Bargains

[amateur51]

Hamish Milne playing Medtner - 7 CDs for under £9 - http://www.selections.com/medtner-pi...atas-7cds.html

or also at http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...&condition=new - check the postage which might be cheaper at the market place.

In addition to Hamish Milne, you get Geoffrey Tozer and Boris Beresovsky

[Dave2002]

In addition to Hamish Milne, you get Geoffrey Tozer and Boris Beresovsky

Yes - 4 tracks on CD7.

[Dave2002]

Yet another Selections opera set - Verdi operas from Regis for under £12 - http://www.selections.com/verdi-the-...ras-18cds.html

There is a continuing list of clearance items too. I had quite a lot of Verdi last year, so it's debatable whether this set is "needed" too, but maybe someone will tell me that the performances are brilliant. The recordings are clearly dated somewhat.

Clearly one has to act while the iron is hot. I wasn't very bothered about this one really, but it's now £18.99, which isn't anything like so tempting.

The pricing at Selections seems to have become a bit more dynamic recently. Previously some prices have been static for quite a while.

However - the Puccini set is still under a tenner - http://www.selections.com/puccini-the-operas-13cds.html

[Dave2002]

Another problem here, unfortunately.

I ordered the Real Chopin, and then just to make up the order I ordered the Wagner Twilight - which I was less enamoured of.
Now I've been told that the Real Chopin has been deleted, so not available, and the Wagner has been despatched to me.

If I'd really wanted that I could just as well have ordered it from Amazon UK - so now I will perhaps have paid more (including the postage) for something which
wasn't really top of my list.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twilight-Gods-Ultimate-Wagner-Collection/dp/B008MZPW94/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1391447267&sr=1-2&keywords=wagner+twilight

Ah well - can't win them all.

From JPC:

Twilight of the Gods, Luisi, DG, €7.99

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Richard-Wagner-1813-1883-Twilight-of-the-Gods-Ausz%FCge-aus-Der-Ring-des-Nibelungen/hnum/2986422

The Real Chopin 21 cds €19.99 (an old friend this - not quite as cheap as before but a bargain nonethess).

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Frederic-Chopin-1810-1849-S%E4mtliche-Klavierwerke-The-Real-Chopin/hnum/4301135

Details below:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/advsearch.php?composer=&work=the+real+chopin&performer=&medium=all&label=&cat=

Richard Strauss, Complete Lieder, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gerald Moore, 6cds, €12.99 - Warner

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Richard-Strauss-1864-1949-S%E4mtliche-Klavierlieder/hnum/1751929

The Art of Franz Konwitschny Vol.2 11cds, Edel, €19.99

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/The-Art-of-Franz-Konwitschny-Vol-2/hnum/3959983

Haydn: Complete Symphonies, Adam Fischer, Brilliant Classics, 33cd, €29.99.
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/deta...4/hnum/4897680

[Dave2002]

I was trying to find out whether Bart van Oort's Mozart (msg 3884) keyboard music recordings are in the big box which I have. I think the answer is that if, like me, you have an early box, then only a few of van Oort's recordings are included in the box, and if you are interested to have more then the Selections offer at under £16 is currently the best option. I also found this quite interesting article - http://www.bartvanoort.nl/bart-van-o...Mozart-Box.pdf which suggests that the use of equal temperament tuning takes some of the edge off performances of Mozart's keyboard works. Here the comment was made in the context of "period" style performances on a fortepiano or copy of such. Van Oort has said that if he were to record again he would not use equal temperament.

Of course virtually all recordings on modern pianos will use modern tuning, so this implies that we might be missing something in new recordings on present day pianos. I do wonder how much of a difference it will really make though. Are there any recordings out there which use an approximation to the tuning used in Mozart's time? Do they sound a lot difference, and if so, how?

Meanwhile, I notice that the Medtner box is still available at Selections at the low price, but seems to have been removed from the Amazon market place.

[gurnemanz]

Another problem here, unfortunately.

I ordered the Real Chopin, and then just to make up the order I ordered the Wagner Twilight - which I was less enamoured of.
Now I've been told that the Real Chopin has been deleted, so not available, and the Wagner has been despatched to me.

If I'd really wanted that I could just as well have ordered it from Amazon UK - so now I will perhaps have paid more (including the postage) for something which
wasn't really top of my list.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twilight-Gods-Ultimate-Wagner-Collection/dp/B008MZPW94/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1391447267&sr=1-2&keywords=wagner+twilight

Ah well - can't win them all.

It's odd that the Real Chopin should again appear briefly at the "wrong" price, only to be withdrawn almost immediately. Some us got it for £9.97 on Amazon a few years ago (now £110). It's a very good set but I would not be inclined to pay the full price for it.

[MickyD]

Ho ho, yes, I remember that fabulous price for the Real Chopin which I took full advantage of, buying three or four sets! It must have been a mistake on Amazon's part, but credit where it is due, they honoured the offer.

As for the Bart van Oort Mozart, with 14 CDs in the box, it looks like he has recorded pretty much everything. But I made a comparison the other day with the sound of his recordings and those of Ronald Brautigam on BIS...the latter wins the day for me, although unfortunately he doesn't include all the fragments, just the sonatas and variations. You can't have it all!

[Dave2002]

Now we have Wilhelm Kempff in Beethoven sonatas, but apparently only for a few days, at under £10 - http://www.selections.com/beethoven-...1-32-9cds.html

I don't know the origins of those recordings, which are clearly marked as "mono", but may still be inspirational for some. Personally I don't know, as I don't recall hearing them, but could be worth a punt.

MickyD - I suspect that Brautigam in Mozart costs more - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Compl...atas+brautigam around £40 for most of the keyboard works, or somewhat less for only the sonatas, though it is possible to get a download of Brautigam in the sonatas for a price comparable to Van Oort's CDs of the more complete set.

[amateur51]

Now we have Wilhelm Kempff in Beethoven sonatas, but apparently only for a few days, at under £10 - http://www.selections.com/beethoven-...1-32-9cds.html

I don't know the origins of those recordings, which are clearly marked as "mono", but may still be inspirational for some. Personally I don't know, as I don't recall hearing them, but could be worth a punt.

We've been around these houses several times. The Kempff mono 1950s set is wonderful and my favourite complete sert BUT ferney has warned us about the transfers for the Regis set - to be avoided, I'd say.

[PJPJ]

We've been around these houses several times. The Kempff mono 1950s set is wonderful and my favourite complete sert BUT ferney has warned us about the transfers for the Regis set - to be avoided, I'd say.

and Amazon reviews tell the same story about these second-rate transfers:

Amazon reviews

[amateur51]

and Amazon reviews tell the same story about these second-rate transfers:

Amazon reviews

Cheers PJPJ

The DG set is about £26 (Like new is the used section) and a wonderful bargain at that price

[Dave2002]

Re Kempff Beethoven.

OK - give that a miss then. Some of the DG recordings sound (mostly) fine on Spotify - though not sure if they're the same ones - http://open.spotify.com/track/3N8fw5Trj9gatMeaz6ymLh I think Kempff did some later versions around 1960 - maybe those are the ones on Spotify.

[ostuni]

Dave, this Spotify album is the 1960s stereo set. Many listeners prefer the 1950s mono set, which is (I'm pretty sure) the source for the Regis version. But this mono set is also available as a ridiculously cheap mp3 set from Amazon: £3.99. It's also on Spotify, so you can sample the quality - much better than Regis, I gather.

[Dave2002]

OK - here is the 1950s recording on Spotify - http://open.spotify.com/track/6krtXCBYvvaNKqpDlFch3h Sounds a bit duller than the later one, but other reviews seem to hint that the earlier mono ones have more to offer. I am rather partial to Arrau in some - such as the Tempest sonata.

[johnb]

Last week I bought the DG boxed set of the 1950s mono set, rather that take pot luck with the £3.99 version which is probably remastered from out of copyright LPs (and which Dave's second link points to on Spotify). Just on a quick listen this "remastering" sounds a bit muddy compared to the DG 1950s set.

By the way, I am so glad I bought the Kempff and I have no regrets about paying more for the DG box. There is something very special indeed about Kempff's playing.