Remastered Sibelius

[Dave2002]

At a price - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...87347751_em_ti - might go on my CHristmas wish list!

The reviews suggest that tthe Blu Ray version may have greater impact, though the CDs sound from this review as though they ought to be very good. The set seems to include 4 CDs plus one Blu Ray with all the music.

[Beef Oven!]

At a price - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...87347751_em_ti - might go on my CHristmas wish list!

The reviews suggest that tthe Blu Ray version may have greater impact, though the CDs sound from this review as though they ought to be very good. The set seems to include 4 CDs plus one Blu Ray with all the music.

Very tempting. I already have this set on Decca London. Of the 24 or so Sibelius cycles I have () this is one of my faves (so is his Pittsburgh cycle).

I know the sound quality improvement will be slight, but there, it always is (relatively speaking, with the law of diminishing returns biting hard!). For example, a friend of mine bought the recent Berstein NYP remasters on Sony that the usual suspects on Amazon etc were going ape-shit about, and we both agree that the older 'Prince Charles' set (that I have) sounds better!

BUT, this set has LM's VPO Tapiola. No, it's not quite as good as Karajan's DG Tapiola, but it is marvellous.

What to do?

And I must confess that even though it's been around a while, I don't know what Blue Ray is. Is Jane about?

[DublinJimbo]

Very tempting indeed. I'm listening to the Fourth Symphony as I write (streaming from Qobuz) and it really is a marvellous recording (the finale especially).

What a great conductor Lorin Maazel was in his earlier days!

[visualnickmos]

At a price - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...87347751_em_ti - might go on my CHristmas wish list!

The reviews suggest that tthe Blu Ray version may have greater impact, though the CDs sound from this review as though they ought to be very good. The set seems to include 4 CDs plus one Blu Ray with all the music.

Looks good, but I'm more than happy with my Belart CDs of Maazel's cycle. One of several JS symphony cycles that I enjoy.

[reinerfan]

I bought the Maazel/Vienna P.O. set as they came out on LP and, despite many other versions, continue to regard them highly. Subsequently, I bought the CD issue, then the re-master, and now the further re-master and Blu Ray disc. The new CDs sound very well indeed, but the Blu Ray, on a good quality machine, sounds absolutely fabulous.

[cloughie]

When I saw this heading I thought the thread was going to be on the Historical set recently out by Warner. The sound really good and particularly the Kajanus 1 2 3 and 5 excellent. Beecham's Lem's Return must be one of the most exciting sounding recordings of this ever.
But yes also a 50 year association with the Maazel set still leaves it up there with the best, but hasn't Sibelius fared well on record over the years?

[Dave2002]

When I saw this heading I thought the thread was going to be on the Historical set recently out by Warner. The sound really good and particularly the Kajanus 1 2 3 and 5 excellent. Beecham's Lem's Return must be one of the most exciting sounding recordings of this ever.
But yes also a 50 year association with the Maazel set still leaves it up there with the best, but hasn't Sibelius fared well on record over the years?

I had wondered about this one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jean-Sibeliu...words=sibelius

Sounds as though you are giving it a thumbs up. The recordings are quie old, and I wondered if that would matter, though if the performances are really good then it shouldn't matter too much. Can be had for about £13 inc postage. Maybe paying the full amazon price - marginally more - might eventually result in a "free" mp3 version appearing in one's online library - that's happened for a lot of CDs I've bought over the last few years.