What does your collection look like and how do you organize it?

Started by Mark, May 27, 2007, 03:08:47 PM

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Fëanor

Quote from: ChopinBroccoli on August 19, 2019, 02:25:43 PM
Haha, I'm literally the opposite (up to a point obviously... I wouldn't want a 1920 wax cylinder as my first choice for a piece)

The quality of the interpretation is what I'm after

And of course, that's fine.  I presume you have formal music training and/or long experience with performance of the major composers and conductors.  I don't really have either, what I have is a playback system adequate to hear fined differences in sound quality.

ChopinBroccoli

Quote from: Fëanor on August 21, 2019, 07:45:16 AM
And of course, that's fine.  I presume you have formal music training and/or long experience with performance of the major composers and conductors.  I don't really have either, what I have is a playback system adequate to hear fined differences in sound quality.

I'm a lifelong musician (though hardly at all in the "classical" vein) but I don't think it's necessary to be one to prefer one performance to another... Almost every professional recording of the piano version of "Pictures At An Exhibition" is vastly superior to the live recording of Sviatoslav Richter playing it in Bulgaria in 1958 in front of an audience that sounds like it is made up of Tuberculosis sufferers, but none of them can hold a candle to the performance itself which is a thing of utter and complete magic
"If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it!"
- Handel

aligreto

Quote from: ChopinBroccoli on August 21, 2019, 11:28:51 AM
... Almost every professional recording of the piano version of "Pictures At An Exhibition" is vastly superior to the live recording of Sviatoslav Richter playing it in Bulgaria in 1958 in front of an audience that sounds like it is made up of Tuberculosis sufferers, but none of them can hold a candle to the performance itself which is a thing of utter and complete magic

In my experience this is very true indeed.

Traverso

Quote from: aligreto on August 21, 2019, 01:30:30 PM
In my experience this is very true indeed.

Yes indeed,the sound of those tuberculosis sufferers is really awful. ;)

ChopinBroccoli

Quote from: Traverso on August 22, 2019, 09:34:44 AM
Yes indeed,the sound of those tuberculosis sufferers is really awful. ;)

All of them were cured by Richter's playing... true story!
"If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it!"
- Handel

Fëanor

Quote from: ChopinBroccoli on August 21, 2019, 11:28:51 AM
I'm a lifelong musician (though hardly at all in the "classical" vein) but I don't think it's necessary to be one to prefer one performance to another... Almost every professional recording of the piano version of "Pictures At An Exhibition" is vastly superior to the live recording of Sviatoslav Richter playing it in Bulgaria in 1958 in front of an audience that sounds like it is made up of Tuberculosis sufferers, but none of them can hold a candle to the performance itself which is a thing of utter and complete magic

But you make my point in that you are familiar with many versions of Mussorgsky's work.  Unfortunately I'm not, (I say ashamedly).  I've never heard it in live performance.  I have only the piano version by Byron Janis on Mercury Living Presence, and the Ravel-orchestrated version by Antal Dorati on the same CD -- the sound is pretty good by the way.




ChopinBroccoli

Quote from: Fëanor on August 22, 2019, 11:54:30 AM
But you make my point in that you are familiar with many versions of Mussorgsky's work.  Unfortunately I'm not, (I say ashamedly).  I've never heard it in live performance.  I have only the piano version by Byron Janis on Mercury Living Presence, and the Ravel-orchestrated version by Antal Dorati on the same CD -- the sound is pretty good by the way.



You have nothing to be ashamed of... nobody has heard everything

For me, the first order of business is if I like a piece of music (regardless of the performer) enough to want to hear it played by numerous people... from there, you can get into which are the best ones

But nobody knows everything about anything... I happen to really like "Pictures", for example so I've gotten very immersed in it and familiar but on the other hand, I couldn't tell you a solitary thing about Mussorgsky's Boris Gudonov (because I don't care for Opera)
"If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it!"
- Handel

Jo498

I almost stopped getting more recordings of music I already have many recordings of. I got into that as probably many others with getting interested in a spectrum of interpretations and also in certain artists. Sure, there is some music where some interpretations differ wildly. But often the differences seem either slight or hardly matter to me. 

A few weeks ago I listened to a handful of recordings of Bach's ouverture suites. The one that obviously stuck out was Malloch's with one instrument per part and some very fast tempi. But between Musica antiqua and academy für alte musik the differences were very slight, I could hardly form a clear preference. And even the again clearly different (because modern instruments and larger orchestra) Leppard was quite enjoyable and good enough that I would not be terribly upset if I could only keep that one (although especially in the b minor I clearly prefer opp and historical instruments).

Now I have been listening to about 7 or 8 recordings of Bach's English suites. Again, the only one I have culled was mostly for reasons of sound (too loud and agressive harpsichord). I hear differences, but have a hard time to form clear preferences. 3 recordings would be probably enough, or say 2 each piano and harpsichord. And because one usually gets no money for CDs if one tries to sell, I might as well keep most of what I have. But I need VERY good reasons nowadays to get the 5th (much less the 10th) recording of some music.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

premont

Quote from: Jo498 on August 23, 2019, 11:26:05 AM
Now I have been listening to about 7 or 8 recordings of Bach's English suites. Again, the only one I have culled was mostly for reasons of sound (too loud and agressive harpsichord).

Rousset? Rannou?
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Jo498

No, Elina Mustonen. (I had put it in my "sell/trade" box already several years ago but was not able to get rid of it so I tried again to no avail. It was impossible with headphones and still ugly over the speakers.

It might be also a problem of level and equipment (but then I am listening to the other discs on the same setups). I am still on the brink wrt Rousset. And I was actually considering getting Rannou despite my
remarks above (no additional recordings) because it is available for 10 EUR and people claimed it was by far and way the best ever! I made a break with the English suites (listened to the partitas on piano and CPE symphonies instead).

The harpsichord "candidates" were Jaccottet, Mustonen, Rousset, Egarr. I also have Walcha and Curtis but they are in boxes and obviously not up for culling. Walcha is too unique anyway and Curtis is very good, I probably would not need any other.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Ras

My collection is organized alphabetically after composer's names and secondarily after genre.

So for instance under Beethoven there are these genres:
1. Piano concertos 2. Violin and double concertos. 3. Symphonies 4. String Quartets 5. Other chamber music. 6. Missa Solemnis  7. Solo piano music.

I have ca. 2000 cds in IKEA's "Gnedby" shelves. On top of the Gnedby shelves I have fixed a long wooden board so that I can pile up box-sets all the way to the ceiling.
"Music is life and, like it, inextinguishable." - Carl Nielsen

Maestro267

I don't necessarily organize my collection, but the top shelf is for my larger sets (double-thickness jewel cases, boxes etc.), and arranged, l-r: Operas/ballets, choral works, orchestral works/fold-out sets, then box-sets with CD wallets. This year I've had to expand the first and last of those piles to a second on each.

dissily Mordentroge

My LP's & Cd's are filed alphabetically by composer, then genre: Symphonies, Operas,Choral works,Vocal recitals (ie: Lieder) Chamber music, Solo Instruments etc.
LP's & Cd's containing three composers are filed according to the alphabetically first composer, then again as above.
Everything is listed on an Excel spreadsheets. Makes life easier for old farts like me with bad memory. So, when Aunt Maude pops in asking if I've got, say, the Lighetti Requiem (not that Aunt Maude would!) I can tell in seconds. Forwarding these Excel files was a requirement my insurance company put on adding my collection to my house and contents policy. They simply refused to believe anyone could keep a collection of 11,598 ( at last count and still increasing) of LP's.

Non classical recordings are in no particular order other than blues & Jazz and even then I have trouble deciding which category some of them belong to. Never really know for instance where to put most of Earth Kitt's for example.


Irons

Quote from: dissily Mordentroge on December 12, 2019, 02:28:35 PM
My LP's & Cd's are filed alphabetically by composer, then genre: Symphonies, Operas,Choral works,Vocal recitals (ie: Lieder) Chamber music, Solo Instruments etc.
LP's & Cd's containing three composers are filed according to the alphabetically first composer, then again as above.
Everything is listed on an Excel spreadsheets. Makes life easier for old farts like me with bad memory. So, when Aunt Maude pops in asking if I've got, say, the Lighetti Requiem (not that Aunt Maude would!) I can tell in seconds. Forwarding these Excel files was a requirement my insurance company put on adding my collection to my house and contents policy. They simply refused to believe anyone could keep a collection of 11,598 ( at last count and still increasing) of LP's.

Non classical recordings are in no particular order other than blues & Jazz and even then I have trouble deciding which category some of them belong to. Never really know for instance where to put most of Earth Kitt's for example.

That is the correct way of course, I cannot bring myself to list it all, I should I know. Originally I filed by label (for Lyrita I still do) and then spent a day reverting to filing alphabetically, but because I am a label nerd I miss the old way. The thought of going through the whole process again fills me with dread! I don't own enough CDs to worry too much (yet).
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

aligreto

Quote from: Ras on December 12, 2019, 07:08:17 AM
My collection is organized alphabetically after composer's names and secondarily after genre.


I also do this.



Quote from: dissily Mordentroge on December 12, 2019, 02:28:35 PM

Everything is listed on an Excel spreadsheets. Makes life easier for old farts like me with bad memory. So, when Aunt Maude pops in asking if I've got, say, the Lighetti Requiem (not that Aunt Maude would!) I can tell in seconds. Forwarding these Excel files was a requirement my insurance company put on adding my collection to my house and contents policy. They simply refused to believe anyone could keep a collection of 11,598 ( at last count and still increasing) of LP's.



I also have everything on a Excel spreadsheet. However, in my case this was prompted by the ever increasing number of duplicates that I was purchasing at one time! It was a cost saving exercise.

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on December 15, 2019, 03:09:58 AM
That is the correct way of course, I cannot bring myself to list it all, I should I know. Originally I filed by label (for Lyrita I still do) and then spent a day reverting to filing alphabetically, but because I am a label nerd I miss the old way. The thought of going through the whole process again fills me with dread! I don't own enough CDs to worry too much (yet).
Like you Lol I'm a label nerd. This dates from that fine old record shop Imhoffs near Foyles in London where all the LPs were filed by label rather than composer. Gradually I'm trying to do this with my CDs, especially Lyrita, although chaos still reigns here I'm afraid.  ::)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

dissily Mordentroge

Quote from: vandermolen on December 16, 2019, 02:15:16 AM
Like you Lol I'm a label nerd. This dates from that fine old record shop Imhoffs near Foyles in London where all the LPs were filed by label rather than composer. Gradually I'm trying to do this with my CDs, especially Lyrita, although chaos still reigns here I'm afraid.  ::)
With my memory that system would be a disaster. Anyhow, what happens when a recording is re-released on another label?

vandermolen

Quote from: dissily Mordentroge on December 16, 2019, 02:29:48 AM
With my memory that system would be a disaster. Anyhow, what happens when a recording is re-released on another label?
I tend to have a good memory for labels. Anyway a chaotically arranged CD collection seems like an appropriate metaphor for my life generally.
8)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Irons

Quote from: vandermolen on December 16, 2019, 02:15:16 AM
Like you Lol I'm a label nerd. This dates from that fine old record shop Imhoffs near Foyles in London where all the LPs were filed by label rather than composer. Gradually I'm trying to do this with my CDs, especially Lyrita, although chaos still reigns here I'm afraid.  ::)

Not alone then! Which is pleasing, Jeffrey. I usually receive a quizzical response when putting forward the alternative idea of filing by label.

Not for anything else, but for LPs I had a photographic memory. I was able to pull a record from the shelf and recall where I bought it, and I never duplicated a purchase. Old father time has taken its toll and unable to pull off that trick anymore. Also I find now I buy records that I already own on a fairly regular basis.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Irons

Quote from: dissily Mordentroge on December 16, 2019, 02:29:48 AM
With my memory that system would be a disaster. Anyhow, what happens when a recording is re-released on another label?

I can't talk for CDs but for LPs it is practically always a sub-label, so Decca - Ace of Diamonds - Ace of Clubs - World Of, and so on.
I know for example Ansermet recorded for Decca and releases on all the sub-labels so relatively simple to locate the recording I am looking for. Also, if I want an Ansermet binge, or anyone else, it is convenient to have them all in the same place.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.