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Following the guide below you will be able to create the ultimate HQ rip and upload for sharing here at the Meeting in Music Internet Community or on your own blog if you have one.
RIPPING A CD USING EXACT AUDIO COPY (EAC)
1. Start Exact Audio Copy and load the clean and scratchless CD into you drive.
2. Pressing ALT+G will pull track and album info from the FreeDB database if this feature is set up properly.
3. If no info is found the CD is not registered in the database and you will have to type in the info manually.
4. Adjust the Drive Settings according to the model of your drive and enable the ”Create Log-file” option.
5. Adjust the Compression Settings to rip in Flac format at 768 kBit/s. Alternatively rip in the Ape fomat.
6. Rip the CD by pressing Action -> Test & Copy Image & Create CUE Sheet -> Compressed...
7. Check the log-file to see if any ripping errors or AccurateRip inaccuracies were registered.
SCANNING THE COVERS OF THE ALBUM
1. Scans of the front and back covers should be included if available as should the booklet. 300dpi is standard.
COMPRESSING THE FOLDER USING WINRAR
1. Wrap the audio files and images in a folder marked the composer and album name etc.
2. Set Compression method to ”Store” and the volume size to 200000000. Add a 3% recovery record.
3. Compress the folder using a not-too-obvious filename.
UPLOADING TO A FILEHOST AND SHARING WITH THE WORLD
Now all you need to do is to upload the rar-files to a filehost of your choice. Mega.nz is the standard and most stable option but there are many others and some services even feature upload to multiple filehosts. Finally the download links are ready to be presented on your blog.
THE MEDIEVAL ERA (600 - 1450)

At around 500 AD, western civilization began to emerge from the period known as “The Dark Ages”, the time when invading hordes of Vandals, Huns and Visigoths overran Europe and brought an end to the Roman Empire. For the next ten centuries, the newly emerging Christian Church would dominate Europe, administering justice, instigating “Holy” Crusades against the East, establishing universities, and generally dictating the destiny of music, art and literature

During this time, Pope Gregory I is generally believed to have collected and codified the music known as Gregorian Chant, which was the approved music of the Church. Much later, the University at Notre Dame in Paris saw the creation of a new kind of music called organum.

Secular music was sung all over Europe by the troubadours and trouvères of France, and it was during the Middle Ages that western culture saw the arrival of the first great name in music, Guilliame de Machaut.
THE RENAISSANCE ERA (1450 - 1600)

Generally considered to be from c.1420 to 1600, the Renaissance (which literally means “rebirth”) was a time of great cultural awakening and a flowering of the arts, letters, and sciences throughout Europe.

With the rise of humanism, sacred music began for the first time to break free of the confines of the Church, and a school of composers trained in the Netherlands mastered the art of polyphony in their settings of sacred music. One of the early masters of the Flemish style was Josquin des Prez. These polyphonic traditions reached their culmination in the unsurpassed works of Giovanni da Palestrina.

The late Renaissance also saw in England the flourishing of the English madrigal, the best known of which were composed by such masters as John Dowland, William Byrd, Thomas Morley and others.
THE BAROQUE ERA (1600 - 1750)

Named after the popular ornate architectural style of the time, the Baroque period (c.1600 to 1750) saw composers beginning to rebel against the styles that were prevalent during the High Renaissance. Many monarchs employed composers at their courts, where they were little more than servants expected to churn out music for any desired occasions. The greatest composer of the period, Johann Sebastian Bach, was such a servant. Yet the best composers of the time were able to break new musical ground, and in so doing succeeded in creating an entirely new style of music.

The instrumental concerto became a staple of the Baroque era, and found its strongest exponent in the works of the Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi. Harpsichord music achieved new heights, due to the works of such masters as Domenico Scarlatti and others. But vocal and choral music still reigned supreme during this age, and culminated in the operas and oratorios of German-born composer George Frideric Handel.
THE CLASSICAL ERA (1750 - 1820)

From roughly 1750 to 1820, artists, architects, and musicians moved away from the heavily ornamented styles of the Baroque and the Rococo, and instead embraced a clean, uncluttered style they thought reminiscent of Classical Greece.

At this time the Austrian capital of Vienna became the musical centre of Europe, and works of the period are often referred to as being in the Viennese style. Composers came from all over Europe to train in and around Vienna, and gradually they developed and formalized the standard musical forms that were to dominate European musical culture for the next several decades. The Classical period reached its majestic culmination with the masterful symphonies, sonatas, and string quartets by the three great composers of the Viennese school: Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.

During the same period, the first voice of the burgeoning Romantic musical ethic can be found in the music of Viennese composer Franz Schubert.
THE ROMANTIC ERA (1820 - 1910)

The earliest Romantic composers were all born within a few years of each other in the early years of the nineteenth century. These include the great German masters Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann; the Polish poet of the piano Frédéric Chopin; the French genius Hector Berlioz; and the greatest pianistic showman in history, the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. The field of Italian opera was dominated by Giuseppe Verdi, while German opera was virtually monopolized by Richard Wagner.

Composers like Antonin Dvorak began looking for ways in which they could express the musical soul of their homelands. Legends were therefore used as plots for operas, and folk melodies and dance rhythms were frequently used as inspiration for symphonies and instrumental music.

With the continued enhancement of instruments, plus the invention of new ones, the late Romantic composers of the second half of the nineteenth-century created richer and ever larger symphonies, ballets, and concertos. Two of the giants of this period are the German-born Johannes Brahms and the great Russian melodist Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY ERA (1910 - 1960)

In the early part of the twentieth century music became either outwardly expressive (as in the early symphonic poems of Richard Strauss, the huge symphonies of Gustav Mahler, or the operas of Giacomo Puccini), or more introverted (as in the so-called “impressionist” music of Claude Debussy). The previous century’s tide of Nationalism found a twentieth century advocate in the Hungarian Béla Bartók.

In a time of deepening psychological awareness, the expressionistic music of Arnold Schoenberg and his disciples germinated and flourished for a time.

Twentieth-century music has seen a great coming and going of various movements, among them post-romanticism, serialism and neo-classicism in the earlier years of the century, all of which were practiced at one time or another by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky.

Many of the greatest and best-known composers of the century, including Russian composers Sergei Rachmaninov, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich along with British composers William Walton and Benjamin Britten were those who wrote music directly descended from the approved models of the past, while investing these forms with a style and modernistic tone of their own.
THE LATE 20TH CENTURY ERA (1940 - 2000)

Composers of this era sought to free music from its rigidity, placing the performance above the composition. Similarly, many composers sought to break from traditional performance rituals by incorporating theatre and multimedia into their compositions, going beyond sound itself to achieve their artistic goals. In some cases the line is difficult to draw between genres. Composers were quick to adopt developing electronic technology. As early as the 1940s, composers such as Olivier Messiaen incorporated electronic instruments into live performance. Recording technology was used to produce art music, as well.

The musique concrète of the late 1940s and ’50s was produced by editing together natural and industrial sounds. Steve Reich created music by manipulating tape recordings of people speaking, and later went on to compose process music for traditional instruments based on such recordings. Other notable pioneers of electronic music include Edgard Varèse, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luigi Nono, and Krzysztof Penderecki.

As more electronic technology matured, so did the music. In the 1950s aleatoric music was first championed by American composer John Cage. Early minimalist compositions of the 1960s such as those by Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass stemmed from aleatoric and electronic music.
THE CONTEMPORARY ERA (from 1975)

In the broadest sense, contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. In the context of classical music the term has been applied to music written in the last quarter century or so, particularly works post-1975. Minimalism was practiced heavily throughout the latter half of the century and has carried over into the 21st century, with composers like Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki and John Tavener working in the more popular “mystic minimalism” variant.

Recently there has been increasing stylistic variety, with far too many schools of composition to name or label. However, in general, there are three broad trends. The first is the continuation of modern avant-garde traditions, including musical experimentalism. The second are schools which sought to revitalize a tonal style based on previous common practice. The third focuses on non-functional triadic harmony, exemplified by composers working in the minimalist and related traditions.

6/03/2019

Bruckner: Symphony no. 4 – Honeck

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)
Symphony No. 4 "Romantic"

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck
Reference Recordings FR-713SACD (2015)
[flac from the CD, cue, log, scans]

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4/01/2018

Bruckner Symphony No. 7 - Chicago, Haitink

Anton Bruckner
SYMPHONY NO. 7 IN E MAJOR

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
dir : Bernard Haitink
CSO Resound CSOR 901 704
Recorded and published 2007
44.1 kHz, 16 bit
FLAC files, booklet, front and back scans
Source: HDTracks
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3/20/2018

Bruckner Nine Symphonies - Jochum

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)
SYMPHONIEN NR. 1-9

Berliner Philharmoniker
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
dir : Eugen Jochum

DG 429 079-2 (stereo)
9 CDs, recorded 1958-1967
This edition is no longer in print

FLAC image files, cuesheets, logs, scans




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12/31/2016

Late Romantics in Central Europe # 2

This selection is less various than volume #1, being entirely devoted to the choral works. Some are classics; others are not, like the a-cappella pieces of Josef Rheinberger (which I liked more than his organ pieces) and Richard Strauss. My bi-generational program this time is extended by the presence of the old Liszt.


Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901)
Mass op.109
Drei geistliche Gesänge op.69
Vier sechsstimmige Motetten op.133
Oster-Hymne op.134

Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansans City Chorale
Charles Bruffy
Chandos CHSA 5055 (2007)
[flac, cue, log, scans]

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3/27/2015

Kurt Sanderling - Legendary Recordings


Orchestral and Vocal Works of Borodin, Bruckner,
 Franck, Mahler, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky
Corona Classic Collection 2342
Recordings from 1960 up to the early '80s

Many thanks to member Sebassie for his help in downloading 
the original material in WAV format from the World Wide Web.
Converting to FLAC and tagging are mine.


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9/05/2014

From the romantic century: Bruckner, Mahler, Strauss, Reger, Hindemith

Bruckner: String Quintet
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896): String Quintet in F major (1878/79)
Intermezzo in D minor (1879, Alternate movement)
Melos Quartett: Wilhelm Melcher, violon - Gerhard Voss, violon - Hermann Voss, alto - Peter Buck, violoncello
Enrique Santiage, alto

Recorded 1992, Published 2003
Time Total: 53:37

Mahler: The song of the Earth - Schoenberg/Riehn Version
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): The Song of the Earth (1908/09)
Transcription for chamber orchester by Arnold Schoenberg and Rainer Riehn (1983)
Birgit Remmert, alto
Hans Peter Blochwitz, tenor
Ensemble Musique Oblique, dir. Philippe Herreweghe

Recorded 1993, Published 2006
Time Total: 62:40

Strauss / Hindemith: Metamorphoses
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Weber
Richard Strauss (1864-1949): Metamorphoses
Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner
Recorded 1966/69, Published 2001
Time Total: 45:19

Reger: Complete String Quartets
Max Reger (1873-1916): Quartet in D minor (1888/89)
Quartet op. 54 No. 1 in G minor
Quartet op. 54 No. 2 in A major
Quartet op. 74 in D minor
Quartet op. 109 in E flat major
Quartet op. 121 in F sharp minor
Berner Streichquartett: Alexander van Wijnkoop, Violin - Christine Ragaz, Violin - Henrik Crafoord, Viola - Angela Schwartz, Violoncello
Recording 1992/94
3 CDs, 73:32 + 53:15 + 74:17
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8/12/2014

Summer Nights #2

Again drifting through some of the highest peaks of the Romantic Symphony, starting with the fascinating Rott's Symphony in E Major, with its amazing Mahler premonition of the "Frisch und lebhaft", on with Suk's, Korngold's and Zemlinsky's celebrated masterpieces (two great recordings of Asrael, and a 'must-have' Lyric Symphony under Eschenbach), to finish with a wonderful Romantic Reger by Botstein and Dohnanyi's large chamber chef d'oeuvre.

In addition, although I'm not usually a fan of the Argentinian conductor, a fine and agile Bruckner 8th under Païta...

Hans Rott
Symphony in E Major
Pastoral Prelude in F Major

Radio Symphonieorchester Wien
Dennis Russell Davies
CPO 854-2 (1998)

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11/03/2013

Reginald Goodall conducts Bruckner

Bruckner - Symphonie Nr.7
Wagner - Meistersinger Prelude

BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Reginald Goodall

flac (image + cue) | scans




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10/01/2013

Bruckner - St. Florian Period: Missa Solemnis, Magnificat, Zwei geistliche Lieder (Jürgen Jürgens)

This excellent set of Bruckner choral works has been transferred from a long out-of-print LP to CD. Producer, David Aldeborgh recorded these works in Jerusalem in 1984 and the LP has long been out-of-print. He has given permission for the recordings to be transferred to CD in order that they can be enjoyed again. Several of the works received their world premiere recordings with this release.

Anton Bruckner
Missa Solemnis • Magnificat • Zwei geistliche Lieder

Grossmeyer Zakai Jochens Vassilev
Monteverdi Choir Hamburg
Israel Chamber Orchestra 
Jürgen Jürgens 

flac (image + .cue) | scans | 196 Mb
 



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5/05/2013

Intense Bruckner

Out from the restricted number of Bruckner's complete Symphonies cycles looms a wealth of sensational accounts of the composer's most popular masterpieces.
By focusing on some of the most poignant recordings of the digital era, we are able to indulge freely in Bruckner's most beloved symphonies as performed by the great conductors of the time.
These recordings strictly come in either the Haas or Nowak critical releases, and are masterly performed by few, world class brucknerian orchestras.
If you feel the urge of approaching the Austrian genius' original editions, this post is not for you - but if you love these magnificent summits of our musical heritage to stun you with lush and full dynamics (as it should), you will certainly find your Bruckner here, in all his glory, and in the devoted hands of some of the greatest interpreters.
Not to be missed here, and in memory of our beloved Maestro from Surrey - Colin Davis' sublime rendition of the Grosse Messe in F Minor (Mass No. 3).

Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 3 in D Minor "Wagner-Symphonie"

Staatskapelle Dresden
Giuseppe Sinopoli
DGG 431 684-2 (Dresden, Lukaskirche, 4/1990)

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