Beethoven Symphony Cycles

[LHC]

You might! Recently came across the fact that the Solti Ring on LP in 1970 cost £42. The equivalent today, according to the CPI Inflation Calculator, is a whopping £653.98.

But was that the big presentation box that included Deryck Cooke’s introduction to the Ring?

[HighlandDougie]

I must check whether these, or at least some of them, are also in the big RCO radio recordings box.

I've just checked - only one of them (the Harnoncourt "Eroica") is in that box.

[Bryn]

I've just checked - only one of them (the Harnoncourt "Eroica") is in that box.

Thanks, HD. Saves me going upstairs right now. I'll wait to see if they turn up as a streamed option on QOBUZ.

[Alison]

Yes but do I need another £40 Beethoven set?

I’d get the Nelsons set assuming you haven’t bought it already.

[visualnickmos]

Yes but do I need another £40 Beethoven set?

No; it's merely a record company's compilation. Who's to say it's any "better" than yours or my compilation? Just another bird-brain bit of marketing by said industry.
Complete waste of money.

[Barbirollians]

I’d get the Nelsons set assuming you haven’t bought it already.

Is it good Alison ? Reviews have been a bit mixed .

[Dave2002]

I just purchased the big Sony Bruno Walter box and have started off with his Stereo Beethoven recordings. I only previously knew 4 and 6 and yesterday enjoyed 2,4, &5. The remastering are superb

Very interesting box, though the CD "cases" are not great - carboard sleeves which doesn't even allow the CDs to come out easily. I didn't expect a lot of the material in the collection. The book which comes with it has some rather unexpected details - schedules of recordings etc. There are quite a number of 78 rpm transfers - presumably that's what they are.

I'm not sure if it's exhaustive - I'd have to check further. I have some of the other boxes with Walter as conductor - which also have several different versions of what are now well known symphonies, particularly the ones by Mahler. Of course the box doesn't have any of the works with non American orchestras. I always liked this one with the VPO- https://www.discogs.com/Mozart-Vienn...elease/2884909 -VPO Mozart K525 which I'm amazed to discover dates from 1937. I think I have a couple of the 78s in my cupboard still, though naturally I don't have working equipment to play them!

[Petrushka]

Very interesting box, though the CD "cases" are not great - car[d]board sleeves which doesn't even allow the CDs to come out easily

This is an annoying problem with many of these CD boxed sets. The simple solution is to buy a pair of cotton gloves (your local Boots will have them) which avoids getting fingerprints on the discs as well as damage to the cardboard sleeve. I now routinely use them for most CD extractions from case to player and vice versa.

[Bryn]

This is an annoying problem with many of these CD boxed sets. The simple solution is to buy a pair of cotton gloves (your local Boots will have them) which avoids getting fingerprints on the discs as well as damage to the cardboard sleeve. I now routinely use them for most CD extractions from case to player and vice versa.

Indeed, and you can get packs of such cotton gloves from well-known Internet vendors. Also useful when handling your collection of sovereigns, netsuke, button cells, etc. Nothing like as good as silk gloves inside motorcycle gauntlets, however.

[Dave2002]

This is an annoying problem with many of these CD boxed sets. The simple solution is to buy a pair of cotton gloves (your local Boots will have them) which avoids getting fingerprints on the discs as well as damage to the cardboard sleeve. I now routinely use them for most CD extractions from case to player and vice versa.

I don't mind cardboard sleeves generally, but the ones in this set are very tight. Pity. I don't suppose fingerprints will really cause a problem though. A very small amount of "damage" to loosen up the sleeves wouldn't come amiss, either, though I shalln't be using WD40 on the discs to ease insertion or extraction.

The Bruno Walter box seems to be the worst set for this problem that I've yet encountered.

[Petrushka]

I don't mind cardboard sleeves generally, but the ones in this set are very tight. Pity. I don't suppose fingerprints will really cause a problem though. A very small amount of "damage" to loosen up the sleeves wouldn't come amiss, either, though I shalln't be using WD40 on the discs to ease insertion or extraction.

The Bruno Walter box seems to be the worst set for this problem that I've yet encountered.

Fingerprints most certainly can cause damage to CDs with mistracking etc and are to be avoided at all costs. The Bruno Walter box is by no means the worst for disc extraction from the sleeves but I've just given you a very simple, cheap solution with the use of cotton gloves. There is no need to cause any damage to the cardboard sleeves either. I've played most of the discs from the Walter set and both sleeves and discs are still in pristine condition.

[cloughie]

Indeed, and you can get packs of such cotton gloves from well-known Internet vendors. Also useful when handling your collection of sovereigns, netsuke, button cells, etc. Nothing like as good as silk gloves inside motorcycle gauntlets, however.

I never tried them but Motorcycle gauntlets are probably not too good for extracting CDs! However this is somewhat off topic - I think time to check out Jochum in Beethoven - 3 sets and some additional discs!

[Bryn]

I never tried them but Motorcycle gauntlets are probably not too good for extracting CDs! However this is somewhat off topic - I think time to check out Jochum in Beethoven - 3 sets and some additional discs!

It's a pity that his LSO set has not made it to SACD, DVD-A or Blu-ray in surround format.

[Dave2002]

I've played most of the discs from the Walter set and both sleeves and discs are still in pristine condition.

I've not experienced many problems due to fingerprints, though scratches and other wear do cause problems - sometimes.

Even if you keep the CDs in good condition, it's hard to keep the book which comes with the Walter box in the same state. The pages can be kept clean, but opening the book, and actually trying to read it, clearly changes its state somewhat.

[Petrushka]

I've not experienced many problems due to fingerprints, though scratches and other wear do cause problems - sometimes.

Even if you keep the CDs in good condition, it's hard to keep the book which comes with the Walter box in the same state. The pages can be kept clean, but opening the book, and actually trying to read it, clearly changes its state somewhat.

On the contrary, it's very easy to keep the book in near pristine condition. It just needs to be treated with reasonable care.