'Classical Record Buying Nirvana'?

[Thropplenoggin]

Tokyo's Tower Records, apparently.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2014/may/02/ive-found-classical-record-buying-nirvana-in-tokyos-tower-records

Of particular interest to members of this forum will be the rarities mentioned in the article:

'there are rare collections of previously unreleased recordings by familiar names like Glenn Gould or John Ogdon, like the collection I picked up.'

'a 107-CD set of Furtwängler's recordings (just a fraction of his recorded legacy, of course); concert bootlegs of everyone from Wilhelm Backhaus to Maria Yudina; from Yevgeny Mravinsky to Guido Cantelli. And then, right in front of me, was the stuff of a classical-music-fan's dreams made real: dozens of concert tapings of the great enigma himself, the conductor Carlos Kleiber. Are some of these rare performances now available on YouTube? Yes. Is there any point buying multiple renditions - recorded at different times, at least - of Kleiber's Beethoven 4, Brahms 4, or Brahms 2? Of course! And is there a unique excitement at seeing these performances in some vaguely physical guise (including his Chicago Symphony performance of George Butterworth - at last!)...'

[mathias broucek]

Have always wanted to go!

You can find some of this stuff on HMV Japan

[pastoralguy]

You can find some of this stuff on HMV Japan

At a price!

[pastoralguy]

Would there be any value for an enterprising person to visit Japan and import specialist material? There does does seem to be a demand for it here.

[Don Petter]

You can always try White Rabbit, of which I have heard favourable reports:

http://whiterabbitjapan.com/

(Not tried them myself.)

[amateur51]

May I refer the OP to the pertinent "How much do we need?" thread down in the P&CA dungeon

[Petrushka]

I've never understood why so many recordings and superior remasterings are available in Japan and South Korea and not in Europe. Is the market that much more viable there or are there copyright issues? I would have expected global availability and find it irritating that recordings I may not know exist and would want if I did, are available in the Far East.

I find it something of a puzzle.

[amateur51]

I've never understood why so many recordings and superior remasterings are available in Japan and South Korea and not in Europe. Is the market that much more viable there or are there copyright issues? I would have expected global availability and find it irritating that recordings I may not know exist and would want if I did, are available in the Far East.

I find it something of a puzzle.

Ah Rumsfeld's Laingian puzzle rears its head once more.