# Best symphonic recordings - in terms of sound quality



## prlj (10 mo ago)

Regardless of the piece itself, what do you consider to be some of the best recorded symphonic works in terms of sound quality? 

Solo and chamber work examples would be fine, too.

Like, if you were testing out a new pair of headphones, for example, what recordings are you going to reach for first?


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

My 1st go-to disc is an 'ebs' recording of Ernest Bloch's works for cello & orchestra.










Another CD is this Argo edition of late symphonies by Roger Sessions










As for analog recordings done in the LP era, I've been quite impressed by this 1978 production of Richard Rodney Bennett's "Spells" engineered by Stan Goodall & John Pellowe.










Recording engineer Richard Lewzey had recorded a handful of Jerry Fielding film scores during the early 1970s at London's CTS studios. Titles include *The Nightcomers*, *The Mechanic* & *Chato's Land* which - to this day - are considered (amongst soundtrack album collectors) the most well-recorded film scoring sessions.

While I love these albums of Fielding film music myself, I nonetheless have been equally impressed by the recording quality of some Italian soundtracks (also from the early '70s) by Riz Ortolani or Carlo Savina.
A recent release via Quartet Records of the master tapes on Savina's music for Mario Bava's *Lisa and the Devil* sounds just as good as anything I've heard that was recorded in England.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Short and sweet. Excellent soundstage, beautiful bite on the brass, and a low end that goes down below 20Hz.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

For years I had seen this album in a certain SuperDisc list (vinyl), but wasn’t sufficiently interested in the music, itself, to seek it out. But I had purchased the Decca Analog CD box, and one day I had my ripped copy of that set playing in the background, when I stopped and looked up. The SQ of what was playing through my speakers was fantastic. And I finally understood what all the accolades were for.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

The sound on these discs is wonderful.


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## Dpaulyn (10 mo ago)

Purely in terms of remarkable sound quality: Reference Records


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Dpaulyn said:


> Purely in terms of remarkable sound quality: Reference Records


Not necessarily. I have some of their recordings of the Chadwick symphonic poems with Serebrier; the sound is muddy, boomy and very congested. Even when I had a player that could decode the HDCD it sounded poorly. There's an Scheherazade they advertised as the "ultimate"; not in sound quality. The 60 year old Reiner sounds better. The recordings RR made with the Dallas Wind Symphony are terrific and a great test for any speaker system.


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## Dpaulyn (10 mo ago)

@mhaub - thanks for the clarification.


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## Dpaulyn (10 mo ago)

I should probably have specified these three recordings I have on Reference that I found to be well recorded and give quite a work out on my system.


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## Dpaulyn (10 mo ago)

Nojima I guess is not symphonic


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## Dpaulyn (10 mo ago)

I have the Reiner Scheherazade. I agree, it is an outstanding performance and recording quality.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Dpaulyn said:


> . . . .
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Can anyone spot the three Ninas? I can only see one.


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