Donald Scarinci:

>I am relatively new to classical music.  I am looking for very high quality
>recordings of some of my favorite material.  Particularly, I am looking
>for "The Planets," the Beethoven Symphonies, and Handel's "Water Music."
>I am open to any other recommendations that bring out the sound of a good
>stereo.  I've been told that Telarc recordings are best.  Any thoughts by
>anyone out there?

Don't stick with one label.  Some Telarc recordings are fine, others
aren't.  Even the sound quality - let alone the level of interpretation -
varies.  This is true of almost every label.

I  recommend the following:

1.  Handel's Water Music.  Lots of decisions to make.  Do you want
"historical" instruments and performance techniques? Do want a modern
sound? Do you want Handel or Handel arranged? Do you want the complete
Water Music or just selections? Some of my favorite Water Musics (in no
particular order):

* Pinnock on Archiv ("historical")
* McGegan on Harmonia  Mundi ("historical")
* Leppard on Philips (modern)
* Menuhin on EMI/Seraphim (modern)
* Szell on London (arr. by Harty, suite, modern)

2.  Holst's Planets

* Boult on EMI.  Avoid Davis, Karajan, Levi, and Dutoit.  Not enough juice
or totally clueless about the music.

3.  Beethoven Symphonies.  I cannot recommend any complete set
wholeheartedly.  It seems to me that you do better with individual
performances.  There are a ton of them out there.  I suggest that, to
begin, you read Deryk Barker's recommendations (he's listened to more
performances than most of us, including me).  Point your browser to

   http://www.camosun.bc.ca/~dbarker/beethoven.html

If you must have a complete integral set, I recommend (in no particular
order)

* Karajan 1955 on EMI (mono, except the 8th)
* Karajan 1961-2 on DGG
* Szell on Sony
* Ferencsik on Laserlight
* Harnoncourt on Teldec
* Dohnanyi on Telarc

This leaves out important historical sets (read "poor sound") like
Toscanini's, Furtwaengler's, and Mengelberg's.

Steve Schwartz