List of Best (Most Recommended) Classical Music in Surround Sound

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You guys have really gotten to me (especially Lute). I was traveling yesterday on business and my company vehicle has bluetooth...so I went to my Amazon Prime music app on the iphone...told it to cue up some random classical and off I went. Don't really know what I was hearing - but it was an interesting trip and some good music.
 
You guys have really gotten to me (especially Lute). I was traveling yesterday on business and my company vehicle has bluetooth...so I went to my Amazon Prime music app on the iphone...told it to cue up some random classical and off I went. Don't really know what I was hearing - but it was an interesting trip and some good music.

The force is strong with this one:walker
 
You guys have really gotten to me (especially Lute). I was traveling yesterday on business and my company vehicle has bluetooth...so I went to my Amazon Prime music app on the iphone...told it to cue up some random classical and off I went. Don't really know what I was hearing - but it was an interesting trip and some good music.

Glad to hear that, GOS. Classical music can work really well when you're alone on long road trips. It must have something to do with being able to get absorbed in the musical landscape of a piece. And... it also goes well the landscape of the countryside. Happy Trails!
 
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Back cover...View attachment NEOS10936r.pdf

Bruno Maderna : Complete Works for Orchestra - Vol. 4 "Quadrivium...."

This one is tailored made for Quad (or 5.1 in this case). The Italian composer, Bruno Maderna, was at the peak of his creative powers during the late 1960s when Quadrivium was composed.

This work is based on the number 4 in a variety of ways. First of all, it's composed for 4 percussionists & 4 orchestra groups and the architectural structure is that of a cube. The title refers to the 4 Liberal Arts of the Middle Ages (arithmetic, algebra, music, and astronomy)... also to the 4 elements, and the 4 ages of the Earth.

The music is modern and abstract with an emphasis on percussion instruments, which gained a prominent place in orchestral compositions during the 20th century. If you're a fan of Stravinsky, Bartok, and Ligeti, you owe it to yourself to hear the music of Bruno Maderna. Conductor Arturo Tamayo is completely at home in this music as is the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Fantastic performance!

NEOS has produced a winner with this 5.1 surround recording, which is very discrete. Each of the 4 orchestra groups is separated in the surrounds.

There are actually 5 volumes in this Maderna series by NEOS. I can recommend all of them. Volume 5 contains Maderna's excellent violin concerto.

Here's a review...http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/maderna-complete-orchestral-works-vol-4
 
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If you're looking for an exciting "1812 Overture" by Tchaikovsky, try this superb Quad reissue.
Sir Colin Davis and the Boston Symphony Orchestra are in top form. "Romeo and Juliet" is ravishingly beautiful. And the pieces by Sibelius add a rugged and atmospheric element to this 74 minute program.

The 4.0 recording makes good use of the rear channels. Working together with the front channels, they make this a deep, immersive surround experience.

Just watch out for that cannon fire! :couch
 
I just purchased this version because I couldn't find the Pentatone disc at a reasonable price. Any idea how they compare? This version sounds great to me, excellent surround, and of course the cannons rock (the house)!
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I haven't listened to that one in a while. Let me get back to you on that. I remember it sounded pretty good, especially the cannons. IIRC, I think preferred the Davis/BSO performance. But... WOW! When did that one get so expensive!?
 
I just purchased this version because I couldn't find the Pentatone disc at a reasonable price. Any idea how they compare? This version sounds great to me, excellent surround, and of course the cannons rock (the house)!
Yeah, that's so but the other one is better music (allowing for it being a mediocre piece of music).
 
I just purchased this version because I couldn't find the Pentatone disc at a reasonable price. Any idea how they compare? This version sounds great to me, excellent surround, and of course the cannons rock (the house)!

Did you try ordering directly from Pentatone?

For some reason there are some very high prices being asked on Amazon for this SACD. I've just bought one at €18 (US$20.50) from Pentatone. It was despatched this morning.
 
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I just purchased this version because I couldn't find the Pentatone disc at a reasonable price. Any idea how they compare? This version sounds great to me, excellent surround, and of course the cannons rock (the house)!

Hi, Skherbeck! I finally had time to listen to TELARC's 1812. It's fine. I was checking reviews elsewhere. You are not the only one who enjoys this recording. And it certainly isn't the worst performance out there by a long shot. Sure, it might lack the tension & drama of some of the more memorable performances, for example: those being discussed on the 1812 Thread here on QQ. Also...the balance of the drum is a bit heavy compared to the orchestra. But... many people seem to like that. Anyway, the cannons do rock! So in short... If it works for you, that's what really matters! :D

Just don't forget to have fun blowing THE ROOF off!!! :cool::nuke:nuke:nuke :cool:
 
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Although better known as a conductor, Felix Weingartner was a highly accomplished composer. He wrote 7 symphonies. The German label CPO has finished recording all of them along with various other symphonic works. They are sold separately or in a box set.

This Austrian composer's style is a gentle, late Romantic one similar to Bruckner, Richard Strauss, Mahler, Dvorak, and even Tchaikovsky. With his fondness for Switzerland, it seems appropriate that the Basel Symphony Orchestra should be given the task of recording this lovely music. And under the leadership of conductor Marko Letonja, these works are given moving performances.

The 5.0 recordings are excellent with the surround channels giving a wonderful depth to the soundstage. To be clear, they are not as discrete and aggressive with the rear channels as TACET's. But the rear channels are more actively than many of the quiet ambient surround recordings of classical music.

If anyone is interested in exploring some lovely symphonic music that's a little off the beaten track...yet not abstract, I warmly recommend these splendid works. I would suggest starting with Weingartner's Symphony No.2 on Vol. 3 of this superb cycle.

http://www.amazon.com/Weingartner-Symphony-No-2-Felix/dp/B000CGYO9A

Or... Why not go for the whole Box Set? It's reasonably priced... http://www.amazon.com/Felix-Weingar...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1434814792&sr=1-1
 
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Antonio Vivaldi : 8 Concerti per violino - Accardo / I Musici

Here's another excellent Quad release from PentaTone on their RQR series.

If you like Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", you'll also find much to enjoy in this 1975 Quad recording. Salvatore Accardo and I Musici give wonderful performances of these 8 delightful violin concertos of Vivaldi's Opus 7 group. Rear channels are active and make this one of the more immersive Quad reissues from PentaTone
 
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Antonio Vivaldi : 8 Concerti per violino - Accardo / I Musici

Here's another excellent Quad release from PentaTone on their RQR series.

If you like Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", you'll also find much to enjoy in this 1975 Quad recording. Salvatore Accardo and I Musici give wonderful performances of these 8 delightful violin concertos of Vivaldi's Opus 7 group. Rear channels are active and make this one of the more immersive Quad reissues from PentaTone

Lute, Thanks for all the great recommendations. I actually have this disc and love it. Along the same lines, this DVD-A comes in two volumes and is excellent (very discrete, and my favorite by Vivaldi!):
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Lute, Thanks for all the great recommendations. I actually have this disc and love it. Along the same lines, this DVD-A comes in two volumes and is excellent (very discrete, and my favorite by Vivaldi!):

Yes, that's another excellent performance and recording. And it's also available on SACD. :upthumb
 
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Vivat Leo! Music for a Medici Pope - Cappella Pratensis (SACD)


Compared to all the fireworks of the 1812 Overture and the Four Seasons, Renaissance polyphony might seem a bit plain...even stark...especially when it's performed by a small vocal group instead of a large chorus. But, the intimacy and purity that can be achieved by such an ensemble is very attractive and only gets better on repeated listenings.

Challenge Classics has released several excellent surround recordings of the glorious music of these early masters who have been all but forgotten by the general public. I suppose most people view this music as church music but the emotional expression that can be felt in the musical notes is as powerful as any symphony or concerto. In fact, Renaissance polyphony is often discussed in symphonic terms.

This recording uses the surround channels to create immersive sound that has a natural depth. The slightly close-miking beautifully captures the intimacy of Cappella Pratensis's exquisite performance.


There is an informative review about the music on Amazon UK... http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003ZBTEUI/?tag=sacdinfocom08-21
 
Man, so much here. Frankly the SA-CD.net site is probably a better resource for classical, but a few general observations:

If you're new to classical, you're better off starting with RBCD or streaming/downloads than you are with SACD/surround formats, just so you can take the time to figure out what you like first. It might be worth spending a few bucks at Amazon for one of their digital megaboxes. Or if you want to go CD pick up the RCA Living Stereo boxsets (the Mercury sets are good too, but there's a lot more esoterica in them).

Also, I think there's a lot of emphasis on older remastered quad recordings in this thread. They're great (and I have a lot of them), but frankly you're typically going to be better off with a more modern recordings as your first listen.

In terms of box sets where you'll cover a lot of ground - For Beethoven the Vanska (BIS) and Haitink (LSO Live) sets are both excellent and sell for cheap. Jarvi is good too, with his amateur Bremen orchestra, but I think it's third choice - and it's a bit harder to get all the discs. For Mahler the clear choice used to be the 15 SACD Zinman set (recorded in 4.0) when it went for $25. Now that it sells for $60 it still might be the top choice, although Gergiev isn't a terrible first choice either. Neither one is a top choice overall, but both give you good surround sound and good performances. For Bruckner the recent box set of Janowski leading the OSR isn't too expensive and is well-recorded and performed.

For the Beethoven Symphonies, don't forget Barenboim's DVD-A cycle from the early days of the format. Possibly the best audiophile version of the symphonies.

For Brahms and Sibelius, you can get the Abravanel/Utah recordings on Silverline for pennies, I'd recommend those. I'm not aware of modern competitive box sets, although the new BIS Vanska Sibelius cycle is sounding good.

Generally speaking, I'm a little wary of AIX/Tacet/MDG for orchestral recordings. In my experience the performances are often mediocre, as are the ensembles playing them. Of course, like any general statement this one has many exceptions and if interested, always check out the individual reviews.
 
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Handel: Organ Concertos Vol. 4 - Chorzempa/Schröder. (SACD)

PentaTone's 4-volume set of Handel's delightful organ concertos is superb. The rear channels play an active role in the surround mix. All 4 four volumes are worth having. I am just listening to Volume 4 as I write. Highly recommended for fans of pipe organ music and/or Baroque music!
 
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