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

[windhoek]

It turns out the recording is on Youtube

 

[windhoek]

And speaking of Mahler on Youtube, here's my favourite

 

[skherbeck]

For those looking for good performances with discrete quad activity, during my searches a general guideline would be to purchase any classic quad mixes from Dutton-Vocalion, or quad mixes from Pentatone featuring the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mostly, though, I just look for pieces of music I’m interested in... I look up “top ten” lists from various composers, then preview the music on YouTube... then, once a find a piece I want, I look for the best version of it (surround if available)... I’ve accumulated quite a decent classical surround collection this way.

 

[humprof]

For those looking for good performances with discrete quad activity, during my searches a general guideline would be to purchase any classic quad mixes from Dutton-Vocalion, or quad mixes from Pentatone featuring the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mostly, though, I just look for pieces of music I’m interested in... I look up “top ten” lists from various composers, then preview the music on YouTube... then, once a find a piece I want, I look for the best version of it (surround if available)... I’ve accumulated quite a decent classical surround collection this way.

Just a reminder that I began a list of "discrete" classical multi-channel recordings in this post. Would still be glad for any corrections or additions. (And if a mod decides this is a topic worthy of its own thread, then stitch away!)

 

[windhoek]

This Zander conducted performance of Mahler's second symphony is quite discrete. It's too slow for my tastes but others may appreciate it.

 

[humprof]

This Zander conducted performance of Mahler's second symphony is quite discrete. It's too slow for my tastes but others may appreciate it.

Interesting. I see that Zander and the Philharmonia did several Mahlers for Telarc, as well--the 5th and 6th, at least, in multi-channel. (You can also download his discussion of the 2d for free at Linn's website.) Some of those Telarcs were, if not discrete/quasi-discrete, then "big ambiance," at least. I'm thinking of Spano's recordings with Atlanta, for example.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Derek, ubertrout posted this SALE the other day from the folks at LSO. You might want to check out the sale:

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/2018-christmas-sale

Derek, this title is an uber bargain and highly recommended: https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/2018-christmas-sale/products/sir-colin-davis-anthology

 

[windhoek]

Derek, ubertrout posted this SALE the other day from the folks at LSO. You might want to check out the sale:

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/2018-christmas-sale

Derek, this title is an uber bargain and highly recommended: https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/2018-christmas-sale/products/sir-colin-davis-anthology

a 5-SACD/1-blu ray box set for £20? That's crazy! I've heard of Sibelius but I'm really not familiar with his music so I'll have a listen on Youtube to get a feel for whether it's my kind of music. With seven symphonies to sample, however, as Captain Oats famously said, I'm just going outside and may be some time...

 

[4-earredwonder]

a 5-SACD/1-blu ray box set for £20? That's crazy! I've heard of Sibelius but I'm really not familiar with his music so I'll have a listen on Youtube to get a feel for whether it's my kind of music. With seven symphonies to sample, however, as Captain Oats famously said, I'm just going outside and may be some time...

You will LOVE the Sibelius Symphonies, Derek. Upon hearing them, you will recognize a lot of the melodies contained within the symphonies. A lot of SA~CD.net posters complained [bitterly] about the LSO's recording venue, the Barbican, but I never found it a negative factor when playing my rather large collection of LSO discs.

That Colin Davis box set is a real bargain and comes in a nice sturdy box. Some of the SACDs are multichannel and some are stereo, only but that shouldn't deter you from enjoying this magnificent set.

 

[windhoek]

You will LOVE the Sibelius Symphonies, Derek. Upon hearing them, you will recognize a lot of the melodies contained within the symphonies. A lot of SA~CD.net posters complained [bitterly] about the LSO's recording venue, the Barbican, but I never found it a negative factor when playing my rather large collection of LSO discs.

That Colin Davis box set is a real bargain and comes in a nice sturdy box. Some of the SACDs are multichannel and some are stereo, only but that shouldn't deter you from enjoying this magnificent set.

A quick listen to Sibelius 4 on Youtube lets me know I'll be more than happy with the music (hopefully, the same goes with the actual performances and mastering) so I just pulled the trigger and ordered a copy - thanks Ralph

 

[ubertrout]

A quick listen to Sibelius 4 on Youtube lets me know I'll be more than happy with the music (hopefully, the same goes with the actual performances and mastering) so I just pulled the trigger and ordered a copy - thanks Ralph

You won't regret exploring the Sibelius Symphonies - especially at that price point.

And yes, I meant that Dolby Surround, at best, means it adds a center and one surround channel, but it's not terribly discrete regardless.

 

[humprof]

Interesting. I see that Zander and the Philharmonia did several Mahlers for Telarc, as well--the 5th and 6th, at least, in multi-channel. (You can also download his discussion of the 2d for free at Linn's website.) Some of those Telarcs were, if not discrete/quasi-discrete, then "big ambiance," at least. I'm thinking of Spano's recordings with Atlanta, for example.

I've now had a chance to hear Zander's 6th, and I quite like it. Sonically, it's better than the two other recordings I have (Bernstein/New York, Vanksa/Minnesota; haven't yet heard the brand-new Rattle/Berlin). Huge soundstage, lively imaging, "present" mic'ing. Not discrete, but discrete-y (like Stephen Colbert's truth/truth-y?): big ambiance in the rears, which also favor the low brass and low strings. (Fronts favor the violins, winds, and high brass.) And unlike most classical surround recordings which are 5.0 only, Telarc uses the LFE channel, which really makes contrabass and (esp.) bass drum powerful.

I recently (re-)stumbled upon this excellent retrospective roundup of all the Telarc releases, written by an apparently knowledgeable and discerning fan. I'd forgotten that the Telarc engineers modeled their work on the old Mercury Living Presence series, and from the dozen or so Telarcs that I know, I think their claim to that illustrious pedigree is credible.

 

[van1]

Really pleased to see the Bartok quad release from Dutton-Vocalian.

Can anyone point me to the following in surround / quad:

Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt & Piano Concerto
Gustav Holst - The Planets
Felix Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)

I did see this post when I searched for Grieg

Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites/Bergen Philaharmonic Orchestra/Ole Kristian Ruud conductor

BIS BIS-SACD-1591
Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid
Classical - Orchestral
Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Funeral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraak, Old Norwegian Melody with Variations Op. 51, Bell Ringing Op. 54 No. 6

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Ole Kristian Ruud (conductor)

Since the release of the first volume, (Piano Concerto and Symphony, BIS-SACD-1191), in February 2003, this series has been gathering the most extravagant praise, both for the committed performances of Ole Kristian Ruud and the Bergen Philharmonic – Grieg's 'own' orchestra – and for the sound quality, which has been held up as a model for all labels making orchestral Surround Sound recordings.

With this, the sixth, instalment the turn has come to the Peer Gynt Suites, possibly the best-loved of all Grieg's orchestral music. It is anyway a fact that the instant popularity of Morning Mood, In the Hall of the Mountain King and Solveig's Song has contributed to Ibsen's drama becoming one of the most widely played.

The music that makes up the Suites has already been released in the series as part of the 2-disc set BIS-SACD-1441/42 which consists of a concert version of the play, including the complete incidental music as well as excerpts from the spoken text. The critical response was overwhelming, as exemplified by the reviewer on MusicWeb International who wrote: 'The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra give exemplary performances under Ole Kristian Ruud, making even the most hackneyed of movements sound new-minted... these discs provide a wonderfully refreshing view of Grieg’s music, in fine idiomatic performances.'

This music has now been re-recorded for this issue – in performances every bit as idiomatic and refreshing – and is coupled with three works that Grieg originally composed for the piano, but later orchestrated. One of these is Bell Ringing, which for a long time used to open the Bergen Festival, and in which Grieg is at his most forward-looking, exploring harmonic innovations and effects that were to be used by the impressionists.

 

[van1]

Derek, here's a list of all the Classical QUAD recordings from Quadraphonic Discography. You may want to Bookmark it for future reference:

http://www.surrounddiscography.com/quaddisc/quadclas.htm

I likewise have a 4.2 MAIN SYSTEM. I have a 5.1 in my bedroom where I watch movies. Don't miss the center channel in my main system at all.

BTW, here's a listing of ALL the Rock/Pop/Jazz QUAD recordings from Quadraphonic Discography:

http://www.surrounddiscography.com/quaddisc/quadpall.htm

You won't regret exploring the Sibelius Symphonies - especially at that price point.

And yes, I meant that Dolby Surround, at best, means it adds a center and one surround channel, but it's not terribly discrete regardless.

I'm tempted by the Sir Colin Davis set, I also saw the Holst - Planets set, but not sure what format it is (cd?) any opinion?

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/2018-christmas-sale/products/holst-the-planets

I'm also looking for Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt & Piano Concerto and Felix Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave) recommendations, they do have a Mendelssohn but not in the sale

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/products/...overture-the-hebrides-schumann-piano-concerto

thanks

 

[ubertrout]

I'm tempted by the Sir Colin Davis set, I also saw the Holst - Planets set, but not sure what format it is (cd?) any opinion?

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/2018-christmas-sale/products/holst-the-planets

I'm also looking for Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt & Piano Concerto and Felix Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave) recommendations, they do have a Mendelssohn but not in the sale

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/products/...overture-the-hebrides-schumann-piano-concerto

thanks

The Planets is just on regular CD. If you're looking for a SACD I suggest Andrew Davis's version, or the recent issue of the William Steinberg recording on quad blu-ray.

For the Mendelssohn I'd recommend this box: https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collectio...es-nos-1-5-overtures-a-midsummer-nights-dream. It omits the Schumann piano concerto. There's no Grieg in what you linked to, though.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Ubertrout, I don't know if you're interested in this title, or already have it, but it's priced very well @ AmazonUS and they only have one left in stock:

https://www.amazon.com/Berg-Flute-M...65953&creativeASIN=B002AT464U&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Contains 1 BD~A and SACD multichannel from Norway's 2L Label

 

[van1]

The Planets is just on regular CD. If you're looking for a SACD I suggest Andrew Davis's version, or the recent issue of the William Steinberg recording on quad blu-ray.

For the Mendelssohn I'd recommend this box: https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collectio...es-nos-1-5-overtures-a-midsummer-nights-dream. It omits the Schumann piano concerto. There's no Grieg in what you linked to, though.

Thanks, They don't have to be LSO sets for these. Have you heard the BIS Grieg sets? Are you able to easily get links for the recommendations, don't worry if you can't

thanks

 

[ubertrout]

Thanks, They don't have to be LSO sets for these. Have you heard the BIS Grieg sets? Are you able to easily get links for the recommendations, don't worry if you can't

thanks

BIS's Grieg recordings are good! Most things they do are pretty good, in point of fact. The recordings with Ole Kristian Ruud were made about 15 years ago, and I believe they're among the few recordings BIS did direct to DSD. Note that the individual issues are surround SACDs, while the box is CD-only.

 

[ubertrout]

Really pleased to see the Bartok quad release from Dutton-Vocalian.

Can anyone point me to the following in surround / quad:

Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt & Piano Concerto
Gustav Holst - The Planets
Felix Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)

I did see this post when I searched for Grieg

On top of the Ruud cycle and the cycle on Audite (also quite good) there's this Philips quad, redone on SACD:

 

[beerking]

Somehow I missed this thread from last year.
This is exactly what I've been looking for, to broaden my appreciation of classical music.
A big thankyou to all to have contributed.
Hopefully soon, I will have a larger collection to enjoy, other than the 4 or 5 I currently have.