Bargains

[Dave2002]

This may be of interest to some; a box set of four opera blu rays from the Zurich Opera for little more than the price of each individual set.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Operas-Oper...2552989&sr=8-6

At first glance - not interested - but then - I wondered. What's the Wozzeck performance like?

Curious that I should even be using that as a criterion for considering the set - but I saw a couple of video or streamed performances over the last couple of years, and an amazing performance at the RoH some years ago, which just stunned me.

[cloughie]

Does anyone actually buy some of the New items from Amazon or elsewhere at high prices?

I noticed this one of Glazunov symphonies - which is available both used - and "New". The used price is not bad - but the other? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glazunov-Sy...605880&sr=8-21

I think I've got a copy which is still in the shrink wrap, since I bought several - some to give away as presents.

I know that if eBay prices are to be believed sometimes relatively rare items are sold for loads of dosh - such as Kogan's LP of Tchaikovsky violin concerto - which is or has been also available cheaply on CD, but are these really outliers?

I have several sets which now appear to have reach astronomical heights pricewise, but are they really worth that much? I'm not intending to sell in the near future, but .....

Could buy a few beers or dinners if push came to shove!

...but they don’t move very swiftly!

[LHC]

At first glance - not interested - but then - I wondered. What's the Wozzeck performance like?

Curious that I should even be using that as a criterion for considering the set - but I saw a couple of video or streamed performances over the last couple of years, and an amazing performance at the RoH some years ago, which just stunned me.

its a very good performance of Wozzeck, but if you are only interested in that, then get the individual DVD or Blu ray. It was a bargain for me because I was interested in all four performances, and was happy to save something like £60 when compared to buying each separately.

[Dave2002]

its a very good performance of Wozzeck, but if you are only interested in that, then get the individual DVD or Blu ray. It was a bargain for me because I was interested in all four performances, and was happy to save something like £60 when compared to buying each separately.

Thanks - I may think again. My view was I think somewhat similar to yours - that if they were all good that it becomes a bargain, though we don't actually watch too many Blu Rays or DVDs - usually go for streaming. I would be more inclined to go for it if all the performances are excellent.

An added complication is that I've just had a bit of a binge of buying - partly for presents (for others) and some - for me!

Nobody responded to the request for information re Villa Lobos - so far.

[Dave2002]

...but they don’t move very swiftly!

Quite - so are they basically just irrelevant for most people? That is - sellers and buyers.

[gurnemanz]

Of interest to hpschd fans: Pieter-Jan Belder's praiseworthy Fitzwilliam Virginal Book recordings came out complete from Brilliant on 15 CDs last November.

Presto have an offer on the CDs and are selling FLAC and mp3 downloads at the same price as they are charging for individual volumes.

[Dave2002]

Of interest to hpschd fans: Pieter-Jan Belder's praiseworthy Fitzwilliam Virginal Book recordings came out complete from Brilliant on 15 CDs last November.

Presto have an offer on the CDs and are selling FLAC and mp3 downloads at the same price as they are charging for individual volumes.

That offer might be cheap enough to persuade me to download rather than buy the CDs. If so, what to do - mp3 or flac? flac should be better, but the mp3s may be OK and "oven ready" to use a phrase from recent times. In other words they should play or be easy to convert to a suitable form which would play.

[Bryn]

That offer might be cheap enough to persuade me to download rather than buy the CDs. If so, what to do - mp3 or flac? flac should be better, but the mp3s may be OK and "oven ready" to use a phrase from recent times. In other words they should play or be easy to convert to a suitable form which would play.

What equipment you have to play the files on is rather important. Many modern CD, DVD and Blu-ray decks will also play FLACs from USB sticks, sometimes even with gapless play. The same applies to some modern amplifiers, etc. Otherwise, resolve to WAV and use appropriate software to burn to CD-R or other recordable optical media.

[gurnemanz]

I went for mp3 - a real bargain at £8. To make it manageable I put the tracks into folders corresponding to the CDs and added them to a USB stick plugged into digital tuner. Listening right now in vivid, pleasing sound.

[Dave2002]

I went for mp3 - a real bargain at £8. To make it manageable I put the tracks into folders corresponding to the CDs and added them to a USB stick plugged into digital tuner. Listening right now in vivid, pleasing sound.

I'm just wondering if it's worth paying slightly more for the FLAC version. I'm not sure whether I have or can easily acquire a converter to other formats - as I don't have Windows and am running with MacOS.
Turns out that the VLC video player should play FLAC files - though I've not tested that.

This could of course be a test to see if most buyers will go for a download given a choice, though there is an additional price barrier - quite a significant one - for CDs.

[gurnemanz]

I'm just wondering if it's worth paying slightly more for the FLAC version. I'm not sure whether I have or can easily acquire a converter to other formats - as I don't have Windows and am running with MacOS.
Turns out that the VLC video player should play FLAC files - though I've not tested that.

This could of course be a test to see if most buyers will go for a download given a choice, though there is an additional price barrier - quite a significant one - for CDs.

All devices and apps I have can play FLAC but when I have sometimes gone for FLAC. The files take up more space and I'm afraid my ears don't register a marked difference.

[MickyD]

Of interest to hpschd fans: Pieter-Jan Belder's praiseworthy Fitzwilliam Virginal Book recordings came out complete from Brilliant on 15 CDs last November.

Presto have an offer on the CDs and are selling FLAC and mp3 downloads at the same price as they are charging for individual volumes.

Thanks for flagging this up....what a lovely set that sounds. Belder is a very dependable player and one can only wonder how he manages to undertake the gargantuan projects that he does. I'm fond of his 555 Scarlatti sonatas set.

[Bryn]

Of interest to hpschd fans: Pieter-Jan Belder's praiseworthy Fitzwilliam Virginal Book recordings came out complete from Brilliant on 15 CDs last November.

Presto have an offer on the CDs and are selling FLAC and mp3 downloads at the same price as they are charging for individual volumes.

Duly downloaded, along with the Piano Concertos set at a similar price.

[vinteuil]

... Belder is a very dependable player and one can only wonder how he manages to undertake the gargantuan projects that he does. .

... I agree. Tho' I am frustrated he seems to have given up on doing a 'complete' Soler - I think he gave up after four vols (eight CDs) ...

.

[vinteuil]

Duly downloaded, along with the Piano Concertos set at a similar price.

... which piano concertos?

...