How to find the best recordings

You never joke! Really? So, this "Pe Ter Ka Tin" thing was what? If it was not, it is pity, indeed.

(Oistrach and Steinbacher were mentioned as violinsts in a possible debate on great soloists of violin, as we did with the pianists, but, anyway, who cares?).

Parla

This thread is rather like watching a skilled fisherman in a river when there's a run on. Troyen sets the hook and casts, Parla leaps like a salmon.

Don't ever introduce emoticons, moderators, they'll spoil the fun.

Oh, dear, dear...and we are supposed to be called people who love and appreciate classical music!

Maybe, dear Troyen1, it will never cross your mind that I "bite so easily" to expose a "cheap and irrelevant" sense of humour, a trend to evade from the subject and, eventually, an unconscious (I wish to believe) lack of respect for what we claim we like.

"The sense of humour is the perfect excuse to evade the truth" (from one of the many "unsung heroes" of this world). "Cynicism is the the perfect tool to make truth unnecessary". And so on.

At the end of the day, the "shooter" may find himself in some kind of trouble regardless of what happened to the "fish in the barrel".

Good day and good luck, folks.

Parla

Careful there, Troyen!

Take a look at a couple of the late posts in the thread your man started in the General Discussion forum. Some maintain Windee is actually Winder.

Yes, indeed, I've seen them.

Unfortunately I cannot contribute because the site tells me I'm allowed 64 characters and have written 71 or 93.

So, a let off, a sigh of relief, from a grateful readership? 

Matt,

And back to the business at hand.  The advice on buying bargain versions is good as it means your money isn't wasted and there are some great versions at low price around today.  Things i was paying £30 for ten years ago are not under £5.  Of course you then tend not to get those sexy opera box sets on your shelves but maybe the aesthetics of your classical collection is less important to you!  What with all the many options to re-sell CDs on line I tend to dive in and if i don't like it I can get a pretty good return on auction sites.  What about opera, vocal and choral.  My suggested initial ten, which won't cost you much is as follows:

1.  Wagner Der Ring Des Nibelungen - DECCA Bohm 14CDs for £20 ish (might as well start with the best.  i was advised to start with Hollander and just never listened to it)

2.  Verdi Requiem - Teldec Shaw for under £10 on Amazon market place (my other top Verdi tip would be the Brilliant Classics Verdi box set which has the RCA/BMG recordings of the 1950s and 1960s all for under £50 and these are all of a very high standard with singers like Domingo, Bergonzi, Price and Caballe)

3.  Rossini Arias - Ewa Podles on Naxos for under £5 (don't bother with the full works yet:  just find out if you like the Rossini style and this'll let you know - I think it's incredible singing)

4.  Bellini Norma - either of the Callas Serafin studio recordings for under £10 (you get one of the greatest Bel Canto operas sung by arguable one of the best singing actresses)

5.  Puccini Madama Butterfly - Pappano on EMI currently at £7 on Amazon or Scotto on EMI if you can find it cheap (lots to go at in Puccini and I am partial to Von Karajan's Boheme and Mehta's Turandot but this is a great starting place)

6.  Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor - Cheryl Studer on DG for around £5 (essential opera with great ensembles and a prima donna role - go for Studer 'cos she's now largely forgotten and she had a marvellous voice in this repertoire).

7.  Bizet Carmen - Abbado DG at less than £10 (not a favourite opera of mine but this is a great recoridng and berganza and Cotrubas deserve to be in any collection) 

8.  Strauss Four Last Songs - Jessye Norman for under £5 (like a Highland single malt - warm and rich.  There are other interpretations of this and I love Lott and Isokowski, but Norman's crescendos are stunning)

9.  Schubert Winterreise - 
Matthias Goerne and Alfred Brendel for £5 ish (great intimate singing and a good place to start with Leider)

10.  Mozart Cosi Fan Tutte - Haitink on EMI for under £10 (the best Mozart opera and a great recording this - cost me £45 in 1995!!)

You can get a pretty decent opera and vocal section here for a around £80.  But remember these are my favourites not necessarily critics choices so keep listening...

Maybe, dear Troyen1, something in the site wants to "prevent" you from another..."attack".

Anyway, I had the same problem, but only with the title. Then, I simply removed the last words, going up to the word "way" and...it worked fine.

Since we have already invaded this "wrong" topic, you may contribute your input here or, as a last resort, to your very "familiar" one on "Chamber Music".  

Parla