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Recordings shown red have been used in UHF equipment tests.
HDCD (MOSTLY) COMPACT DISCS
Britten's Orchestra
Who knew the Kansas City Symphony was this good? This includes the best version ever of Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Intended as an introduction to the instruments of the orchestra, it is a thrilling set of variations on a theme by Henry Purcell. It also includes the moving Sinfonia da Requiem, in prelude to WWII, and a suite from the opera Peter Grimes. The hybrid SACD/HDCD version has earned a Grammy Award. Rightly so, we think.
HDCD: RR-120 $16.95
SACD/HDCD: RR-120SACD $24.00
Tutti
It's finally happened: Reference has brought out its first SACD hybrid. It includes a number of pieces we've used in equipment reviews in the past, including the Scherzo from Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 and the finale of Stravinsky's superb Firebird ballet. Of course, they all sound better than ever. The original in HDCD remains available, though in limited quantities..
SACD: RR-906SACD $24.00
HDCD: RR-906 $9.95
Serenade
The final recording by the wonderful Turtle Creek Chorale under Timothy Seelig. A vast array of music from different periods, and sonically the best they have ever done.
HDCD: RR-110 $16.95
30th Anniversary Sampler
Reference Recordings celebrates with this HDCD collection of excerpts from recent Reference releases. Piano, organ, symphony orchestra, and lots more.
HDCD: RR-905 $9.95
Yerba Buena Bounce
The Hot Jazz Club of San Francisco, who used to record for Clarity, gets picked up by Reference. Fine, fine musicians, communicative swing jazz, and sonics by "Profesor Johnson.".
HDCD: RR-905 $16.95
Nojima Plays Liszt
Minoru Nojima's 1986 recording of Liszt, including the B Minor Sonata, was raved about. Now, finally, it gets picked up in HDCD. And about time!
HDCD: RR-25CD $16.95
Nojima Plays Ravel
Minoru Nojima's recording of Ravel, including Miroirs and Gaspard de la Nuit. Now it’s glorious in HDCD.
HDCD: RR-35CD $16.95
World Keys
The astonishing youg pianist Joel Fan amazes us with music from many corners of the world, including pieces by Liszt and Prokoviev.
HDCD: RR-106 $16.95
Garden of Dreams
David Maslanka's evocative and mysterious themeatic music. Superb sound, with the Dallas Wind Symphony.
HDCD: RR-108 $16.95
Reveries
Gorgeous melodic classical pieces by the Minnesota Orchestra: Faure's Pavane, Grieg's Solveig's Song, Tchaikovsly's Andante Cantabile, many more.
HDCD: RR-99CD $16.95
Pomp&Pipes!
This recording for wind ensemble and organ became one of the world's most famous demo recordings. Done flawlessly, it can shake down any system. And a lot of this music is terrific too.
HDCD: RR-58CD $16.95
Trittico
Modern music for brass, woodwinds and plenty of percussion, with Frederick Fennell on the podium. The Dallas Wind Symphony can really push you back in your chair. This was one of the very first HDCD recordings.
HDCD: RR-52CD $16.95
Requiem
this modern Requiem Mass is from contemporary composer John Rutter. Rutter has conducted his own acclaimed version, but we prefer this one, with the Turtle Creek Chorale and the Women's Chorus of Dallas. The sound is gorgeous too.
HDCD: RR-57CD $16.95
From the Age of Swing
An eight-man jazz ensemble led by Dick Hyman, probably the most imaginative jazz pianist and composer of his age. Astonishing "you are there" sound.
HDCD: RR-59CD $16.95
Swing is Here
A second album of the same sort of music, and highly justified! Incredibly lifelike if you own a good system.
HDCD: RR-72CD $16.95
Copland
The best-recorded version of Aaron Copland's stunning Fanfare for the Common Man, long a staple of audio shows even in lesser versions. Also includes Copland's 3rd symphony, from which the Fanfare is drawn, and the Appalachian Spring. No player should be without it.
HDCD: RR-93CD $16.95
The Medinah Sessions
This is a "two-fer," a double CD for the price of one. It includes the best-ever recording of Walton's gorgeous Façade Suite, still a staple of UHF equipment tests, because...well, you'll see. Also included is stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale and Weill's Three-Penny Opera suite, along with others.
HDCD DOUBLE DISC: RR-2102 $16.95
Oxnard Sessions, vol.1
Now replaced by: Jazz Hat
The terrific jazz pianist Mike Garson, in session with bass, drums, guitar, and sax.. This new CD replaces two earlier Garson discs, RR-53 and RR-54.
HDCD: RR-114 $16.95
Ports of Call
A hi-fi travelogue of popular tone poems, including Tchaikovsky's Capriccio italien, The Moldau by Smetana, and a blistering performance of Siblelius' Finlandia.
HDCD: RR-80CD $16.95
An American Requiem
Richard Danielpour's moving and poetic Requiem mass, inaugurated right after 9/11, and bearing the appropriate dedication.
HDCD: RR-97CD $16.95
Casa Guidi
Dominick Argento's music inspired by the Italian refuge of poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Plus Rossini in Paris, and more. With the Minnesota Orchestra and famed mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade.
HDCD: RR-100CD $16.95
Mephisto
Brilliant orchestral pieces by the Minnesota Orchestra, all with connections to Lucifer. Includes a Night on Bald Mountain, and lots more. Terrific sound, great playing.
HDCD: RR-82CD $16.95
Fiesta!
Howard Dunn and the Dallas Wind Symphony, with brilliant, brash music by Morton Gould, Owen Reed, and others.
CD: RR-38CD $16.95
Beachcomber
The Dallas Wind Symphony plays popular and semi-classical pieces with enormous energy and musician ship: 76 Trombones, A Chorus Line, etc..
CD: RR-62CD $16.95
Holst
The Dallas Wind Symphony plays three suites by Gustav Holst, composer of The Planets. A fine performance, with sound that...well, we've used it in our equipment tests.
CD: RR-39CD $16.95
Fennell Favorites
The legendary Frederick Fennell conducts the Dallas Wind Symphony in energetic music by Bach, MacDowell, Prokofiev, and more.
CD: RR-43CD $16.95
Menotti/Barber Violin Concerto
The late great violinist Ruggiero Ricci, captured at his best with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.
CD: RR-45CD $16.95
Chadwick
Serebrier and the Czech State Philharmonic play three of George Whitefield Chadwick's pieces, including the Symphonic Sketches.
HDCD: RR-64CD $16.95
Vivakli for Diverse Instruments
Vivaldi concertos for violins, flutes, horns, bassoon, organ and lots more. A long time best-seller..
HDCD: RR-77CD $16.95
Stravinsky
The justly-famous version of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite and The Rite of Spring takes your breath away with its sheer power, but also its lyrical beauty. And has anyone ever recorded kettle drums better than this?
HDCD: RR-93CD $16.95
Ports of Call
A thin pretext for what is essentially a sampler for the Dallas Symphony, but it is definitely a keeper. Warning: you'll want to get some other recordings sampled on this disc.
HDCD: RR-803CD $16.95
Minnesota Orchestra Showcase
A sampler at a special price, with excerpts from some of our HDCD favorites: strauss, Stravinsky, Sibelius, and a lot more.
HDCD: RR-907 $9.95
Bruckner Symphony No. 9
We've compared, and we have not found a better version of this astonishing symphony, performed by the Dallas Symphony. And then there's the sound!
HDCD: RR-81CD $16.95
Ein Heldenleben
This very complex symphonic poem by Richard Strauss, featuring an orchestra that even Beethoven might have found too big, is a long-time demo favorite, but there had never been a perfectly-recorded version until this one. You'll hear how good your system really is!
HDCD: RR-83CD $16.95
Rachmaninoff
The Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances are lovely, and there have been many great versions. This is the one that both audiophiles and music lovers should have, and if you are both...
HDCD: RR-96CD $16.95
Scheherazade
Yes, there are countless versions of Rimsky-Korsakov's tone poem, but if you don't have a good one, this is definitely, absolutely the one to get.
HDCD: RR-89CD $16.95
Mahler: Song of the Earth
The Minnesota Orchestra with this masterpiece from Mahler. It expresses Mahler's longing for life, at a time when his health was failing and he foresaw the dying of the light. Fine sound...of course.
HDCD: RR-88CD $16.95
Bernstein: Candide
Overture and Suite from Candide; Three Meditations from Mass; Five Songs with Beth Clayton, mezzo; Divertimento for Orchestra
HDCD: RR-87CD $16.95
Text & Burn-In
The return of this famous recording for testing and burning in equipment and cables. Done in conjunction with XLO.
HDCD: RX-1000 $39.95
VINYL LPs
Dick Hyman--Fats Waller
This is the analog version of this famous recording, which was cut to CD during the actual performance. But of course Keith Johnson simultaneously recorded the performance on his own hand-built analog recorder. This is, as usual with Reference LP's, a pure analog recording.
LP: RR-33 $25.00 SORRY, SOLD OUT
Fennell Favorites
The Dallas Wind Symphony with spirited wind band arrangements of music by Bach, Brahms, Prokofiev, Goldmark and MacDowell. Briilliant, lively sound, stunning percussion. LP version only.
LP: RR-43 $25.00
Blazing Redheads
They may not be all redheads, but this all-female salsa jazz big band adds lots of red pepper to its music. LP version only.
LP: RR-26 $25.00
Eileen Farrell sings Alec Wilder
The famous classical singer takes on tunes such as Where Do You Go and The Lady Sings the Blues. LP version only.
LP: RR-36 $20.00 SORRY, SOLD OUT
ALL PRICES SHOWN IN CANADIAN DOLLARS. FOR RECORD ORDERING INFORMATION, IN CANADA OR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, GO BACK TO THE MAIN AUDIOPHILE STORE PAGE.