I bought the box set some years ago, but had the misfortune of dropping one of the two mega-boxes from a high shelf. The very brittle mock jewel cases smashed into small pieces and had to be destroyed. Since then, this half of the collection has been stored in plastic wallets within the casing of the original box.
Subsequently, the set was reissued in a box with cardboard sleeves. How I wish I had waited.
That said, I've been disappointed in the set as a whole.
The choral singing is wobbly, though soloists are generally excellent.
The organ works are performed on a variety of instruments that are probably quite "authentic", but suffer from extraneous mechanical noises that can distract from the appreciation of the music itself. OK, Bach may have "expected" this, but I'd put more than a fiver on betting he'd have preferred not to have heard the creaking that goes on.
Then there are keyboard works that are played on a variety of pianos old and new, clavichords and harpsichords. So when we listen to the "48", we are passed from one instrument to another of a somewhat random basis. It broadens the experience, but I wonder how the choices were made.
The cheapness of the set comes at a price too. Some discs are duplicated and some are mislabelled. As the number of discs equals the number advertised, it follows that some are missing.
Perhaps I made a mistake in acquiring this set. It may have suited me in not being particularly HIPP, but apart from the orchestral works, there are very few discs I would choose to listen to.
So, if anyone has this Hanssler set, but has discs missing, send me a PM with a list of those your collection lacks, and I may be able to help out.
Subsequently, the set was reissued in a box with cardboard sleeves. How I wish I had waited.
That said, I've been disappointed in the set as a whole.
The choral singing is wobbly, though soloists are generally excellent.
The organ works are performed on a variety of instruments that are probably quite "authentic", but suffer from extraneous mechanical noises that can distract from the appreciation of the music itself. OK, Bach may have "expected" this, but I'd put more than a fiver on betting he'd have preferred not to have heard the creaking that goes on.
Then there are keyboard works that are played on a variety of pianos old and new, clavichords and harpsichords. So when we listen to the "48", we are passed from one instrument to another of a somewhat random basis. It broadens the experience, but I wonder how the choices were made.
The cheapness of the set comes at a price too. Some discs are duplicated and some are mislabelled. As the number of discs equals the number advertised, it follows that some are missing.
Perhaps I made a mistake in acquiring this set. It may have suited me in not being particularly HIPP, but apart from the orchestral works, there are very few discs I would choose to listen to.
So, if anyone has this Hanssler set, but has discs missing, send me a PM with a list of those your collection lacks, and I may be able to help out.
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