Bargains

[verismissimo]

Last week I bought the DG boxed set of the 1950s mono set, rather that take pot luck with the £3.99 version which is probably remastered from out of copywrite LPs...

My understanding is that copyright in recordings is now 70 years. So the Kempff 1950s recordings are still covered.

[Don Petter]

My understanding is that copyright in recordings is now 70 years. So the Kempff 1950s recordings are still covered.

They won't be. The new law is not retrospective, so doesn't apply to recordings issued before November 1963, which were already out of copyright in November 2013 when the new law came in.

[MickyD]

Now we have Wilhelm Kempff in Beethoven sonatas, but apparently only for a few days, at under £10 - http://www.selections.com/beethoven-...1-32-9cds.html

I don't know the origins of those recordings, which are clearly marked as "mono", but may still be inspirational for some. Personally I don't know, as I don't recall hearing them, but could be worth a punt.

MickyD - I suspect that Brautigam in Mozart costs more - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Compl...atas+brautigam around £40 for most of the keyboard works, or somewhat less for only the sonatas, though it is possible to get a download of Brautigam in the sonatas for a price comparable to Van Oort's CDs of the more complete set.

Yes, Dave...I have had to pay considerably more for the Brautigam CDs, especially as I don't do downloads. But for me they are worth it - I just love the more spacious recorded sound that BIS has given Brautigam, I have never been a fan of 'close' recordings. The acoustic is very important for my enjoyment.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Now we have Wilhelm Kempff in Beethoven sonatas, but apparently only for a few days, at under £10 - http://www.selections.com/beethoven-...1-32-9cds.html

I don't know the origins of those recordings, which are clearly marked as "mono", but may still be inspirational for some. Personally I don't know, as I don't recall hearing them, but could be worth a punt.

Definitely worth a punt I would say. Good mono sound, and the performances aren't inferior to the stereo remakes. OK, there are probably one or two works where the stereo remake is better, but also the converse.

[johnb]

Just as long as you are aware that the set is almost certainly "remastered" from out of copyright LPs and it is pot luck as to the quality of the remastering.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

CPE Bach edition. 10 Deutsche Harmonia Mundi CDs for £13...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...43645521_em_lm

Thanks for that, Steve: duly ordered. (I seem to remember that I have a birthday sometime this year ... and I have a measly total of two CDs of CPE's Music in my collection, so much catching up to do!)

I was right about the birthday - the catching up started this evening. Thanks again, Steve - for everyone else, the Amazon offer still holds (in fact, 12p cheaper than when Steve first posted).

[amateur51]

I was right about the birthday - the catching up started this evening. Thanks again, Steve - for everyone else, the Amazon offer still holds (in fact, 12p cheaper than when Steve first posted).

Dammit, this becoming an expensive month!

When's the great day, ferney? Best of bests, whenever

[amateur51]

Yes, Dave...I have had to pay considerably more for the Brautigam CDs, especially as I don't do downloads. But for me they are worth it - I just love the more spacious recorded sound that BIS has given Brautigam, I have never been a fan of 'close' recordings. The acoustic is very important for my enjoyment.

The sound is wonderful on this set, I agree MickyD - a remarkable set all round

[gurnemanz]

This has to be a steal (well, I thought so and bought it) - a 33cd box from Decca of Sviatoslav Richter solo recordings for £44.74 at AmazonUk. The ASIN is B00GYHSYW4.

Very grateful to you for spotting this. Arrived this morning. Already unavailable at Amazon and I can't see it anywhere else. Seems to be of Italian origin.

[Dave2002]

I was right about the birthday - the catching up started this evening. Thanks again, Steve - for everyone else, the Amazon offer still holds (in fact, 12p cheaper than when Steve first posted).

Plus there's also a French Baroque edition, and YAVE - Yet Another Vivaldi Edition!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Baroq.../dp/B00GK7MQ7C French Baroque. If anyone wants the Vivaldi I'm sure they can find it!

I succumbed to the CPE Bach on the grounds that the recording/performances are probably good - and the price seems very reasonable. I do have some CPE Bach already, but not in vast quantities, and would make a change. While I wait for delivery I'm listening to other CPE Bach works on Spotify - currently the E minor Sinfonia.

There is the almost inevitable CPE Bach Edition from Brilliant - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...&condition=new currently around £44 for 30 CDs if bought from certain places. I shall wait a while before thinking of that one.

[HighlandDougie]

Seems to be of Italian origin.

Universal in Italy seem to have been furiously repackaging recordings by artists who form part of their empire (Richter, Sawallisch, Ozawa, Colin Davis, Riccardo Chailly, Mengelberg etc etc). I've been greatly enjoying

http://www.amazon.it/French-Music-Ansermet/dp/B00DT2322E/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1391603167&sr=1-1&keywords=ernest+ansermet+french+music

which is full of delights. As is usually the case these days, no texts/translations (the box contains both Ansermet recordings of Debussy's Pelléas) or notes about the music, although there is a rather good potted biog. of Ansermet. A great reminder that Ansermet could be a stylish as well as intellectually rigorous conductor in this repertoire (which is sufficiently flexible to include francophone Swiss composers).

Delivery (as with other items I've bought from what is supposedly Amazon Italy) seems to come from what is no doubt a giant shed somewhere in the Pas-de-Calais so, for me in France, is pretty quick.

[Dave2002]

As usual, if you want to see what is in the box you need to look elsewhere - such as - http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4807898

The single (at present) review on the Amazon.it site (in Italian) is very complimentary, and reminds us that Ansermet was a mathematician, thinker and philosopher, as are/were a few other well known musicians.

[Don Petter]

As usual, if you want to see what is in the box you need to look elsewhere - such as - http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4807898

Well, not really. It's all on the back of the box on HD's site if you bother to click on it!

[Dave2002]

Well, not really. It's all on the back of the box on HD's site if you bother to click on it!

Maybe, but the site I gave is easier to read, IMO.

[Dave2002]

Another one which might interest some - Schumann choral works for under a fiver - http://www.selections.com/schumann-c...orks-4cds.html 4 CDs.

I'll probably pass.