Bargains

[Dave2002]

Having bitten on the Verdi bargain. Any thoughts about sources of libretti with English translations to go with them?

You could always also buy the Decca set, which might have them.

Actually I would need to check that - Decca's box may not have them either.

[robk]

You could always also buy the Decca set, which might have them.

Actually I would need to check that - Decca's box may not have them either.

[teamsaint]

Having bitten on the Verdi bargain. Any thoughts about sources of libretti with English translations to go with them?

online here?

http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/Luisa1.html

a book would be better.......

[Beef Oven!]

online here?

http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/Luisa1.html

a book would be better.......

Couldn't rustle up a libretto and English translation for Philippe Manoury's opera '60th Parallel' could you ts?

Been trying for ages meself, with no luck.

[gurnemanz]

This site is very good for parallel text libretti. I used it recently for La Forza del Destino. Load the original language, then click "line by line - show" in the box on the right to get the English as well.

[Beef Oven!]

This site is very good for parallel text libretti. I used it recently for La Forza del Destino. Load the original language, then click "line by line - show" in the box on the right to get the English as well.

Great! Many thanks.

Ok, so it's a bit limited in terms of the number of composers, but I do listen to all the usual suspects quite a lot.

[teamsaint]

Great! Many thanks.

Ok, so it's a bit limited in terms of the number of composers, but I do listen to all the usual suspects quite a lot.

There is a PDF of the Manoury in French at Naxos online. A PDF to word converter would get you on the road to an automatic online translator thing?

http://wiltshire.naxosmusiclibrary.com/sharedfiles/booklets/NMC/booklet-8.554249-50.pdf

[robk]

This site is very good for parallel text libretti. I used it recently for La Forza del Destino. Load the original language, then click "line by line - show" in the box on the right to get the English as well.

Thank you - very helpful

[Beef Oven!]

There is a PDF of the Manoury in French at Naxos online. A PDF to word converter would get you on the road to an automatic online translator thing?

http://wiltshire.naxosmusiclibrary.c....554249-50.pdf

Thanks - I had looked on the Naxos site, but must've missed it. Still no translation and my French is un peu merde.

[Dave2002]

Yet another CPE Bach set

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00H5DNBBU/ref=pe_313591_44825531_em_ti

6 CDs - about £22. Symphonies and concertos conducted by Pinnock, Goebel and Richter.

[Bryn]

Yes, it is a bargain and I agree that the music and performances are wonderful, but if you are a stickler for CD notes, be aware that you don't get the original ones which came with the first release of the discs.

Indeed, all you get is the track listings, credits and a few photographs, the former of which are pretty redundant since they are also included on the backs of the slip cases. I would have happily done without the repeated track listings, and the photographs, and instead have the original programme notes. Still a bargain though.

[Mind you, it is only fair to point out that the complete notes are available online.]

[Beef Oven!]

Don't miss out on this bargain Bob Simpson CD http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simpson-Stri...robert+simpson

[MLF]

Having been prevaricating about which complete Bach set to buy (Hanssler, Brilliant Classics or Warner on USB - still undecided) I think I will get the following for myself as an Easter present and defer the decision:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-J-S-Cantatas-Sacred-Masterpieces/dp/B003647BUE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=34J7WQ64CI854&coliid=I36K6UJ8YKIFC2

This looks to me like a very desirable package at low price.

[Dave2002]

Having been prevaricating about which complete Bach set to buy (Hanssler, Brilliant Classics or Warner on USB - still undecided) I think I will get the following for myself as an Easter present and defer the decision:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-J-S-Cantatas-Sacred-Masterpieces/dp/B003647BUE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=34J7WQ64CI854&coliid=I36K6UJ8YKIFC2

This looks to me like a very desirable package at low price.

This does look quite good, though clearly not everyone likes JEG. It probably shouldn't be the only set of these works to have. There is an amusing 1 star review on the Amazon site, which is worth a glance, even if one does not agree with all of it. I have some of the Archiv recordings, as well as a few of the later Soli Deo Gloria ones. I often find that I enjoy Suzuki's performances as much as any - but the BIS recordings are expensive.

Sorry I can't help much re the "whole" Bach sets. I have the Brilliant box in an early version - it may have been updated slightly since I bought mine. Some of the performances are really good, but it is arguably a mixed bag. We have discussed before whether the cantata performances in the Brilliant box are up to the mark compared with other sets.

Would you actually ever play through such a large set? Would you keep it for reference purposes, or for frequent playing? I don't regret having bought it, but I don't play many of the CDs very often. There may be other individual CDs or small boxes which you would enjoy more.

I raher liked some of the Rilling cantata performances in the Haensler set, but they could be considered too comfortable and old fashioned. The Warner set - USB - is that in MP3 format? I probably woulldn't go for that unless the performances are very good. i can easily listen to a lot of material which has been compressed for digital distribution by accessing Spotify. The Warner set is indeed in MP3 - http://www.gramophone.co.uk/features...e-bach-edition - pity they can't produce it in FLAC. The performances should be pretty good. Is that set not still available on CDs? Maybe Warner could reissue this as FLAC or better downloads.

Thanks for pointing out the JEG set though - it does look good value, and I might go for it myself, even if I don't expect it to supplant other recommendations.

[cloughie]

Don't miss out on this bargain Bob Simpson CD http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simpson-Stri...robert+simpson

I let you have foggy go!