Bargains

[Dave2002]

Amazon Japan has it listed. Whether it appears outside Japan is another matter.

Seems to be 103,371 Yen, which converts apparently as follows: ¥ 103371 = £ 600.5856 to more decimal places than we really need!

The Japanese version would be likely to have unreadable notes and track listings, as shown on the amazon.jp web page.

[MLF]

Amazon Japan has it listed. Whether it appears outside Japan is another matter.

...for the Yen equivalent of a cool £600. Which I am sure is quite justified but is a significant investment on any view!

I am in no hurry to acquire my complete cycle of cantatas - although I will doubtless do so before the year end. As to budget, I will buy the right set to enjoy for the next 40+ years.

I have been listening to the Rilling set on Spotify for the past month, which is rather fine, but would like to hear more of JEG's work - I though the Monteverdi Choir anniversary concert on Wednesday evening was splendid. I appreciate he divides opinion - as a novice I am quite open minded. He also seems quite charming in interview (not that that is relevant!)

I am very attracted by the Bach Masterworks (Original Covers) set - it seems to contain a good range of approaches to a broad sweep of Bach's work well beyond the cantatas. I think I will close my eyes and press "Purchase" today.

Regardless, the thoughtful discussion in this forum has been a joy to be part of, for which many thanks.

[Dave2002]

...for the Yen equivalent of a cool £600. Which I am sure is quite justified but is a significant investment on any view!

You can, seemingly, pay even more for a set which only gets 2.5 Amazon stars - http://www.amazon.co.uk/J-S-Bach-Com.../dp/B002O0Q652 £1,567.50!

[hafod]

You can, seemingly, pay even more for a set which only gets 2.5 Amazon stars - http://www.amazon.co.uk/J-S-Bach-Com.../dp/B002O0Q652 £1,567.50!

Although not currently in stock, it is listed substantially cheaper (€387) at Am.de and includes more favourable reviews.

http://www.amazon.de/Bach-S%C3%A4mtliche-Kantaten-Ton-Koopman/dp/B002O0Q652?SubscriptionId=AKIAIVGTH525N57WM2NQ&tag=pricenoiade-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B002O0Q652

Alternatively, €400 on Koopman's own site.

http://www.tonkoopman.nl/shop/1266422448

An extended review of the first 10 volumes:

http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/chl72206a.php

[Dave2002]

I suspect that Koopman's set will come round again, either in new packaging, or at a lower price.
I like quite a lot of Koopman's work, but I've not heard enough of his Bach cantata recordings to comment.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I ... would like to hear more of JEG's work - I though the Monteverdi Choir anniversary concert on Wednesday evening was splendid. I appreciate he divides opinion - as a novice I am quite open minded.

As a JEGsceptic, I find the later "Live" recordings preferable to the DG studio versions, and particularly the video recordings of the performances that are available on youTube (watching Musicians often helps me overcome problems I have with some performances). Three Cantatas here which give a very good idea of his way with Bach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LyhtmnY914

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... and Koopman in BWV 147 (ignore the "atmospheric" film opening, the rest is the performance itself):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLElL_JJxuA

(The complete Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set is also available on youTube, but sound only, of course: Baroque-y?Roccoco "screensaver" background.)

[Mark Meldon]

I have a copy of Harnoncourt's 1968 Bach Mass in the Das Alte Werk 50 reissue, cost me all of £3.99 from Sainsbury's (now a non-physical outlet). It's still readily available from Amazon for £6-7. The code is B000VIV0X4. IMHO, his later recording is inferior (for all sorts of reasons) which is why it has not been released.

Moving on, does anyone fancy the Brilliant Classics repackaging of the Berlin Classics/Edel DDR Bruckner symphonies? About £22 - B00HE0f87O. I blow hot and cold with Bruckner (more often cold, I have to admit), but the two Amazon reviwers have some very positive comments!

[PJPJ]

Seems to be 103,371 Yen, which converts apparently as follows: ¥ 103371 = £ 600.5856 to more decimal places than we really need!

The Japanese version would be likely to have unreadable notes and track listings, as shown on the amazon.jp web page.

Ouch! I'd read it as 10,000 to begin with. I think Mera Yoshikazu does have a magnificent voice.

[Mark Meldon]

Now, moving back from Bruckner and forward from Bach, I see that jpc.de is selling the really very good Buchberger Quartet integral recordings of Haydn's string quartets for just 20eur. I bought this set when it was released from Selections for about twice that. These recordings are very enjoyable, and the detailed booklet notes are on a CD-ROM. Well worth the postage from Germany.

Along side this set, I'm luck enough to have the Festetics Quartet on Arcana (very hard to find right now) - excellent "HIP" recordings and the 1970s Aeolian Quartet on Decca (cost £30 from Amazon in 2012.

The Buchberger Quartet's Haydn is probably the one I reach for most when I want to hear these endlessly fascinating works; as you can see, I rather like string quartets, even though I can't play a note of, well, anything myself!

[Dave2002]

Europadisc are having a sale of Decca and DG box sets - discounts seem to be between 30-50% - http://www.europadisc.co.uk/offer/15...sets,0,113.htm Some good things in there, though not sure how competitive the prices are. The set of Telemann music by Goebels seems to me to be at a good price - there may be others.

[MickyD]

Yes, Dave, the whole of Goebel's Tafelmusik, 4 CDs for under £12 is an absolute steal...I remember paying around £40 for it! Just a pity tahat DG didn't throw in some of his other Telemann recordings too, especially one very special disc of wind concertos, which is a great favourite of mine.

[Dave2002]

Selections are offering free delivery for orders this weekend. This would be most useful for anyone who only wants to have a few items. The Free Delivery option has to be selected at checkout. http://www.selections.com/music/

Some items are out of stock though, so I'm not sure if it's the order date which applies - surely it must be. For example, the box set of CPE Bach works for £43 - will they honour the free delivery if it's ordered over the weekend when the sets come back in? Maybe.

[Dave2002]

Just a pity that DG didn't throw in some of his other Telemann recordings too, especially one very special disc of wind concertos, which is a great favourite of mine.

Which one is that? I'm very fond of one version of the flute and recorder concerto - which I have on a 7 inch vinyl disc(Archiv) - I don't think that particular performance has reappeared on CD, though I have other versions of it. It's lovely, but that old 7 inch version beat everything I've heard or bought since - or maybe I've just got "rose tinted" ears.

[MickyD]

It's this one, Dave..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Telemann-Wind-Concertos-Georg-Philipp/dp/B0000057D1/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1394277161&sr=1-2&keywords=telemann+goebel

...I guess it is the one you are talking about on vinyl. It has been on CD for many years. Fabulously spirited playing and a real feel for those Polish tunes that Telemann liked so much. And quite a few going cheap on Amazon...it demands to be snapped up!