Bargains

[Andrew Preview]

IMO, Karajan's finest Brahms set is the one from the '60s; the '89s cycle is very good (the sound on the original issues is a bit odd - bright and muffled at the same time?!) and I particularly treasure the First as I bought it at the RFH at Herbie's last London concert. The '70s set has the best sound of the three (based on the original issues - I haven't heard any more recent remasterings) but the least successful overall performances - good, but there are better versions by Karajan, Boult, Klemperer, Jochum, Loughran and even ('tho' judging by people's responses when I've said this before, I'm alone in this) Böhm for similar forces in a similar price-range. At £5.77, this "pseudo-set" is still a bargain and, unless they've really messed up the sound, I don't think you'll be at all disappointed.

Thanks for that. I've heard some of Karajan's Brahms symphony recordings from the 60s and 70s, and I have his '63 recording of the 1st, so the comparison was helpful. I enjoy his Brahms, even if none of his versions sits at the top of my list.

[cloughie]

A makeshift Karajan Brahms cycle (1-3 from his 1980s set, No. 4 from the late 1970s) for just £5.77 from Amazon is too tempting to resist. I don't know Karajan's digital Brahms symphony recordings, but I gather that 1 and 2 from that set are very good while the third is disappointing. At that price, I'll be buying it anyway, but I'd be interested to hear what others think of these readings.

Have you a link for this one.

[Andrew Preview]

Have you a link for this one.

Here it is.

[Dave2002]

A makeshift Karajan Brahms cycle (1-3 from his 1980s set, No. 4 from the late 1970s) for just £5.77 from Amazon is too tempting to resist. I don't know Karajan's digital Brahms symphony recordings, but I gather that 1 and 2 from that set are very good while the third is disappointing. At that price, I'll be buying it anyway, but I'd be interested to hear what others think of these readings.

In what ways is this a makeshift set? Do you simply mean not Karajan's best? I had thought perhaps you meant recordings pulled from different back issues, different orchestras, different periods etc. Perhaps I should resist this as I'm sure I must have several Karajan performances in the large EMI box set.

[Andrew Preview]

In what ways is this a makeshift set? Do you simply mean not Karajan's best? I had thought perhaps you meant recordings pulled from different back issues, different orchestras, different periods etc. Perhaps I should resist this as I'm sure I must have several Karajan performances in the large EMI box set.

Dave - yes, three quarters of the set is from his last, digital cycle, while the fourth symphony is from 1978. All are with the Berlin Phil. I gather that the mix and match approach was purely expedient. The digital fourth was a bit slower, so apparently it wouldn't have fitted with the rest of the cycle on two discs. But, presumably as a result of some technological advance, the digital cycle is also now available complete and on two discs. In either case, the recordings were all for DG, so I don't think you'll find any overlap with your EMI box.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Perhaps I should resist this as I'm sure I must have several Karajan performances in the large EMI box set.

I don't think that Karajan ever recorded the Third for EMI, Dave (and the First and Second are in Mono) so you'll have some duplication of repertoire, but not of recordings in any of the DG sets.

[Barbirollians]

I don't think that Karajan ever recorded the Third for EMI, Dave (and the First and Second are in Mono) so you'll have some duplication of repertoire, but not of recordings in any of the DG sets.

Isn't the whole 1978 set available for not much more money at Amazon ? If you want it.

[Andrew Preview]

Isn't the whole 1978 set available for not much more money at Amazon ? If you want it.

Yes it is, but I'd heard good things about his digital recordings of the first and second symphonies. In the end, and after some sampling on Spotify, I changed my mind and plumped for Rattle's set (also a bargain at £8.99 from Sainsbury).

[martin_opera]

OK as a bit of Christmas fun - let's play the "guess the extortionate price of the deluxe 75 CD Decca Verdi release" game. I'm going for £159.95. Will be very tempted by this.

[hafod]

OK as a bit of Christmas fun - let's play the "guess the extortionate price of the deluxe 75 CD Decca Verdi release" game. I'm going for £159.95. Will be very tempted by this.

You are in for a pleasant surprise as one supplier has already priced it!

[Bryn]

Hmm, €130,99 plus p&p.

[martin_opera]

Hmm, €130,99 plus p&p.

OK thanks for that and I revise my bid - £106.70!!! The Germans are on the ball. Might wait and see if this drifts below the hundred. It is not essential and will of course feature many duplicates - but what a lovely box! Also wondering what the Vespri Siciliani recording might be??? Unless they've licensed the RCA/BMG Levine.

[gurnemanz]

I didn't really know much by Vesselina Kasarova but heard her singing a Schubert song and was so bowled over that I tracked down a quite cheap second hand copy her Lieder CD with Friedrich Haider. Not everyone seems to approve but I absolutely love it. I would happily run off to Zurich for this. Now a Kasarova fan, I've ordered this twofer, before my New Year's Resolution comes into effect.

[Thropplenoggin]

Is it the same psychology working when men buy big box as when they buy big cars?

[martin_opera]

Is it the same psychology working when men buy big box as when they buy big cars?

What makes us collect these things? I dunno. For me it's completeness and the neatness of all his recordings in one box that I can browse. There's also likely to be some great Verdi in there that I don't have in my collection.

But one thought - does it come in red?