Anybody Speak "Classical?"

Oldwriter

Well, now, here we go! Personally, the best Carmen I ever saw/heard was a small production at the Central City, Colorado, opera house ten years ago - Carmen sung by a woman named Joyce Campana. Loved her so much that we wound up doing a special for the Colorado PBS stations on Central City, and Joyce.
However - that's history, and I last heard of Joyce in the Houston Opera...
Aside from that - to directly answer your question: May I humbly suggest that you go onto Amazon and look for DG 419636, Carmen with Claudio Abbado conducting - Teresa Berganza (yes!) as Carmen - with the likes of Placido Domingo, Sherril Milnes and Ileana Cotrubas as (just had to say this) "backup singers." Don't shoot me - my warped sense of humor.
the three-disc set is simply the best I've ever heard. Of course, Greg and others will probably shoot me down - but I stand my ground on this one! Try it - you'll like it! Larry R.

gregure

I own the Karajan set of Carmen from the early 80's. I've always liked Agnes Baltsa, and with Carrerras doing a decent job (I agree Domingo is better) and Jose van Dam as Escamillo, this set has always made me happy. However, I also think very highly of the Solti recording with Domingo, Troyanos, Te Kanawa, and van Dam. In fact, the singing in general is better in the Solti set, but I like Baltsa better for Carmen. For singing all around, though, the Solti set is the best available in my opinion, I just happen to prefer Karajan's orchestral contribution better.

Oldwriter

Yo - good Polk Folk. O F C O U R S E ! ! I'd forgotten about the Solti set - have the Berganza, thus my vote for her. sigh - yep, Greg - once again, you've out-maneuvered this olde scribe! GRIN
So - the Solti is a more "fire-and-passion" recording - and for a younger person, dat's the one to get. Thanks, Greg!
Now - if you could only answer the other query, about "Linkin Park?" Sorry, guyz, that is way, way over my head. Greg, can you pick up the slack here??? Thanks - Larry R.

Oldwriter

...from Shepx2? You know, the chap who was going to hear his first live concert in Dallas. that was back more than a week, and I'm just wondering if any of you got a private message from him? Hope he enjoyed it! Larry R.

gregure

TechChallenged,
First of all, if you are looking to get into classical because you want aspects of heavy metal, you will not get what you want. You may find some good rhythmic stuff, or percussive, but for me you have to respond to the melodies to really like the music. That said, if you're willing to listen to classical, just sit back and enjoy. Don't worry about music theory or what the elitists say, if you enjoy it, great, if not, too bad. If you're serious about exploring classical, pick up a copy of the Penguin Guide to Classical Music CD's/DVD's, 2004 edition. That will help you find some good recordings. Here are a few recommendations for blood-boiling classical, in my opinion anyway.

Berlioz-Symphonie Fantastique
Beethoven-symphonies 3,5,7 and 9
Bruckner-symphony 4
Dvorak-Symphony 9
Holst-The Planets
Liszt-Les Preludes
Mahler-Symphonies 1,2,5 and 6 may have what you're looking for
Orff-Carmina Burana, if you like choral
Prokofiev-Piano concertos, Romeo and Juliet (ballet)
Rachmaninov-Symphonies 1-3, Isle of the Dead/Symphonic Dances
Richard Strauss, tone poems- Also Sprach Zarathustra, Ein Alpensymphonie, Death and Transfiguration, etc
Stravinksy- Rite of Spring (very rhythmic and primal-you'd like it)
Tchaikovsky-Symphonies 4-6, Swan Lake (ballet-lots of loud music)
Verdi-The Requiem, if you can handle opera-style singing

That's a few to get started with. Also check out film scores-Gladiator and Aliens get pretty hardcore. Good luck
Greg

Oldwriter

Thanks, Greg - you must have a photographic memory - or a whole catalog of varying types of music on your computer? GRIN
Couldn't have chosen better - thanks.
Am spending the aft sitting on the floor, trying to get ALL the Onkyo 701 settings correctly, well, "set." Sigh. Pity me!!!
Stil reveling in the "new" sound, now that I've got the RTi6s singing away with LARGE speaker wire and the new receiver. It makes such a difference I can't begin to tell you. My wife - bless her - is almost as happy as I am - and says to thank you all for your support and friendship. She now has no trouble with the money for new equipment - and even supports my decision to get a SACD player this fall, after the new models come out.
Thanks TO ALL!!!! larry R.

Oldwriter

Yo - just got a call from a good friend who's building a new home here in Naples - has a lot of money - and had an audiophile-friend (NOT me!) select new gear for the home. He's using some Marantz gear, some sort of "Sunfire," (?) and B & W 703s (or 4s, can't remember) for his mains. The surround speakers are, as I understand it, built into the ceiling. Can't remember what-all he's getting Video-wize, but I do know he'll have a 60-inch plasma, etc. etc.
My question to y'all - what do you think of the B & Ws? I heard a pair in a local stereo emporium, and to me, they sounded so good I wished I had the money! In my next life. . . larry R.

TechChallenged

Originally posted by gregure
First of all, if you are looking to get into classical because you want aspects of heavy metal, you will not get what you want.

gregure

I respectfully disagree. I frequently go to my daughters High School and College Orchestra performances and am just floored by the power and passion in some of their pieces. My best argument I can put before you is check out S&M live. It is Metallica (Heavy Metal Band) playing their greatest hits with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The mixture of the two musical styles is absolutely amazing.

My problem is I just don't understand all the different nuances of classical to select what I want to enjoy. If anyone can help, I am specifically looking for some music that has the same feel as the opening piece to the album Reanimation by Linkin Park.
It is like a bass, violin or something. Here is an Amazon link where you can go and listen free of charge to the opening of song number 1.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000069CWE/qid=1087157459/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-1503476-4200067?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

gregure

Forgot another great classical showpiece:
Mussorgsky-Picures at an Exhibition
Happy listening.

Larry, I've no experience with the B + W line, but I know they are used quite frequently by recording engineers to monitor recordings, and there's a high end specialty store here in San Diego that carries them. Of course he would, but the owner really couldn't praise them enough. I think if I had all that money, I would investigate the LSi line, or possibly those Definitive Technology speakers with built-in subwoofers in every channel speaker. Shudder!!! But, I'm happy with what I got. Later.

gregure

TechChallenged,

I've no argument against the fact that classical is full of passion and fire, as you may find in heavy metal. However, I just don't think looking for heavy metal-type sounds in classical will prove fruitful. Obviously you would like orchestral arrangements of Metallica songs you already like, as it would add another dimension to them, and Michael Kamen, having worked in the rock business in addition to scoring films, was probably the best choice to take on such a task. He was an excellent musician. Also, the Linkin Park intro is very orchestral in feel, which is not typical of "heavy metal." I don't mean that to sound elitist, it's just that heavy metal is full of riffs and solo variations that make for a different kind of animal than classical structure.

As far as the nuances of classical, like I said, just listen to what you respond to. If you want to take the time to distinguish details in the music, so be it, or if you just want to listen to it as background music, that's a way to go also. Once you start getting into classical, it's not hard to start distinguishing the different styles among different composers (and nationalities).

Regarding the Linkin Park music, that indeed is a solo violin, which is then accompanied by a bass, and then it sounds like more strings are introduced, but the music cut off at that point. It sounded Celtic to me, but it could also have been Appalachian. If you're looking for music akin to that, I would look into some good Irish music CD's, or even Celtic music. Bruch's Scottish Fantasy for Violin and orchestra has some nice music in it. There are also a few discs out there of Appalachian music for string quartets, with Yo-Yo Ma playing on cello. You could probably find those at a CD store in a Yo-Yo Ma slot under the Performers section.

Another avenue is film scores for films set in Ireland or Scotland. Braveheart has some nice music, as well as Rob Roy. If you want some nice string music, I would recommend a disc of string music by Ralph Vaughan Williams. There is a particular disc with some of my faves: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Fantasia on Greensleeves, Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, and The Lark Ascending. This disc is on the Chandos label, with the London Symphony/Philharmonic Orchestras, conducted by Bryden Thompson. Great disc, mostly all strings, with some nice modal/celtic style. Modal, by the way, is an old form of musical scales, called modes, which sound a bit different from our major/minor scales today. They have a real medieval quality to them.

Hope this helps you in your search. Glad to be of what help I've been.

Greg

Oldwriter

Whew! Things are gettin' too hot-n-heavy for this olde scribe. Staying outta dis discussion, fer shore!
One note, Greg especially - I went out our front door this aft, which we almost never do - usually go thru garage. There, on the liddle porch, was a package from my recording engineer-friend in LA - in it - a pair of "Cobalt Blue" speaker cables. The note: basically if I liked them I could keep them, if not, send them back, as they were "extras" in his new setup. Well, Mer and I will audition them tonight, and compare them with what we've got. Will post results. Hmmm. . . how much do these cost? Don't know, but it's more than Lowe's 12-gauge, fer shore!
Apparently, the mail-mope just left the package at the door, and didn't even ring the bell. Sigh. Hard to get good help. . . .
Courage! Larry R.

TechChallenged

Excellent advice. Yoyo Ma Album: Appalachian Journey Track: Duet for Cello and Bass is perfect. You are absolutely right, I love the Celtic stuff. Previously never even gave that search a thought. I am now skimming across some of the Celtic stuff and am trying to find something with more bass solos. Thanks again for your help.

gregure

Excellent Larry. How nice of your friend to give you the cables. How much did he give you? Just enough for the mains? I hope it makes a difference for you. Let me know.
What's this "hot n heavy" business? I thought you were all for exchanging opinions. I didn't get the impression anyone was getting upset.

Oldwriter

. . .anytime anybody starts talking "heavy metal," or whatever, I get the feeling that I'm way over my head - don't understand it at all, and so feel insecure in even commenting.
Yes - the cables are about 10-feet long, and I took the liberty of looking them up on the Cobalt web site - cost about $125 (gulp) for the pair. At least the guy had the decency to send a pair with bananas on one end, spades on the other. My Onk will NOT accept spades on the receiver - period!
Wimping out - hey, that's the story of my life! GRIN I'll gladly jump in when the topic is one that I can at least understand!
Merri says that I need to go un-cork about three bottles of good wine, then we'll start the speaker-wire test. Hey, this could be a GOOD night! GRIN
Let's see - I've got the original 16-gauge Monster XP, or whatever, the new Cobalt 10-gauge (yep) wire, and the Lowe's home store 12-gauge wire. Should be a long night!

Oldwriter

Yo - good Polk Folk. Have checked out the Metallica bits on Amazon, and, after re-reading the postings re this site, I know that we're not dealing with a typical "dim-wit rocker." So, Greg, I let you continue on your education-journey with this gentleman. I still can't connect to this music AT ALL, so have a very hard time trying to connect it to my humble listening choices.
Now, I'm going to cook dinner, then hook (hic) up all those cables and do a number on my poor wife's ears. Sigh. She will, of course, tell differences much better than I will! It war evah sech.
Courage! Larry R.

John K.

Tech, I listen practically 100% to classical music, but I punched up Reanimation on my computer and listened to about a 20 second sample of the opening. If that's typical of what you have in mind, no problem, because most of what I listen to is actually more vigorous than that opening.

It appears that what Greg likes is quite similar to what I like and everything he suggested is worthwhile(Rachmaninoff is probably my favorite composer)and not off-the-beaten-track stuff. However, let me get more specific, with some excellent quality but bargain-priced discs which you could order from a place such as Tower Records . Holst's Planets is about as sure-fire a piece as there is and a great CD has Mehta conducting the LA Philharmonic on London/Decca 2LH 467 418(on sale, $5.99). Dorati and Maazel conduct a Gershwin collection including Rhapsody in Blue on London/Decca 2LH 473 844($5.99). Batiz conducts the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances and Isle of the Dead on Naxos 8.550 583($7.99) and he does Respighi's Pines of Rome, etc. on Naxos 8.550 539.

With free shipping those 4 CDs run about $28, so don't hesitate, whip out that credit card. There's a whole world of great music out there waiting for you.

organ

Tech,
Check out Nightwish. Operatic/symphonic power metal from Finland. Amazing band with a great soprano. Their song structure is very similar to classical. This is a great band for a person crossing over to classical territory from metal.

Here's a sample:
http://www.nightwish.com/files/everdream_hi.mp3

Here's the official site with more mp3 samples. www.nightwish.com

Maurice

organ

Larry and Gregure,
Thanks for the recommendation. I will check them out. There's so many songs on Carmen that I love. I'll listen to samples of both on Amazon and buy the one I like best. Thanks again.

Maurice

Willow

Have you tried them out yet ?? if so what do you think ??

Oldwriter

Yo - spent a longish, frustrating night - testing out the cables. Put on two well-known CDs - one Renee Fleming, the other a Mozard concerto. Wife sitting on couch, with remote "pause" at the ready, whilst I did my cable-changing act. Had all three laid out for quik-change. Did all possible variations - and occasional "same cable" test to see if wife could tell. She could.
After about 50 different combinations on the two forms of music to which we often listen - we determined.
1 - to diss the 16-gauge - thin and "cramped" sounding. Then, it became a tight battle between the 10-gauge Cobalt and the 12-gauge Lowe's wire. We THOUGHT the Cobalt a little warmer and open - but not enough to warrant the $135 expenditure. We sent back the Cobalts to our friend, and have kept the Lowe's. Now, IF we had true high-end gear, then we MIGHT be able to hear greater differences - but for Onkyo 701 and RTi6s - nope.
The wine, by the way, was excellent! Courage! Larry R.

Oldwriter

Uh, guyz - how about making that a MOZART, not Mozard, concerto. Blush. LR

Willow

leftover effects of the wine ??

Oldwriter

Very good! (hic) no, the wine went down jest fyne, and today dawned crystal-clear! My Online spelling is always terrible, as I tend to go fast on the keyboard, and miss more than my shayr uf errers. Courage! LR

Oldwriter

Yo - good Polk Folk - my wife and I did another wire test today, with digital connectors between receiver and CD/DVD player. See the test and the results in the Basic Wiring Forum - Snakes! and Light. Good hunting. . . Larry R.