I have the Ozawa/BSO Berlioz on a Pentatone SACD; sounds fabulous in multichannel, and an exciting performance as well.
1 Like
My latest Beethoven Sonata find , the sound is rather different , apparently a Steinway B rather than the more normal D (sounds knowledgable but isnāt)
Even includes the Kurfursten Sonatas WoO.47.
On Tidal ā¦
2 Likes
Looking for good Finlandia recommendations. Listening right now to one from the Helsinki Philharmonic w/ Leif Segerstam.
2 Likes
Segerstam is meant to be one of the best, if not the best, although I havenāt heard it yet.
2 Likes
My first time listening to him, mostly because heāsā¦ Finnish 
Karajan / Berlin is good as well, as a DG recording w/ Peer Gynt.
4 Likes
I have plans to throw myself into a big Sibelius performance comparison later this year, so I can only talk theoretically right now. Your post about going to a Mahler concert a while ago caused me to listen to over a hundred Mahler recordings to figure out my favorites, and it looks like youāre going to do that to me with Sibelius too LOL. But Iām in the middle of a Beethoven symphony battle right now, so maybe after that.
Going back to Sibelius, the conductors who seem to get mentioned the most are Segerstam/Helsinki, Vanska/Lahti (which most critics prefer to his later Sibelius with Minnesota) and Neeme Jarvi/Gothenburg (again, critics prefer his recordings for BIS, not the later ones for DG). The only Sibelius cycle I own right now is by Blomstedt/San Francisco, another critically acclaimed cycle, but I donāt think they recorded Finlandia.
I bought the Blomstedt Sibelius because I loved his Nielsen cycle so much. Nielsen and those Blomstedt/San Fran performances are very special to me because it was the first time I broke away from listening to Mozart and Beethoven, and Nielsen might be my next performance comparison exercise before I get to Sibelius.
BTW, I hope you listened to some Nielsen when you were in Denmark recently.
2 Likes
Thatās probably the only one of the more regarded Sib cycles I havent listen to yet. His one with Minnesota is just over mastered/produced - you will know what I mean if you listen to it.
Blomstedt and Segerstam are probably the two best cycles IMO. Bernie has a decent one and Berglund isnt bad either.
1 Like
Please Elucidate. Is it a performance battle? Or pitting the symphonies against each other? I can hear the color commentary in my head now.
Itās the bottom of the 3rd. First and Second Violins are on base. The Tympani winds up, fires ā¦ .
Weāre in the middle of the 7th. The conductor walks up to the woodwinds and has a talk. The whistle blows and the crowd can have a stretch.
The top of the 9th. The chorus is queued up. The conductor swings, he misses. he swings again!!!
Yes. 
Smaller & faster orchestras vs older, slower but more powerful orchestras.
Speed vs melody
Period instruments vs modern
Itās making my head spin!
Itās not practical to compare fast and slow orchestras because thereās a risk that if Iām enjoying the first performance, the second will sound too fast or too slow in comparison. So Iām dividing them up and comparing all the performances that are about the same speed.
Some of the older guys (Gunter Wand/NDR Sinfonieorchester and Paul Kletzki/Czech Philharmonic) have already emerged as victors, and are sipping coctails while the youngsters battle it out for the remaining spots.
3 Likes
Thanks for all the ideas. Lots to Qobuz in the coming days.
Haha, I did not listen to Nielsenā¦ I would have loved to attend the Danish National Orchestra but alas the timing did not work out.
For Finlandia, I do have to specifically recommend: Berlin/Karajan DG Oct 1993: Grieg Peer Gynt, Holberg, Finlandia.
2 Likes
āI have the CD of the William Steinberg and Boston Symphony Orchestraās version of The Planets (on DG) and I canāt bear it, notwithstanding having tried it several times over the years.ā
This is the first I have ever heard someone say some thing negative about this work. To me and many that I know, THIS Planets is the GREATEST ever.
Of course, I have not heard them all. I currently own 4 (Steinburg, Ozawa, Karajan & Tomita) but have heard several others too. Maybe I should start streaming as many different versions as I can just to see how the Boston compares.
2 Likes
For me, being mainly into symphonies, Mahler sits at the top, along with Shostakovich, Bruckner and Beethoven.
2 Likes
https://open.qobuz.com/track/291039293
This is older than āClassicalā, but just sounds wonderful on the ZMF Auteur Classic, modi multibit, and EufĆ³nica OTL. Iāve been really enjoying early instruments and 17th to 18th century pops recently.
1 Like
Working today despite the markets being closed. Catching up on details of data entry for projecting clientsā financial goals.
And Zoning out on Apple Classical, the ZMF Auteur, and Eufonika OTL amp, Schiit Modi Multibit. Very nice.
And this new release is gorgeous:
1 Like
Itās been a long time since I visited the 2nd, and Iām most familiar with the old RCA red label Toscanini. This version is very nice, and the recording is excellent. Getting ready for clients, Playing on the speakers in my office.
I think the 2nd may be one of the most forgotten symphonies. Itās not complex like the ones beginning with 5 and above but it is cheery!
2 Likes