Purchasing CD's - Confusion?

[jdw89]

Hi all and thanks for accepting me into your forum, I really appreciate it. I am new to Classical music in general, and I am trying to obtain some works on CD. I know that I would like some Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Vivaldi to name a few but I don't know where to start when it comes to obtaining CD's as it seems a bit daunting.

First of all, besides Amazon, what is the best place to purchase these CD's at?
Also, it seems like there are so many orchestras that perform these pieces, how do you know which one to get?
Are the Brilliant Classics sets of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach etc. worth obtaining?

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide.

[Lance]

Hello, Jordan - and welcome to the CMG forum, which has been around now for many years. You came to the right place to get some feed back. The composers you mention would/might become the backbone of starting a collection. From there, you will be expanding into the areas that inspire you most, such as the Baroque, Classical, Romantic on Contemporary periods. Your ears and mind will kind of lead you into the direction that is in your core and you will discover many things you thought you might not like.

The Brilliant boxed sets are, from a $$$ point of view can be a good place to start, however, you may find yourself wanting to hear major works performed by, for example, symphony orchestras that are high ranking across the world such as the Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, etc. The conductors that lead these well-known orchestra are, generally speaking, the top of the lot, including many that are already deceased. Me? I tend to follow the most proven conductors of the past, but this is a more personal matter. The budget-priced labels such as Brilliant Classics, issue most of their recordings from other record companies but they are not always top-of-the-line ensembles.

This is a tough subject to write about on line. Perhaps if you give us some specific compositions, such as Beethoven's nine symphonies or Brahms' four symphonies, or Schumann's four symphonies, or Mozart, Bach, and myriad others, we can kind of lead you. Everyone will probably have their own personal favorites. Remember that the fines quality of the sound emanating from your speakers does not necessarily represent the finest performances. Many people are "taken in" by just the quality of the sound versus superior musicianship or in-depth interpretations.

Hopes this helps just a little. I'm sure some of CMG's members will be welcoming you to CMG and assist you in getting the best bang for your buck!

Again - welcome aboard - and have fun here. Don't be shy about asking questions.

Hi all and thanks for accepting me into your forum, I really appreciate it. I am new to Classical music in general, and I am trying to obtain some works on CD. I know that I would like some Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Vivaldi to name a few but I don't know where to start when it comes to obtaining CD's as it seems a bit daunting.

First of all, besides Amazon, what is the best place to purchase these CD's at?
Also, it seems like there are so many orchestras that perform these pieces, how do you know which one to get?
Are the Brilliant Classics sets of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach etc. worth obtaining?

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide.

[jdw89]

Thank you Lance for the warm welcome, it's much appreciated! I know one piece I am really liking right now is Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 so I guess we could start there! I would definitely like to get some of his symphonies as well as Beethoven's for sure.

[Rach3]

Yes,welcome aboard.

Fww, you may find this weekly BBC Radio programme, "Record Review", of help.Each broadcast is archived to listen to on demand.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n04s

[Ricordanza]

I know one piece I am really liking right now is Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 so I guess we could start there!

Welcome to CMG! You chose an excellent starting point. There are plenty of recordings of this work, but you can't go wrong with the all-star combination of Martha Argerich, pianist, and Claudio Abbado, conductor. The other piece on this CD is Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25, another gem. And since you asked for an alternative to Amazon (although you didn't explain why), I'm giving you a link to this item on the website of Presto Classical:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/s ... certo%2020

[barney]

Thank you Lance for the warm welcome, it's much appreciated! I know one piece I am really liking right now is Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 so I guess we could start there! I would definitely like to get some of his symphonies as well as Beethoven's for sure.

I'd like to add my voice to the welcome. You have made a great choice with Piano Concerto 20, K466, one of the greatest concertos ever written.

You are likely to be overwhelmed here by our enthusiasm in recommendations. I have 48 accounts of K466, and I'm confident Lance has twice as many. Among my favourites are Clifford Curzon with Benjamin Britten and Murray Perahia playing and conducting the English Chamber Orchestra.

So my advice to you is take advantage of the greatest musical opportunity of the past 20 years, sadly not available when I began collecting, and explore the multiplicity of great recordings available free on YouTube. Marta Argerich is there, Mitsuko Uchida, Malcolm Bilson (who uses a fortepiano like Mozart rather than a modern concert grand), Friedrich Gulda, and more. Try a few, and you will learn about how different pianists approach it, and what you like.

[Beckmesser]

YouTube can be a useful resource for someone discovering classical music. You can find a wide range of material from what some would call "basic repertory" to the highly obscure. You can "try before you buy."

Also on YouTube, I have recently discovered CD reviews by David Hurwitz, executive editor of Classics Today.com. Hurwitz is highly opinionated as well as entertaining. He recommends his favorite recordings of single works as well as collections such as the Schumann symphonies. You might find his reviews useful.

[barney]

YouTube can be a useful resource for someone discovering classical music. You can find a wide range of material from what some would call "basic repertory" to the highly obscure. You can "try before you buy."

Also on YouTube, I have recently discovered CD reviews by David Hurwitz, executive editor of Classics Today.com. Hurwitz is highly opinionated as well as entertaining. He recommends his favorite recordings of single works as well as collections such as the Schumann symphonies. You might find his reviews useful.

Thank you very much for alerting me to David Hurwitz. I just watched my first episode, classical music's 10 dirtiest secrets. Very provocative! No. 1, for example, is that all Mozart's music sounds the same. Also very entertaining.
Under 6 minutes. Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CMfzprf1Gg

[maestrob]

Welcome jdw89! It's a pleasure to have you aboard. Please don't be shy about asking questions here, as we love providing answers.

I'm not sure where you're from: are you in the USA? Of course you can find free music on youtube, but the commercials can be annoying. There are programs that stop ads from happening, or you can subscribe for a small fee. If you're in the USA, I would also recommend that you subscribe to amazon prime music, which allows you to research and listen to unlimited amounts of all kinds of music including classical for a few bucks a month. Recommend you get HD, as the sound quality improvement is really worth it, at least to my ears. For me, it's critical now that I listen before I buy a particular title. Besides, if you do this, you'll get to explore lots of repertoire without plunking down $$$ for a hard copy.

As for Mozart's great Piano Concerto #20, I fully concur with the two recommended recordings already mentioned. Both Argerich and Perahia are magnificent artists, and all their many recordings are worth exploring. I would add Rubinstein's name to the list of great pianists that you might like to explore.

One of our purposes here in the CMG Chatterbox is to bring great music to the next generation, and we will be happy to guide you on your journey of discovery.

As to where to buy classical CDs, over the years I've found that amazon has been raising prices on many single discs unreasonably here in the USA, so I've formed the habit of checking with Presto Classical in England before I click to buy a new disc from amazon. Many times though, I've often been able to find good quality used CDs on amazon from third party sellers at very reasonable cost. The few times that I've had delivery problems from them, amazon has never balked at processing a refund within a reasonable time.

Again, welcome!

[maestrob]

As for recordings of Beethoven's and Mozart's great symphonies, you've got actually two worlds to explore. There are now fabulous box sets of both composer's output, both on original instruments, which is how they were first heard, and with modern orchestras with their richer, fuller sound world. You may end up liking one or the other, or perhaps both.

I grew up with Toscanini's powerful interpretation of the Beethoven Symphonies, but they were not recorded in the best sound, being monaural and just before full-range microphones and tape equipment were installed in recording studios. They are quite an education in how to play Beethoven, but you may prefer Herbert von Karajan's complete set, recorded in 1963 in excellent stereo with the Berlin Philharmonic, which also observes Beethoven's indicated tempos and was strongly influenced by Toscanini's faithfulness to the score. This is widely considered to be Von Karajan's best recording, although he made two other cycles available as recording technology went from analog to Dolby and then digital.



Another great set to consider would be that of George Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra, which comes across with a lighter texture than HVK's powerful Berlin Orchestra:



As for original instruments performances, one set that really consistently held my attention throughout was Jos van Immerseel's set with his Anima Aeterna orchestra & soloists. It's out of print now, but there is a hard copy available on amazon, and you can listen for free there, or download FLAC files from Presto:



Also recommended is Eliot Gardiner's remarkable set of Beethoven, which is still in print:



As for Mozart's wonderful symphonies, you can't go wrong with Neville Marriner's set on modern instruments, or either Hogwood or Pinnock's boxes on original instruments. All three are immensely satisfying!







Happy listening!

[slofstra]

Hi all and thanks for accepting me into your forum, I really appreciate it. I am new to Classical music in general, and I am trying to obtain some works on CD. I know that I would like some Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Vivaldi to name a few but I don't know where to start when it comes to obtaining CD's as it seems a bit daunting.

First of all, besides Amazon, what is the best place to purchase these CD's at?
Also, it seems like there are so many orchestras that perform these pieces, how do you know which one to get?
Are the Brilliant Classics sets of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach etc. worth obtaining?

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide.

Hello JDW89,
Welcome to CMG.
It can be daunting in the early stages of purchasing CDs, and I would make a couple of general recommendations. I wouldn't purchase all that many single CDs at first, as the best value for your money is to play the field with some of the box sets. And initially I would focus on the superstar performer retrospectives as those a) offer tremendous value, b) provide a broad range of repertoire, and c) will be very high in quality.
The Brilliant boxes are good, but not top tier. They are best when you're at a stage of having a number of Beethoven recordings, say, and you'd like to extend your knowledge into some of the more obscure corners of what he's done. The same with Mozart or Bach. They do also take up a lot of shelf space.
Since you like the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20, I would consider this box:

which gives you the concerto you're after as well as 19 more CDs of a broad range of concertoes for about $50 US.
If you find that you adore the Mozart piano concertoes, and most of us do, then you could progress to a box containing all the concertoes; there's one by Mitsuko Uchida and another by Murray Perahia. Both at good prices.
It's also worthwhile to have one or another of the CD review books. I have found '1001 Classical CD recordings to buy before you die' to be great fun to peruse. Any such book should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, in the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 there are likely 50 different recordings where no one would say, "well I didn't like that one at all".
Enough from me, for now.

[maestrob]

jdw89.........

Just wondering how are you enjoying your new CDs and associated listening?

Inquiring minds want to know......

[diegobueno]

Are the Brilliant Classics sets of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach etc. worth obtaining?

I have the Brilliant Classics boxes for Mozart and Haydn, and enjoy them very much. For your favorite pieces you may want to buy other performances in addition, but for a modest outlay of cash you've got everything that Mozart wrote in good performances.

The Haydn set is not complete, but it has as much Haydn as you'd ever want to hear. All the symphonies with Adam Fischer conducting. That's worth the price of the set right there. Plus there's the Buchberger Quartet doing not quite the complete string quartets. They've left out some of the most popular quartets so that the Buchbergers' individual recordings might still sell. There are also some nice surprises such as his 1797 choral version of The Seven Last Words. Alas, it also has the complete baryton trios and folk song arrangements. But it's still well worth the price.

[Handelian]

Hi! You might try eBay and Music-Magpie too. They do have quite a few offers so it is worth putting on the sort button and making sure you’re getting the lowest price for that particular CD