Famous Classical Music and Jazz Recordings – High-Fidelity CDs for Testing Audio Equipment (6)

1.Prologue

So far in our “Audio Recommendations" series, we’ve posted lists of compilation CDs we recommend for taking your baby steps into new music genres. There’s something about compilation CDs that feels alive in a way you don’t get with playlists on a music streaming service. It also helps that it’s easier than ever to get your hands on high-quality recordings at a reasonable price.
・Compilation Albums for Beginners
・Classical Music and Jazz Compilations for Training Your Ears
・Pop and Rock Compilations for Japanese Listeners Interested in Western Music
・Addictively Good World Music and EDM Compilations
・What We Can Learn From Comparing J-pop and Grammy Nominee Compilations

This article will the first of several articles where we list off the original albums and best-of albums we recommend from the different genres we’ve covered so far. This time I’ll be going over classical music and jazz albums.

Albums that are considered all-time greats are often remastered with each improvement in audio technology; as a result there are many different versions of each recording out there, and it can be difficult to know which to purchase. For the purposes of this article, I’ve tried to find the highest-quality recordings possible, while also making an attempt to select the discs that can also be played in conventional CD players. At the end of this article, I will also go over a music streaming service I’ve gotten into recently.

2.Why so Many Classical Music and Jazz Recordings Have High Quality Sound

Jazz recordings, and especially classical music recordings, are known as the realm of audiophiles—music meant to be played on expensive audio equipment through high-end speakers in acoustically designed listening spaces.

Classical music is the music of upper class Europeans, to be properly appreciated by educated, cultured people. Jazz developed in the American South around the turn of the 20th century, and brings together the technical skill and theory of European music and the rhythms and tribal beats being cultivated in African-American communities. There is a lot of improvisation involved, and the music can sometimes get tedious for those without some knowledge of music.

Meanwhile, pop(ular) music and rock music were born and cultivated in American middle class and British working class communities. They emphasize catchiness and danceability over everything else, and are unsubtle, easy to consume, and enjoyable by almost anybody.

In terms of sound quality, classical music involves a wide range of sounds both big and small—from sweeping orchestral arrangements to whisper-tone piano solos. In order to properly enjoy that sound at home, you need equipment capable or reproducing a wide dynamic range. Also consider that the types of venues where classical music and jazz are performed are scientifically designed to provide the best possible acoustics; other than electric jazz, these two genres of music are largely played without amplification.

Pop and rock are for the masses, and as such are designed to sound largely the same on any audio equipment that it is played back on, whether it’s a smartphone or a stereo. Americans have long enjoyed it on the radio. Pop is often no so much a listening experience as it is vocal entertainment, or music to be played at a large volume at a nightclub. Rock is meant to be played at a large volume; it is the sound of rebellion, purposely designed to grate on the ears of older generations.

Today there are plenty of pop and rock music recordings that have superior sound, and high-res digital audio has its own appeal, distinct from the warmth and crackle of vinyl records. But for someone who wants to discover the richness of musical expression without breaking the bank, I recommend listening to classical music and jazz on CD or high-res digital audio.

Famous Classical Music and Jazz Recordings - High-Fidelity CDs for Testing Audio Equipment (6)

Overview

1.Prologue

2.Why so Many Classical Music and Jazz Recordings Have High Quality Sound

3.Classical Music Recordings

●Hi-Fi Classical Music

●Japanese Conductor

●Japanese Pianists

●Japanese Violinists

●Other Japanese Performers

4.Jazz Recordings

●Jazz

●Miles Davis

●Vocal Jazz

●Jazz Fusion

●Fusion Guitar

5.Epilogue: Hi-Res Digital Music Streaming Services

GEAR & BUSINESS #010

Famous Classical Music and Jazz Recordings
- High-Fidelity CDs for Testing Audio Equipment (6)