Bargains

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Dave2002
    Full Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 18008

    Originally posted by Thropplenoggin View Post
    Bruno Walter conducts Mozart - Sony Classics box set: £3.27 + P&P



    Spotted this today. An early Christmas present to self...if it arrives.
    You may have been lucky. Looks more like £9.50 now from market place people.
    Could be nice for anyone who hasn't got these already, though, though maybe Walter enthusiasts would like the large box.

    Comment

    • amateur51

      Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
      You may have been lucky. Looks more like £9.50 now from market place people.
      Could be nice for anyone who hasn't got these already, though, though maybe Walter enthusiasts would like the large box.
      ... if they can ignore its ludicrous LP-sized box

      Comment

      • Dave2002
        Full Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 18008

        Originally posted by amateur51 View Post
        ... if they can ignore its ludicrous LP-sized box
        I agree it's different, but I'm not sure it's such a big problem. I have the Bernstein Symphony box, and the fact that it's different doesn't keep me awake at night. However, I am assuming that the Walter big box is similar in size - roughly the size of an LP box. If all the boxes were different size, then I might have a problem. Anyway, one can always repackage the CDs.

        Maybe the reason you (and others) don't like the boxes is something to do with the density of CDs they contain. I also have the EMI Karajan orchestral music set with 82 CDs, and it does seem to use space in a more compact way.

        The packaging of large collections to make sellable products is quite an interesting area to discuss. I used to think we might see Blu Ray sized discs with, say, the complete works of Beethoven (might need 2 or 3 such discs), but how would the material be organised? Would anyone buy music if it were packaged that way?

        Comment

        • Petrushka
          Full Member
          • Nov 2010
          • 12229

          Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
          I agree it's different, but I'm not sure it's such a big problem. I have the Bernstein Symphony box, and the fact that it's different doesn't keep me awake at night. However, I am assuming that the Walter big box is similar in size - roughly the size of an LP box. If all the boxes were different size, then I might have a problem. Anyway, one can always repackage the CDs.

          Maybe the reason you (and others) don't like the boxes is something to do with the density of CDs they contain. I also have the EMI Karajan orchestral music set with 82 CDs, and it does seem to use space in a more compact way.

          The packaging of large collections to make sellable products is quite an interesting area to discuss. I used to think we might see Blu Ray sized discs with, say, the complete works of Beethoven (might need 2 or 3 such discs), but how would the material be organised? Would anyone buy music if it were packaged that way?
          I have the Karajan 1960s and 1970s boxes each containing 82 CDs and while they are large they are, for me at any rate, easier to store. Both of them have been quite cleverly designed to take the maximum number of CDs in the minimum amount of space. By contrast the huge Bernstein, Walter and Wand boxes are, as Am51 says, ludicrous and sadly a complete turn off as far as I am concerned. The two Karajan square shaped boxes with four holders each containing around 20 CDs in original jacket design looks, and is, a quality prestige product. They stand on a shelf of their own, though goodness knows where the eventual 1980s box will go as there's no way but upwards!
          "The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink

          Comment

          • Dave2002
            Full Member
            • Dec 2010
            • 18008

            msg 3574

            Chacun ... I really wanted the Bernstein box, and although the box is odd, and doesn't fit so well with other CD boxes, I have still been pleased with it. I've not gone for the Walter box - still sitting on the fence re that one - because of the possibility of substantial duplication. I wasn't so aware of the Wand box you mention - will check. Others who have disliked the LP format boxes seem to have got round their dislike by repackaging in other boxes, or ripping and storing the boxes elsewhere. I did rip all the Bernstein CDs, though actually I still play the CDs from time to time, and it's not something that I worry about a great deal.

            Comment

            • muzzer
              Full Member
              • Nov 2013
              • 1190

              I have to say that the lp size box aside these sets look good. does anyone know if they are newly remastered.....?

              Comment

              • Dave2002
                Full Member
                • Dec 2010
                • 18008

                This weekend only £9.99 - http://www.selections.com/puccini-the-operas-13cds.html

                I've no idea if any of the performances are any good.

                Comment

                • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                  Gone fishin'
                  • Sep 2011
                  • 30163

                  Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
                  This weekend only £9.99 - http://www.selections.com/puccini-the-operas-13cds.html

                  I've no idea if any of the performances are any good.
                  Boheme, Tosca, Turandot & the three one-act-ers are amongst the very finest put on record - Butterfly looks good, too. No idea about the recording of "The Girl", but the only hesitation I'd have recommending this set at this price would be the recording quality: REGIS has a very mixed reputation for the quality of its transfers. (Their Schnabel Beethoven Piano Sonatas was excellent - their Furtwangler Tristan very poor.)
                  [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                  Comment

                  • Barbirollians
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 11661

                    Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
                    Boheme, Tosca, Turandot & the three one-act-ers are amongst the very finest put on record - Butterfly looks good, too. No idea about the recording of "The Girl", but the only hesitation I'd have recommending this set at this price would be the recording quality: REGIS has a very mixed reputation for the quality of its transfers. (Their Schnabel Beethoven Piano Sonatas was excellent - their Furtwangler Tristan very poor.)
                    The La Fanciulla is stupendous and well up to the quality of the others . The Regis transfer of that is fine . I have the 2CD set which probably cost as much as all of these . The Butterfly is very good indeed too although I probably just prefer her account with Bjorling and Santini which I got to know the work from on a 2 LP Classics for Pleasure set.

                    Comment

                    • Dave2002
                      Full Member
                      • Dec 2010
                      • 18008

                      Selections - http://www.selections.com - also have quite a selection of cheap CDs right now - often around 99p. Many are on the Albany label, so put "Albany" in the Search box and see what comes up.

                      You are likely to find some of the following:

                      Haydn on pianoforte, played by Lola Odiaga (decent, but perhaps not outstanding)
                      Some music by Peter Dickinson
                      Eastman American Music Series - various volumes - unfortunately not all of them at present
                      New American Scene
                      New American Soloists
                      Gershwin songs (probably sung in too "classical" a style, but ...)
                      Leo Sowerby - various
                      Fisher Tull
                      George Rochberg - trios

                      and, as they say, more ....

                      If you have Spotify you can try some or most of these out in advance. Of course you may decide that Spotify is good enough, and not bother.

                      If you don't like the music much, you can always buy some Gardman mixed birdseed (apparently on offer right now), or a squirrel proof nut feeder!

                      Comment

                      • Stephen Smith

                        On Qobuz for download - Schubert Symphonies, complete (1-8). Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble - Marc Minkowsk
                        Quality Studio Masters (24 bits) € 10.48, CD quality € 6.99. About 9 days left on this offer. it says

                        Listen to unlimited streaming or download Schubert : Symphonies (Intégrale) by Marc Minkowski in Hi-Res quality on Qobuz. Subscriptions from $10.83/month.


                        Can anyone comment on these recordings?

                        Comment

                        • HighlandDougie
                          Full Member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 3079

                          There was a degree of sniffiness about the Minkowski Schubert set when it appeared but that has never stopped me enjoying the performances (on CD - so can't comment on the 24/96 version), alongside others on my shelves from Abbado, Davis and van Immerseel. At the Qobuz "promo" price, it is most definitely a bargain. They wouldn't be my BaL choice but, as I've said, very enjoyable, not least from them being live performances.

                          Comment

                          • richardfinegold
                            Full Member
                            • Sep 2012
                            • 7638

                            Originally posted by HighlandDougie View Post
                            There was a degree of sniffiness about the Minkowski Schubert set when it appeared but that has never stopped me enjoying the performances (on CD - so can't comment on the 24/96 version), alongside others on my shelves from Abbado, Davis and van Immerseel. At the Qobuz "promo" price, it is most definitely a bargain. They wouldn't be my BaL choice but, as I've said, very enjoyable, not least from them being live performances.
                            I am downsizing my collection by burning them to a hard drive, and yesterday burned Roy Goodman's Schubert Symphony set on Brilliant. I listened to most of it again and except for the "Great" C Major, which is to swift and matter of fact for my taste, this is a very good and cheap set. The playing is quite fine and devoid of any HIP nastiness (squally oboes, wiry strings, etc)

                            Comment

                            • richardfinegold
                              Full Member
                              • Sep 2012
                              • 7638

                              Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post
                              For the same outlay one can purchase the Leon Fleisher/George Szell set of the Beethoven and the Brahms Concertos.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X