Bargains

[Pianorak]

... sadly I couldn't recommend this set - even if it were given away free. . . .

Thanks, vinteuil. I wasn't going to get it anyway, but just saw the price and thought: Never mind the quality - feel the width!

[Bryn]

An alternative view of the Lester Scarlatti discs, and one which I have good reason to respect:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/Apr07/Scarlatti_Vol3_NI1727.htm

[vinteuil]

An alternative view of the Lester Scarlatti discs, and one which I have good reason to respect:

http://www.musicweb-international.co...ol3_NI1727.htm

... well, Mark liked them! For me they were ponderous, careful and yet approximate, 'studied' (and not in a good way),no brio, with no élan or sprezzatura, unsympathetically recorded, both leaden and wooden, - as I say - no joy...

I would usually say - for Scarlatti, harpsichord rather than piano anytime : here I wd say - any of the piano versions I mentioned above rather than the laborious Lester going through these on the harpsichord.

[Pianorak]

An alternative view of the Lester Scarlatti discs, and one which I have good reason to respect:

http://www.musicweb-international.co...ol3_NI1727.htm

It's the Nimbus label and not Richard Lester which put me off. There is a 7 CD set of Cherkassky, all recorded at Nimbus Records, Wyastone Leys, with rather poor acoustics. Not sure if that is the correct technical term I'm looking for.
Bryn, would you say the Lester set doesn't suffer from that defect.

Ah - just seen vinteuil's "unsympathetically recorded".

[Bryn]

The 'Nimbus sound' does not suit those more familiar with the close microphone productions favoured by many recording companies. I find no particular problem with the Nimbus attempts to capture the natural acoustics of the venue using a soundfield array. I have yet to hear the Lester recordings. As indicated, I was guided in my decision to order the set by Mark's enthusiastic review of some of the discs represented in the set.

[Pianorak]

Thanks, Bryn. So there is a "Nimbus sound" - and it obviously doesn't suit me. Even so I'll be interested to hear your assessment of the Lester recordings.

[Bryn]

Thanks, Bryn. So there is a "Nimbus sound" - and it obviously doesn't suit me. Even so I'll be interested to hear your assessment of the Lester recordings.

Indeed there is a 'Nimbus sound' (not to be confused with the table tennis version). It is, perhaps, best experienced today via one of their few DVD-A releases, e.g.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimbus_Records

[ostuni]

It's worth noting, though, that the Lester Scarlatti recordings aren't recorded at Nimbus's Wyastone headquarters, and neither is Raymond Fenton (engineer for the series) a Nimbus man.

[Pianorak]

. . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimbus_Records

An Ambisonic decoder is required to experience such recordings in their truest, surround-sound, form. These have never been widely available, so Nimbus recordings are typically experienced as undecoded UHJ which is compatible with normal stereo reproduction.

Maybe I shouldn't blame Nimbus but the (probable) lack of an Ambisonic decoder in my ancient 1979 Teleton system.

[Bryn]

An Ambisonic decoder is required to experience such recordings in their truest, surround-sound, form. These have never been widely available, so Nimbus recordings are typically experienced as undecoded UHJ which is compatible with normal stereo reproduction.

Maybe I shouldn't blame Nimbus but the (probable) lack of an Ambisonic decoder in my ancient 1979 Teleton system.

The DVD-A transfers are pretty good, though they are few in number. I grabbed a few in a sale a year or so ago. The same discs may be found for around £7.50 each for the rest of the day at http://www.europadisc.co.uk/search/e...sc_results.htm . Scroll down the page linked to.

[johnb]

There is a 7 CD set of Cherkassky, all recorded at Nimbus Records, Wyastone Leys, with rather poor acoustics. Not sure if that is the correct technical term I'm looking for.

I have the Cherkassky set and find the piano sound bearable but not too my taste.

[Pianorak]

I have the Cherkassky set and find the piano sound bearable but not too my taste.

Yes, I agree.

Selections: Piano Concertos - The Ultimate Collection

http://www.selections.com/piano-concerto-the-ultimate-collection-30cds.html

Lots of duplication for me - but at that price I couldn't resist.

[cloughie]

Yes, I agree.

Selections: Piano Concertos - The Ultimate Collection

http://www.selections.com/piano-concerto-the-ultimate-collection-30cds.html

Lots of duplication for me - but at that price I couldn't resist.

The Brendel Box in the same ad looks even more attractive. £35 CDs for £32.

[Dave2002]

Not sure about these two:

1. Glenn Gould box set - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glenn-Gould-...t_mus_ep_dpi_5

2. Eternel Maurice André - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eternel-Maur...3218362&sr=8-1

The Gould Bach set has 44 CDs and can be obtained for a tad over £60.
The André box has 13 CDs and is around £23.

Does one really want so much by either artist? That's for you to decide!

3. There's also this curious collection of seemingly randomly selcted pieces by seemingly randomly selected artists - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classique-Di...3220706&sr=1-2 Can be obtained for about £30 - but presumably UK buyers should avoid the US sellers to avert having to pay duty to HMRC. 25 CDs - random - about £1.20 each depending on supplier.

[Madame Suggia]

The Klemperer EMI box set of romantic symphonies is on amazon at £2.26