Buying Western Classical Music

Over the Christmas and New Year's break my wife and I traveled to Central Europe. Munich, Vienna and Prague. As all of you know these places along with Berlin and tiny town called Salzburg are one of "THE" places of classical music.
Wife and I camped at Vienna State Opera in sub-zero temp to get a last minute ticket to "Swan Lake" on Christmas day, alas it was not to be. Couple of days later we went at the stroke of 10:00AM when the box office opens at Prague State Opera to buy the tickets for "Madame Butterfly" and ticket for Czech Philharmonic playing at Rudolfinium.
The Prague State Opera House before a show 2008 - YouTube

I must say it was one of the lifetime experience. Particularly the splendid Prague State Opera house and Csilla Boross' rendition of Cio-Cio San.

Csilla Boross - M. Butterfly - Finale "Tu, tu piccolo iddio" - YouTube

Next night was time for holiday music at Rudolfinium. It was primarily a mixture of Mozart, Vivaldi, Brahms and of course Dvorak.
A. Dvo?k - Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" - 4th movement - YouTube
 
cricfansd

A few years ago ago I spent a few days in Austria. Attended some performances of chamber music in Vienna and Salzburg. The most memorable one was by an amateur quartet playing Schubert's Death And The Maiden in Mirabell Gardens.

For the past one week I have also been holidaying. A holiday not only from my home town but also from my hifi system and music. Arrived home today with a couple of duty free single malts and found that a new parcel of Bach had arrived from Amazon :)

Presently auditioning a 12 year old Cardhu and a CD of David Oistrakh playing Bach's violin concerto's. If there are hifi systems in heaven then the good people who reside there must be listening to David Oistrakh. Because quite simply he was one of the greatest. Unerringly perfect, divine, godly. To be touched by the sound of his violin is to be touched by the most profound emotions that music can evoke. I envy the generations of lucky people who had the good fortune to be present at his live performances.
 
Speaking of Vienna, the other day I fished out a random record and it turned out to be "New Year's Day Concert in Vienna" with Willi Boskovshy conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. This is a 2 LP set from Decca, and one of those digital recordings. I believe this was the 1979 version, covering various works of the Strausses - Johann I, Johann II, Eduard, and Josef, and one number each by Ziehrer and Suppe.

I'm yet to listen properly to LP2 but of what I heard, the number Polka Francaise is indeed very beautiful. And so is Lorelei Rhein Klange.

And I really love reading the liner notes of classical records. There is so much story of behind each composition, the personal struggles of the composers, their romantic affairs, sicknesses, patronage by counts, dukes, and various noblemen, etc.
 
ajay124 said:
cricfansd

A few years ago ago I spent a few days in Austria. Attended some performances of chamber music in Vienna and Salzburg. The most memorable one was by an amateur quartet playing Schubert's Death And The Maiden in Mirabell Gardens.
Click to expand...

How did you manage to get tickets for a concert in Mirabell Palace (called Salzburger Schlosskonzerte)? Usually one needs to buy well in advance. We lived in Germany at that time, so we knew our way. If you didn't book in advance, you probably just got lucky, or there were some cancellations.

We heard a string quartet there in 1990. As we (My wife and me) were walking up the stairs to the first floor lobby area, it dawned on me that this is the place a child W A Mozart used to play regularly with his father Leopold and his sister Nannerl.

OT: If you happen to go there in future, try a small place called Bad Ischl (between Salzburg and Graz) and find a store called 'Konditorei Zauner'. It's a pastry shop. Get some for immediate consumption while sitting by the river, and get some more for the road. You'll never forget the experience. Of course, before reaching Bad Ischl, you will pass by the lake district area, a really really beautiful place.

Regards.
 
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Asit

The concert we attended was not in the main hall of Mirabellgarten but in a small hall inside or outside the garden. It was a cold and rainy evening. Apart from my wife and me there were just three other people in the audience. Tickets were 20 euros each. We enjoyed this concert more than the fancy one's we attended in concert halls because of the casual and unassuming nature of the event. We were seated barely 8-10 feet away from the musicians. Perfect for a performance of chamber music! Hard wooden seats, plain brown walls, four musicians who were students from a musical academy and five shivering and drenched tourists who happened to be passing through the city of Mozart and Haydn. There was nothing to distract you from the music. The four players were all very good. And the icy cold weather enhanced the dark and fearful mood of the music.

Franz Schubert wrote Death And The Maiden after he he contacted syphilis, a fairly common and incurable disease in those days. This work is imbued with his knowledge that death is near and that it was unfair and meaningless that he would be struck down in the prime of his life. Death hovers ominously over the four movements of this work. Four years later Schubert died at the age of 31. In a letter to a friend Schubert is supposed to have written "The product of my genius and my misery and that which I have written in my greatest distress, is that which the world seems to like best."

Schubert: Trout Quintet/String Quartet No.14 - "Death and the Maiden": Franz Schubert, Amadeus Quartet, Norbert Brainin, Peter Schidlof, Martin Lovett, Siegmund Nissel, Emil Gilels: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Schubert: The Last Four Quartets - Death and the Maiden etc.: Franz Schubert, Quartetto Italiano: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Schubert - Death and the Maiden (part 1) - YouTube
 
Ajay,
Even the concert we attended at the Mirabell Palace was by 4 students of a music academy there. However, the concert was pretty good and the whole presentation had a cozy atmosphere. The hall having a capacity of a few hundred people was completely full with people. The lady whom we collected the tickets from earlier showed up as an usher and invited us in and showed our seats. The tickets, however, were very expensive (about DM 150 for each). The other details (about the music) I do not remember any more. But we might have saved the tickets and brochures, and if I can find them I can find out those details too.

Regards.
 
This is a great thread and will educate a lot of people starting off in western Classical music. To be honest, I've been pushing away Classical music all these years thinking it was sissy stuff to be listening to. But we all grow up! :)

My sister studied the piano and wrote some exams. That was my earliest introduction to western classical. Until now, I had not ventured into listening to it.

But this thread - started by Ajay and Frank Lundy (a character in Dexter) listening to Chopin - pushed me to try and listen to some classical music. I actually downloaded some stuff, wasn't satisfied and then bought some compilation CDs.

The worst part in these CDs is that - I'd love some composition so much but it would end abruptly. And different orchestras, sound qualities. Looking forward to slowly build up my classical collection.

Thanks again guys, for this great topic!!
 
The ubiquitousness of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos! Right now the fifth concerto is playing on my computer and the second is playing on the Squeezebox Boom in the kitchen. I have been listening to the Yehudi Menuhin and Trevor Pinnock recordings of these concertos for well over two decades. Recently I bid farewell to these recordings and began searching for new SACD versions by contemporary composers. I filtered down the search to recent recordings by Richard Egaar and Masaaki Suzuki.

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (performed at French Baroque pitch): Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Egarr, Academy of Ancient Muisc: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Brandenburg Cons & Orch Ste: J.S. Bach: Amazon.co.uk: Music

SA-CD.net - Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, Orchestral Suites - Suzuki

Both the recording labels - Harmonia Mundi and BIS - are known for their quality recordings therefore I had no doubts that the sound quality would be sumptuous! I finally opted for the BIS recording because I was getting more music. A three SACD set with the 6 Brandenburg's + Bach's 4 Orchestral Suites. These concertos and suites were earlier available as individual 2 sacd sets at higher prices. This set has packaged them on 3 sacd's with longer running time. Most cds have a shiny aluminum coating but these ones have a subtle silver/gold tan which imparts a 'premium' look.

I purchased this set through Amazon. As expected the packaging and sound quality turned out to be outstanding! Since they are hybrid sacd's a redbook cdp would be able to play them. On my sacd player I did a comparison by selecting 'cd only' and 'sacd two channel' and the latter option is better. These interpretations by the Japanese conductor Masaaki Suzuki's and the Bach Collegium of Japan are quite different from the European recordings I have heard in the past, but I have gradually started appreciating them. Since I bought this set it has constantly been residing on my audio rack. I don't put it back on the CD shelf because I am listening to it virtually every day!

The Bach Hour
 
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Last night I was browsing the 'musical offerings' on Junglee.com and found that most of the time it links you to the Rhythm House website.

Junglee.com: Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

Amazon's 'free' ride seems to have run it's course! Last year I bought DG's Carlos Klieber box set for 21 pounds. At the prevailing exchange rate of 72-73 it worked out to roughly 1.5K. Now that the free shipping offer has been withdrawn, it is costing 25 pounds with standard shipping. And the pound has shot up to 80-82 against the rupee. Therefore present price of this set is around 2K. Prices of cd's also seem to be going up. I probably saved close to 20-25K by buying my present collection of music last year :)

Carlos Kleiber - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon: Carlos Kleiber: Amazon.co.uk: Music
 
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ajay124 said:
You can check out these sites which are dedicated to classical music.
Classical Net
Classical Music - ArkivMusic
As for recommendations if you go through the earlier posts you will find most of the info.Conductors who are good and easily available include Claude Abbado,Leonard Bernstein,Herbert Von Karajan,Simon Rattle,Pierre Boulez.
Twentieth Century composers
Igor Stravinsky
Bela Bartok
Olivier Messiaen
Claude Debussy
Maurice Ravel
Dmitry Shostakovich
Aram Khachturian
Sergei Prokofiev
Jean Sibelius
Edward Elgar
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Aaron Copland
John Cage
Arnold Schoneberg
I have been listening to western classical since the mid 80's and have only recently started buying and listening to the modern composers.I suggest you spend a few years with the Baroque/Classical/Romantic composers before moving on to the 20th Century.Specifically the 10-11 composers I mentioned above.
Even there I would recommend the Piano Sonatas/Concertos,String Quartets,Music for Clarinet,Basoon,Oboe,Flute,Orchestral Suites etc.And a few Symphonies.
Click to expand...

friend
kindly say about those composers [name ] there for i or we try to listening them :):)

thank you

somen 24in
 
somen24in

"I suggest you spend a few years with the Baroque/Classical/Romantic composers before"

There is plenty of info on the thread about baroque, classical and romantic composers. But because the thread has become quite long it would require time and perseverance to dig it out.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart bestsellers - some albums which have have enjoyed several decades of popularity all over the world:

Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Karl Bhm, Wiener Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Symphonies Nos.35 "Haffner", 36 "Linzer", 38 "Prager", 39, 40, 41 "Jupiter": Berliner Philharmoniker, Karl Bhm: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos Vol. 1: Mitsuko Uchida, English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate, Jeffrey Tate: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto / Clarinet Quintet: Jack Brymer, The Allegri String Quartet, Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Requiem: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: The Piano Sonatas: Mitsuko Uchida: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart Concertos for Flute & Harp: Classic Library Series: James Galway, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Violin Sonatas: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim: Amazon.co.uk: Music
 
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ajay124 said:
somen24in

"I suggest you spend a few years with the Baroque/Classical/Romantic composers before"

There is plenty of info on the thread about baroque, classical and romantic composers. But because the thread has belong quite long it would require time and perseverance to dig it out.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart bestsellers - some albums which have have enjoyed several decades of popularity all over the world:

Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Karl Bhm, Wiener Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Symphonies Nos.35 "Haffner", 36 "Linzer", 38 "Prager", 39, 40, 41 "Jupiter": Berliner Philharmoniker, Karl Bhm: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos Vol. 1: Mitsuko Uchida, English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate, Jeffrey Tate: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto / Clarinet Quintet: Jack Brymer, The Allegri String Quartet, Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Requiem: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: The Piano Sonatas: Mitsuko Uchida: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart Concertos for Flute & Harp: Classic Library Series: James Galway, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Mozart: Violin Sonatas: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim: Amazon.co.uk: Music
Click to expand...

-- classical and romantic green salute to you ..... as a loyal student of ajay sir
 
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naveenroy said:
This is a great thread and will educate a lot of people starting off in western Classical music. To be honest, I've been pushing away Classical music all these years thinking it was sissy stuff to be listening to. But we all grow up! :)

My sister studied the piano and wrote some exams. That was my earliest introduction to western classical. Until now, I had not ventured into listening to it.

But this thread - started by Ajay and Frank Lundy (a character in Dexter) listening to Chopin - pushed me to try and listen to some classical music. I actually downloaded some stuff, wasn't satisfied and then bought some compilation CDs.

The worst part in these CDs is that - I'd love some composition so much but it would end abruptly. And different orchestras, sound qualities. Looking forward to slowly build up my classical collection.

Thanks again guys, for this great topic!!
Click to expand...

I have always enjoyed listening to classical music since a young age.

Although I started learning violin at a very young age, I gave it up by early teens. Now a lat a ittle older age that I am, a few years ago I picked it up and started taking lessons again, primarily to deal with stress from work etc and it rekindled my interest in classical music and more so playing it. My favourite composers are from late classic and romantic era. So, its never too late..

Having lived and regularly visiting Europe, one thing I really liked was accessibility to live performances. You don't see them so much in the US.

Its wonderful to see a topic which is actually about music rather than electronics and cables and squabbling about them.

Happy listening,

Saurabh
 
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If I could recommend Tchaikovsky: 1812 Festival Overture at amazon.com

I have a couple of recordings of 1812 overture, but this one by Minneapolis Symphony is the best. $10,00 is a really good price for it too. In this recording, they actually used real canon cast in 17th Century for the canon part.

It sounds really good and, what can I say, it makes its presence felt.

Cheers,

Saurabh
 
dazoy said:
...I have a couple of recordings of 1812 overture, but this one by Minneapolis Symphony is the best. $10,00 is a really good price for it too. In this recording, they actually used real canon cast in 17th Century for the canon part...
Click to expand...

Did you, by any chance, mean the version by Cincinnati Pops Orch. conducted by Erich Kunzel?
 
grubyhalo said:
Did you, by any chance, mean the version by Cincinnati Pops Orch. conducted by Erich Kunzel?
Click to expand...

No, I did mean the one I posted. I have heard the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel, which is also excellent, but prefer Minneapolis Symphony recording. I found the canons on performance by Cincinnati Symphony seem a bit over the top. I think it boils down to personal choice.

Cheers,

Saurabh
 
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A few months ago, for the first time in four decades, I stopped listening to music. I have no idea why it happened. Especially after a torrid 18 month season devoted primarily to high fidelity sound and western classical music. Having shed a lot of blood, sweat and tears I had managed to put together my dream music system and music collection. I thought I would sit back and enjoy listening to both for the rest of my life. But just when everything seemed perfect....I lost interest in music, books and cinema. Life seemed barren and sterile without the support of these three pillars of happiness. I have always felt that people who don't listen to music or read books lead a grey, monotonous life. It does not matter how rich or good looking or powerful one is. Without music and reading one has only half a life.

Since the beginning of this year I have hardly played any western classical music. I often wondered whether there was even any point of having acquired a comprehensive collection of works by all the major composers. A couple of days ago I even put up my music system for sale. After having posted the thread the cold hard reality of living without music started sinking in. Was this the end of my passion for music and hifi?

Mercifully the horror of saying goodbye to my amp and speakers gave me a kick in the region where it was urgently needed. The flame of music has started flickering again. For the past two days I have been listening to music late into the night. And yesterday around midnight the first symphony of Gustav Mahler finally cracked the shell of my indifference. And when the haunting funeral dirge of the third movement began I had to brush away an imaginary tear from my eye

Dudamel: Mahler, Symphony 1 (Third Movement) - YouTube
 
All the reason for you NOT to dump the music system!

Possibly, you have probably grown out of Western Classical, looking at your indepth thoroughness in this regard. Why is it that you have not tried Indian Classical ... anything, Instrumentals / Vocal / Hindustani / South Indian. Quite possible, you have .... just suggesting, if not.
 
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