Classical Music Shopping List

Dimfer

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May 8, 2010
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I got an invitation from a guy who claim to be a serious classical music fan, he is giving me a chance to pick whatever I like from what he calls a 99.5% dead mint compilation of 1,500 classical albums, for a dollar each.

I hope I don't end up buying the entire lot :p , but what albums should I chase if I want let's say 200 - 500 albums.

I have not matured as a classical music lover (yet) and aside from the Chopins, Vivaldi, Mozarts, I don't know much. I am more into melodic than the intense.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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May 16, 2010
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That sounds like an invitation I could really get into. Like you, I've not matured as a classical music lover either, but with the help of guys like Lloyd and Kal, I have a general idea on the direction of my classical purchases. No doubt they'll be chiming in shortly, and if you don't mind, I'd like to follow along.
 

Kal Rubinson

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May 4, 2010
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That sounds like an invitation I could really get into. Like you, I've not matured as a classical music lover either, but with the help of guys like Lloyd and Kal, I have a general idea on the direction of my classical purchases. No doubt they'll be chiming in shortly, and if you don't mind, I'd like to follow along.
Hard to know where to start unless we know what he has.

BTW, I had a similar experience with a large (>5000) collection and it was overwhelming.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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Hard to know where to start unless we know what he has.

BTW, I had a similar experience with a large (>5000) collection and it was overwhelming.

True. I had expressed my interest in the Cello and Baroque.

PS: I'm going to my very first classical recital in April, courtesy of Dr.Edward Pong and our own Tony Ky Ma from UltraAnalogueRecordings.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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I got an invitation from a guy who claim to be a serious classical music fan, he is giving me a chance to pick whatever I like from what he calls a 99.5% dead mint compilation of 1,500 classical albums, for a dollar each.

I hope I don't end up buying the entire lot :p , but what albums should I chase if I want let's say 200 - 500 albums.

I have not matured as a classical music lover (yet) and aside from the Chopins, Vivaldi, Mozarts, I don't know much. I am more into melodic than the intense.

Hi Dimfer,

First off...wow. That's kinda like picking your favorite words from the Oxford Unabridged Dictionary! ;) But lets start with [my own personal] basics:

1. Depends on what 'kind of' classical you are drawn to. From a layman's perspective (from my own perspective really), i break it down in my own mind this way:

A. Scale of Music
- Symphonic - Large Scale (fromer Concertos through symphony thru choral thru opera)
- Ensembles - from trios to sextets (3 instruments up to 6)
- Solos and Duets
- Some people are less drawn to the period of music and more to the scale.

B. Period of Music...someone please correct me if i get this wrong
- Early...Pre Baroque (Monastic, Gregorian chant, etc)
- Baroque - 1600s Bach, Handel, early Vivaldi
- Next Era - 1700s late Vivaldi, Mozart, Haydn, early Beethoven
- Next Era - 1800s later Beethoven, Chopin, Dvorak,
- Next Era - 1900s Copland, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin,
- Modern - Gorecki, Mark Isham, Hans Zimmer, John Williams

C. My personal collection in order of what i have the most of:
- Bach, Haydn, Handel, Vivaldi, Boccherini, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Telemann, then Chopin, Dvorak, Mussorsky, Rachmaninoff, Zimmer,
- Penguin Guide is one of my favorite go-to guides. I do not always agree...but i have rarely been disappointed.

D. Finally, some people go by speed/tempo of classical when they first get started...some tend to like brisk, fast, (dont let me fall asleep) classical...
...Certain Baroque tends to satisfy a lot of those requirements. Vivaldi,Telemann, Boccherini,

...Bach tends to be a fantastic combination of rhythm and somehow very earthy soothing melody...incredibly cerebral, thoughtful, library-intellectual and yet somehow soulful (to me anyway). Handel for me is similar...his chorals are all particularly beautiful. i do not like opera, but i find his chorals incredible...i have most of them.

...Haydn for me always keeps me going...all of his music and he was one of the most prolific...great tempos, rythms, brisk, bright, he was consdered one of the forefathers of the full symphony.

...others seek very soothing, slower, music that lulls and enchants...Brahms, Chopin, Dvorak,

...others seek dark drama, heavy plodding and romantic visions...the Russians...Mussorsky, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Stravinksy

...think wide open plains, grand symponies...Aaron Copland,

...modern, dynamic movie soundtracks...Hans Zimmer, John Williams,

D. Finally...what are you looking for? To get a definitive collection for yourself? or use this as an oppotunity to get a little of everything, or perhaps a shortlist of the best of everthing?

I think that's enuf for now...let me know if any of these particular directions are sort of how you think of classical...and maybe some of us here can make some more specific suggestions about how to tackle such an enormous collection.
 
Last edited:

FrantzM

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Apr 20, 2010
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As in any music genre there are good and bad performers/performances /renditions/ composers/ artists/ Orchestra/ Ensembles/ recordings/pressings etc...

a good thing that could help you and us to take a stab at the collection would be to buy say, a sample of 100 records at $1 each you cannot get to be too wrong. It can be however overwhelming as Kal mentioned.
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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As you say that the collection owner is a serious classical fan you should try to get his advice on what he considers to match your preferences.
If you look for the melodic IMHO you can consider the works of the romantic era composers such as Brahams, Grieg, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky.
 

puroagave

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Sep 29, 2011
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my tastes arent quite as catholic as some. i have a very narrow focus on 20th century compositions, the romantics: russian, slavic, french, italian, spanish, etc. Baroque puts me to sleep and the repetitive symmetry of mozart gives me restless leg. Film music could be considered the modern classical music of our age, i have tons of favorites. 1500 classical LPs for a buck each is a no brainer - if they're in nice cond mostly stereo and imports id just buy them all.
 

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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La Jolla, Calif USA
Sounds like a great opportunity. You might consider looking for some of the RCA shaded dogs, the Mercury Living Presence LPs, the Decca Lp's, the London Blueback's and if possible the Lyrita LPs. IMO, seeking some of the better known conductor's might be a great start. Fritz Reiner on Shaded dog, Antal Dorati on Living Presence as an example. Look here for help on the shaded dogs: http://www.shadeddog.com
 

Dimfer

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May 8, 2010
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thanks for the inputs, appreciated.

spoke with the guy briefly earlier this evening, I'll go to his place tomorrow to take a quick look.

He said he has boxed sets and movie soundtracks as well. Should I bother picking up the 2+ lb records from the 30's and 40's if they are in good shape?

According to the guy, this came from a collection of 4,500 albums, around 1,500 are classical and it is his wife who is into classical music. They picked 400 of what she like the most and will be unloading the rest. Most of the albums they are unloading have been played 3-4 times only, most of them European pressings (the guy's last name is *lissne*). My impression is it is somebody else's collection that they acquired, will get the story tomorrow.

My intention is pick some music that I think I will actually listen to, but of course pick up anything of value/worth collecting, money does not make any interest in the back these days :cool:

will post progress here, and maybe post pictures.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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thanks for the inputs, appreciated.

spoke with the guy briefly earlier this evening, I'll go to his place tomorrow to take a quick look.

He said he has boxed sets and movie soundtracks as well. Should I bother picking up the 2+ lb records from the 30's and 40's if they are in good shape?

According to the guy, this came from a collection of 4,500 albums, around 1,500 are classical and it is his wife who is into classical music. They picked 400 of what she like the most and will be unloading the rest. Most of the albums they are unloading have been played 3-4 times only, most of them European pressings (the guy's last name is *lissne*). My impression is it is somebody else's collection that they acquired, will get the story tomorrow.

My intention is pick some music that I think I will actually listen to, but of course pick up anything of value/worth collecting, money does not make any interest in the back these days :cool:

will post progress here, and maybe post pictures.

Some initial thoughts:

1. If you are buying to collect, that is one thing...then you need to know whats worth what. Bring an ipad if you've got one so you can quickly check specific LP pressings...i've done that for other items and its really helped. You may also wish to bring Penguin Guide for Classical so you can look at the versions of classical they have.

2. REgarding '30s and '40s, personally i have found very few if any 30's recordings up to par with stuff from the late 50s, 60s and beyond. The carefully reworked remasterings have improved, but (and i know zilch about LPs) the 30s recordings i have heard on classical can be wonderful interpretations (Furtwangler is a greater example...his Beethoven symphonies are wonderful from WWII in Berlin...but boy you really gotta be prepared to listen thru a lot of hiss to get there.

3. If it is the wife who knows the classical collection, she may be able to help you sort thru it much faster.

4. If you have certain artists you like, probably ask her to take you straight there so you at least quickly get thru the artists you like...and you can explore the rest

5. Any chance you can look at the rest of the collection? 3000 other albums? intriguing! Jazz, blues, etc?
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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Good luck today and I hope it turns out to be a fruitful experience. If you end with any Baroque/Cello pieces that you don't care for, hit me up as I might be interested in taking some off your hands.
 

Dimfer

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May 8, 2010
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looking at it now and Im overwhelmed. lots of Angel labels. collection came from an 87 yr old female music teacher
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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looking at it now and Im overwhelmed. lots of Angel labels. collection came from an 87 yr old female music teacher

Are they random or organised by composer?
 

Orb

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Sep 8, 2010
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Dimfer,
keep an eye out for any high quality LPs from such as Andres Segovia and Paco de Lucía - both exceptional Spanish guitarists.
Another great Spanish composer/pianist is Joaquín Rodrigo.
Their styles would match I think some of your likes, and possibly missed by those who had a look before you.
Mentioning them as I also like those you name, you also definitely want some Tchaikovsky and focused on the ballets to begin with IMO.
Cheers
Orb
 

Kal Rubinson

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May 4, 2010
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looking at it now and Im overwhelmed. lots of Angel labels. collection came from an 87 yr old female music teacher
Angels are not known for their technical quality and the same repertoire is usually better served and enjoyed from the UK releases under the EMI and HMV labels.
 

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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La Jolla, Calif USA
The most common label when I look at classical collections ( and I look at a fair number) is Angel. Generally, I keep away from them. As Kal said above, much better to get the EMI and HMV labels, but also more difficult to source.
 

Dimfer

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May 8, 2010
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some boxes are organized by composer (there is a box of at least 5 Britten), some are not. what impressed me is the condition of the records, most of them are mint, the vinyl, the sleeve and the cover. The seller has a very good collection of rock, blues, etc and won't let me buy from it (he used to play in a band and has at least a dozen guitars). I did not notice any jazz album, but he said there could be a few. Yes, most of the composers suggested here are in the lot. I was so confused I just bought the entire lot that was offered. No other person except him and his wife had seen the collection because he had never advertised it, I was just lucky to be at the right place, at the right time. The original owner is a single lady, living by herself and a music professor at a local university, she is also the guy's wife's piano teacher for 20 years, that's why when the owner decided to scale down six months ago, the collection was offered to them. His wife picked 400 albums that she liked the most, and told him to do whatever he want to do with the rest. He said he know some of the titles can be expensive, but since classical is not his thing, he does not care for them and he would rather have somebody who is genuinely interested enjoy them. The original owner told them that she regularly buy albums from Europe when she cannot find them here in North America, that is pre-ebay/Amazon era. My line of thinking now is - the original owner is now my classical music teacher :D. I am pooped, hauling 12 heavy boxes of approx. 1,100 albums from the basement, to the vehicle, into my house and down to basement again is not an easy task.

I dressed down did not tell the guy much until the deal was sealed. He even loaded some of the boxes on his truck and delivered them to my house. I played some classic rock for him, but he got distracted (as usual) by my aquarium. He was in my place for almost two hours, but we ended up talking about fish for the most part.
 

puroagave

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Sep 29, 2011
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dimfer, nice score. i used to buy collections and often other buyers show up at the same time, you might have five minutes to spot check and scan everything before losing the lot to someone else. it becomes purely academic at that point when figuring value. i'd go a dollar a piece for the lot and maybe a 1/3 were good and id dump the rest at goodwill. the way i see it at 3 bucks a record its still a bargain.
 

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