Bargains

[Dave2002]

Bruno Walter conducts Mozart - Sony Classics box set: £3.27 + P&P

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0056K4VRM/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Spotted this today. An early Christmas present to self...if it arrives.

You may have been lucky. Looks more like £9.50 now from market place people.
Could be nice for anyone who hasn't got these already, though, though maybe Walter enthusiasts would like the large box.

[amateur51]

You may have been lucky. Looks more like £9.50 now from market place people.
Could be nice for anyone who hasn't got these already, though, though maybe Walter enthusiasts would like the large box.

... if they can ignore its ludicrous LP-sized box

[Dave2002]

... if they can ignore its ludicrous LP-sized box

I agree it's different, but I'm not sure it's such a big problem. I have the Bernstein Symphony box, and the fact that it's different doesn't keep me awake at night. However, I am assuming that the Walter big box is similar in size - roughly the size of an LP box. If all the boxes were different size, then I might have a problem. Anyway, one can always repackage the CDs.

Maybe the reason you (and others) don't like the boxes is something to do with the density of CDs they contain. I also have the EMI Karajan orchestral music set with 82 CDs, and it does seem to use space in a more compact way.

The packaging of large collections to make sellable products is quite an interesting area to discuss. I used to think we might see Blu Ray sized discs with, say, the complete works of Beethoven (might need 2 or 3 such discs), but how would the material be organised? Would anyone buy music if it were packaged that way?

[Petrushka]

I agree it's different, but I'm not sure it's such a big problem. I have the Bernstein Symphony box, and the fact that it's different doesn't keep me awake at night. However, I am assuming that the Walter big box is similar in size - roughly the size of an LP box. If all the boxes were different size, then I might have a problem. Anyway, one can always repackage the CDs.

Maybe the reason you (and others) don't like the boxes is something to do with the density of CDs they contain. I also have the EMI Karajan orchestral music set with 82 CDs, and it does seem to use space in a more compact way.

The packaging of large collections to make sellable products is quite an interesting area to discuss. I used to think we might see Blu Ray sized discs with, say, the complete works of Beethoven (might need 2 or 3 such discs), but how would the material be organised? Would anyone buy music if it were packaged that way?

I have the Karajan 1960s and 1970s boxes each containing 82 CDs and while they are large they are, for me at any rate, easier to store. Both of them have been quite cleverly designed to take the maximum number of CDs in the minimum amount of space. By contrast the huge Bernstein, Walter and Wand boxes are, as Am51 says, ludicrous and sadly a complete turn off as far as I am concerned. The two Karajan square shaped boxes with four holders each containing around 20 CDs in original jacket design looks, and is, a quality prestige product. They stand on a shelf of their own, though goodness knows where the eventual 1980s box will go as there's no way but upwards!

[Dave2002]

msg 3574

Chacun ... I really wanted the Bernstein box, and although the box is odd, and doesn't fit so well with other CD boxes, I have still been pleased with it. I've not gone for the Walter box - still sitting on the fence re that one - because of the possibility of substantial duplication. I wasn't so aware of the Wand box you mention - will check. Others who have disliked the LP format boxes seem to have got round their dislike by repackaging in other boxes, or ripping and storing the boxes elsewhere. I did rip all the Bernstein CDs, though actually I still play the CDs from time to time, and it's not something that I worry about a great deal.

[muzzer]

I have to say that the lp size box aside these sets look good. does anyone know if they are newly remastered.....?

[Dave2002]

This weekend only £9.99 - http://www.selections.com/puccini-the-operas-13cds.html

I've no idea if any of the performances are any good.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This weekend only £9.99 - http://www.selections.com/puccini-the-operas-13cds.html

I've no idea if any of the performances are any good.

Boheme, Tosca, Turandot & the three one-act-ers are amongst the very finest put on record - Butterfly looks good, too. No idea about the recording of "The Girl", but the only hesitation I'd have recommending this set at this price would be the recording quality: REGIS has a very mixed reputation for the quality of its transfers. (Their Schnabel Beethoven Piano Sonatas was excellent - their Furtwangler Tristan very poor.)

[Barbirollians]

Boheme, Tosca, Turandot & the three one-act-ers are amongst the very finest put on record - Butterfly looks good, too. No idea about the recording of "The Girl", but the only hesitation I'd have recommending this set at this price would be the recording quality: REGIS has a very mixed reputation for the quality of its transfers. (Their Schnabel Beethoven Piano Sonatas was excellent - their Furtwangler Tristan very poor.)

The La Fanciulla is stupendous and well up to the quality of the others . The Regis transfer of that is fine . I have the 2CD set which probably cost as much as all of these . The Butterfly is very good indeed too although I probably just prefer her account with Bjorling and Santini which I got to know the work from on a 2 LP Classics for Pleasure set.

[Dave2002]

Selections - http://www.selections.com - also have quite a selection of cheap CDs right now - often around 99p. Many are on the Albany label, so put "Albany" in the Search box and see what comes up.

You are likely to find some of the following:

Haydn on pianoforte, played by Lola Odiaga (decent, but perhaps not outstanding)
Some music by Peter Dickinson
Eastman American Music Series - various volumes - unfortunately not all of them at present
New American Scene
New American Soloists
Gershwin songs (probably sung in too "classical" a style, but ...)
Leo Sowerby - various
Fisher Tull
George Rochberg - trios

and, as they say, more ....

If you have Spotify you can try some or most of these out in advance. Of course you may decide that Spotify is good enough, and not bother.

If you don't like the music much, you can always buy some Gardman mixed birdseed (apparently on offer right now), or a squirrel proof nut feeder!

[Stephen Smith]

On Qobuz for download - Schubert Symphonies, complete (1-8). Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble - Marc Minkowsk
Quality Studio Masters (24 bits) € 10.48, CD quality € 6.99. About 9 days left on this offer. it says

http://www.qobuz.com/album/marc-minkowski-schubert-symphonies/0822189021870

Can anyone comment on these recordings?

[HighlandDougie]

There was a degree of sniffiness about the Minkowski Schubert set when it appeared but that has never stopped me enjoying the performances (on CD - so can't comment on the 24/96 version), alongside others on my shelves from Abbado, Davis and van Immerseel. At the Qobuz "promo" price, it is most definitely a bargain. They wouldn't be my BaL choice but, as I've said, very enjoyable, not least from them being live performances.

[Barbirollians]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Piano-Concertos-Choral-Fantasia/dp/B000GH2WNU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385292950&sr=8-3&keywords=beethoven+barenboim+piano

Being given away IMO .

[richardfinegold]

There was a degree of sniffiness about the Minkowski Schubert set when it appeared but that has never stopped me enjoying the performances (on CD - so can't comment on the 24/96 version), alongside others on my shelves from Abbado, Davis and van Immerseel. At the Qobuz "promo" price, it is most definitely a bargain. They wouldn't be my BaL choice but, as I've said, very enjoyable, not least from them being live performances.

I am downsizing my collection by burning them to a hard drive, and yesterday burned Roy Goodman's Schubert Symphony set on Brilliant. I listened to most of it again and except for the "Great" C Major, which is to swift and matter of fact for my taste, this is a very good and cheap set. The playing is quite fine and devoid of any HIP nastiness (squally oboes, wiry strings, etc)

[richardfinegold]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Pi...arenboim+piano

Being given away IMO .

For the same outlay one can purchase the Leon Fleisher/George Szell set of the Beethoven and the Brahms Concertos.