Bargains

[MickyD]

Many moons ago, I picked up the 7 CD box of Beethoven folksongs from DG's Beethoven Edition for very little money. No period instruments, sadly, but the performances from the likes of Felicity Lott, Toby Spence and Malcolm Martineau are an absolute delight. Has this collection ever been re-released, I wonder?

[Dave2002]

With that on the shelf, I don't feel the need for another big Beethoven box.

Perhaps space is an issue, though this box does seem to have some very good performances (not necessarily all ..) so could complement the Brilliant box. Now you can't even rip the CDs and put the box in the attic - "legally" that is! That can save a lot of space, but requires effort and technology.

I also have the Brilliant box, but if I want to hear Beethoven's music I quite often look to other CDs, or go live or listen to R3.

Let's face it, many of us have quite a lot of CDs, but normally only listen to one at a time, so it makes little difference whether they are in a large box or in individual ones - apart from the space issue. The percentage utilisation at any one time is very low - probably <0.1% if listening, and 0% otherwise.

Some of us may try playing more than one at a time (sadly, I have!) but it's not usual. Some composers might like that.

[mikealdren]

There's also Pinchas Zukerman in the violin sonatas - though I don't know his accompanist - George Neikrug.

It's Marc Neikrug, Zukerman's regular accompanist

Mike

[HighlandDougie]

Has this collection ever been re-released, I wonder?

Yes - as a DG Collectors Edition box (green cover) - and has in turn disappeared. The set is now only available at pretty silly prices, alas.

[pastoralguy]

It's Marc Neikrug, Zukerman's regular accompanist

Mike

I got their Mozart sonata set in a charity shop for £1.50! Very good it is too.

Marc Neikrug is a composer as well as being a find pianist. Pinkie has recorded some of his compositions.

[Dave2002]

The Complete Shostakovich symphonies by Petrenko and the Liverpool Phil on Naxos for under a tenner as a download from Qobuz...

http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/sho.../0730099111140

It's now over £26 - unfortunately! I didn't get round to downloading and/or doing any comparison between Hi-Res and other versions. The discs are still available for under £30 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...o+shostakovich see the marketplace sellers.

Are the downloads now the only way of getting the hi-res versions of these? I think this has already been answered by mahlerei - but it seems a shame if there really is an audible difference (I'm not disagreeing ...!!) that one is forced to buy downloads and that distribution on physical media is perhaps no longer an option. I would have at least hoped for SACDs for those performances which were recorded in hi-res masters - which possibly was all of them.

[Pianoman]

I have a hi-rez version of No.8 in this series and cannot hear any difference over the standard cd. This is through a quality dac and Stax headphones.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Well Pianoman - I wonder what the reverse of confirmation bias is called? You paid the premium for Hi-Res, but are willing to say you can't hear the difference...
As found in the ABX tests referred to in the linked web page in my post #5750 above:-

http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

a decent Ring Cycle ,used, under a fiver, with Librettos.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Ring-...+cycle+neuhold

Well, the price has nearly doubled, but for a tenner this is a very "decent" Ring, indeed - none of the voices are in the top league, but very few are painful to listen to (Fricka hurts the eardrums - but she almost always does: a great loss that Haitink couldn't persuade Anne Sofie von Otter to take on the role: I always feel that this is a greater, more "tragic" role than the "nagging wife" that she's often portrayed as - and Erda can be measured on the Richter scale - again, a feature not confined to this set). The orchestra plays splendidly and is very well caught on the recording - superb balance within the band (I heard lots of detail that I haven't noticed on my other recordings) and between orchestra and singers. Neuhold is a bit under-powered than I prefer, but rather this than the relentless "shoving" of at least one more famous (and expensive) set - and his approach brings out the lyricism of the Music: a more human, gentle experience than usual (some of the climaxes can lose out, but if the volume is set a couple of notches higher at the start improves this).

Not my favourite set, but I greatly enjoyed listening to it and feel that I will return to it many times. And it's a Live recording - not that you'd notice: the first indication I got was the roar of applause at the end of Rheingold, which was a real surprise - the audience is inaudible during the Music.

Good call, ts - and enthusiastically recommended to anyone looking for a Ring cycle and with a tenner to spare.

[teamsaint]

A couple of these still available used for £1.27 inc P and P.
Vagabond. Terfel/Martineau.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B000001GPD/ref=tmm_acd_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=1445441651&sr=8-1-spell

one arrived at my place today. Can't honestly think of a better way to spend £1.27 , off the top of my head.

really superb stuff.

Incidentally, I tend to avoid Greener Books,after a very minor hassle, although their rating looks fine.

Edit: and thanks to various people for the recommendation on the "Lieder" thread.

[Pianoman]

Well Pianoman - I wonder what the reverse of confirmation bias is called? You paid the premium for Hi-Res, but are willing to say you can't hear the difference...
As found in the ABX tests referred to in the linked web page in my post #5750 above:-

It simply confirms what I pretty much knew anyway - that cd quality is fine as far as I'm concerned, as are most 320 downloads tbh..The hi-res thing is for the 'golden-eared' brigade or those who really believe the record companies.

[Dave2002]

For US based readers, amazon.com have this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...ms-bar-strip-0 for 99 cents. Not available in the UK, though the tracks can be accessed on Qobuz. Search for "Big Mozart piano sonatas box".

[hafod]

The 50cd BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER CENTENARY EDITION 1913 - 2013 can be had new from a marketplace seller for £36.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00DYQLEZM/

[Dave2002]

The 50cd BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER CENTENARY EDITION 1913 - 2013 can be had new from a marketplace seller for £36.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00DYQLEZM/

Who conducted the New World Symphony? That one is very good. The reviewer who tried to prepare me for the first recording - of Beethoven's Fifth - didn't do so well. I thought it would be poor, but to me it sounds truly dire. I'm not that curious about Nikisch's conducting. Sampled via Qobuz. The set is probably good value if you like the good stuff, and can forgive or simply skip over some of the poorer recordings. I've not ruled it out completely yet.

[HighlandDougie]

Who conducted the New World Symphony? That one is very good.

There are two New Worlds - Kubelik (natch) but I bet that it might have been the Ferenc Fricsay - a very fine performance indeed. The box is inevitably a bit of a curate's egg. It's in France and I'm in Scotland so can't verify what I remember about the choice of works and recordings which was that they were subject to vox pop voting via the DG website. I much enjoy dipping into at random and, well, if that comes up with Nikisch's Beethoven 5th, there's always Furtwängler to turn to quickly. At the price, a bit of a steal (and a lot less than I paid for it a couple of years ago).