★ Reference

Witches' Brew

Alexander Gibson, New Symphony Orchestra of London

Best pressing: Analogue Productions 200g LP (Ryan K. Smith, from the original tapes); clean "Shaded Dog" original

Key track: Arnold: Tam O'Shanter

★ Reference

Ballet Music from the Opera

Anatole Fistoulari, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila – Bacchanale

Highly Recommended

Light Classics

Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Dinicu: Hora Staccato

★ Reference

Pops Stoppers

Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Highly Recommended

Song of India

Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Dancing Through the Years

Highly Recommended

Viennese Night

Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Highly Recommended

The Heart of the Piano Concerto

Arthur Rubinstein, various orchestras

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

España

Ataulfo Argenta, London Symphony Orchestra

Best pressing: ORG 45 RPM 2LP (Bernie Grundman, from the original analog tapes); Speakers Corner LP as a warmer alternative

Key track: Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34

★ Reference

The French Touch

Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Hidden Gem

Morimur

Christoph Poppen, The Hilliard Ensemble

Key track: Ciaccona

Highly Recommended

Rhapsody!

Earl Wild, Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra

Best pressing: Original RCA pressing

Key track: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

★ Reference

Spain

Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Falla: La vida breve – Interlude and Dance

★ Reference

Festival

Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain

★ Reference

The Reiner Sound

Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole – Feria

Highly Recommended

The Virtuoso Liszt

Gary Graffman

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

★ Reference

Venice

Georg Solti, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Ponchielli: Dance of the Hours

Highly Recommended

Paris (Chausson / Prokofiev / Rautavaara)

Hilary Hahn, Mikko Franck, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France

Best pressing: DG 45 RPM 2LP (cut by Sidney Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios)

Key track: Chausson: Poème

Officium

Jan Garbarek, The Hilliard Ensemble

Best pressing: ECM 180g 2LP (2014 reissue)

Key track: Parce mihi Domine

Highly Recommended

The Lark (Castelnuovo-Tedesco / Fauré / Vitali)

Jascha Heifetz

Best pressing: Impex 180g mono LP (2024, Bernie Grundman, all-analog from the original tapes)

Key track: Vitali: Chaconne

Highly Recommended

The Heifetz–Piatigorsky Concerts

Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, William Primrose, Leonard Pennario

Best pressing: Original RCA box set

Highly Recommended

The Incomparable Bjoerling

Jussi Bjoerling, various orchestras

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Leopold Stokowski: Decca Recordings 1965–1972

Leopold Stokowski, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Key track: Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (orch. Stokowski)

★ Reference

Rhapsodies

Leopold Stokowski, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra

Best pressing: Analogue Productions 200g LP; clean "Shaded Dog" original

Key track: Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1

Highly Recommended

The Sound of Wagner

Leopold Stokowski, Symphony of the Air & Chorus

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Highly Recommended

Moonlight Sonata

Morton Gould & His Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Highly Recommended

Moon, Wind, Stars

Morton Gould & His Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Windjammer

Hidden Gem

Milstein Encores

Nathan Milstein, Leon Pommers

Best pressing: Original Capitol "Full Dimensional Stereo" LP

Key track: Kreisler: Praeludium and Allegro

★ Reference

Overture! Overture!

Raymond Agoult, New Symphony Orchestra of London

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Key track: Rossini: William Tell Overture

★ Reference

The Power of the Orchestra

René Leibowitz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Best pressing: Analogue Productions 200g LP (Ryan K. Smith); clean "Shaded Dog" original

Key track: Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain

Highly Recommended

The Immortal Victor Herbert

Robert Shaw Chorale & Orchestra

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Highly Recommended

Opera for People Who Hate Opera

Various RCA artists

Best pressing: Original "Shaded Dog" pressing

Tales from the Vienna Woods

Willi Boskovsky, Vienna Philharmonic

Best pressing: Clean original Decca pressing

Key track: Tales from the Vienna Woods, Op. 325

Philharmonic Ball

Willi Boskovsky, Vienna Philharmonic

Best pressing: Clean original Decca pressing