# Best Recordings for Showing Off Home Speaker System



## jtilton (Aug 23, 2018)

I recently invested in a pair of high quality speakers to better enjoy my music on, and it's been quite the experience re-listening through a lot of my library. Though, I found a smidge of disappointment when some of my favorite recordings of pieces did not sound as incredible as recordings I did not care as much for, particularly when the better speaker quality seemed to show more flaws in the recording instead of showing nuances in the music.

For most listening, I will still gravitate to recordings of my favorite performance, but sometimes it's nice to simply bask in the glory of a recording that makes it feel like the orchestra is there in the room with you.

While I maintain that preference of performance almost always trumps the quality of recording, I know there are recordings out there where an incredible performance meets an incredible audio presentation. And, if they're out there somewhere, why not enjoy the best of both worlds? 

So my question to all of you audiophiles out there: what are your recommendations for recordings that meet this criteria for you?


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## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

Back in the day when I early adopted the CD, I used to show off with Saint Saens organ symphony by Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony orchestra on Decca. You need to have serious speakers when the organ pops in, though.

The Rite of Spring will work too (you can go for Simon Rattle and CBSO on EMI or Dorati and Detroit Symphony on Decca) at a serious volume, although first time listeners might still want to throw tomatoes at your speakers, as in Paris in 1913. 

Acceptable to anyone is Carmina Burana by Orff, an impressive show stopper, go for Simon Rattle and the BPO on EMI.

The last part of the Gurrelieder by Schoenberg, the impressive tribute song to the sun, with huge orchestral and vocal forces, beautifully recorded and conducted by Ricardo Chailly, also on Decca.

The Grosse Fuge, op.133 of Beethoven, a incredible strong piece of string quartet music, you can go for the Alban Berg Quartet on EMI. If you hear the quartet as if they were sitting in your living room, you have a good sound system. And it's always a good thing if this music is being heard by newbies. 

Good luck!


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