What are you listening 2 now?

[Brian]

Maybe this will summon Todd.

[Mister Sharpe]

Another lucky find among my thrift shoppe haul several days ago.  Sheer delight and a respite from both the heat (up to 98 F. this afternoon - seems an insult not to round it up to 100!) - and world conflict.  I note that there is another CD on the Zig-Zag label of the same title and much the same repertoire, but I haven't heard it.

[Henk]

Amadeus Q is overshadowed by Grumiaux, Talich, Griller, Melos, and Auryn. I picked them for a taste of something different with the chance that I don't like it. That recording doesn't necessarily provide general satisfaction. Especially on this forum which emphasizes modern era and baroque.

And with so many competing options and opinions the designation 'classic' becomes more and more arbitrary. Mozart is classic, performances rarely might be the conclusion.

[Karl Henning]

I don't think there's much to discuss here — the word "classic" doesn't really mean anything in this context.

Arrant nonsense. You and your pronouncements.

[Karl Henning]

TD:

[Karl Henning]

And with so many competing options and opinions the designation 'classic' becomes more and more arbitrary.

You know what's arbitrary? Your constructing a house of cards out of my post. Your bizarre "collective" red herring. But you have the applause of the guy who gets butthurt because many of us love Russian music. Congratulations.

[Karl Henning]

Classic!

By the by, if this whole circle jerk between those two turns on my use of "classic" being a supposedly empty statement that I like the recording? Guess what? This thread is about sharing what one is listening to, and we all of us chime in with "I like that, too." Might as well complain that the bubbler in the hallway yields water and not beer.

[JBS]

Spending the afternoon with a Handel classic.

[VonStupp]

Jean Sibelius
Symphony no. 1 in E minor, op. 39
NYPO - Leonard Bernstein

It has been a while since I have heard from Bernstein and NY; they certainly hit Sibelius' first symphony with a raw energy. A divisive approach, perhaps?

I usually don't get to these types of sets before they are off the market, but managed to snag this one. I see it is going anywhere from $100-$600 US on Amazon and Discogs.
VS



From this set:

[Florestan]

And with so many competing options and opinions the designation 'classic' becomes more and more arbitrary. Mozart is classic, performances rarely might be the conclusion.

De grâce, achevez!

"Classic" doesn't mean that everybody likes it. Not even Mozart or Haydn are liked by everybody. In the context of recordings, "classic" means (1), made by a world famous, highly acclaimed and long time active ensemble/performer/conductor, (b) praised by critics and enjoyed by aficionados, and (c) never OOP since its release. It's as simple as that. Take it or leave it. 

[Karl Henning]

[brewski]

Nino Rota: Concerto for Strings (Felix Bender / WDR Funkhausorchester Köln). I've only heard the Muti/La Scala recording, which is wonderful, but so is this one.

[Brian]

OK, folks, this is no time or place or cause for personal attacks.

I think it arose from a language issue. Henk was asking what kind of consensus justifies calling a recording a "classic", for example, agreement in the critical community. Karl, meanwhile, was not saying that a recording was a widely praised exemplar of the critical community. This is frankly so boring a misunderstanding that I don't see why it has generated any comment, or why it should generate any more.

As for Henk's original question, there is a critical community (Gramophone, Klassik Heute, BBC, ClassicsToday, etc.) but it is not as large as it once was (Audiophile, etc.). But the word "classic" is elastic and can also mean that something is emblematic of a person or performer's style ("this is classic Mozart," "this post is classic Henk"), or merely an especially memorable performance ("remember when Karl and Henk had a fight about words? That was classic GMG!"). It can even simply mean something good that is also very old. There is no requirement that a "classic" be approved by any governing body before anybody tries to use the word.
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First listen to these almost avant garde-ish concertos:

[Brian]

First listen to these almost avant garde-ish concertos:

Found these quite tough and unrewarding, though there is a Halffter-like (or even Ginastera-like) mix of folk rhythm and modern harmony in the finale of the Ruiz-Pipo piece. That would be the highlight, for me.

Now streaming another piece of the Yepes/Fruhbeck legacy, but unfortunately through a cheap knockoff record label rather than the original Decca release or Eloquence reissue:

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Arrant nonsense. You and your pronouncements.

You know what's arbitrary? Your constructing a house of cards out of my post. Your bizarre "collective" red herring. But you have the applause of the guy who gets butthurt because many of us love Russian music. Congratulations.

By the by, if this whole circle jerk between those two turns on my use of "classic" being a supposedly empty statement that I like the recording? Guess what? This thread is about sharing what one is listening to, and we all of us chime in with "I like that, too." Might as well complain that the bubbler in the hallway yields water and not beer.

Classic is a merely complimentary word and is meant as praise. Anyone who takes that out-of-context to criticize or bemoan someone else for using it should really get over themselves.

[DavidW]

Maiden listen Monday! The 8th symphony is more like an organ concerto and it is just staggering. My AirPods Max manage to do the wide dynamic range justice but I look forward to blasting it on my stereo when I get home.

[Henk]

You know what's arbitrary? Your constructing a house of cards out of my post. Your bizarre "collective" red herring. But you have the applause of the guy who gets butthurt because many of us love Russian music. Congratulations.

I wrote about 'collective memory'. I suggested that this collective might be GMG or another collective. What's wrong with that? You want zero level of annoyance, complete clarity? You didn't answer and I was OK with that. I didn't build a house of cards about the word 'collective'. Instead I tried to reformulate in a different way. The discussion unfolded orderly and you get more frustrated about the first frustration, it really feels like corruption to you?

[Brian]

Personally I agree that Karl was wrong to think that you had an attacking intention, but I also don't think we are likely to enjoy any more productive conversation about this topic.

[AnotherSpin]

Clear, transparent, and emotionally nuanced.

[AnotherSpin]

I wrote about 'collective memory'. I suggested that this collective might be GMG or another collective. What's wrong with that? You want zero level of annoyance, complete clarity? You didn't answer and I was OK with that. I didn't build a house of cards about the word 'collective'. Instead I tried to reformulate in a different way. The discussion unfolded orderly and you get more frustrated about the first frustration, it really feels like corruption to you?

Henk, I'm sorry you keep spending your energy on this — you won't be heard.