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Eivind Aadland and the WDR Sinfonieorchester Koln in 4 volumns has recorded all of Griegs symphonic music on the Audite label. They are available as SACDs and are also on Classicsonline. Not on Tidal. I am recommending these recordings for two reasons. This orchestra and conductor really know how to perform Grieg. But also these may be the finest recordings of a symphony orchestra I have ever hear. Just incredibly real sounding. The dynamics if you are not careful could blow your speakers. The clarity and tonality is dead on. I just finished vol III and am speechless. I would be very interested in what others think
Alan
Follow Ups:
I see it's available in vinyl. I might give it a go.
Wish me luck.
I saw it last year but did no pull the trigger.
I just hope the record is quiet and no off centre hole.
It is quiet and on center. I like it but still prefer the Sony gold CD
Alan
Any production/manufacturing credits on the packaging?
Music Matters we hope. NOT!
GZ media possibly?
Hope it's not one of those keyed up stark sounding DMM pressing of yore....
Actually there are a few recent classical reissues pressed in Europe that are not bad. ( Berlin Classics/Profil etc.. ) Usually if it's a new recording, there are a much better chance sounding ok than reissues of old catalogue.
I am not aware of any all analogue classical reissues.
Unfortunately, the tracks were available only at CD (16/44.1) resolution. Nevertheless, I was very impressed by the SQ and I do want to investigate further - the recordings should sound great in multi-channel and hi-rez.
There have been other very fine recordings from the WDR Symphony Orhcestra (Cologne), such as Bychkov's SACD set of Brahms Symphonies, and Mikhail Jurowski's series (CD only, unfortunately) of Prokofiev's incidental music and lesser known ballets.
Chris, you keep on putting down cd quality. It simply is not true. For 2 channel reproduction redbook cd can sound as good as any Hi Rez download or SACD recording. I have cd's of recordings I have engineered and believe me with my current system 16/44 playback sounds exactly like the master mixdowns I have made.
Alan
I also agree that SOME CD's can sound excellent and do compare well with hi-rez sources.
Still, I'd bet that these Grieg recordings will sound better in hi-rez - not to mention that the SACD's at least will have multi-channel capability.
Can't argue about surround but the same master transferred to 16/44 will not sound better in Hi-Rez unless your player does a better job of converting Hi Rez vs redbook. Hi-rez techniques do not add any information to the original recording.
Alan
On paper, high-rez does reach considerably deeper into the ultrasonic range..... But my personal experiences with high-rez is that it's very fatiguing to listen long-term..... I've thought the added digital switching emitting more RFI was the culprit, but there is no real data to either support or refute this. (We'd think there would have been quite a few studies on this, but none exist that I know of.)
That said, I play predominantly CD, and in the right setup, the resolution and bandwidth limits seem to be a non-issue. No high-rez rig has made me want to ditch CD in favor of it.
Hey Chris
have decided I don't want to continue arguing with you about Hi Rez.
I have too much respect for what you bring to our discussions on music. When you recommend a piece of music I will always give it a listen. The hole issue of sound reproduction always comes down to a subjective response anyway. I listened last night to the Sibelius violin concerto in a 1950's recording with David Oistrach. Lousy sound, mesmerizing performance. Talk to you soon
Alan
I think in one of the posts below, you (or Amphissa) states that sound reproduction is not a moral issue. That is certainly true - it is however a religious issue! ;-)
And you know where discussions of religion lead to
Alan
.
.
There is no LP that could come close to the dynamic range offered here. The spaciousness and layering of sound of this SACD (vol 3) is perhaps the best I have ever heard from ANY source in stereo, and it's even better in surround, with no fakery or contrivance. It is simply there with unprecedented fidelity: size, tone, clarity, impact of an orchestra; the illusion as complete as the rest of your system and room will allow.
You're depriving yourself.
Peace,
Tom E
I adopted SACD equipment early on but began to realize that I'd be dead before depth and breadth of repertoire available matched quality of sound.
But that was back when there were only about 2000 titles available, 1550 of them Mahler 2nds, and 1449 of those performed by very well-meaning and extremely dedicated Brazilian orchestras....
I don't understand the reference. I enjoyed the 1812 as a child and as a very young man. Now I can listen to it hardly more than once per year or so, although I admit that a really good performance does still stir my spirit just a bit. Yeah, the bells tolling and the cymbals crashing and the brass blasting "O Lord, Save Thy People" while the string section nearly saws their instruments in half, just before the final march, makes my little hairs stand up. Canon are just noise.
If you're implying that this Audite disc is good merely because of the sonics, you're off the mark. It seems to be an excellent performance along with incredible sonics. That's my point: a rare combination of excellence and not just another audiophile toy.
If you still have the hardware, please give this piece of software a try. I was an early adopter of this tech when there were about forty Sony/Columbia titles available and not much else. I am old, too, and poor to boot, but I haven't given up and I'm glad I invested a few precious bucks in this music. I feel this disc justifies the journey.
I also bemoan the endless repetition of repertoire on SACD. There are a few courageous labels who have ventured beyond the safety of superfluous Mahler syms, and the orchestras are better than Brazilian pick-ups. But those labels won't stay off the beaten path unless we pave the way by buying their products.
Peace,
Tom E
ultra exaggerated response would make the tongue in cheek aspect of my response perfectly clear.Of course, there aren't 1400 Mahler 2nds on SACD. Yet. : )
And Brazinlian orchestras ain't bad.
Edits: 08/25/15
It's not like Bolero, but . . . you know.
Actually, I play the 1812 Overture on New Year's Eve, so that when it's midnight, the cannons are going off. This is in honor of an old high school friend, now a professional violinist, who played it to help usher in the New Year. It's a tradition from our teen years. Other than that, I do without it.
The last time I played Bolero was when we had some friends over and one of them wanted to hear some classical music on my system--you know, like Bolero! So I got out my old (and excellent) recording with Ansermet and the SRO.
-----
"A fool and his money are soon parted." --- Thomas Tusser
Well, not speaking for jdaniel, but for myself, I have a very good SACD player (the same one you have) as well as my 2 turntables (one for mono, one for stereo). I have a decent selection if SACDs and a large collection of NM LPs.
When given the choice between LP, CD or SACD, which I do in quite a few cases, I prefer listening to the LP. Yep, some of us actually prefer LP/TT. And it is not due to ignorance or unfamiliarity with the digital alternatives.
As to who is being "deprived," I doubt that you are in a position to measure or judge the amount of enjoyment others receive from listening to music. And that is the only thing that matters -- the enjoyment one receives from listening.
You apparently receive a lot of enjoyment from listening to SACDs. Enthusiasm is great. But please resist the urge to judge or lecture others.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
I was not making any judgments about anybody's listening habits or preferences. Where did I write anything against vinyl playback or those who enjoy it?
Back off.
Tom E
miking well into the 70's. They have a few recordings which actually made it to SACD and deservedly so.
We're all a small family after all.
I've not heard the Audite Grieg, but one of my very first SACD purchases was vol 1 of the BIS Grieg cycle.
Grieg is hard to mess up.
In any case, I appreciate your enthusiasm. It's a heady thing, and I've been there.
Just picked this one (for my wife) at the San Francisco Audio Show.
Side 2 is worth the price of admission. Maybe my favorite slab of 'new' vinyl.
Had me thinking, for the first time in a LONG time: "Damn, now I remember why I spent all of this time and $$ on putting together this mostly crappy sounding 'tubes and horns' audio system!"
All this on a my wife's stock Rega RP6 and a JICO MM-1 cartridge.
And yes, all audiophile should buy their wife her own TT. =:-0
. . . that my wife can't imagine folks listening to LP's. When I told her she might see some rooms with vinyl sources at the recent California Audio Show, she asked, "Who in their right mind would want to listen to LP's in this day and age?" ;-)
Makes spinning vinyl discs seem virtually sane.
.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
"Right" minds only listen to digital.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
I love good digital and also love good vinyl. They sound different, each with its own virtues and faults. I have friends who love vinyl and also friends who don't own a turntable. It's really about what we respond to on an emotional level. I don't know why we turn audio into a contest between formats. Especially in the music forum. I listened last night to some recordings from the 1930's and they were thrilling even in not very good sound. We need to put more emphasize on the music. AT the CES I was speaking with a gentleman who was raving about the sound of a certain system. I asked him what his favorite piece of music was and he couldn't answer me. How sad
Alan
There is a Hi-Rez forum for discussing the magic of hi-rez audio.
There is a Vinyl forum for discussing the magic of vinyl playback.
Music Lane is (I thought) the forum for discussing the music, not arguing about formats.
Because, after all, in the end, it's whether you enjoy listening to it. Every person has their own route to enjoyment. This is not a moral issue pertaining to right and wrong. Nor is it a political issue where votes decide the winner. Nor us it about scientific measurement. Music is a psychological/emotional experience. As we used to say back in the day -- "Whatever turns you on, man, it's groovy."
That said, I've got thousands if CDs, SACDs, LPs, DVDs, BluRays ...... and my collection encompasses a lot of composers and recordings that most people have never heard of.
I could probably (well, maybe) create a list of the music I like listening to the most. But one favorite? Nope. No chance. And that top 25 would probably (likely) change week to week.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
. . . on that guy's inability to say what his favorite piece of music was. If you ask a lot of musicians the same question, many of them will answer that it's the piece they've played most recently - I've heard that answer on a number of interviews, usually in regard to Mozart piano concertos. ;-)
You are probably right. I was thinking of a politician that got raked over the coals because she could not name any book she had read
Alan
nt
Do you all like these better than the Bis set?
I have seldom found any newer BIS recording truly representative of a large body of instruments in a real space. There always seems to be something "off" about the size and proportion or location of instruments. Some of them are pretty bad: Martin Frost's earlier Mozart comes to mind, with a fluent if somewhat too sweet performance by a clarinet ridiculously larger and louder than the entire orchestra. But even the best have not convinced me I was listening to real instruments. The Vanska Beethoven was not nearly as good as some made it out to be; as recording and performance I think it rises above mediocre but not much higher. I have some chamber and solo works on BIS, and those fare better. Their older recordings might actually be better than newer hi-rez stuff, and perhaps it's because they were better at stereo than they are at surround, or better at stereo than they are at mixing surround into stereo.
There is one disc in the BIS Grieg series that I really like: Norwegian Dances, Lyric Suite, Symphonic Dances. It is the best BIS recording I've heard, out of perhaps twenty.
This Audite recording (vol 3) is better than any BIS I've heard, and probably better than almost anything on any label. It is just shockingly good, well worth duplicating what you already have.
Peace,
Tom E
We must have very similar tastes, musical priorties and/or listening set ups because I hear things almost exactly the same as you do (with regard to all the recordings that you have mentioned).
If you like these Audite Grieg SACDs, then you will also love the spectacular sonics on this Simax recording of Norwegian Composers (including Grieg's Piano Concerto). The recording sounds overwhelmingly good, unbelievably realistic (like the best seat in the concert hall), simply stunning and is a fitting companion to the Audite discs. We are being spoiled for choice with Grieg recordings.
Nt
Interesting that you pretty much trashed my recommendation of Vol 3 six months ago. Glad you've been able to adjust your hearing/system properly to realize what I originally posted: Vol 3 is perhaps the most realistic recording of a symphony orchestra I have ever heard.
I intend to get at least one other volume, but I have read that vol 3 is perhaps the best recording of the four. It is what every SACD should be.
Do you have a preference among the four?
Peace,
Tom E
Well I differ, as far as recording quality I think that Volume 2 is best, sweet strings, big sound, lots of depth.
Obviously this is based on what it sound within my system
Ok the pieces are a little light weight, but very pretty.
I have now listened to all four
The first 3 volumes have very similar acoustics
Preference depends somewhat on the music
I suppose volume III is my favorite
What is interesting is volume IV. It sounds like this might have been done by a different engineering crew and maybe it is old material they had sitting around and decided to use it. It totally lacks the tremendous realism and explosive dynamics of the other 3. Pity because I really like the piano concerto and wish they would redo it in the sonics of the first 3 volumes
Alan
I don't recall doing that. In fact as a result of your recommendation I bought vol 3
Alan
Are you a different ahendler? Posted by that other ahendler Feb, 2015:Just finished listening to it in 2 channel stereo. Sound is good, not great. It has a little to much mid bass and not enough deep base which causes some congestion at times. What is more important to me is this is not any of Griegs major music and most of it is really boring. It is a disc I will probably never listen to again. Many of the Reference Recording, early RCA, Mercury and Deccas sound more realistic than this disc imho
AlanNot trying to be a jerk, but I was a bit stung. I'm glad you like it now and hear what I heard. You certainly didn't, then.
That has happened to me, too, but usually because of the music itself, not the recording. It takes a while to learn to appreciate some pieces, and I often find those more rewarding in the long run. Sonics I can usually get immediately, sometimes in the first few seconds, good or bad. This recording was astounding from the first, yet continued to get even better.
At risk of being ignored again, I'll repeat my closing question: do you have a favorite for sound among the four volumes?
Peace,
Tom E
Edits: 08/23/15
I have to go back and listen to all 4 volumes
I will let you know
Alan
You said it sounded great, even at 320kbps.
Link below:
It's the DAC. ;-)
But not the other three.
Works for string orchestra shows up but sadly no play. :-(
Grieg: Symphony in C Minor & Piano Concerto, Op. 16 (Vol. 4 of Grieg's Complete Symphonic Works) is on QOBUZ and WILL play, as is Edvard Grieg : Complete Symphonic Works, vol. 2 and Complete Symphonic Works, vol. 3
And YES, they are definitely great recordings and I should break down and get the SACDs as my wife likes Grieg as well.
"But not the other three" Are you talking about Tidal? As I said all 4 are on the Naxos site
Alan
"Edvard Grieg: Symphonic Dances, Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Peer Gynt Suite No. 2 & Funeral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraak
by WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln"See link below:
I am currently streaming it from TIDAL on my main system using the SONOS CONNECT.Vol 2 shows up in search using the OS-X player but the music will not play.
The rest are on QOBUZ and a couple are on DEEZER ELITE.
Edits: 08/23/15
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