Clifford Curzon - Complete Decca Recordings box-set

[hafod]

Actually the new box has 23 CDs *and* a DVD. So it's the 21 from Original Masters, a disc of rare and hitherto unpublished material (CD22), another disc of audio interviews (including "Desert Island Discs", and then the DVD which includes a large number of further audio tracks (interviews) as well as Curzon's marked up scores of two Schubert Sonatas which can be followed along with the recordings. In other words there's quite a lot of "new" material that wasn't on the Original Masters boxes, the DVD and CD that came out originally in 2007, and all the unpublished/rare things, including Curzon's one and only recording of Chopin. It's a hugely impressive set.

I agree that it is a hugely impressive set - I was simply trying to point out the equally huge duplication/overlap with the Original Masters sets. I have the OM sets and for me around £60 for two cds and a dvd (particularly as they contain much interview material) is not worth it despite the unpublished/rare items which I would not describe as "quite a lot of 'new' material" - say 15% - although I accept that others may take a different perspective and consider 'completeness/uniqueness' of the material to be more important.

[Stanley Stewart]

Earlier today, I shopped around on various sites for this enticing boxset of 23CDs+DVD before settling on the best deal of £46 11,post free, from Play.com, via one of their Trade Sellers, 'All Your Music' in the USA. The order was confirmed, followed by despatch details within a few hours. Delivery in 7-10 days.

[Nick Armstrong]

Earlier today, I shopped around on various sites for this enticing boxset of 23CDs+DVD before settling on the best deal of £46 11,post free, from Play.com, via one of their Trade Sellers, 'All Your Music' in the USA. The order was confirmed, followed by despatch details within a few hours. Delivery in 7-10 days.

[makropulos]

I agree that it is a hugely impressive set - I was simply trying to point out the equally huge duplication/overlap with the Original Masters sets. I have the OM sets and for me around £60 for two cds and a dvd (particularly as they contain much interview material) is not worth it despite the unpublished/rare items which I would not describe as "quite a lot of 'new' material" - say 15% - although I accept that others may take a different perspective and consider 'completeness/uniqueness' of the material to be more important.

That's a very fair point - if I had all four of the Original Masters boxes already, I'm not sure there's enough to make me want the new set as well. But as I didn't have them all, I'm thrilled to have the new one.

[hafod]

Earlier today, I shopped around on various sites for this enticing boxset of 23CDs+DVD before settling on the best deal of £46 11,post free, from Play.com, via one of their Trade Sellers, 'All Your Music' in the USA. The order was confirmed, followed by despatch details within a few hours. Delivery in 7-10 days.

If it is coming from the US and is over £18 then it is liable for import duty although it is not always levied. I do hope you are lucky.

[BBMmk2]

I am very tempted but I am rather put off with all that Mozart.I know there are boarders here who know about my anathema owards Mozart!!

[David-G]

I am very tempted but I am rather put off with all that Mozart.I know there are boarders here who know about my anathema owards Mozart!!

I wonder what Mozart you have listened to? Or perhaps the question should be, what Mozart you have not listened to?

[Nick Armstrong]

As an adjunct to this discussion, I am currently listening by stages to Sir Cliff's appearance on Desert Island Discs from June 1978, available as a podcast as part of Radio 4's quite awe-inspiring release of the entire DID archive.

You can find it if you spool down around halfway down the long list, having clicked on this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/dida80/all (Just look at the fascinating people one can hear - Boult, Tom Lehrer, Powell & Pressberger, Abbado, Dizzy Gillespie, Goodall, Palin, Dahl, Rex Harrison, Lympany, Gobbi, Bacall, Tennessee Williams &c. &c... the list is absolutely phenomenal I think, and that's only one tranche of the 5 or 6 giving one access to all DIDs that were retained since the 40s).

And Curzon is a talkative delight, Plomley hardly gets a word in edgewise sometimes. I loved the self-effacing way he excused taking one short recording of himself: as a reminder that "I had in my lifetime reached a stage where I had been able to twiddle my fingers pretty brightly"



Fascinating too that his uncle was Ketelby, and it was 'Monastery Garden' etc, played downstairs by Uncle Albert in the family home, which first alerted the infant Clifford to music.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I know there are boarders here who know about my anathema owards Mozart!!

Yes; but we still talk to you!

[BBMmk2]

Haha!! :) Thank you Ferney!!

[John Wright]

..... available as a podcast as part of Radio 4's quite awe-inspiring release of the entire DID archive.

Eh? Where is the ENTIRE DID, I can only find back to 1976

[Nick Armstrong]

Eh? Where is the ENTIRE DID, I can only find back to 1976

The archive is listed in date order on the programme page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr

If you click on each link, you will get a page which takes you to each podcast individually - or if you want to download them all for the relevant period, click on 'iTunes' (or one of the other buttons - I only use iTunes, not sure what the others are) under where it says 'Subscribe for free' at the top right.

I've refreshed the thread about the DID archive, as I would love as many people as possible to derive the pleasure I've already had from this unbelievable resource.

[Barbirollians]

This is one of those sets where the level of duplication just puts me off . I have many of these recordings and as much as I should like to hear those I do not have it is uneconomic to pay this much for 5 or 6 CDs in effect.

[Nick Armstrong]

This is one of those sets where the level of duplication just puts me off . I have many of these recordings and as much as I should like to hear those I do not have it is uneconomic to pay this much for 5 or 6 CDs in effect.

Perhaps an example therefore of the value of the download option: if the items you want to hear are available separately for 79p per track here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clifford-Cur...dmusic&sr=1-18 you can have the best of both worlds...

[Barbirollians]

Maybe but I am not a fan of downloads.

There is of course a benefit in keeping available recordings that seem to have no prospect of reappearing on CD ,even if they have in the past made it .

Like Annie Fischer's marvellous , capricious Beethoven Paino Concerto No 3 with Fricsay