Dutoit/Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal

[Stanley Stewart]

A real heart-pang moment when the 35CD set was delivered,
so-ooo elegant in its cardboard casing with the Decca Sound imprint, rightly at its centre. So far, I've only heard CD1, Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe in truly sumptuous sound! A 96page booklet outlines the treasure trove recordings made on Decca Sound since their first recording with OSM in 1980, ironically at a time when Polygram's take over proposal had been agreed by the Decca Board. Producer, Ray Minshull contributes a 4 page profile, The Art of Charles Dutoit and I've decided to listen at a stately pace over several weeks at such a wide and extensive repertoire; the Russian and French recordings are mouth-watering although I note that Les Troyens is not included in the boxset - however, it sits independently on my shelves, cheek by jowl, with Colin Davis's ROH Philips recording. All such rich memories of an earlier phase in my life.

One cautionary note. My Scottish blood made me look around at the pricing factor and the river people are £15 less than the competitors but can increase the asking price peremptorily!

[pastoralguy]

I saw that set and was very tempted but, alas, I have so many of their CDs already. I do love these sets and I've amassed a few including the DECCA ones which are beautifully presented.

[Barbirollians]

The Bolero/Rhapsodie Espagnole/La Valse /Alborada recording was my introduction to Ravel and I played it to scratchy oblivion . Great records.

[Stanley Stewart]

Thanks, pg. I can see why you must have been tempted and I, too, almost passed on the offer until I realised that I don't have community charges debited to me in Feb or March as I pay by direct debit, April - Jan (incl) leaving a generous bonus for two months each year! Indeed, i even added the John Wilson, COPLAND (Chandos) disc to my order and this, too, is downright explosively good.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I don't have community charges debited to me in Feb or March as I pay by direct debit, April - Jan (incl) leaving a generous bonus for two months each year!

Wow! Does everyone in York play Monopoly that seriously?!

[cloughie]

Wow! Does everyone in York play Monopoly that seriously?!

Do they have their own customised board, with different locomotives from the Railway museum as counters

[Stanley Stewart]

Wow! Does everyone in York play Monopoly that seriously?!

No. During my adolescence, WW2 years, such extravagance would have been known as 'gan y'r dinger' in Aberdeen.

[BBMmk2]

Another must see! This mon th is going to be expensive! what with the Rubbra/Hickox et al!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Wow! Does everyone in York play Monopoly that seriously?!

Well, there is a York edition.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Top-Trumps-16742-Monopoly-Edition/dp/B003TEBRVA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456863717&sr=8-1&keywords=monopoly+york+edition

[Nick Armstrong]

I saw that set and was very tempted but, alas, I have so many of their CDs already. I do love these sets and I've amassed a few including the DECCA ones which are beautifully presented.

Yes I looked at the set, having heard AMcG's survey of it on Saturday morning's Record Review. It does look stylish and inviting, but like you pastoralguy, I have the ones I want. The classic Daphnis is an oft-played favourite; and I especially like the Ibert compilation.

[Stanley Stewart]

A splendid and attractive layout, Cali. Thank you.

[Nick Armstrong]

A splendid and attractive layout, Cali. Thank you.

Looks good doesn't it! (But NB not my photo - it's a Decca promo photo, Stanley - I decided against buying )

[Keraulophone]

As with others who already have quite a few of these recordings, I was going to pass on yet another box. (Boxes are beginning to accumulate at an alarming rate.) So instead, I ordered the Double Decca Chausson collection for a riverine £5.99 including a recording from 1995 that I didn't have of the magnificent Symphont in B flat. I've been so bowled over by the accomplished orchestral playing, superb recording quality and Dutoit's "warmly spontaneous-sounding" (that must be the late EG in Gramophone!) conception and execution of the piece that I'm now in a real quandry, only just able to resist pressing that too oft-visited button.

[Petrushka]

Despite seeing Dutoit and the orchestra at the Barbican in 1984, I never really showed much interest in their recordings (Daphnis aside) preferring others in this repertoire. Consequently I have just a couple of the CDs in this box.

Can someone give me a reason to click the 'buy now' button now?

[cloughie]

Despite seeing Dutoit and the orchestra at the Barbican in 1984, I never really showed much interest in their recordings (Daphnis aside) preferring others in this repertoire. Consequently I have just a couple of the CDs in this box.

Can someone give me a reason to click the 'buy now' button now?

In your situation of only possessing a couple of discs I would not hesitate - OSM Dutoit to me represents quality in both recordings and performances - I have the opposite problem to you in that I would be buying it for about 4.5 CDs - and the annoying thing is that the gaps I have are quite expensive to fill and I wouldn't get much even if I could trade the ones I have. Guess I'll just settle for what I have.