Record Review: non-BaL discs reviewed, etc.

[Pulcinella]

Re. the Alkan Edition, I was a bit taken aback that neither reviewer had heard of Mark Viner. First heard this fine pianist several years ago at the Schott music recital room in one of the concert series organised by Jonathan Powell. Mark played some Alkan among other composers. Greatly impressed by his playing at the time, as I think I mentioned hereabouts.

They've probably been told that they can't appear to be too Johnny/Jenny Know-alls for fear of intimidating listeners.

[Alison]

Who's up for the Alkan box then?

Intrigued by the organ music I must say!

[Bryn]

Who's up for the Alkan box then?

Intrigued by the organ music I must say!

Well since the Viner disc on its own costs about a third of the price of the box, I might be, but not just yet.

[Alison]

Well you have got the Solti box to keep you occupied Nethers! Started it?

[Bryn]

Well you have got the Solti box to keep you occupied Nethers! Started it?

Just changed my mind and ordered, paid for and am now downloading the 3.1GB FLAC zip from Presto Classical. I just could not resist at that price! Booklet pdf and cover jpg included.

Oh, I forgot to mention, £9.75 the lot. Don't tell Beefy. The Solti box is resource I will tap as time goes by.

[Alison]

Wow, that's an impulse buy if ever there was one.

Will be interested to learn which performance from the Solti you listen to first.

[Bryn]

... Will be interested to learn which performance from the Solti you listen to first.

Well it will not be anything by Bartok, Mahler or Beethoven. They, and a fair few others, are very much duplications. Look out for them in Oxfam shops (they seem to be more savvy in their pricing of 'classical' issues - I'd hate to see them going of £1 a disc).

[Beef Oven!]

Just changed my mind and ordered, paid for and am now downloading the 3.1GB FLAC zip from Presto Classical. I just could not resist at that price! Booklet pdf and cover jpg included.

Oh, I forgot to mention, £9.75 the lot. Don't tell Beefy. The Solti box is resource I will tap as time goes by.

[EdgeleyRob]

Who's up for the Alkan box then?

Intrigued by the organ music I must say!

Who isn't ?
You can listen via the Naxos Library if you need convincing first chuck.

[EdgeleyRob]

That last rather slow Alkan piece, I'll probably be able to play! The only one, I think!

The gorgeous Barcarolle BBM ?,you have my admiration.

[Beef Oven!]

That last rather slow Alkan piece, I'll probably be able to play! The only one, I think!

I've recently learned his his Allegro Barbaro, a very difficult piece and it requires stamina - it currently takes me 46 minutes to get through and I'm hoping to speed up.

[Nick Armstrong]

I've recently learned his his Allegro Barbaro, a very difficult piece and it requires stamina - it currently takes me 46 minutes to get through and I'm hoping to speed up.

[Bryn]

I've recently learned his his Allegro Barbaro, a very difficult piece and it requires stamina - it currently takes me 46 minutes to get through and I'm hoping to speed up.

Bad news. The fault reported in the amazon.co.uk customer review is present in the download too, i.e. from around 11'52" into the first movement of the Concerto (Op. 39 No. 8).

[Beef Oven!]

Bad news. The fault reported in the amazon.co.uk customer review is present in the download too, i.e. from around 11'52" into the first movement of the Concerto (Op. 39 No. 8).

Bad news indeed. I've dipped in and out, but didn't pick up on the fault. I may ask for a refund.

[Bryn]

Bad news indeed. I've dipped in and out, but didn't pick up on the fault. I may ask for a refund.

I have just checked the 1st movement of the Concerto from the single disc version on QOBUZ. No fault apparent there, so either the amazon.co.uk customer reviewer was basing the review on the Presto download (it is referred to as track 11, with no mention of which disc), or the fault lies only in the Edition version of the disc and its related FLAC. I intend to email Presto re. the problem, pointing out that it does not occur in the single disc version, so they could replace the faulty file with that one.