No problem with compilations:
Miles Davis singles
Beethoven piano sonatas
Schubert sonatas
Scarlatti sonatas (have to be selective)
Have to be musically coherent. Random songs because they are good recordings are just a test signal, even if they are nice songs.
exactly.
But no problem when others like such random compilations…I guess for those who more or less like every one of those titles, it’s just like playlists with their favorites for others.
Most rock and especially other pop and jazz albums are compilations of songs which may or may not be related, other than the performing artist. There are those with defined themes however.
In the classical world there are many similar albums of X performs Debussy, Mozart and Ives (perhaps there is a relationship other than performers, but typically not). There are also the “My Favorites,” albums such as The Magic of Lang Lang and his Piano Book, etc. which no connection but for his playing on all of them.
The only classical mixed compilations I sometimes enjoy are certain „encores“ albums. Rarely but occasionally they really provide otherwise seldom heard and nice titles. In case they provide just usual and very well known nice parts of works it’s rather boring for me.
There’s also a Lang Lang live album I have where he plays a modern Chinese piece as encore, which is the best of the otherwise rather conventional album.
From my limited Lang Lang listening there’s nothing magic about him at all. Hated his Goldbergs.
In classical music programming of discs and concerts is vitally important and there is rarely anything random about it.
And I’m perfectly happy with cover albums, as long as the performer has something to say. At the end of the day all classical music is cover albums, it’s mostly all been done before.
Jazz too! (Well, not all, but lots of it is.)
Speaking of which, Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section is a great audiophile treat.
I agree about Lang Lang…except that some native Chinese works are interesting which one doesn’t hear from non Chinese artists usually.
Encore albums and they like can be fun.
If only this were true.
My collection of recordings contains dozens and dozens of recordings of pieces with little, if any, relation to each other. Yours does, too, 
And being on the management side of an orchestra I know how many times concert programming is governed by who is available, there is no one who has the instrument available to rent, etc. over what works best artistically.
As an example, if you want to program An American in Paris (one of the most often performed orchestra works) you need to make certain the four Parisian taxi horns you need to perform the piece are available, after you make the decision as to whether you want the modern notes or the notes which musicologists now believe Gershwin intended.
Neither is a bad thing if superb performances are being presented to the respective audiences.
I am not certain jazz performances are all “covers.” Yes, a jazz artist typically begins with the melody and changes of a known song, but what happens next can either closely follow the original or go off into the weeds.
At what point is it something new and not a cover? Is"inspired by" enough to make it a cover?
To be fair, I did say “not all, but lots of it is.” Was really just using the notion as a segue to recommending the Art Pepper album.
But, if pressed, I would call it a cover if a group is playing a published song that someone else wrote. A copyrighted work, as it were. Regardless of how deep into the weeds they go.
Now, if it’s a “traditional melody,” like a fiddle tune or work of unknown origin, well, that you can debate.
And you can’t copyright a chord progression either, so that’s something you could debate, too.
Anyway, carry on.
I am sorry, I did not intend to provide the impression I was pressing a distinction between lots and all.
Instead I find it an interesting question as to how original must it be to be other than a “cover.” I am thinking of this in the artistic sense, not in an IP legal sense.
no worries, just clarifying. 
Thanks!
So we went to a gig by the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and the first piece they played was a “cover” of Love Supreme, basically took about the first two bars and stretched them out for about 45 minutes. Amazingly transcendental.
I suppose the Diabelli Variations are 33 covers one one album. Hearing them Tuesday. Think I’ll listen them now.
I doubt your orchestra has ever played Mason Bates’ Anthology of Fantastic Zoology. I heard it performed once and looking into the orchestra pit revealed a vast range of percussion as well as a lot of woodwind and brass, keyboards and a harp. It was the first piece and they had to have an extended interval to pack it all up and make room for the orchestra for the next piece.
Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, which I’ve heard twice, is possibly a greater challenge, with 4 pianos, 5 marimbas and a handful of xylophones, along with a load of other stuff.
There are many such pieces which must be programmed carefully around availability of the score, specialized instruments, etc. - all of which can be effectively random and reflect little of artistic intent.
The Cleveland Orchestra has returned to recording and has their own label now. This three SACD disc set is very well recorded and I’ve been enjoying them quite a bit. The only downside is the awkward packaging that doesn’t really fit into any usual storage format. I’ve noticed that the Berlin Philharmonic’s new recordings are being released in similar large and luxe packaging.
You can never have too many marimbas though…
There will be as many opinions of what an audiophile recording is as there are music lovers in this forum. For me the epitome of an audiophile recording on vinyl is Direct-To-Disc. There is no more direct way of putting what the microphone hears on a recording medium I can think of. It also forces spontaneous, inspired music making simply because nobody gets to edit it before it gets stamped on vinyl. It is what it is. I absolutely love the old Nautilus and Sheffield Labs DtoD recordings.
Do I have to pick one? Ah well, how about Dave Grusin - Discovered Again!
Here’s the kick myself in the behind part. That’s a stock photo. I was dumb enough to sell my copy years ago. Finding these DtoD recordings on the used market, like the Sheffields, isn’t easy. I haven’t been able to scare up a copy of the Grusin LP on the used market because it just doesn’t appear on the used market. Heavy sigh.
