Have you seen this article about the Decca sound?
Mike
@Swedish_Mike Priceless info, thanks. I STILL often prefer the Decca recordings, especially those older ones.
One of my favorites!
My favorite Decca recording is this Aida performance
Done in 1960 in the Rome opera house it sports crazy dynamics, super clean resolving sound and a soundstage that nothing can match. Not perfect in a headphone but try it anyway.
Mike
Could not find exact album (cover) but this update is very good, same recording I believe, and seems popular. (Spacious!!)
I have AMHD for streaming.
Indeed. Last year, according to Roon, my most listened to genre was Classical followed by Jazz.
I’ve always enjoyed Classical music ever since I was a kid. I know very little about it though. Lately I’ve been reading a little about it and learning things here and there. For example, I learned that the term Classical is a general term for a very long period of time and that there are defined era’s of music. Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras.
Based on my history of listening throughout my life, I think I can claim that the Baroque era is my favorite and as the eras march forward in time I become less interested in the styles and forms of the “classical” music.
I’m finding and learning that virtuoso baroque is where it’s at for me. So I’m starting to figure out what composers created what music and in what years and then looking for that music to sample.
Like I said, I know next to nothing about Classical music and only that “it tickles my ears” and I like that. I’m on a mission to learn much more about this music I enjoy.
So, if I’ve said anything incorrect, please let me know so that I can further learn more.
@SandboxGeneral Seems you are learning and enjoying as you go, lol.
My top classical preference is full orchestra…symphonies, tone poems, concertos, etc. especially from the Romantic period since that was the bulk of what I played as timpanist/percussionist with the orchestra. Like you, started listening very young. Fell in love with the variety of tone colors and moods!
I,too, like Baroque very much, especially Vivaldi. Even though often a string/harpsichord smaller chamber orchestra I still find it uplifting and generally joyful.
PS #2 spot is probably female jazz vocals! Tierney Sutton, Emilie Claire Barlow, Claire Martin, Stacey Kent, Cyrille Aimee to name just a few.
Even though I was a music teacher, I don’t consider myself a classical expert,
but do enjoy sharing music and ideas.
I’m in midwest USA so…have a good evening!
Brahms Piano Concertos with Yefim Bronfman and the New York Philharmonic. These performances are amazing in terms of orchestral balance and the way Bronfman brings out the nuances of Brahms’ rich, emotional compositions. Perfect for testing the clarity of your gear with those big, powerful moments.
I spent a good deal of time tonight having fun going through the YT offerings
of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor…looking for other versions I might
enjoy later with AMHD. (I currently like the Helene Grimaud version with Salonen from her Reflections album.) I liked the Murray Perahia/Haitink,
Buniatishvili/Jarvi, and an older Grimaud/Ashkenazy but cannot find them in
AMHD lossless.
However this 2023 rendition (pics, no video but good audio) was a pleasant surprise! Seong jin Cho with Nelsons conducting Leipzig! Hope they put out a recording of this one!!
Also new with no video Yunchan Lim/Frizza with Budapest. Love hearing these new and future stars, but will have to wait for proper recordings, I guess.
Would love to hear ideas if on Qobuz etc.
I watched the movie Greta yesterday and I always find it annoying that bad or crazy people in movies tend to listen to classical music In this case it was Chopin.
Haha! Well, crazy FUSSY maybe!!
Made me think of the old movie 20,000 leagues under the sea, in which
Captain Nemo played Bach on an organ he had in his submarine!!!
Last weekend I watched The Red Violin (1998) with Samuel Jackson. Very good movie and one that I haven’t seen in quite a while.
300 years of a remarkable musical instrument. Crafted by the Italian master Bussotti (Cecchi) in 1681, the red violin has traveled through Austria, England, China, and Canada, leaving both beauty and tragedy in its wake. In Montreal, Samuel L Jackson plays an appraiser going over its complex history.