Forums - Classical Music Thread

CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 2923

Re: Classical Music Thread
Reply #1150 - 11/29/25 at 15:30:38

Monteverdi's Vespro della beata Vergine aka 1610 Vespers, is hugely important music. Both to the Western Classical Tradition^tm but apparently also in the life of John Eliot Gardiner. At the time it was composed it was a technical and stylistic tour de force of unprecedented scope and scale. A revolution comparable to Beethoven's Eroica or Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. It pretty much invented Baroque music.

For JEG, properly Sir JEG, it was the piece that began his journey to become one of the most influential classical musicians of the last half century. I'm not a fan of everything, or maybe even most things he does, but he has also made a lot of excellent and thought provoking recordings and his Vespro from the late 80s is outstanding in every way.

16/44 FLAC download

Back to top

[Volumio | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E
STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Audeze LCD-XC

IP Logged

CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 2923

Re: Classical Music Thread
Reply #1151 - 11/29/25 at 20:09:33

At the top of a new page and the latest installment of the Beethoven Symphony Round Robin. The mighty Eroica, no. 3. Andre Cluytens is one of the least appreciated great conductors of the 20th century in my book. But he was thought of well enough to land the gig conducting both the first complete cycle of Beethoven symphonies recorded by the Berlin Philharmonic, and the first stereo Beethoven recordings of that orchestra. All of his Beethoven is great, but he really makes all the different aspects of the Eroica come to life.

DSD rip from Tower Japan SACD

Back to top

[Volumio | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E
STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Audeze LCD-XC

IP Logged

Dominick Seasoned Member Still like that old time Rock and Roll!! Posts: 1483	Re: Classical Music Thread Reply #1152 - 11/30/25 at 14:07:00 Fighting a sinus infection so I was up early this morning. Decided to run my Grado’s this morning with my Schiit Bifrost and the Vali 3. I was searching the Deutsche Grammaphon label, and landed on this album with Yuja Wang whom I am a big fan of.
Back to top	Rasp. Pi 4 [Roon], Schiit Bifrost True Multibit DAC, ZBIT, ZROCK2, My Audio Cables Ultra Silver+, ZSB, CSP2+ 25th, DAG Cables, DHC1, Torii MKIV 25th /2 White Zen SE84C+ 25th mono’s, Rega P2 Turntable, White top ZP3, Velodyne Dual Firing Sub, ERR’s [Bubbinga Wood] IP Logged

CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 2923

Re: Classical Music Thread
Reply #1153 - 11/30/25 at 16:00:46

Sorry about the sinuses Dom. I don't know that recording, but do know those pieces and I'm a big fan of all of them. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms (the 3 Bs) wrote the "great" cello sonatas, but Rachmaninoff's is as great as any of them. Also great is Chopin's, which IMO doesn't get nearly enough attention.

16/44 FLAC download.

Maria Joao Pires is famous for her Chopin so no surprise that her account of the cello sonata is outstanding.

Back to top

[Volumio | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E
STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Audeze LCD-XC

IP Logged

Dominick

Seasoned Member

Still like that old
time Rock and Roll!!

Posts: 1483

Re: Classical Music Thread
Reply #1154 - 11/30/25 at 22:53:19

Quote:

Sorry about the sinuses Dom. I don't know that recording, but do know those pieces and I'm a big fan of all of them. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms (the 3 Bs) wrote the "great" cello sonatas, but Rachmaninoff's is as great as any of them. Also great is Chopin's, which IMO doesn't get nearly enough attention.

Thanks… I made the best out of a crappy situation and enjoy some critical listening. Thanks to yours truly…I have expanded my appreciation for Rachmaninov.

Back to top

Rasp. Pi 4 [Roon], Schiit Bifrost True Multibit DAC, ZBIT, ZROCK2, My Audio Cables Ultra Silver+, ZSB, CSP2+ 25th, DAG Cables, DHC1, Torii MKIV 25th /2 White Zen SE84C+ 25th mono’s, Rega P2 Turntable, White top ZP3, Velodyne Dual Firing Sub, ERR’s [Bubbinga Wood]

IP Logged

CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 2923

Re: Classical Music Thread
Reply #1155 - Yesterday at 01:45:12

I would say Rachmaninoff is best known for his piano concertos and symphonies, which are nice enough. But my favorite pieces are the Cello Sonata and Vespers, about which I have posted several times. And I prefer some of his tone poems, like the moody Isle of the Dead to his better known orchestral works. So if you want to hear Isle of the Dead you can't do any better than Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony, which is true of pretty much everything they recorded for RCA Living Stereo.

On CD

Back to top

[Volumio | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E
STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Audeze LCD-XC

IP Logged

CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 2923

Re: Classical Music Thread
Reply #1156 - Yesterday at 21:59:06

Near the end of his life Dvorak wrote 4 "Symphonic Poems" based on Czech fairy tales that were the last symphonic music he composed. And they are a bit different than anything else he wrote. They still have plenty of obviously Czech influence, but the overall effect is more, I guess I'd say international. They are very atmospheric, and at times outright spooky. And they should be played and recorded as often as the Slavonic Dances.

16/44 FLAC download.

Pretty much everything Czech related Charles Mackerras touches turns to gold, and this collection with the Czech Philharmonic is no exception.

Back to top

[Volumio | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E
STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Audeze LCD-XC

IP Logged

CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 2923

Re: Classical Music Thread
Reply #1157 - Today at 17:32:56

On the very short list of my favorite pieces by Dvorak, or anyone, is the piano trio no. 4, aka the Dumky. FWIW/FWI dumky is the plural of dumka which is a Slavic ballad, typically a mediation on, shall we say the frailty of the human condition. Regardless, Dvorak's trio is one of the pinnacles of romantic chamber music.

16/44 FLAC download

Back to top

[Volumio | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E
STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Audeze LCD-XC

IP Logged