Milestones of a Legend

[Barbirollians]

I got the Szigeti when it was warmly recommended on R3 Record Review a few months ago. I did not have that many Szigeti recordings and it has proved a great opportunity to get to know a broad selection from 1932 to 1954. I certainly have no regrets, especially at the price and have greatly enjoyed working through them. Presentation is minimal but the transfers seem generally pretty acceptable to me. Couple of highlights for me from memory: The 1928 Brahms Concerto with the Hallé under Hamilton Harty. Brahms Chamber music from the 1954 Casals Festival at Prades with Myra Hess and Paul Tortelier. (Very good sound of CBS origin).

Thanks for the positive review - look forward to listening to it soon .

[Serial_Apologist]

I thought this thread must have something to do with Miles Davis.

[mikealdren]

The CDs have arrived and they have absolutely minimal information, no booklet at all and a track list in each CD. The box credits The Intense Media and Discogs says their parent is Membram. Their website is 'under construction'.

I have a Membram box of Mozart Operas, a great bargain with Bohm's early Cosi (Della Casa etc), Keliber's Figaro, Krips' Giovanni and Fricsay's Flute, riches indeed even though the recording transfers are ok rather than good. They seem to have good musical taste in what they choose to transfer.

I'll load the new CDs to disc and report back.

[Bryn]

These MaoL sets are not always that great a bargain. The Clara Haskil box, for instance, has content that would fit quite easily on 8 discs but is spread over 10. There would have been room on the 10 to have included the Beethoven violin sonatas omitted from the set.

[mikealdren]

Yes some of these are direct LP transfers although they also contain 'Bonus' of live performances of the same works so, for example, we get Kogan's Brahms concerto with Kondrashin plus a live performance with Monteux on the same CD. Took ages to rip them as there is no online data available so every track has to be loaded. Lots of interesting listening ahead now.

I have other copies of some of Kogan's commercial recordings so I can make comparisons of sound quality too.

[mikealdren]

I've started listening and it's a mixed bag....

Comparing the Kogan Khatchaturian and Saint-Saens Havanaise with RCA reissues, the sound is good and fairly similar but the pitch is significantly flatter, in the Havanaise, I must compare with a tuning fork! I only have the russian Paganini 1st concerto with Nebolsine and this french recording with Bruck is a revelation, fabulous playing.

In the Příhoda box as a generalisation, the later Cetra recordings are much better recorded but less well played. The track listing are not all correct (e.g. the first two tracks on CD 7 are the other way round and the Slavonic dances are both Op.72 not Op.46/72.) I find Příhoda an interesting artist, very individual and I don't like everything but at his best, he was superb.

[Conchis]

I have some experience of this series. My understanding is that, like all Membran releases, they are 'grey market' products.

In some cases, they are doing valuable work - keeping in print recordings that the major labels are no longer bothered about (the Orff set contains the two opera sets Sawallisch made with the Philharmonia in the late fifties, in marvellous early stereo). I believe their Furtwangler Rome Ring is more highly rated than the 'official' EMI version.

The Rudolf Schock set is particularly good value and the only place you can now find Kempe's Meistersinger for a reasonable price (the EMI issue being long out of print).

Personally I've never had any issues with the sound on these releases. Those who purchase sets which feature material from 'off air' broadcasts should know what to expect.

[gurnemanz]

These MaoL sets are not always that great a bargain. The Clara Haskil box, for instance, has content that would fit quite easily on 8 discs but is spread over 10. There would have been room on the 10 to have included the Beethoven violin sonatas omitted from the set.

Checked the two I have from this series out of curiosity: Joseph Szigeti and Annie Fischer. Both total just over 10 hours for for 10 discs. Neither overly generous nor especially niggardly. I ended up picking the Anne Fischer Milestones over the EMI Icon which is only 8 discs and is slightly more expensive. Most items are duplicate but on the Milestones you get extras not on EMI - eg Fifth Brandenburg with Klemperer (hardly HIPP but well worth a listen), Brahms Third Sonata, some Chopin, Bartok Peasant Songs, Beethoven Eroica Variations.

[Bryn]

Checked the two I have from this series out of curiosity: Joseph Szigeti and Annie Fischer. Both total just over 10 hours for for 10 discs. Neither overly generous nor especially niggardly. I ended up picking the Anne Fischer Milestones over the EMI Icon which is only 8 discs and is slightly more expensive. Most items are duplicate but on the Milestones you get extras not on EMI - eg Fifth Brandenburg with Klemperer (hardly HIPP but well worth a listen), Brahms Third Sonata, some Chopin, Bartok Peasant Songs, Beethoven Eroica Variations.

A set I would particularly recommend is:



which appears to be a re-issue of an identical collection issued by EMI France in 2007 (no longer available).

It can be had for around £20 (new).

Amazon ASIN: B00PD476SM

The set can be found on eBay for £17.54 including p&p.

[Conchis]

Checked the two I have from this series out of curiosity: Joseph Szigeti and Annie Fischer. Both total just over 10 hours for for 10 discs. Neither overly generous nor especially niggardly. I ended up picking the Anne Fischer Milestones over the EMI Icon which is only 8 discs and is slightly more expensive. Most items are duplicate but on the Milestones you get extras not on EMI - eg Fifth Brandenburg with Klemperer (hardly HIPP but well worth a listen), Brahms Third Sonata, some Chopin, Bartok Peasant Songs, Beethoven Eroica Variations.

Klemperer/Fischer/un-HIPness = BIG selling point, as far as I'm concerned.

[vinteuil]

A set I would particularly recommend is:

[ Marcelle Meyer ]

which appears to be a re-issue of an identical collection issued by EMI France in 2007 (no longer available).

It can be had for around £20 (new).

Amazon ASIN: B00PD476SM

The set can be found on eBay for £17.54 including p&p.

... yes, this looks identical to the EMI set I have (tho' it probably won't have such a detailed booklet).

Enormously recommendable - her Bach, Rameau, Scarlatti are just a joy.

The EMI set is now quite pricey -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marcelle-Meyer-Piano-Recorded-Between/dp/B000KRMWLS

.

[Bryn]

... yes, this looks identical to the EMI set I have (tho' it probably won't have such a detailed booklet).

Enormously recommendable - her Bach, Rameau, Scarlatti are just a joy.

.

No booklet with the Intense Media set. What you miss out on are less than 5 pages on Marcelle, and recording date and venue details, so not that disastrous.

In lieu of he lack of the booklet, there's http://www.thepianofiles.com/the-mar...arcelle-meyer/

[Barbirollians]

I know it was mentioned somewhere but just a word of warning about the Ida Haendel box .The transfers seem fine so far into disc 2 and obtaining the performances elsewhere will be more expensive but there is in fact very little new in the box.

Disc 1 contains the Tchaikovsky with Goossens available on Testament and the live Khacharurian from Hanssler Classics

Disc 2 the admittedly sensational mono Brahms with celibudache also on Testament - the coupling a transcription of a Hungarian Dance from the relatively recent Supraphon box

Disc 3 the Beethoven with Kubelik also on Testament

Disc 4 & 5?Beethoven sonatas from Supraphon and the Testament Bruch with Kubelik

Disc 6 the old 1947 Dvorak not all that long so on Decca plus more Supraphon chamber music

Disc 7 the Stravinsky concerto from the Supraphon box plus Supraphon fillers again

Disc 8 this contains a Mozart 5 from Italian radio that I do not know plus more chamber music from the Supraphon box

Disc 9 a 1945 Mendelssohn with Sargent this is new to me as are two fillers from Moscow of the Bach Chaconne and also La Folia

Disc 10 more chamber music from the Supraphon box

Lots of terrific performances but if you know hercrecorded work well lots of duplication.Ifyou do not a great bargain

[pastoralguy]

I'm delighted to see on the PRESTO site that FINALLY there is a box set devoted to the artistry of Igor Oistrakh on this label. I think I've mentioned that I've been purchasing Lps of this violinist and have spent a small fortune and a lot of work on having then transcribed to cd. So it was inevitable that, after more than 30 years waiting, a box set should appear hard on the heels of my efforts!

Actually, there's not a lot of duplication between what I've achieved and the contents of this set which has a May release date. I'm just glad that his playing will reach a larger audience.

[Bryn]

I'm delighted to see on the PRESTO site that FINALLY there is a box set devoted to the artistry of Igor Oistrakh on this label. I think I've mentioned that I've been purchasing Lps of this violinist and have spent a small fortune and a lot of work on having then transcribed to cd. So it was inevitable that, after more than 30 years waiting, a box set should appear hard on the heels of my efforts!

Actually, there's not a lot of duplication between what I've achieved and the contents of this set which has a May release date. I'm just glad that his playing will reach a larger audience.

Strangely, in their full listing for that set, the violinist consistenly cited is his father, David.