An interesting alternative is the transcription of an opera to a violin and piano duet. I found this version of La Boheme absolutely fascinating.
Listening again, for the second time, I have just realised that the famous duet between Rodolfo and Mimi, “Che gelida manina”, has been re-scored as a double-stopped violin solo - and, against all my expectations, it sounds wonderful! Strongly recommended.
It appeared in my Roon recommendations. I wish there was a way Roon could search by label in Qobuz/Tidal. That would be really useful.
I use presto music: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/labels/3886/browse?sort=date&size=40&view=large&page=1 but doing this in roon would be great
Agree. True Boolean search ability would also be nice (primary artist AND label, etc), but this must be difficult or it would have been done 
.
ROON folks are metadata mavens and know how messy/nonexistent data fields are, particularly in the repackaged classical music catalogs. Still, one would think that no label would not include a data field disclosing at least the label. But which label, the one that did the original recording or the repackager or the re-repackager? I don’t think there are uniform datafield/metadata standards out there.
Would be nice to see industry-wide, international standards starting with new/current recordings. Streaming makes this newly essential for discovery and refinding specific performances and should be low-cost/no-cost to impliment.
But implementing a label search, with this understanding of limitations, should be possible with only a few lines of code 
, so c’mon ROON!
There’s a new kid on the block that may offer this soon, Apple Music Classical with Primephonic under their hood. I’m a lifetime ROON subscriber, but am watching this with keen interest.
Enjoyed hearing Visages Baroques on guitar after hearing podcast Raphaël Feuillâtre interview by Martin Cullingford (Gramophone Editor in Chief). A highly gratifying listen. Beautifully articulated playing and almost liquid. Excellent choices, some new to guitar repertoire.
A pointer to some biographical material on this fine guitarist, who plays a French luthier Dominque Field guitar with Savarez Cantiga Premiums strings.
Just listened to Mssr. Feuillâtre’s 2018 release, Guitar Recital. Splendid playing. A particular highlight was the Sérgio Assad composition Aquarelle. The Prelude e Toccatina is remarkable. His Enrique Granados’ Valses poéticos arrangement is also uniquely good His sweet liquid sound is in full flower on this recording.
Second post in a row.
I’m listening to the ECM New Series: Zsòfia Boros, El último aliento. Melancolic but not boring, filled with contemporary compositions from Argentina and french composer Mathias Duplessy. Lovely
Thank you for reopening this blog and for the recommendations.
After an enjoyable listen to Bach’s Trio Sonatas, I’ve been alternating a Mendelssohn listening adventure with reading and heavy outside woodland work, where the music is natural. Decided to focus on violin concerto in E minor, Op. 64, which has been performed by many soloist/orchestra combinations. One of the more recorded violin concertos in the repertoire. It is easy on the ears, yet has significant complexity and sophistication. Decided to go back a ways to Fritz Kreisler (1926), Joseph Szigeti (1933), Leopold Auer trained performers Jascha Heifetz and Nathan Milstein, David Oïstrakh (with Eugene Ormandy), Yehudi Menuhin, Kyung Wha Chung, Itzhak Perlman, Viktoria Mullova, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maxim Vengerov, Nigel Kennedy, Gill Shaham, Joshua Bell, Ray Chen, James Ehnes, Allina Ibragimova, Renaud Capuçon, Hilary Hahn, Midori, Christian Tetzlaff and Isabelle Faust. The recordings vary widely in relative microphone precedence given to orchestra and soloist, in soloist performance (particularly the HIP, where the sound gets very thin), in orchestral execution and in the interplay between the two.
The most remarkable part of this adventure was how much I enjoyed the earliest, most primitive (sound engineering) recorded performances. I also found performances where the violin soloist performed spectacularly and the orchestral execution was mediocre (David Oïstrakh gives perhaps my favorite violin performance of the lot, but the overall performance is brought down by the orchestral performance). Also found that I preferred different performers for different movements.
Standout overall performances in this stellar group of performers, where the orchestra and violin soloist most fully complement one another, were
For an enjoyable, soloist-composed cadenza have a listen to Joshua Bell’s recording with Sir Roger Norrington/Camerata Salzburg.
And here is a treat for folks that like to listen, see superb bowing technique and the sheet music at the same time. Can see the third movement in all its glory. Hilary Hahn’s performance here with Paavo Järvi/Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra is superior to her recorded version
I reset my cochlea by interspersing these ½ h Mendelssohn listens with jazz and favorite Natalie Merchant songs. Not that I needed it with the many splendid violin concerto recordings encountered during this exploration.
Would love to hear from others whether this composition and, if so, which performance(s) tickles their fancy.
De gustibus non est disputantum.
I should be the one thanking as this is the core of my roon forum.
This is a Wonderfull project. I’m still absorbing the Mendelssohn String quartet no 6. And to have one more weight on my balances I decided to buy one or the ones that I like. And to fight my short attention and short memory I’m trying to do a table for rating the performances.
The violin concerto in E minor is one of my favourites compositions so I’ll be happy to revisit. I try to stay very restrained in my favourites opposed to adding to library. Here are my favourites (not yet having sorted the performances)
Thank you for sharing, Traian. Can’t make out two of the recordings in the Mendelssohn Violin Cto in E minor. I think I see a Hilary Hahn performance with Hugo Wolff/Oslo Philharmonic and a Jascha Heifetz performance with Charles Münch/Boston Symphony Orchestra, both of which I enjoy. Can’t make out the other two choices.
BTW, I undertook this adventure after you mentioned you were undertaking a more general Mendelssohn exploration, which led me to read a musical biography. In the end, as much as I enjoy the attention he paid to his musical forebears and his genius in composition, I found his stated dogmatism, which can occasionally come through in his music, a bit off-putting. There are musical jewels, nonetheless, deserving contemporary attention.
I highly recommend looking at/listening to the Hilary Hahn YouTube I point to above, showing the score as she performs it. Shows Mendelssohn’s compositional genius for the violin portion and Hilary Hahn’s virtuosic execution. She occasionally diverges from the score’s loudness directions, particularly in intense moments, but this is all part of the pleasure of hearing different artists perform a piece.
I do not know if the thumbnail made of albums covers is relevant. I find roon sometimes does not meet my logic when is doing them.
There are saved half a year ago. I’ve had Arabella Steinbacher, Isabelle Faust, Hilary Hahn, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Jascha Heifetz. Since yesterday I added and listened to Kyung Wha Chung, Victoria Mullova, Yehudi Menuhin and Joshua bell. Now I’m listening to David Oïstrakh with Orchestre Symphoniquie d’Etat d’URSS and planning to try David Oïstrakh with Philadelphia Orchestra.
I would not put any bet on my memory so from what I had listen in the last day I can say fav is Jascha Heifetz / Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra. I can say David Oïstrakh playing I like more than Heifetz but the recording is somehow not letting it shine (maybe it is the orchestra like you said but I cannot say)
Thanks for the video. I did watch on loop and still can’t get enough.
I’m still going to listen and reevaluate
Thank you
@bill_perkins @Traian_Boldea @eclectic @Gimlet @Andreas_Philipp1 and @Martin_Kelly!
A sampling of your recommendations accentuated with new classical releases will hit the Roon Home page tomorrow titled Classical Community.
Thank you so much for your wonderful descriptions and suggestions, my classical music appreciation has grown considerably through your knowledge and generosity. The playlist will be updated every few weeks, everyone is invited to submit their classical favorites for inclusion. 
SWEET. Thanks for doing that. I’m looking forward to hear other users feedback and expand on this.
And thanks to @bill_perkins @eclectic @Gimlet @Andreas_Philipp1 and @Martin_Kelly! Music listening might be highly individual experience but sharing brings different points of view enlightening in to new emotions.
thanks
Thank you and Roon for making this possible for us to share. This is pretty unique. Pretty much no one here has an axe to grind. Just love good classical music, by their lights.
A very regular lurker here and very intermittent poster. Just to acknowledge and thank those who post regularly- your time, effort and knowledge are much appreciated.
Other than Satie, whose work appears constantly on “modern/neo” classical albums, I don’t often listen to piano music. I found this in my flac library. I’m enjoying a change from violins and cellos…
Wonderful music and recording. Perhaps my favorite piano composer, depending upon the weather. Might enjoy the Arthur Rubinstein version of Nocturnes. Widely considered the greatest Chopin performer, particularly by pianists. So many wonderful performances of these.
Speaking of wonderful piano pieces, have a go at Debussy’s Images 1 and 2 by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. I’m partial to Marc-André Hamelin’s performance as well, but hearing it requires purchasing from Hyperion. Many wonderful performances here as well (Stephen Hough, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Michael Tilson Thomas, Song-Jin Cho, Mark Elder…,)
Then there are Chopin’s Etudes, Polonaises, Mazurkas…, ah, a wonderful world of music to explore.
Thanks. That will keep me busy. 
