Sony/RCA Red Seal Box Sets

[hafod]

Sony bruno Walter Edition - 39 cds

Not sure whether to post this here or on the 'Big Box Sets and Duplication' thread - both are relevant. This set is due in May.

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Bruno-Walter-The-Edition/hnum/3424262

These larger sets do incorporate material from the smaller sets. For example, the Heifetz/Piatorgorsky concerts box does include material from two of the smaller Heifetz boxes.

The cheapest I have ever seen the Perahia/Mozart concerto set was £14.50 from a marketplace seller soon after it was released (I already had the set in a previous incarnation), but generally the price does seem to be rising in recent weeks. However, there are still bargains to be had from this series if one holds on long enough e.g. Levine Brahms and Mahler sets, although it is a bit of a lottery.

[Thropplenoggin]

The cheapest I have ever seen the Perahia/Mozart concerto set was £14.50 from a marketplace seller soon after it was released (I already had the set in a previous incarnation), but generally the price does seem to be rising in recent weeks. However, there are still bargains to be had from this series if one holds on long enough e.g. Levine Brahms and Mahler sets, although it is a bit of a lottery.

Thanks for this, Hafod. And the link to the humongous Walter box set.

Has anyone else plumped for the Leon Fleisher set? It does come very highly rated by the Americans over at Amazon.com.

[Barbirollians]

Thanks for this, Hafod. And the link to the humongous Walter box set.

Has anyone else plumped for the Leon Fleisher set? It does come very highly rated by the Americans over at Amazon.com.

No but I have both his Brahms and Beethoven Concertos in earlier incarnations and they are wonderful magisterial accounts. The Brahms almost overwhelmingly powerful .

[Thropplenoggin]

No but I have both his Brahms and Beethoven Concertos in earlier incarnations and they are wonderful magisterial accounts. The Brahms almost overwhelmingly powerful .

Nice to read your encomia, B. It arrived yesterday and I'll be working my way through it this week. At under 10 quid, a real bargain. If only Perahia would come down to such a price!

[visualnickmos]

I have only one of the RCA box sets.
Vaughan Williams complete symphonies (plus "fillers") on 6 CDs - Philharmonia Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin. Some great performances to be heard

[hafod]

No but I have both his Brahms and Beethoven Concertos in earlier incarnations and they are wonderful magisterial accounts. The Brahms almost overwhelmingly powerful .

Same here - I frequently return to these accounts.

Listed on Am.uk is an uncomfortably expensive 23 cd Fleischer box due in June. No other Amazon site lists this nor can I find any further information about it. I suspect it will be like the van Cliburn and Byron Janis boxes (both of which I have resisted on grounds of duplication), in that each disc will be just what was on the original LP and thus most discs will be short measure - another reason for resisting the van Cliburn and Janis sets.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leon-Fleisher-Complete-Album-Collection/dp/B00AL6SLQS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=AZFAVK42ANC5&coliid=IZ5C7VQY794BT

Digging around for a Fleisher discography to get some idea of what the box might contain, I found this:

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/leon-fleisher-mn0001209232

A waiting game I think for both full details and for the absurd price to come down before giving it any further consideration.

[mikealdren]

At £17.55 from Presto, I may well go for the Perlman despite duplications. Shame it hasn't got the Scott Joplin too.

Mike

[hafod]

At £17.55 from Presto, I may well go for the Perlman despite duplications. Shame it hasn't got the Scott Joplin too.

Mike

£15.99 at the grocer - delivered.

https://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/en/Music/CD/Itzhak-Perlman/Itzhak-Perlman-Plays-Concertos-And-Sonatas/product.html?product=E11199158

[Alf-Prufrock]

Enjoyment of Perlman's magic has become somewhat frowned upon latterly but I really appreciate his sound and skills, perhaps others don't like the recording sound but I love it & shall grab this at the first opportunity.

What I found objectionable about Perlman's recordings (though a few still lurk about Prufrock Prefabs to this day) was the extremely close miking of the soloist. The orchestra can be ridiculously faint in the background on some of them.

I have noticed that some American recordings I poo-poohed in the past have cleaned up very well in the remastering of recent years. RCA and (old) Columbia recordings of the past are often remarkable for the quality of their sound these days. Is Perlman now being shoved back into the mix too?

[Roehre]

I expect the Boulez box set could provide a good entrance into Schoenberg. Tempting....?

Yummy yummy

[richardfinegold]

I've just ordered the Leon Fleisher box set for under a tenner: all five Beethoven PCs with George Solti/Cleveland Orchestra, plus Brahms PC1 & 2 and a Mozart concerto.



I was also interested in the Murray Perahia Mozart PCs and wondered if anyone thinks this is likely to come down in price. The best I can find is £23 via the 'tax-dodgers' marketplace. Apparently, the sound has been remastered, though.



Which ones have you invested in and are you happy with them? I know they skimp on liner notes, etc., but can be good value and sometimes offer re-mastered sound.

There are more of these box sets forthcoming:

SCHOENBERG Chamber Works, Orchestral Works, Vocal Works. Pierre Boulez. Sony 11cds

KAPELL, WILLIAM Complete Recordings 1944-1953 Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Schubert and more. RCA 11cds

SIBELIUS Symphonies Nos. 1-7, Symphonic Poems. London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis. RCA 7cds

PERLMAN, ITZHAK Concertos and Sonatas. Brahms, Lalo, Leclair, Paganini, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and more. Sony 9cds

More details here.

The Fleisher set should be a no brainer. I've had all those recordings in multiple formats. Sony had released a newly remastered version of the 3rd and 4th Beethoven Concertos a few years ago and I believe it is the same remastering used for this set. Grab it.

[Barbirollians]

Szell not Solti !!!

The coupling of the 3 and 4 is a delight - have been listening to it this evening . This concertos can take so many different approaches .

[soileduk]

According to Europadisc the Fleisher Beethoven set is now deleted.

[amateur51]

I expect the Boulez box set could provide a good entrance into Schoenberg. Tempting.

Price is now down to just over £18 on amazon sellers

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00AK3X3U6/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

[Ferretfancy]

If the Beethoven Concertos with Szell are in the Fleischer box, I'd definitely go for it, but it would mean duplicating the copies I have. Nobody should be without the Perahia Mozart, it's a pity there are no notes to accompany the music.