Do classical vinyl collectors care more about sound quality or performance?

My local record store gives away lots of classical records for free each week. I pick up all the VG++ stuff ( never played ) and give them a listen. If the sound quality is audiophile then I keep the record. Otherwise I put it in a big pile to get rid of. Since nothing in this big pile has good sound quality is it safe to assume it is all worthless? Or do collectors care more about the performance than the sound quality?

faraz12inch45rpm
My local record store gives away lots of classical records for free each week

faraz12inch45rpm
is it safe to assume it is all worthless?

Things are getting tight for some people and I've heard they burn well.

Seems like in my experience collectors like solo performances or small groups, and prefer the stringed instruments like cello and violin.

I find classical record collectors to be anal about the condition of the vinyl. They should stick to high end CDs instead of records.

Vancouver_Vinyl
the condition of the vinyl.

That's amusingly ironic given the endless threads about grading :)

My observation is that some classical collectors like vinyl for the same reasons many of you like vinyl. When buying, the pecking order seems to be 1.Artist. 2.Specific performance of specific piece. 3.Then, if the vinyl isn't as close to perfect as possible, no deal. As far as some classical consumers being super fussy about what they find acceptable maybe someone can explain in rational why that's bad or wrong?

dolphyfan

My observation is that some classical collectors like vinyl for the same reasons many of you like vinyl. When buying, the pecking order seems to be 1.Artist. 2.Specific performance of specific piece. 3.Then, if the vinyl isn't as close to perfect as possible, no deal.

You can also add specific labels to that list as some 'collectable' ones command prices, while other (often equally good in of sound quality) are much cheaper.

dolphyfan
Vancouver_Vinylthe condition of the vinyl.
That's amusingly ironic given the endless threads about grading :)

My observation is that some classical collectors like vinyl for the same reasons many of you like vinyl. When buying, the pecking order seems to be 1.Artist. 2.Specific performance of specific piece. 3.Then, if the vinyl isn't as close to perfect as possible, no deal. As far as some classical consumers being super fussy about what they find acceptable maybe someone can explain in rational why that's bad or wrong?

What about sound quality? Given 10 copies of Pachelbel's Canon from different labels, wouldn't the best sounding one be the most valuable ?

Or do collectors care more about who/how it was performed?

faraz12inch45rpm
the most valuable ?

I didn't think the OP's question was about monetary value as much as what motivates classical collectors (and why are they so fussy?). There are certain performances by certain artists on specific dates recorded by specific labels/engineers, etc. Those performances are the prized ones. Once they zero in on that, then the actual vinyl has to play as close to flawlessly as possible. Meet all of those conditions and you have a spendy classical LP with some demand.

Classical music is not a monolithic thing. From medieval / early music to Bach to Mahler to Webern - it's a pretty wide range. And classical listeners are not monolithic either. So you can't generalize too much. As someone who enjoys classical, jazz and rock and lots more, to me it's just another kind of music that I choose to listen to, depending on my mood.

As far as why are classical collectors so fussy, perhaps it is because there is a huge supply and low demand for it, so we can be picky. Go ahead and destroy your VG pile, it will reduce the supply eventually. (jk) Another reason is that a lot of classical music has wide dynamic range, and lots of quiet ages. So, surface noise is much more noticeable than on a wall-of-sound punk track. And why many classical listeners (but not all) turned to CD.

The comments above that solo and small groups are more desirable, definitely seems to be true today, but that could change. Certain artists seem to sell quite readily: Glenn Gould, Pablo Casals, Leonard Bernstein, Maria Callas. That's just because those are names that people are familiar with.

Same goes for specific performances. Some recordings were iconic breakthroughs, such as Gould's 1955 Goldberg Variations or Callas' Tosca. Some are redefinitions of familiar pieces, for example there were a zillion recordings of say, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. But if you listen to Nikolas Harnoncourt's1970s rendition, it is quite shocking. You may not like that sound, but it certainly is distinct.

Hth.