Bargains

[Bryn]

Dave,

The Rilling cantatas are very different in approach to both JEG and Suzuki, more fine examples of a more 'traditional' (pre-HIPP) school. There's some fine singing and playing, for sure. I have not seen the full set at such a competitive price for a couple of years, though it has recently been re-launched I understand, (though I don't know at what price level).

[Roehre]

Dave,

The Rilling cantatas are very different in approach to both JEG and Suzuki, more fine examples of a more 'traditional' (pre-HIPP) school. There's some fine singing and playing, for sure. I have not seen the full set at such a competitive price for a couple of years, though it has recently been re-launched I understand, (though I don't know at what price level).

The recently relaunched full set does approximately 249 euros.

[Don Petter]

Also, take a look at the new Imp Classics - short measure in a number of cases as they reflect the original LPs (nostalgia trip here seeing the covers again after so many years) - but at £2.21 there is little cause for complaint (except perhaps the inevitable duplication given that many have been reissued on countless occasions before).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/re...al-Submit.y=11

Wow! Memory lane, indeed.

Thanks for bringing those to light.

[johnb]

[QUOTE=Dave2002;70454I suspect that Rilling's cantatas may be better than the ones in the Brilliant box, but are they as good as some of the JEG ones for example? I also have some played/sung by others e.g Masaaki Suzuki, so does it make sense to buy another complete set such as Rilling's?[/QUOTE]

I bought the first 40 CDs of the Suzuki cycle last year in the four "Limited Edition" 10 CD boxed sets that BIS issued. They were then £40 for each 10 CD box but I see that Presto Classical still have volumes 2 and 3 (CDs 11 to 30 of the cycle) for £32.43 each.

Not exactly the same kind of bargain but I've found the Suzuki Cantatas very good and I usually prefer the performances to JEG's readings.

[MickyD]

A dealer on Amazon is currently offering the pioneering Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set for around £135 for 60 CDs - this seems to be a real bargain to me, although those performances are not to everyone's taste. Personally I have always adored them.

[Dave2002]

A dealer on Amazon is currently offering the pioneering Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set for around £135 for 60 CDs - this seems to be a real bargain to me, although those performances are not to everyone's taste. Personally I have always adored them.

I think the Harnoncourt set was about £99 last time I saw it, which was in MDC before it closed. I considered it, but didn't plunge in. There are some Rilling and Suzuki cantatas on Spotify and Napster. I'm currently listening to some of Bach's motets conducted by Suzuki on Napster - sound surprisingly good consisting the digital codec used. Maybe I should see if there are any of the Harnoncourt and JEG ones there, and save my money!

[johnb]

If you want to investigate further it looks as though most of the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set are on Spotify, together with many of the JE Gardiner series (only a few of the Suzuki though and none of the Rilling)

(It is much easier finding the recordings via Triode's Squeezebox plugin than using Spotify's own interface.)

[HighlandDougie]

Although not a great bargain in the way which contributors to this post have usually managed to ferret out, this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stravinsky-LOiseau-Pulcinella-printemps-Petrouchka/dp/B0044U6KRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312041951&sr=8-1

has been giving me a lot of pleasure recently. The much-missed Kreizberg has somehow transformed a not-very-wonderful orchestra into a fine-sounding band. The recordings are in a biggish acoustic but are also very clear, so that the orchestral detail really comes through. While I accept that there are probably far too many recordings of these works already (maybe not Pulcinella), this set is well worth trying to hear. Diapason loved it which is not always a good guide but in this case I think that they were right.

[MickyD]

The Anner Bylsma 5 CD set of Boccherini cello concertos, symphonies and chamber pieces has been mentioned before on these boards, but I've just got hold of a copy and thoroughly recommend it, spirited playing and lovely recordings.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boccherini-Cello-Concertos-Symphonies-Works/dp/B0042GNDTI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1312213705&sr=8-3

[Stunsworth]

Haydn complete string quartets by the Aeolians for £28 as a download. CDs are an extra 6 quid or so...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haydn-The-Complete-String-Quartets/dp/B0026VJVTC/ref=dm_cd_album_lnk?ie=UTF8&qid=1312222085&sr=1-1

[Dave2002]

O

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'm thinking of going for this at the price, but the download might be daunting. I've only had a few multi CD sets before, e.g. Sibelius from the Lahti SO and Vanska, and some Tchaikovsky symphonies, but 33 CDs seems To be going it. Might be asking for trouble? Anyone tried any other long downloads successfully?

[Stunsworth]

Anyone tried any other long downloads successfully?

Dave, the Amazon downloader downloads the CDs as individual tracks rather than one huge file, so it should just keep chugging away until it finishes. Perhaps it would be useful for Amazon to publish the total size of the albums available for download.

For what it's worth I downloaded a 4 gig operating system update the other week, and that downloaded without any problem - I'm with Virgin.

[Ferretfancy]

I've just had a look at the Dutton website, where they are having a sale of most of their historical reissues, prices from £1.99 to £2.99, with a few at £4.99.
Arists include Kapell, Beecham, Boult, Ansermet, Stokowski, Kathleen Long, the Griller Quartet and many others. I already own the cream of these, and they are not to be missed, with excellent remasterings.
I fear that Dutton may be abandoning historical issues, concentrating instead on new recordings of neglected British music, that's a good thing, but get the historics while you can.
Sale finishes August 14th.

[Chris Newman]

Thanks, Ferretfancy. Once again you make me spend money. I should have Boulted my plastic away.

[Pianorak]

Yet again one succumbed - but how can one resist those Cyril Scott recordings (and one or two others). Thanks, Ferretfancy.