Bargains

[Bryn]

If you're looking for some Wagner this 33 'CD' download from Amazon seems good value for £23...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Great...47283&sr=301-3

I got the CD box at HMV Oxford Street around the time of its release. I paid around £35 IIRC. The current asking price for the CDs is crazy. None of the recordings in the set would be my first choice for the work in question. However, the download price does appear attractive for those who did not grab the box when it was going cheap.

[makropulos]

Actually, five of these performances most certainly would be among my first choices, but then I think Böhm's Ring is superbly theatrical, and likewise his Tristan. Otherwise, it's less exciting, Varviso's Meistersinger is far from great, and some of the others are marginal. Still, at the price it's probably a good deal, though the Böhm Ring on its own is currently available from amazon marketplace sellers on real discs for less than 25 quid, which I'd say was an even better deal.

[Mandryka]

Phillips/Universal missed a trick in not including the (currently oop) Boulez Ring recording in this set, rather than the Bohm.

[makropulos]

We'll have to agree to disagree there, Mandryka. Though I like quite a lot about the Boulez Ring, I think they made the right decision.

[Mandryka]

We'll have to agree to disagree there, Mandryka. Though I like quite a lot about the Boulez Ring, I think they made the right decision.

The Bohm is much better, but - as has been noted elsewhere - it can be purchased separately, unlike the other operas in this set. By sticking Boulez in there,the buyer could obtain a rarely-heard (and controversial) Ring, then buy the Bohm for a superior interpretation.

[makropulos]

Sorry - I misunderstood you, Mandryka - that's a good point.

[Lion-of-Vienna]

Currently available on Amazon - five sets of Sony Classical Masters: Gunter Wand conducting 9 Bruckner Symphonies, Budapest String Quartet playing the complete Beethoven cycle, Robert Casadesus in 5 CDs of Mozart, a 6 CD set of Erich Leinsdorf conducting Prokofiev and a box of 12 CDs of flute concertos played by James Galway. £5 per set including postage! If last Friday night is anything to go by they won't last long.

[Bryn]

You missed out the Levine Mahler. That makes six sets at £5 each. :cool2:

[hafod]

And the 25cd set "Classique - La Discothèque Idéale" also for £5 delivered (mine, ordered last friday, came today)

[Bryn]

Indeed, and though the UK site has no itemised listing for it, the French site does:

http://www.amazon.fr/Discoth%C3%A8que-Id%C3%A9ale-Classique-Compilation/dp/B0046VRR5A

Thanks for the tip. Just ordered it from the UK site:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classique-Discoth%C3%A8que-Id%C3%A9ale-Various/dp/B0046VRR5A/ref=lh_ni_t

[Lion-of-Vienna]

You missed out the Levine Mahler. That makes six sets at £5 each. :cool2:

Yes, I found that one later. Apparently it omits Nos 2 and 8.

[Bryn]

Yes, I found that one later. Apparently it omits Nos 2 and 8.

I don't think Levine recorded them, at least, not with RCA.

[Mandryka]

'Classique Discotheque' so-called arrived this morning and very fine it looks, even though it does contain about 75 more minutes of Hildegard von Bingen's than I am ever likely to want to hear.

[gurnemanz]

Just come across this Liszt doorstep.

http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/cat/single?sort=newest_rec&PRODUCT_NR=4779525&SearchString=liszt+collection&UNBUYABLE=1&per_page=50&flow_per_page=50&presentation=flow

I'm not a huge Liszt fan so it would plug a lot of gaps. Maybe it will convert me. The performances appear to be first-rate and it is certainly great value.

Cheapest here, as far as I can see:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Liszt-Collection-Various-Artists/dp/B004WQ2L9G/ref=pd_sim_m_h__1

[Stunsworth]

I expect this site has been mentioned already that offers out of copyright recordings for 1 Euro per 'LP'.

http://www.classicalmusicmobile.com/search.php?orderby=name&orderway=asc&search_query=stereo&submit_search=Search

As more recording come out of copyright I'd expect to see more sites like this. The downside is that the MP3s are only at 192 kbps. The link above is to the first page of the stereo recordings they offer. There are a lot more mono ones.