Doug_H

Need Help Starting a Classical Collection

I have found myself listening to more and more classical music the last year. It started because it can sound so amazing on my Maggie set up. I am now very interested in starting a classical collection but really have no idea where to start. There are so many versions of so much material that I get overwhelmed quickly trying to pick on my own.

I lean towards symphony and orchestral music right now. Beethoven would be a good example.

I do understand that much of this is subjective but I would like opinions on where to start. I am looking for the best recording quality and music. I have DVD-A and SACD capability as well.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

"Happiness isn't happiness without a violin playing goat"
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Every child has many wishes. Some include a wallet, two chicks and a cigar, but that's another story.
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Life's short and hard, kind of like a bodybuilding elf.-

PaulDA

Re: Need Help Starting a Classical Collection

I've suggested this to a few friends and they've all been happy with it:

Start with the RCA Living Stereo SACD series. They are inexpensive, mostly great performances and have very good sound quality (startlingly good considering their age). These titles have been re-issued in just about every audio format for good reason. Of course, there are some individual recordings of the same material that are more recent and, arguably, better, but for the money and cross selection of music--it is where I would start.

I would also privilege Naxos--very affordable and good to excellent quality (they have some hi-res titles but not many--still worth getting in redbook). Naxos is an especially good way to sample composers with whom you may not be familiar, given the very low prices and good quality of recording.

With a solid foundation from these two sources, you can then start identifying the specific pieces you find most appealing and then buying different versions.

I don't just give this advice to others, by the way, I follow it myself. I've branched out a bit as I've become a bit more exposed to various classical pieces but Naxos got me started, in large measure, and the RCA Living Stereo titles that I have have yet to disappoint me.

Good luck and enjoy.

P.S. If you live near a town with a symphony--attend some concerts. That's also a great way to discover music.

Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes time, and it annoys the pig.

Doug_H

Re: Need Help Starting a Classical Collection

Thanks Paul
I will give these a shot and see where they take me.

"Happiness isn't happiness without a violin playing goat"
--------------------------------------------------
Every child has many wishes. Some include a wallet, two chicks and a cigar, but that's another story.
--------------------------------------------------
Life's short and hard, kind of like a bodybuilding elf.-

JeremyErwin

Re: Need Help Starting a Classical Collection

Classics Today used to serve me well when I was buying SACDs. Then Tower Records closed...

Aaron Silverman

Re: Need Help Starting a Classical Collection

Join BMG. When they do their rather frequent 65% off+free shipping deals (one's on right now, in fact), you can get nice classical sets dirt cheap. I've gotten quality complete sets of the symphonies of Mahler, Bruckner, Dvorak, Brahms, and others, opera sets, and various other stuff for practically nothing ($15-40 apiece for sets that'll run 3 or 4 times as much from other online stores). It's a great way to build a base collection.

Also, you can sometimes get those big Brilliant Classics sets from Amazon Sellers or on eBay pretty inexpensively.

For exploring, check your local library. They might have a good selection of classical CDs and DVDs.

"How wonderful it will be to have a leader unburdened by the twin horrors of knowledge and experience." -- Mr. Wick

Greg Bright

Re: Need Help Starting a Classical Collection

One can become overly swept up in the on-going debates as to which version by which orchestra under which conductor of a specific symphony is best. All performances have their attributes (well almost all), and very few recordings are released of truly inferior ensembles. Back in the day Stereo Review (now the anemic Sound and Vision) used to put out an annual "Best of" pamphlet based on their reviews of major recordings.

I could have just said that I agree with Paul 100 percent, but I had to get my two cents in.

Greg

"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n wirst du, Mein Herz, in einem Nu.
Was du geschlagen, Zu Gott wird es dich tragen!"

Dennis Nicholls

Re: Need Help Starting a Classical Collection

Well the problem is that there's no agreement about what "the best" means. Can you imagine asking George Bush who's the best Presidential candidate? Then asking the same question of Al Gore?

I'll take the contrarian position and suggest you should go for quantity, not quality, at this stage. We live in an age of incredible bargains in boxed-sets of classical music. You can get the 170 CD set of Mozart on Brilliant Classics for about $115. You can get the 60 CD set of Beethoven on Sony Classics for about $60. Check posts here in this forum. For under $500 you could own decent versions of the bulk of the classical repertoir.

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