Bargains

[Bryn]

Classic FM Magazine now they are putting complete works on their cover CDs are putting out the occasional interesting issues. This month has a double CD. LSO Horenstein Mahler 1, originally on Unicorn, currently I think unavailable. Disc 2 is Vasary with some Beethoven sonatas (8 14 23 26), originally Collins Classics.

I noted these in WH Smug the other day and could not immediately recall whether I had got round to updating my LP of the Mahler to a CD issue. It turns out that I had not, so I have just hopped a bus into town to grab a copy. At £4.85 for such a fine pair of discs, albeit without any decent kind of documentation, you simply cannot go wrong. Disc 1 spinning here now, and it is everything I remember of it, and in greater clarity of sound.

[Alison]

And you've got a great mag to get your teeth into, Nethersage.

ps Going to the Barbican tomorrow night ??

[Bryn]

Frayed knot, Alison. I don't finish work at Hounslow Heath until too late to get there.

[Alison]

Jonathan Harvey total immersion day in Jan wetting your whistle ??

[Bryn]

Indeed. However, it is likely that work will again get in the way, though I will be trying to find a way of getting there.

[Bryn]

I haven't yet bought any of the Artemis's Beethoven, hoping for a bargain box of the complete set, so I'll certainly be diving in. BTW, even more of a bargain if you shop at Sainsburys (any idea if they're to be trusted to honour an unintendedly low price published well in advance of the release?!). Although I've found Santa Fe Listener to be a pretty reliable reviewer (he's the author of the lukewarm review on Amazon.com), I've read plenty of other positive reviews (including Andrew McGregor) of some of the other releases in the set.

I certainly like what the Artemis do on the Brahms/Schumann quintets disc (with Andsnes), which is the only one of theirs I own, but I've also enjoyed the snippets played on CD review, and on Virgin/EMI's various publicity videos for the Beethoven. And much as I love my Takacs recordings, the Beethoven quartets are far too wide ranging & multi-faceted to be able to find the Whole Truth in one single boxed set. (Which is why I also have Vegh, ABQ, Julliard, Vermeer, Lindsays...)

So, Bryn, you'd suggest that I also get the Endellions? I think I'd been put off by some lukewarm reviews - but my interest is certainly piqued by the Amazon review which praises their restraint in vibrato, which would fit in with my tastes nicely...

Just to say the Artemis set arrived from Sainsbury's today, and they honoured the £12.99 price tag. I now even get the "& Op. 74" tag. It's a new recording (along with the SQ arrangement of Op. 14/1) so is, in that sense, and addition to the recordings being reissued. Though the interpretations of the late quartets certainly bring out the humour, and are on the 'light' side, I would not call the Artemis performances of Op. 131 and 127 (the only ones I have listened to yet) "glib", but neither do I much like their heavy use of vibrato. Worth having though, especially at that price. Thanks again for the tip, ostuni.

[ostuni]

Thanks again for the tip, ostuni.

You're welcome! And thanks in return for the recommendation of the Endellion set, which I got last month, and have been gradually working through (being slightly anoraky about these these things, I work through from the beginning in op number order...). Some very good playing there; the 'latest' that I've heard, op 131, strikes me as amongst the very best for that piece (and I've got 16 (eek) others on my shelves).

Is it all a little too close-miked? Certainly, none of their pps match the Veghs'. (But then, whose do?) And I never actually bought the Artemis set, despite the cheapness - buying 2 more complete sets in the same month just seemed a bit over the top...

[johnb]

I wasn't going to bite on that CFM issue, but Horenstein ..... Is it good? Probably worth the money then. I mentioned this in another thread because of Vasary. Now I'm guessing that Horenstein could swing this to a "buy". Ref msg 446.

Just a word of caution for anyone ripping the Mahler 1 disc.

That CD is unusual in that it is recorded with pre-emphasis. That means the high frequencies are emphasised as part of the recording process and then de-emphasised automatically by a CD player.

I understand that itunes understands pre-emphasis and that, if the CD is ripped in itunes then itunes will automatically apply the de-emphasis when it plays the disc. (I've read that it isn't as successful as doing the de-emphasis using SOX but most people probably won't notice.)

For people ripping the CD but not using itunes the de-emphasis needs to be applied to the rip to enable the disc to sound as it should.

If anyone is interested I will outline the method I use (utilising SOX - a well known and highly regarded command line audio tool).

[amateur51]

Not only ....

If you're in the market for the complete Roussel symphonies + other orchestral works, you might consider ...

http://www.thehut.com/cd/deneve-rsno/roussel-the-complete-symphonies-and-other-orchestral-works-4cd/10566192.html

This offer may only be open for today (Fri 21 October 2011) tho, so get cracking!

Later: I'm wrong ... as you were :smiley

But also ...

http://www.sendit.com/cd/jos-serebrier/the-stokowski-transcriptions/10566667.html

That's 5 Naxos CDs for £2.89

[Parry1912]

Barenboim's Wagner box now £64.99 at HMV:

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=97;-1;-1;-1;-1&sku=382038

[Parry1912]

If you're in the market for the complete Roussel symphonies + other orchestral works, you might consider ...

http://www.thehut.com/cd/deneve-rsno/roussel-the-complete-symphonies-and-other-orchestral-works-4cd/10566192.html

This offer may only be open for today (Fri 21 October 2011) tho, so get cracking!

... and they take Paypal - just the way to use some of the money I've made selling on ebay!

[Curalach]

If you're in the market for the complete Roussel symphonies + other orchestral works, you might consider ...

http://www.thehut.com/cd/deneve-rsno/roussel-the-complete-symphonies-and-other-orchestral-works-4cd/10566192.html

This offer may only be open for today (Fri 21 October 2011) tho, so get cracking!

These are very fine performances and a snip at £3.95 delivered. I already have these discs but have ordered the set to give as a gift!

[amateur51]

These are very fine performances and a snip at £3.95 delivered. I already have these discs but have ordered the set to give as a gift!

I've just listened to symphony no 1 on Spotify & I was very impressed with the music, the performance and the sound. As for the price, as you say Curalach, a snip!

[gurnemanz]

If you're in the market for the complete Roussel symphonies + other orchestral works, you might consider ...

http://www.thehut.com/cd/deneve-rsno/roussel-the-complete-symphonies-and-other-orchestral-works-4cd/10566192.html

This offer may only be open for today (Fri 21 October 2011) tho, so get cracking!

Thanks for this. Just ordered. I once had the Symphonies on LP (long since disappeared. Vaclav Neumann?) Your prompt gave me a good reason to renew my acquaintance.

[Bryn]

Send It charge an additional £1.99 p&p per item. Best to get the Serebrier set from The Hut too (£3.85 including p&p). Thanks for the tip. Both ordered from The Hut.