# Help with finding essential recording for my collection



## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Hello,
I have quite a big collection of random recordings, But I want to expand my collection and refresh it with essential recordings-
What is the best place with recommendations for many good recordings (Sound quality is also important)?
Thanks


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

A near complete collection of original works by the greatest musician the world has ever seen and heard.


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## Epilogue (Sep 20, 2015)

Classicstoday.com has some quite good reviewers, and they give separate ratings to the quality of the performance and sound quality.

@ComposerOfAvantGarde

I can't tell of that's satire or ballsy seriousness, but either way it's wonderful.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Epilogue said:


> @ComposerOfAvantGarde
> 
> I can't tell of that's satire or ballsy seriousness, but either way it's wonderful.


I like you a lot, Epilogue. Although I can't tell if you are of my opinion or not with posts like these!


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## Epilogue (Sep 20, 2015)

Thank you, I like you a lot too!

I don't know myself whether I'm of your opinion here, because I can't tell what yours is. _My_ opinion is that Boulez is like a first rate modernist steel-and-glass building: austerely elegant and luminous on its own terms, and a positive relief when I think of what it must have been like to live with nothing but stuffy old Belle Époque and Art Deco structures everywhere; but on the other hand, I like it better when it's juxtaposed with some of those stuffy old buildings, because an urban landscape where _everything_ is steel-and-glass is an arid prospect - in that kind of situation, even some really bad piece of post-modern trash might seem like a welcome change of scenery.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

When I'm not discovering something at random on this site I use MusicWeb International as a fairly reliable source of info on recording and performance quality, but I also keep in mind their tastes seem to run a little more mainstream than mine and they focus more on newer recordings.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Epilogue said:


> Thank you, I like you a lot too!
> 
> I don't know myself whether I'm of your opinion here, because I can't tell what yours is. _My_ opinion is that Boulez is like a first rate modernist steel-and-glass building: austerely elegant and luminous on its own terms, and a positive relief when I think of what it must have been like to live with nothing but stuffy old Belle Époque and Art Deco structures everywhere; but on the other hand, I like it better when it's juxtaposed with some of those stuffy old buildings, because an urban landscape where _everything_ is steel-and-glass is an arid prospect - in that kind of situation, even some really bad piece of post-modern trash might seem like a welcome change of scenery.


Well I sincerely believe that Boulez has probably been the most significant composer and musician in the 20th and 21st centuries. His compositions give a fresh outlook on serialism in the context of a man who is both utterly French and utterly concerned with the appreciation and celebration of what is new in music. Someone who certainly would rather not shelter and condition the minds of classical music audiences by providing only what he thinks they want to hear.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

A lot has happened in the 15 years since the following book was published:









But Jim Svejda's _Insider's Guide to Classical Recordings_ is a wonderfully entertaining read with great recording recommendations for most of the essential music of the western "classical" genre. I've heard many recordings and can attest that Svejda's opinion on "good ones" is quite sound. I've used the guide to enhance my own record shelves over the years. I don't always agree with Svejda's opinions (he dislikes anything by Penderecki and has no taste for Gorecki's Third Symphony, among other complaints) but even when our opinions are at odds, Svejda's analyses never fail to delight and entertain. A worthwhile text for someone seeking guidance to recorded music.

I am also a subscriber to the monthly _BBC Music Magazine_. Two great features of this magazine are (1) it features an included CD disc with every issue (and the musical selections tend to be very good), and (2) it offers a monthly guide to recommended recordings of a major classical work. I believe the Mendelssohn Italian Symphony was the discussion point in the latest edition. Though a subscription may be pricey, the articles and reviews are generally stellar. This is one magazine I continue to renew year after year.

Of course, what I'm really suggesting here is that you consult reviews for info about recordings and their merits. Often reviews will include comparisons to other recordings, better or worse. As you read more and more, you'll come to find reviewers whose opinions seem to correspond with your own listening experience. They can serve as a guide to unfamiliar recordings and masterworks. I've been a long time reader of the reviews in magazines such as _Gramophone_, _Stereophile_, and _Fanfare_. I've purchased many discs simply on the merits of reviews. If my curiosity is aroused, I often bite. Which is one reason I have a large music collection. Generally, what I purchase after reading reviews tends to be more substantially pleasing than many of the things I've bought "blind", or because the cover art appealed to me. Don't overlook this valuable resource.


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## haydnfan (Apr 13, 2011)

The NPR Guide to Classical Music really helped me when I was new.

I also like the more complete Vintage Guide to Classical Music by Jan Swafford.


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## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Thanks everyone. Do you think that building my collection based on reviews on Gramophone etc. is sufficient?
I wondered if there maybe a concentrated list of recordings on the web that gets updated constantly.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Gustav Mahler said:


> Thanks everyone. Do you think that building my collection based on reviews on Gramophone etc. is sufficient?
> I wondered if there maybe a concentrated list of recordings on the web that gets updated constantly.


One thing to try could be New Yorker music critic Alex Ross' "CD Picks" on his blog:

http://www.therestisnoise.com/cd_picks/

As you'll see, there's a bunch of interesting (to him) new releases followed by a comprehensive list of earlier mentions. There's an interesting mix of music--from medieval to contemporary, from relatively obscure to famous--that can be helpful for discovering unfamiliar repertoire.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I often check http://www.musicweb-international.com/, an often superb source.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Gustav Mahler said:


> Hello,
> I have quite a big collection of random recordings, But I want to expand my collection and refresh it with essential recordings-
> What is the best place with recommendations for many good recordings (Sound quality is also important)?
> Thanks


It would be good if you could tell us what you already have that you think is exceptional. And What you have yet to explore.


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