would like to turn someone on to. This may be a no-brainer, but I've really enjoyed exposing folks to Eva Cassidy. In my group she's not well known, if at all, but some to recall "Fields of Gold" from the. . .	36
Jazz recommendations for a beginner? For singers, if you like Krall, you'll love Shirley Horn, she is a bit slower, but eminently a better jazz singer and piano player than Krall. For piano try Bill Evans. For Sax try. . .	36
Jazz listening has dulled my taste for Rock...you? Whats rock? Does that include all of the great folk music from the 60's and 70's? Is it the stuff with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Beetles,etc......I can still get into . . .	35
Best CD Well, the first thing I do is ask guests what they like and try to accomodate their tastes. Nothing more boring for a guest than to have to listen to music that they neither . . .	34
The eternal quandary Twoleftears, consider that it may have nothing to do with the quality of the replication of recorded music in the home vs the 'live experience'. It has, to me at least, more to . . .	34
haunting/dark classical A few of my favorites. Elgar's Cello Concerto would be similar in mood to Barber's Adagio and is every bit as good IMHO, well almost. You might also like Barbers Violin Concerto. . .	34
Why so much???? Why would any one care how or why anyone else chooses to spend their money, let alone find it necessary to comment on it? As far as this hobby goes I'd far rather spend my money on. . .	34
Which SACD of Jazz at the Pawnshop sounds better? Onhwy61, "good jazz has a real edge......". As I type I'm listening to an Ahmad Jamal album and I'm just comfortable as all get out! What does that mean for me and jazz? . . .	33
More female vocals Mary Stallings, Rene Marie, and Laverne Butler are excellent JAZZ singers. Each very different but they are not warmed up pop singers! :-) You should try them if you can. BTW, Etta. . .	33
Buying Someone's Records: An Ethics Question I sort of agree with Kthomas. Unless you actually inspect the records before you buy them you really don't know what condition they are in. For all you know they could be totally . . .	33
SACD - what gives? I noticed that myself! I also noticed something else I haven't been able to figure out yet - If the reason for SACD was to maximize the quality of sound reproduction isn't it . . .	33
What Instrument would you listen to? Solo piano for sure, an instrument I'm very familar with, live and recorded. But as you said, its not the only thing I listen to when auditioning stuff	32
Why no as many post about music vs equipment...... Because this is, primary, an equipment forum. Folks whose prime interest is in music look at forums elsewhere	32
Having an ear for Jazz I moved into jazz initially just because I thought I must be missing something. It took a bit of exploration but I found that I was missing a lot. Interestingly this correlated . . .	32
Clarinet Music on vinyl or CDs David Shifrin and Carol Rosenberger recreate the Brahms/Schumann Soiree in the home of Clara Schumann and play the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas op120, no 1 and 2, as well as Schumanns . . .	31
Which Vivaldi Four Seasons CD to buy??? Well, probably not what you are looking for, but for something a bit different try the jazz rendition by the Jacques Loussier Trio. Very easy going jazz. He also recorded some Bach. . .	30
Jazz vocals recommendations please Some of my favorite contemporary jazz singers are Laverne Butler (Blues in the City/MaxJazz), Rene Marie (Live at Jazz Standard/MaxJazz), and Mary Stallings (Live at the Village . . .	30
Jazz Piano Trio / Spanish Guitar Bill Evans, a premier jazz pianist. Bill Evans Trio recorded by Riverside. Waltz for Debby is a good recording to start with. Tommy Flanagan - A trio with Peter Washington & Lewis. . .	30
what is good music?	30
Classical music - starting points For someone new to classical music who is serious about getting some exposure to what is available from the different composers which would in turn give them some guidance in what . . .	30
Classical Music: A How-To Guide for Beginners On a recent TV series Michael Tilson Thomas (a well known conductor for the SFO) talked about progression in classical music starting with simple forms and moving on gradually to . . .	28
EVA CASSIDY Nobody, she is a one off who seemed to sing in so many styles/genres so effectively. I'll never listen to Judy Garland again! But there are some blues and jazz singers that are as . . .	28
Spanish Guitar music Grenados - 12 Dances - Angel & Celedonio Romero - Telarc 80216 Julian Bream plays Grenados & Albeniz - RCA 14378 Albinez, Grenados, and Rodrigo are generally 1st choices	28
Not recognized in their lifetime? From a view based strictly on recorded performances, Mahler, and to a lesser degree Sibelius, come to mind, especially Mahler, who's music sort of languished until Bernstein . . .	28
Music that really stirs your emotions Most anything sung by Eva Cassidy, but especially 'Over the Rainbow' and due to my ancestry perhaps, 'Danny Boy'. The former reminds me of a full grown woman with real desires, . . .	27
"Pictures at an Exhibition" If you want the 'best' get an original RCA LP of Reiner and the CSO, an outstanding recording of an outstanding performance. You'll get a feeling for what RCA Living Stereo is all . . .	27
Who likes LATIN JAZZ? If you like some 'vintage' Latin jazz get Stan Getz's "The Girl from Ipanema - The Bossa Nova Years" a 4CD set put out by Verve. this will transport you back a few years . . .	27
What is/are your the most favourite composer s ? Sibelius tops my list for regular repeat listening, then Mahler, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Brahms, Dvorak and Beethoven	27
How's your music library? Yes, I'm sure there are many who have large LP/CD collections - I do, but I can't see any benefit in telling the world about it. It would only serve to make some jealous, some . . .	27
Classical fans, I need advice One of the finest small chamber groups on CD's is The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. They are leaderless but you would never know it! They record for DG. Since you seem to like simple. . .	27
great sounding cds to audition new speakers I don't have a clue what type of music you listen to most so I'll spare you another arbitrary recommendation. But some of the comments above are excellent and I will try to add to . . .	26
Help Where to start with jazz????? Buy a copy of AllMusic Guide to Jazz. When you next listen to this radio station pay attention to who is playing. Then research the artist in this guide and buy one of his more . . .	26
CD and/or LP collections. Is it about the music? I'm down to about 500 carfully culled LP's and up to about 4000 not so carefully culled CD's. I listen to classical, jazz and vocal. Purchases are made based on the value of the . . .	26
Best of Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak - Etta James' Mystery Lady, Songs of Billie Holiday. Private Music, distributed by BMG Distribution 01005-82114-2	25
HELP Turning off the Left Brain Turning off the left brain is tough to do, especially for equipment and set up freaks. You're probably very normal. It sounds to me as if you're just bored with your music. The . . .	25
Last time you felt that "tingling" sensation? A 10 year old girl, Jackie Evancho, a finalist on "America's Got Talent" is just incredible! I just heard her over my computer speakers. She has the voice of a fully . . .	24
Looking for Wagner recommendations Levine and the MET, recommended by Learsfool, would be my recommendation, but if you are looking for the really extroverted chunks in big 'audiophile approved' sound there are . . .	24
Jazz at the Pawn Shop... Personally I've always thought the reason it was so popular was because it's very atmospheric sound made folks think that their audio system's imaging was far better than it really. . .	24
Next on the list for Mahler.... Tennstadt on EMI in the 5th would be a good next step. Many consider this to be Mahlers' greatest (I don't) but its certainly easy to make a connection with it. I have also enjoyed. . .	24
Best recording / performance Dvorak Cello conc. From the cheap seats there is Maria Kliegel on Naxos. Don't overlook this one just 'cause you've never heard of her. She is a very fine cellist. She throws in the Elgar Concerto . . .	24
Jazz Recommendations. Personally, I wouldn't start off with the standeard recommendations like Miles Davis, Coltrane, etc. I would recommend some of the more assessible jazz from the 50's & 60s, by such. . .	24
Question for classical lovers I think Kal's comments might well apply...You could well need to work on your room. You might also re-examine the synergy of your components and your room. FWIW, I do a lot of . . .	24
Sibelius Symphonies vanska on bis - all 7, my favorites. also ashkenazy, blomstedt on all 7 and levine on 2 & 5	24
Jazz Recs for Classical Music Fan - Challenging Look thru the Concord Jazz catalog. They have a lot of small groups playing jazz mostly from the 70's forward. Excellent artists, if not some of the best know. The recordings are . . .	24
I Hardly Listen to Music Anymore Well, old dogs can learn new tricks, so long as its not walking tight ropes! Much can be gained by letting the music in on a more subsconscious level. Much of the music I hear I . . .	24
Bruckner 9th... If recorded sound is your 1st priority you probably can't do better than Skrowaczwesi on Reference Recordings or Lopez-Cobos on Telarc for the 9th, or Lopez-Cobos on Telarc for the. . .	24
Music to test with: here is a contrarian thought - instead of great sounding recording of music you love, use discs that you love but that have problems which can be excerbated by poor performing . . .	24
Man in need of new music First I agree with Erndog, although our preferences in recordings vary. I prefer Askenazy's performance on London. You might argue that the RR disc in HDCD is a 'better' recording. . .	23
The Next Level I can recall two times when I reached the plateau you have described. The first was when I was driving towards my career apex but had a very mundane system (I don't even remember . . .	23
musicianiship--when is it bad or good ? If this 'pianist' empties the hall its bad. If he fill the hall its good, if your gauge for good, better or best is attendance. Personally I set my own standards for good, better . . .	23
Listening to ALL your music From my point of view life is too short to impose such a task onto yourself. While I wholeheartedly agree with you about the time wasted listening to the sound of your system as . . .	23
How do you find BEST classical recordings??? peter, you asked about AMG on line - i've never looked at it on line but i buy it regularily. It is best used for gaining a concensus of performances on recent releases and, i . . .	23
What are the best sounding classical CDs which composers? what style	23
Beethoven Ninth Symphony Bernstein with the Vienna Philharmonic is my (rather unusual I think) recommendation. In fact his entire budget set by DG is worth having. And I'm not a Bernstein advocate! In . . .	22
RACMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO 2 Just for fun I listened to the opening movement of the 2d, by Ashkenazy/Haitink, Wild, Andsnes, Janis/Dorati, and Ogawa. I didn't have time to go thru all I have, ie Hough, Van . . .	22
a little dinner music Agree w/Sogood re Houston Persons. Most any of his recent recordings on Blue Note. My wife prefers these when we have guests. Also there are recordings by Charlie Haden that are . . .	22
Rachmaninov for beginners Others have recommended Rach's Piano Concerto 2 & 3, and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Pagnini. These and his Symphony # 2 are great starting points. I would also recommend his . . .	22
Stuck in a Rut If you love Jazz and Classical and you are bored I don't know how to help you - each of these fields is so vast, that I'm tempted to conclude that your "being in a rut" . . .	22
My first Jazz cd i started collecting jazz about 5 years ago with oscar peterson's(piano)trio playing "we get requests". when i wanted to expand beyond peterson, i looked at who was . . .	22
Choral Music Suggestions My most favorite choral piece - The Faure Requiem, in the original version for choir only, performed by Herreweghe on Harmonia Mundi. Absolutely beautiful intimate music sung in a . . .	21
Fine trumpet , alto sax recordings? Not 'smooth jazz' but it sure is great evening listening - Andre Previn (P) and Thomas Stephens (T) "Play and American Song Book. DRG5222. Been around for a while so it might . . .	21
Best sounding Beethoven symphony LPs Well I have some recommendations for complete boxed sets, but right up-front, I like my Beethoven clean, clear lined, and energized. I'm not up to deep, 'brooding' Beethoven. . . .	21
Music Recommendations Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' Berlioz's 'Symphnie Fantastique' Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' suites Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances BTW, I assume from 'traditional . . .	21
Your favorite classical composers/works? Bartokfan, I realize that your statement is just a personal view, but since it may have the effect of devaluing music by composers you do not mention and thereby effect others when. . .	21
Good insturmental sax jazz recommindations If you like laid back Jazz, try Houston Persons. If you like jazz with a tad of influence from the big band sound, try Scott Hamilton, if you like cool jazz try Paul Desmond, and . . .	21
Jazz suggestions please For some mellow sax I couldn't recommend Houston Person more highly. He plays lots of standards. Also Ron Carter on the bass viol. In fact they have teamed up on one recent release. . .	21
Great and well-recorded jazz on CD Joe Henderson's State of the Tenor, recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1985. A two CD re-issue on Blue Note. He is accompanied by Ron Carter (one of my favorites) on the bass. . .	20
Your Personal Soundtrack Generally I enjoy classical music for the solo piano in the mornings, classical music for the orchestra in the early evenings, and jazz for small groups and vocalists during the . . .	20
Your Favorite Traditional Ballad 'Traditional' ballads - i.e. ballads out of history or ballads which meet some contemporary definition? If the former, and if you can admit to liking a bit of 'country' music once. . .	19
Help in finding great Jazz thats well recorded Not having any idea about the style of jazz that you prefer, or what qualifies a recording as 'really' great (i.e. the recording itself, the performance itself, on only a . . .	19
Looking for great violin CDs in solo. Recordings of Violin and Piano (I'm unaware of any solo violin recordings) which I enjoy and would fit into your description would include - Kyung Wha Chung "Con Amore" . . .	19
Audiophile Classical cds? Several have recommended Zander. I concur! Don't overlook his latest, Mahler 1 which also includes 'Songs of a Wayfarer'. This is an outstanding recording, performance, and program. . .	19
hilary hahn..violinist My guess is that she is one of several young players who will still be around 10 years from now. She is very good, but who knows how she will develope. As it is now I don't think . . .	19
Getting into Opera... need advice La Bohemme by Puccini! The most popular opera ever!!!!! Is a must for newcomers to opera. Beautiful music, great duets, great love theme, tragic death at end - its got it all. Was . . .	19
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...RIP Mozart, hmmmmmm, is he the guy that wrote the music they used in Elvira Madigan? Nice stuff	19
Suggestions for Classical Piano "works of merit" Psacanli, Are you looking for recommendations of great solo piano music, such as Schumann's Fantasy in C, op17 and Beethoven's Sonata #29 - the Hammerklavier (my favorite of . . .	18
your favorite music My main interest is in classical solo piano music, so - Beethoven Brahms Chopin Debussy Lizst Prokofiev Rachmaninov Schumann Schubert My favorite better known artists include - . . .	18
What are the characteristics quality recordings? For myself the answer is simple. The performance and the quality of the music's reproduction, combined with my appreciation of the music, causes me to ignore completely what my . . .	18
Could somebody please explain Say thank you, and give him one of your "eclectic" disc's, proclaim its greatness, and send him on his way telling him he may not understand it now, but with repeated . . .	18
Jazz for relaxation If you like sax I and you want to keep it mellow, try one of Houston Persons releases on High Note. Very straight forward and assessible jazz Big, round, sax influenced sound. For . . .	18
Best Recording of Scheherazade Megasam's list is excellent - While I can't add anything meaningful to the list, I would highly encourage you to own Beecham's. It is a thing of beauty. Reiner & Kondrashin are . . .	18
recommended versions of Beethoven symphonies? i wouldn't usually recommend this to someone new to beethoven, but as you appear to be venturing off into the HIP of beethoven (gardiner) i would suggest you give Harnoncourt's . . .	18
Need help with Jazz Some up-beat jazz singers that might interest you. Amongst some of the contemporary singers I really enjoy are ReneMarie, Mary Stallings, and Laverne Butler. They have each . . .	17
A look into classical Well since we don't really know what you would like, and apparently neither do you, IMHO recommendations would have a very limited value at this point in time. What I suggest is . . .	17
Reference Level Recording of Classical on CD's? It would be helpful if you narrowed your inquiry some, at least to composers and or periods of composition (baroque, classical, romantic, modern, neo classical, neo romantic, etc. . .	17
Symphony 5th - best recording Ruston, LOL! Beethoven, no less! I want to clone that program and the kid as well. Imagine a program using music of that calibre for 3 year olds AND having a kid that hears it, can. . .	17
Why do people write mean things about musicians You jest! Where did you come up with this concept anyway. What are the "mean things" being said, seperate from the things folks say when just giving their honest . . .	17
Naxos CDs with Great Sound Great Chopin and Brahms piano music by Idel Biret, 1st rank performances by a very talented, but relatively unknown artist. She also plays transcriptions of Berlioz Sym F. and . . .	17
Your Favorite Chet Baker Recording Well, I'm probably odd man out, his voice to me is a distraction, but I love his playing - I have two Riverside recordings (LP or CD) "Chet Baker" and "Lerner & . . .	17
Songs of the sea and shanties Well these were recorded a long time ago but the sonics are just fine- "Sea Shanties" by the Robert Shaw Chorale in Living Stereo by RCA. On CD and LP(if you can find it. . .	17
auditioning sessions vs. listening sessions Listening to music I love always quickly turns into a 'listening' session. Listening to music that doesn't really move me most always turns into an 'audition' experience. I find . . .	16
Best Soundtracks Soundtrack from Braveheart - Warpipes, Drums, Marching, almost makes you want to join in the war! And it will test your system a bit if you turn up the volume	16
Mahler's Resurrection, Gilbert Kaplan/VPO recordin I have Kaplan's 1st recording of the M2 - I think its amazing, considering that Kaplan is not a professional musician, that he could come up with this kind of performance. That . . .	16
Can you help with music selection? "Is Eva Cassidy a possibility?" - Emphatically YES. Get her compilation album Songbird as a starter. She has a hugh voice and sings Blues, Gospel & Pop. Her death was a . . .	16
Do you ration your favorite music? Yes, familarity can breed contempt, so to speak! I burned out on quite a few recordings and learned the hard way. I now have many treasured pieces that I rarely listen to so when I. . .	15
Recommended Shostakovich? I also like the Kitajenko set of symphonies as well as the Haitink set. FWIW, as a recommendation for an excellent recording, as well as two symphonies that don't attract much . . .	15
Jazz enthusiasts - A Joe Henderson find ..... Knownothing, I have Lush Life and really like it - very assessible, and like the one I mentioned, should have a very broad appeal to someone who likes jazz with its roots in the 60. . .	15
Best piano version of Moonlight Sonata? There is no absolute "best". My favorite's of currently available CD's of living artists are Richard Goode (his whole set is excellent) Brendel on Phillips mentioned . . .	15
Naxos, the way to go for classical? Naxos is an excellent and cost effective method of exploring classical music. However, the quality of the performances and the recording vary from poor/poor to excellent/excellent. . .	15
Recommendation - Complete Beethoven Sonatas For the entire set on CD's I think I'd go for Brendel or Goode. Both have an excellent grasp of these sonatas, and both received excellent reviews. My prime choice woould be Goode. . .	15
Looking for a guide to best classical recordings I'm a bit confused - are you referring to "definitive recordings" to mean the quality of the recorded sound, or did you mean the performance with out regard to the sound. . .	15
Ageless Music? No music is ageless! Your reference to the classical greats presupposes that they will be as popular in 200 years as now.....but, in fact, interest in classical music in general is. . .	15
Operas... Any fans? Without commenting on the quality of the performances themselves, I would suggest that for your purposes Von Karajan might just fit. Many of his recordings were studio recordings . . .	15
classical suggestions Some very popular classic's for beginners are Beethoven 5th and 6th Symphonies, Rachmaninoff's 2d Symphony, Tchaikovsky's 5th and 6th Symphonies, Sibelius' 2nd Symphony, Dvorak's . . .	15
Chopin nocturnes Rushton, you have excellent tastes. Ashkenazy is excellent, but the recordings are a bit dry. Rubinstein's is also excellent, but I'm not too fond of the recorded sound. For me . . .	15
top Mahler on vinyl Best? You jest! :-) But FWIW, on vinyl, Bernstein 60's cycle, 80's cycle, and not to be missed, his 1979 9th with the Berliner Phil on DG. Also Levine, Abbado, Tennstedt, and . . .	14
Need some Jazz recommendations..some pop and swing Jazz with a swing influence, up beat. My favorite for that would be Scott Hamilton. He recorded a lot of stuff for Concord Jazz. Excellent recordings as well. You might do well to. . .	14
Suggestions For Classical & Symphonic CDs For some of the most incredibly beautiful music for strings Samuel Barbers Adagio for Strings is right on the top. It is included on lots of Barber CD's. Slatkin's on EMI is very . . .	14
Chailly Mahler 9th One of nine isn't bad, in Mahler. I was surprised and like it a lot more than I thought I would and the recording is excellent. I have his others as well but they won't get much . . .	14
Best full orchestra recordings? Name a composer, or a few composers, that you have really enjoyed and you'll get more meaningful recommendations. If you just want reference sound a general recommendation would be. . .	14
recommended redbook classics I started a lengthy response of my favorite performances ala Gregm - but I find I have a really hard time remembering the quality of the sonics which I infer from your post is . . .	14
Recommendation for marching, war classical music. I echo Aceto - Get some War Pipes, ala the Marching tunes in Braveheart - that should get your blood up. Ever wonder why bagpipers always march? To get away from the music	14
Classical music recordings upgrade For sets,don't overlook Leonard Bernstein - his Beethoven is surprisingly good! I also second the recommendation of Harnoncourt and Wand for 3 divergent views of how Beethoven can. . .	14
"Emotionally involving" music and your system... A number of years ago I go a good reminder of what a good concert can do (I hadn't been to one in a long time, who needs to with a good stereo!). I was invited to a concert which . . .	14
Is Your System Better Than the Music You Like? spend that 10k on music! its much more fun to listen to the music than the equipment	14
Diana Krall New CD i perfer krall in a more intimate setting, as opposed to using a large orchestra approach. i found that the latter detracted from her natural talent which is substantial. but i . . .	14
Which Classical Recording is Best? I didn't know that any Symphony Orchestra, anywhere, let alone London, was recording anything on vinyl. Am I missing something I should be paying attention to	13
what are your most favored recordings ? Last things first - all of these are recordings that especially communicate an emotion with which I connect. They are not necessarily the best in any way shape or form of anything. . .	13
concrete vs. wood listening room No down side to using spikes on carpeted concrete, in fact it will usually help give you a more secure connection to the floor and make the speaker more stable (assuming that you . . .	13
Good Grief. Another Tchaikovsky already. Your tag line sez it all. That was my reaction when I saw the reviews. Thanks for the description. BTW I agree with you about Chung, totally! Try her Bruch if you haven't already (. . .	13
Smetana Ma Vlast Well, I would agree that Kubelik's live record on Supraphon is very special indeed, as they were celebrating an occasion, his return to his native land after a forced exile of over. . .	13
Symphony Recommendation kleiber on dg for the 5th - this is easily the most exciting beethoven 5th recorded. don't let its age bother you, the performance will make up for any sonic deficiencies due to . . .	13
Suggestion for Brahms Some Brahms orchestral recordings on CD that I'm partial to are: 1) The four symphonies by Mackerras on Telarc with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Warm but less dense than . . .	12
Break in period for albums.? For classical especially, when listening to music I have never heard (a frequent occurrance) I'll put it on and keep it on background level a couple of times. If after that I find . . .	12
Your Favorite Classical Music Recordings Tough assignment considering that it is likely that most recommendations wouldn't be appreciated (useful). We really don't know what composers you are attracted to. Nor do we know. . .	12
reference recordings If your question is based on sound quality, just about any of them. Hard to go wrong. The HDCD versions might be best if you have a unit which can decode them. If you are talking . . .	12
RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO 2 Ashkenazy rules in Rachmoninoff! Symphonies, PC's w/Previn, solo piano, and two piano's w/Previn. Very good recordings as well. Now that thats out of the way..... Listen to Hough. . .	12
How do you 'listen' to new music? Slappy, LOL. I can just picture you trying to get your 'ear' at tweeter highth. By the way, I've heard that this makes for an excellent passive tone control, reduces irritating . . .	12
Mahler 5 Linkoping, I find Solti's Mahler under-rated by many - he may not dig as deeply into it aas some but it certainly doesn't lack a certain excitement (and, in general, I'm not a . . .	12
Something similar to Mahler What is it that you particularly like about Mahler 3 & 5? Knowing that might help us help you. Like Rob asked, what about the rest of Mahler, are you familar with it? Mahler 6 is. . .	12
Requesting jazz quartet CD suggestions For someone still recording, producing very assessible sax orientated recordings of jazz standards try Houston Persons. I'm fond of a recent recording by him doing a duet w/Ron . . .	12
Favorite Performances of Russian Compositions Gunbei, One of my favorite Prokofiev disc's combines his Symphony #7 and the Concerto #3 by Leif Ove Andsnes and the Bergen PO led by Ole Kristian Ruud on Simax. Both are performed. . .	12
New Eva Cassidy - "Imagine" i cried when i heard her rendition of Danny Boy, but them i'm irish, what would you expect. imagine is excellent also. the other cuts w/out the band are very enjoyable, i'm just . . .	12
Sibelius Sym/Sakari/IcelandSO/Recommendation Tweekerman, If you haven't already done so you should try Bergland and the COE as well as Vanska. I wasn't as fond of the Bergland/Helsinki as you so I had to be dragged to listen . . .	12
Best Jazz Vocalists - Standard Songs shirly horn, great stylist and pianist. low key, romantic, intimate stuff for the most part, mostly recorded on verve. karrin allyson on concord jazz	12
Jazz with less horns?? if you like solo piano, trios and quartets which are on the mellow side, try bill evans stuff. he is one of jazz's greats from the 60's	12
Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Opus 44? Ashkenazy's recordings of all of the symphonies as well as the Symphonic Dances, Isle of the Dead, and The Bells, are outstanding. For both performance and the recording. I haven'. . .	11
Your favorite Sheherazade LP ? Don't overlook Rushtons 2d nomination. Reiner and the CSO, is IMHO, more exciting and an outstanding recording. One of the great RCA Living Stereo's. It can't be beat! And . . .	11
Good Baritone Sax Recording? Gerry Mulligan meets Scott Hamilton, Concords Jazz, CCD4300 Gerry Mulligan - Dream a Little Dream - Telarc CD83364 and one of my favorites for the music, Gerry Mulligan meets Ben . . .	11
What do tube and music have in comon? As with Rushton everything I have comes with tubes. 75% classical orchestral, small groups, and vocal, and 25% jazz instrumental and vocal. My bigget priority is getting the system. . .	11
Exceptional Recording of Carmina Burana I would recommend that you consider (if you haven't already) Ozawa's performance on RCA, Shaw's performance on Telarc, or Blomstedt's (which won a Grammy	11
Best Samuel Barber Violin Concerto I just listened to the McDuffie, Ricci, and Shaham versions back to back. Reminds me of the story of the "Three Bears". Ricci's version is cool and the violin recorded . . .	10
A man with a flute Another very 'popular' player was James Galway. He got onto a lot of covers. But Rampal did some very popular jazz cross-overs. Both players have very entertaining albums	10
Krall's Look of Love soundstage more to the left Just put it on the player - Voice is dead center in the first cut and so it goes there after (actually I took it off after 4 tracks). Not the CD. Ears or set up perhaps - do you . . .	10
Looking for well recorded great piano on CD's For classical, Volados playing Schubert is a no-brainer! Great Schubert and an excellent recording as well. Also, Paul Jacobs playing Debussy's Preludes on Non-such. And, for . . .	10
Folks with large collections..... Nrchy - Re "What the heck does that mean". I'd guess that reflects your response to my attempt at a humerous barb about your attraction to solid state stuff. You might be. . .	10
I am not an opera fan...but... Probably the easiest opera for an opera newbie is Puccini's LaBoheme. This is easily one of the most beautiful, easily assessible, melodic, sad, etc etc opera's, ever. Great duet's. . .	10
Best Orchestral Film Scores When in time does "Modern Day" begin? Many of the best film scores are by Korngold, Rosza, Bernstein etc, but they may be out of your time frame	10
your top 5 classical cds I'd love to give you some recommendations - do you have any composers whos style you like? Do you like orchestral, instrumental, small groups, choral. What have you liked so far? . . .	10
dynamic classical which isn't boring? Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture on Telarc is probably just what you need. Very dynamic......Lots of noise, church bell, cannons, and in the right performance even some chorus	10
Definitive Beethoven's 9th recording Not to disappoint you but there is no universally acclaimed definitive performance, or recording for that matter, of this symphony. Everyone has their own favorite. For what its . . .	10
Mahler...OK I'm hooked keep-em in numerical order (except for 4 - you can do that anytime). my recommendations for #3 on lp, Bernstein again with the NYP or Horenstein and the LSO (if you can ever find . . .	10
Mel Torme All of my Torme recordings are on the Concord Label and are duo's with George Shearing. My favorites are Top Drawer, A vintage Year, and An Evening with George Shearing and Mel . . .	9
Must have classic recordings I think the British reviewers/critics haven't figured out yet that now-a-days the sun does set on the British Empire. Some might say that it not only sets but no longer rises. . .	9
Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov I agree that Soulbrass' selections are excellent, but for sheer beauty don't miss Beecham's version. Maybe not quite so much drama	9
Need recommendation for LVB Symphony 9 I don't know if you can find this on an individual disc, but if you can stand buying a budget CD set, I'd want to have Bernstein's VPO performances on my shelf. His Beethoven is . . .	9
Well-recorded Satie? And, for those who can't find the LP, the Ciccolini has been reduced to CD. I recommend it in either format, with LP preferred	9
What are your most favorite violin concerti? In addition to Beethoven, Brahms, Sibelius, Mendelsohn and occasionally Tchaikovski, I can enjoy Bruch, Dvorak(!), Barber, Prokofiev, and Mozart. Dvorak gets more play time as I'm . . .	9
Telarc recordings I think it is more the result of the methods that Telarc uses. Decca typically uses a lot of mikes so the instruments are heard more clearly, but depending on the mix may not be . . .	9
No CD with works by Alexander N. Skrjabin So long as you are researching under that spelling you are not too likely to find much. Try 'Alexander Scriabin' and you will find much to choose from. I have in my collection . . .	8
Which of Ravel's Bolero CD should I get? Get the Reference Recording "Bolero" with Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra. Its a compilation disc which includes a lot of execllent performances of Bolero and other. . .	8
Best recording of "Fanfare for the Common Man"? An absolute audiophile treat AND an excellent performance of not only the Fanfare, but Applachian Spring Suite and the Third Symphony is by Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra on . . .	8
Some great sounding classical "warhorses" ?? Chabrier - Ansermet on London (Also on a Merc Living Presence by Paray if you like Merc's). Carmen Suite #1 Beecham on EMI. And for something different and something I greatly . . .	8
Looking for thunderstorm audio CD... Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite on Telarc has a real thunderstorm recorded on it in a separate track that will stress your system some. The Grofe ain't bad either	8
Bohuslav Martinu You might enjoy his 6th symphony by Belohlavek and the Czech Phil. on Chandos 8897. The disc includes Janacek Sinfonietta and Suk's Fantasticke Scherzo. This is an outstanding . . .	8
What is your favorite Strauss The Last Four Songs? as a supplement to schwarzkopf w/szell, i find myself going to felicity lott. i love her voice - its a little lightweight compared to others but in this music i find that i . . .	8
box to music ratio You do the math - Equipment up and running - Aprox $30,000 Equipment in 'reserve' - Aprox $28,000 (don't ask) LP's and CD's about $75,000 (mostly CD's) I'm at home and the . . .	7
Bill Evans Village Vanguard 3CD set All the time. That is one of the downsides of many jazz recordings made (mostly) in the late 50's and (occasionally) very early 60's. The art of proper recording was developing in. . .	7
Greatest Recordings - your opinions Professor Johnson's Astounding Sound Show, RR7 and Dafos mentioned by Slipknot, are two audiophile delights. But, without regard to the recording quality, two recordings that . . .	7
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 For an excellent 7th and the absolute best 5th you must have Kleibers on DG. Both on the same disc	7
Short notes on Sibelius Seven Symphonies Tweekerman hit the nail on the head with his $15 budget recommendation of the 7 symphonies. Sanderling's set has been around for a long time for a good reason. It's a great place . . .	7
Rosemary Clooney / Shirley Horn / Peggy Lee three more shirley horn alblums, all on verve. you won't forget me, close enough for love, and here's to life. i agree with drubin on i thought about you and i have heard it so . . .	7
Spanish Harlem, by Rebecca Pidgeon, The Raven I just listened to this cut 4 times. What I heard was a very low level medium frequency click which sounds like it comes from one of the strings or body of the bass viol. I heard . . .	6
Proposal - lets share our treasures Good idea, but tough project. In order for it to be really worth while it should be archival in nature so folks could use it as a reference and for that to work you would have to . . .	6
Quality recorded opera performances Shipper's performance of La Bohemme on EMI always gives me goose bumps. I love Freni in the role as Mimi. Whether you think it is a great recording or not depends on your values - . . .	6
Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone CD Got it and like it quite a bit. The gift CD's good as well. In fact it might interest you in getting some other Ray Brown CD's, like Super Bass (if you want to give your system . . .	6
Listening practices It all gets listened to when it first comes home - how often it gets heard thereafter depends on how much I liked it the first (few) times out. I suspect quite a bit gets put on . . .	6
Concord Jazz concord jazz is one of my favorite contemporary labels. try scott hamilton, gene harris, ray brown, ken peplowski and dave mckenna, depending on your choice of instruments and . . .	6
Recording/Engineering Practices I mispoke in my OP. The label was Highnote not Blue Note. I can see why someone would think that it was Rudy Van Gelder though. Sorry 'bout that. :-( Well I really got curious and. . .	5
Schubert Impromptus You are in luck. There is no shortage of excellent performances of these works. I would recommend Maria Joao Pires recording on DG. I think these will meet your expectations. I . . .	5
Best recordings of Debussy piano music...... FWIW, I am unaware of any Debussy recordings which are of any special 'audiophile' recording quality. If I want a demo piano recording I go elsewhere. Of the newer recordings of . . .	5
suggestions on musical score. I think you will find what you are looking for in a live performance of a Mahler Symphony, perhaps the 5th, 6th, or 1st. If you are not familar with his music, buy or borrow a CD . . .	5
Modern day Classical Orchestra recommendation... There are far too many possibilities to just arbitrarily throw them out, IMHO, without any clue about what form or what composer you have already listened to and enjoy. If you . . .	5
Discography of Brahms, Piano concerto 1, op. 15 It's not complete in any sense, however an excellent collection of reviews of classical music can be found in "Third Ear" Classical Music, The Listeners Companion, edited. . .	5
New Rachmaninov All-Night Vigil Vespers Aceto, Sharp eyes! I've said it before, I can't edit worth a crap! As to my reticence to post, its guys like you!!!!!(Not!) My dictionary shows under A, "a capella". So . . .	5
Ancient performance with today's sonics... Telarc did this for some of Rachmaninoff's piano rolls. Some of his own music and transcriptions, on 2 different CD's. Maybe not quite the same as a live performance but you'd have. . .	5
Just Talkin' 'Bout Itzhak I was LOL 'til the last paragraph. Perlman is one of my American hero's (even though he's from Israel) right up there with Isaac Stern and Leonard Bernstein. There are . . .	5
Just a thought BNC, Sad indeed! I can tear up just thinking about her music and its very hard for me to listen to - I relate so many of her songs to her early passing. Welcome to the club	5
I just hafta share this moment... Slappy, you are to be envied. When I'm "done with a night of drinking" my old favorites seem to be the crapper and the asprin bottle, if I can find either	5
Glazunov violin concerto -- Suggestions? You can't go wrong w/Heifetz & Hendl on RCA - on CD you could also get an outstanding Sibelius VC as well depending on which CD you get, there are multiple releases w/different . . .	5
vocal music for a newbie R strauss' orchestral songs are one of my favorites. you basically have a soloist and an orchestra. the music is very assessible.EMI has a "great recordings of the century&. . .	5
I was Tempted I just love Eva Cassidy's voice and I too have all of her CD's. That being said, I really don't find the mix between Eva and the 'band' all that flattering to her role. I find the . . .	4
Best CD of Chopin's Concerto's Found on either LP's or CD's, Claudio Arrau's performances with the LPO conducted by Eliahu Inbal are my favorites by some margin and are certainly 'romantic'. These recordings . . .	4
The best George Bizet Carmen on vinyl "Did Callas ever do Carmen?" Google or check out some of the internet review sites. Some folks think she was the 'best' Carmen. :-) Personally I like Maginnes/Domingo/. . .	4
Mendelssohn Piano Concerto Not an SACD, but an excellent recording and performance - Stephen Hough on Hyperion. Volume 17 of "The Romantic Piano Concerto". Also includes No 2, and three other . . .	4
Sweden's Opus 3 label LP...one of the best I agree with Rushton. Got me some of their Swedish Jazz LP's as well as their test records (Cuts are on the "test" records). OK jazz but outstanding sonics. For any . . .	4
Debussy Nocturns I'm not aware that he wrote any. Preludes perhaps	4
Hooked on Chopin Not familar with Fou Ts'ong's Chopin. For the piano concertos: For best performance with good sound (typical DG) try Zimmerman/Giulini on DG. For original instruments try Emanuel . . .	4
Mono recording question... Not a stupid question, but why don't you just flick the switch and find out? It may depend on the manner in which the mono signal was transferred to the CD. It might cancel out . . .	3
Jazz Gems Yep, I really enjoy Scott Hamilton - I just picked up Back to NY, nice laid back jazz with a little influence of swing. I would add to your list, Charlie Haden's Land of the Sun . . .	3
Morgen Certainly one of them - I enjoy the Last Four Songs as well. So far I have Felicity Lott - I love the combination of the Songs with the Orchestral pieces by Jarvi on Chandos - one . . .	3
classical in europe Rbtwsp55, Yes, and it has been so for a long time, both as to labels and some individual releases	3
Eva Cassidy Catalog I thought I had them all too. Now I find I'm missing "No Boundries". Method Actor is a 1988 recording - frankly, it reminds me of some kids recording in their garage, but. . .	3
Beautiful, uplifting music... For something appropriate to the day, in view of the loss of the men of the Columbia, i would suggest Faure's Requiem by Herreweghe on Harmonia Mundi. I can think of nothing more . . .	3
San Francisco Symphony Mahler 7th FWIW MTT already has a M7 down, its just not on multi-channel. Welcome to the world of Mahler, you'll never be the same again, musically speaking. Seriously, if you really want to. . .	2
ultimate list of opera recordings You seem to have a fair amount of expertise, why don't you share with us your list of favorite operas and their performances. I'm sure others will follow suit. One of my favorites. . .	2
Preferred recordings and classical labels answer depends on how much value you place on sonics vs performance. your choice of the previn/ashkenazy pc's was excellent one for preformance and a very good one for sonics as . . .	2
Agnus Dei - Samuel Barber Try Shaw's version on Telarc (80406). An excellent performance and typically good Telarc sound	1
3 Symphony's, 2 Die 4 Audiophile Quality ? Symphony #2, Vaughn Williams by Hickox on Chandos. Symphony #3, Arron Copeland by Oue on Reference Recording. Symphony #3, Gliere, by Botstein on Telarc	1
Swan Lake ballet. i'd vote for gergiev on phillips or fedotov on jvc. both all russian productions	1