What is your favorite classical piece?

[norealtalent]

I'm for "The Rite of Spring." I loved it so much from my college class that we went to the Binghamton University performance a few years back. It was interesting to experience live but was really disappointed with the dynamics. I enjoy it MUCH more at home on the BIG JBL's. I'd like to see it done at a real auditorium, with a world class orchestra. That would be something!

[Bernard Wolf]

A real fun dynamics test is Berlioz Symphony Fantastique - there are some really big swings in there ! I'm always amazed at how modern this piece sounds considering it was composed in 1830, not long after Beethovens death.

Bernard

[Mr. Widget]

I'm for "The Rite of Spring." I loved it so much from my college class that we went to the Binghamton University performance a few years back. It was interesting to experience live but was really disappointed with the dynamics. I enjoy it MUCH more at home on the BIG JBL's. I'd like to see it done at a real auditorium, with a world class orchestra. That would be something!

The dynamic range of the performance will be affected by the interpretation... the Michael Tilson Thomas recording with the San Francisco Symphony has an amazing dynamic range that simply wasn't possible pre digital... it literally has whispers to screams levels and cannot be enjoyed in anything but a very quiet room with your full attention... but it is quite impressive.

A real fun dynamics test is Berlioz Symphony Fantastique...

I particularly like the fifth movement, the "Witch's Sabbath" (Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat) It is real classical rock and roll....

[Rolf]

Bach J.S: Toccata & Fuge D Minor. for the system work out and Chamber Music for gentle listening.

One of my favorite records was the 1812 on Telarc. It was amazing to see a groove take a hard right

Both sounds even better on the CD!

One of my favorites is Tchaikovsky, Nut Cracker, Swan Lake etc.

Rolf

[Bernard Wolf]

Well Rolf, I don't want to fire up the old CD vs Vinyl thing again, but I have to tell you that at my house vinyl rules !! Especially with Classical music. Jazz, Electronic, Pop, what-have-you I can live with, but Classical....Mmmmm... as my wife says " listening to CD's is akin to talking with someone who does not breathe" !!

Long live modern String Quartets !

Bernard

[Rolf]

Well Rolf, I don't want to fire up the old CD vs Vinyl thing again, but I have to tell you that at my house vinyl rules !! Especially with Classical music. Jazz, Electronic, Pop, what-have-you I can live with, but Classical....Mmmmm... as my wife says " listening to CD's is akin to talking with someone who does not breath" !!

Long live modern String Quartets !

Bernard

Very well Bernard, I can agree to a point. BUT what I can't like after the cd came along is all that "pops", "clicks" and noise from the picup. But thats me. Besides that, the sound of vinyl is ok. Many recordings from "earlier times" also sounds better than many new recordings today. (But not all). I guess MP3 and other compression on recording today in to blame?

Rolf

[Bernard Wolf]

Yes, noise can be an issue, but with a better front end setup and a bit of luck things can get real good. For all their imperfections Lp's still end up sounding more like real music to me that Cd's. But then again, I am a real old codger !

Bernard

[Maron Horonzakz]

Mahler Sym. # 6.....The three death blow wacks on the big bass drum will wipe the green off your teeth. I love that Symphony.

[Mr. Widget]

Yes, noise can be an issue, but with a better front end setup and a bit of luck things can get real good. For all their imperfections Lp's still end up sounding more like real music to me that Cd's. But then again, I am a real old codger !

I too am a huge fan of analog... I made the digital comment above though because there is no way to get the ~80dB dynamic range on an analog disc... the dbx discs were close...

Ticks and pops... my on board analog computer can filter them out pretty well.


Widget

[eyedoc]

Wow, this is tough, as I listen to almost as much jazz and classical as any thing else.

Gershwin, Rhapsody in blue (have several different recordings)
Copland, Third symphony (on telarc label)- killer recording
Dvorak's “New World” Symphony
Samuel Barber, adagio for strings
Grezky (not wayne the hockey player) third symphony
Stravinsky, Rite of Spring
Rossini, Barber of Seville (Rabbit of Seville if you are a buggs bunny fan)
Mussorgsky, Night On A Bare Mountain (or mayby Night on Bald Mountain)
Stravinsky, Firebird Suite
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet

All of these are very powerful, and not for the faint of heart of woofer.
eyedoc

[zhid]

this one

by this one conductor -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN21c9RX1zA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtW40OtK_KA

[jcrobso]

I love when the cannons go off at the end!
There is a lot of dynamic range in this piece. John

[Ducatista47]

The Music Of Arnold Schoenberg Vol 4, The Complete Music For Solo Piano/Songs For Voice & Piano. Recorded by Glenn Gould. I find piano to be one of the toughest tests of a system when it comes to realism.

These are old vinyl, not much of a bass test. But Very sharp and complex waveforms with much subtlety. Also, some of my favorite music on Earth.

Clark

[MikeBrewster77]

Ma Vlast - Smetana: Deutsche Grammophon recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra - I like it so much I have it on vinyl and CD.

Hungarian Fantasty - Liszt: London/Decca all digital recording, and a Philips recording on vinyl

Gloria RV 588 - Vivaldi: Nimbus Records all digital recording

Prelude No. 2 in C sharp Minor - Rachmaninov: Various recordings, both digital and analog. AKA "The Bells of Moscow." A bit OT, but it's also the most complex piece of music I ever managed to master on piano. Extremely difficult, and took over a month of almost daily practice to get there (I never said I was good )

Sonata 14 in C Sharp Minor, Presto Adagio - Beethoven: Various recordings, both analog and digital. AKA The "Moonlight Sonata." Never understood why the first movement is so ubiquitously popular, but the third receives virtually no recognition. Also a royal b*tch to learn on piano...

I could go on, but it's a three year old thread, so I'll just stop myself now.

P.S., for the record I realize that some of the pieces above are not classical, rather Romantic period, but for conversation's sake...

Best,
- Mike

[Joe Alesi]

This is it- well a version of it.

Dance of the Tumblers by Rimsky-Korsakov.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVIB3...eature=related

The best version I have heard is the Reference Recordings CD entitled "Tutti". FANTASTIC dynamicS you will not be disappointed.....BUY IT ....especially if you have horns.


Best
JA