Bargains

[Parry1912]

Dutton Epoch 3 for 2

[teamsaint]

Are you referring to an experimental fusion of musical styles, where high-octane orchestral showpieces by Mosolov and Henze rub shoulders with rap, R&B and soul?

I look forward to it.

I did enjoy Jules Buckley's recent outing on R3 with Chilly Gonzales and his piano concerto - great fun.

wasn't sure about the Urban Prom, but I'll do my best to catch it now. Cheers. You have tempted me !

[Dave2002]

Dutton Epoch 3 for 2

There's an interesting selection of mostly unknown (to me) and probably generally obscure music here. If you were to choose 3 or 6, which would you go for?

I might try Elgar's piano concerto, Alwyn's flute concerto and the CD of music by David Matthews - "From Sea to Sky". I was going to leave it there, but then I noticed the recording of Rawsthorne's "Practical Cats". Somewhere I have a tape with an old performance/recording of that - probably the one mentioned in the blurb for the newer version. Indeed - is that earlier recording still available? I haven't heard that piece for years.
[PS: I think the recording is now available again - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prokofiev-Pe.../dp/B001IMUWM0 ]

This is just a suggestion - I could switch things around, or buy six, but not any more, or just stick with three or none at all. The Rawsthorne is a definite temptation though.

I have a feeling I heard the Elgar piano concerto live at one of the BBC studio concerts - probably one of the Discovering Music programmes - possibly in St Luke's, but the recording available here was done at Abbey Road, so it must be different. The CD site has a link to a BBC Discovering Music programme, but that is no longer available.

The cover for the Elgar piano concerto looks distinctly odd - is it a factory? Why?

The shipping cost for 3 is around £2.25, bringing the total (3) to £24.23.

[Dave2002]

The Big Mozart Box is available from Amazon for £7.49 as a download - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Mozart-B...Big+mozart+box
Those who can get it from US Amazon can get it for $2.99 - lucky for them.
There may be good stuff in there (e.g Brendel in piano concerto 17, and some sonatas) - and there is the G minor string quintet K516 played by the Griller Quartet which has been mentioned recently elsewhere in this section of the forum. There are also two other quintets - K515 and K406.

Looking at the "also viewed section" it seems there are other "Big" boxes, such as

this Mahler one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Mahler-B...sbs_dmusic_a_5

this Brahms one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Brahms-B...sbs_dmusic_a_1

this Handel one - which is more expensive - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Handel-B...sbs_dmusic_a_3

and this Tchaikovsky one - which I know has been mentioned before -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Tchaikovsky-Box/dp/B0082YLYRY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_dmusic_a_7

The Mozart box seems worth having because of the Griller and perhaps also the Brendel recordings.

[cloughie]

The Big Mozart Box is available from Amazon for £7.49 as a download - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Mozart-B...Big+mozart+box
Those who can get it from US Amazon can get it for $2.99 - lucky for them.
There may be good stuff in there (e.g Brendel in piano concerto 17, and some sonatas) - and there is the G minor string quintet K516 played by the Griller Quartet which has been mentioned recently elsewhere in this section of the forum. There are also two other quintets - K515 and K406.

Looking at the "also viewed section" it seems there are other "Big" boxes, such as

this Mahler one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Mahler-B...sbs_dmusic_a_5

this Brahms one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Brahms-B...sbs_dmusic_a_1

this Handel one - which is more expensive - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Handel-B...sbs_dmusic_a_3

and this Tchaikovsky one - which I know has been mentioned before -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Tchaikovsky-Box/dp/B0082YLYRY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_dmusic_a_7

The Mozart box seems worth having because of the Griller and perhaps also the Brendel recordings.

Interesting stuff from the Vanguard catalogue - can't say I've heard any Abravanel Brahms.

[PJPJ]

ReDiscovery now offers almost all of its entire catalogue gratis.

The Boult items are well worth investigating for a start:

http://www.rediscovery.us/conductors.html#142

Maureen Smith

http://www.ram.ac.uk/find-people?pid=1320

Hyman Bress

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/hyman-bress

[Dave2002]

ReDiscovery now offers almost all of its entire catalogue gratis.

The Boult items are well worth investigating for a start:

http://www.rediscovery.us/conductors.html#142

Odd things happen when I try to reply to this with quoted material - msg 3201. A couple of names come up, which are surely not related to the posting.
[Ignore that now - I can see they are the soloists in the Boult recording - I couldn't see that at first.]

Is the ReDiscovery organisation doing this as a special offer - temporary, or are they withdrawing from the market? Perhaps they are cross subsidising from another activity, or maybe they are just giving up.

If it's only a short term deal better get downloading!

I noted some of the issues by the Saar Chamber Orchestra with Karl Ristenpart.

[PJPJ]

I don't know how long this will last.

"It's surprising how often other sites will decide to post a free download of a recording we've spent weeks restoring; we modestly think our work is usually superior, but still this development has played a role in the gradual trailing off of activity here. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Henceforth all ReDiscovery downloads are absolutely free. Enjoy the music!"

[Dave2002]

Some people might like this one - http://www.selections.com/andre-prev...ngs-10cds.html which has Andre Previn featuring in jazz.
I sampled some of his piano playing on Spotify - some of it sounds spectacular. He may have recorded some things more than once, so the versions you'll get in the box may be old (very) or not quite so old! His early Ellington recordings do sound obviously old.

The price on the original site is now £10.99 - I can't remember what it was when I originally posted. The set might be found cheaper here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...=&startIndex=0

[Bryn]

... Looking at the "also viewed section" it seems there are other "Big" boxes, such as

this Mahler one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Mahler-B...sbs_dmusic_a_5

...

The mp3s symphonies, with the exception of the 8th, only require minor trimming to edit them into continuous files for each work. The 8th is presented as rather a lot of files, so as I already happen to have a CD version of that recording, I will not bother to try and edit it together. The Rückert Lieder files seem fine, but the labeling of Aus der Jugendzeit and Des knaben Wunderhorn looks suspect. They are all mixed up together.

[Dave2002]

The mp3s symphonies, with the exception of the 8th, only require minor trimming to edit them into continuous files for each work. The 8th is presented as rather a lot of files, so as I already happen to have a CD version of that recording, I will not bother to try and edit it together. The Rückert Lieder files seem fine, but the labeling of Aus der Jugendzeit and Des knaben Wunderhorn looks suspect. They are all mixed up together.

So are they actually worth having then, Bryn?

I discovered that it is possible to uncover more of these by going to the US amazon site - amazon.com, and then searching for terms like "Big Box" in the mp3 section. Another search term which works well is "Bach Guild". There seem to be more of these on the US site, but at least one can find out what is available. The Haydn box looks rather good, but is not I think available in the UK. I don't know what happens if one tries to buy them from the UK. Recently I discovered that the French amazon site would not allow it, so maybe the same would happen with the US site.

There are some interesting comments on some of the material available. From the Big Mozart Box site there were a couple of interesting comments. One was about the bit rate of the downloads, and in fact one user said that the bit rate was too low for Eine Kleine NachtMusiik. I had actually already listened to that one, and it wasn't too bad. It might not always matter anyway, depending on the material, which might (a) be older material which wouldn't necessarily benefit from higher bit rates, or (b) not be a particularly stunning performance, so could be discarded anyway. I found EKN OK, but I wouldn't rush to hear that version again. The same pattern might be found with other tracks on these downloads.

The other interesting comment was about pricing, with someone pointing out that the prices (in the US) go up and down quite frequently, and suggesting that if the price is high one week to wait a few weeks, until it goes down to 1 or 2 dollars. This suggestion might not work in the UK, and the UK prices are already considerably higher here, so one has to consider each set on its merits - they're not quite throw away items. However, with many at around £8 per collection, and typically containing between 8-15 CDs equivalent, they may still have music worth having.

To search on the UK amazon site, select the MP3 store, then search for "Bach Guild" and/or "Big Box".

This uncovers the following:

Schubert - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Schubert...ywords=Big+Box £7.49

Haydn - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Haydn-Bo...ywords=Big+Box [It is seemingly available in the UK after all - see note above] £6.99

Vivaldi - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Vivaldi-...ywords=Big+Box £7.49

Gustav Leonhardt - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gustav-Leonh...ywords=Big+Box £6.99

Most of these tracks are available on Spotify, so can be checked there. There's always the possibility that the sound quality via Spotify could be better if there are bit rate issues.

I am currently listening to the Gustav Leonhardt set - Goldberg Variations via Spotify. It's different, SQ isn't a problem issue, and rather enjoyable. Some - probably all - are also available on Napster.

If you search on the Amazon sites, just be very careful that you don't buy anything accidentally with the 1-Click ordering turned on. I think that's a liability, and I don't think it can be turned off for MP3 purchases. I have nearly been caught this way with my laptop, which seems to do its own thing sometimes!

[Dave2002]

PS to above - US readers can also buy this http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Complete-...57805&sr=301-1 for 99 cents.

Complete Bach works for harpsichord played by Martin Galling.

The same collection is over £15 in the UK.

It is available on Spotify and Napster.

There may be others with a similar heavy discount in the US, and a large price differential with the UK.

[Bryn]

So are they actually worth having then, Bryn?

The Abravanel survey of the Mahler symphonies came out in tandem with the old Bernstein NYPO series. The 7th from the Vanguard set (then on Philips in this country) was my introduction to the work (there appears, to be a wrong note in the timps at the start of the scherzo, unless Abravanel knew something no other conductor knew about the composer's intentions). It's principally out of nostalgia that I decided to get the download. None of the performances are exactly front rank. Serviceable would be a more apposite description. The data rate is around 256kbps VBR Joint Stereo, i.e. good but not up to Radio 3 HD Sound standard.

I am tempted by the Schubert set. The recordings may be of considerable vintage in some cases, but equally, some of the performers are not to be overlooked.

[Dave2002]

The Abravanel survey of the Mahler symphonies came out in tandem with the old Bernstein NYPO series. The 7th from the Vanguard set (then on Philips in this country) was my introduction to the work (there appears, to be a wrong note in the timps at the start of the scherzo, unless Abravanel knew something no other conductor knew about the composer's intentions). It's principally out of nostalgia that I decided to get the download. None of the performances are exactly front rank. Serviceable would be a more apposite description. The data rate is around 256kbps VBR Joint Stereo, i.e. good but not up to Radio 3 HD Sound standard.

I am tempted by the Schubert set. The recordings may be of considerable vintage in some cases, but equally, some of the performers are not to be overlooked.

Bryn

I haven't bought any of these yet, and have listened via Spotify and/or Napster. If you have access to these streaming services you can try before you buy. Buying them does have the advantage that you can make CDs and play them in the car, for example, and also guarantees that you should have them for a long time.

I'm still with Leonhardt. The Vivaldi L'estro armonico and RV 317 with Jan Tomasow are old style - very solid orchestral accompaniments, and the recordings are clearly old. Nevertheless, enjoyable.

The Haydn collection has some recordings by David Blum, some of which I managed to acquire, but some I haven't had previously.

[Dave2002]

The Haydn collection has some recordings by David Blum, some of which I managed to acquire, but some I haven't had previously.

There are also some extra Haydn symphony recordings by David Blum (c.f. the Big box - I think - cross check the listings) on this mp3 release which is less of a bargain in the UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...4574985&sr=1-3
It's under $3 in the US.

This one is also available in the iTunes store for £7.99 for anyone who wants/prefers aac downloads, or who'd rather use Apple than Amazon or their respective cloud players. Search for "David Blum Haydn" to find it. The only other one of the "Big" boxes I've found so far on the iTunes store is the Brahms box.

David Blum's Haydn is definitely worth hearing, IMO.