Bargains

[AmpH]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-li...n=new&qid=&sr=

Scrowaczewski box at a good price on market place.

If I didn't already have that set I would snap it up at the Amazon price !

[cloughie]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-li...n=new&qid=&sr=

Scrowaczewski box at a good price on market place.

[Bryn]

Has anyone here invested in this Scherchen Mahler box?



(£11.99 from amazon.co.uk.)

I have Symphonies 1, 2, 5, 7 and the Adagio from 10 in the Scribendum Scherchen box, but would like to know what the recordings of 3, 6, 8 and 9 are like, and also whether 5 is of the severely cut French radio recording (the Scribendum box has a nominally complete Vienna performance). The lack of a 4th seems curious.

[vinteuil]

Has anyone here invested in this Scherchen Mahler box?



(£11.99 from amazon.co.uk.)

I have Symphonies 1, 2, 5, 7 and the Adagio from 10 in the Scribendum Scherchen box, but would like to know what the recordings of 3, 6, 8 and 9 are like, and also whether 5 is of the severely cut French radio recording (the Scribendum box has a nominally complete Vienna performance). The lack of a 4th seems curious.

... there's a helpful comment on the Spanish amazon site - (which says that the 5th is the recording from the Westminster label).

https://www.amazon.es/dp/B077BV4DTM

... ""Hay directores muy buenos, buenos, regulares, malos, malísimos y Hermann Scherchen…” Esta lapidaria frase la pronunció Sergiu Celibidache y demuestra lo escasamente apreciado que fue en vida el director de orquesta Hermann Scherchen. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo su figura se ha agigantado convirtiéndose en un auténtico director "de culto". Sus excentricidades, mal comprendidas en su época, se ven ahora como un signo de su genialidad. Gustaba de alternar tempi aceleradísimos con otros mucho más lentos, y se le considera un precursor del movimiento "h.i.p.".
El sello Membran ha tenido la genial idea de reunir en este cofre una casi integral de Mahler (falta la cuarta) de los años 50 a cargo del alemán. Lo más interesante son las grabaciones procedentes del sello Westminster de la 1ª, 2ª y 5ª sinfonías y de algunos lieder a cargo de Lucretia West. Este sello era famoso por la calidad de sus grabaciones, como se puede comprobar aquí. Se añaden grabaciones en vivo del resto de sinfonías, todas con un sonido bastante aceptable. Su estilo es austero y racional, en el polo opuesto de los directores románticos, y se observa cierta excentricidad en la elección de los tempi, que varían de lo rapidísimo (se ventila la 6ª en solo 53 minutos) a lo muy lento (94 minutos para la 2ª sinfonía). En definitiva, un interesante recorrido por la carrera de un director que, para bien o para mal, no deja a nadie indiferente."


I think I'll take the plunge - I won on the Premium Bonds today. (£25... ).



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[Bryn]

... there's a helpful comment on the Spanish amazon site - (which says that the 5th is the recording from the Westminster label).

https://www.amazon.es/dp/B077BV4DTM

... ""Hay directores muy buenos, buenos, regulares, malos, malísimos y Hermann Scherchen…” Esta lapidaria frase la pronunció Sergiu Celibidache y demuestra lo escasamente apreciado que fue en vida el director de orquesta Hermann Scherchen. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo su figura se ha agigantado convirtiéndose en un auténtico director "de culto". Sus excentricidades, mal comprendidas en su época, se ven ahora como un signo de su genialidad. Gustaba de alternar tempi aceleradísimos con otros mucho más lentos, y se le considera un precursor del movimiento "h.i.p.".
El sello Membran ha tenido la genial idea de reunir en este cofre una casi integral de Mahler (falta la cuarta) de los años 50 a cargo del alemán. Lo más interesante son las grabaciones procedentes del sello Westminster de la 1ª, 2ª y 5ª sinfonías y de algunos lieder a cargo de Lucretia West. Este sello era famoso por la calidad de sus grabaciones, como se puede comprobar aquí. Se añaden grabaciones en vivo del resto de sinfonías, todas con un sonido bastante aceptable. Su estilo es austero y racional, en el polo opuesto de los directores románticos, y se observa cierta excentricidad en la elección de los tempi, que varían de lo rapidísimo (se ventila la 6ª en solo 53 minutos) a lo muy lento (94 minutos para la 2ª sinfonía). En definitiva, un interesante recorrido por la carrera de un director que, para bien o para mal, no deja a nadie indiferente."


I think I'll take the plunge - I won on the Premium Bonds today. (£25... ).



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Thanks, I suspect the 6th may be a cut version of the score, as the French 5th I mentioned was.

[Dave2002]

The set of Kathleen Battle Sony recordings might be good at am.de for around 19 Euros - though I don't know if the postage will make it uncompetitive. It might be available more cheaply from marketplace sellers - the same comments re postage could apply. https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_no...en+Battle+SOny However it's not too much more expensive at am.uk

Turns out currently at £21.85 - including postage from "Germany" - a modest saving over the am.uk price.

[vinteuil]

Thanks, I suspect the 6th may be a cut version of the score, as the French 5th I mentioned was.

Hi Bryn : the Scherchen Mahler arrived this pm. As ever with membran, not much info on the sleeves. For what it's worth -

1. Symphony 1 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra rec 1954; beginning of Symphony 2...
2. Symphony 2 cont'd Orch: der Wiener Staatsoper rec 1958
3. Lieder eines F G, Lucretia West, Orch: der Wiener Staatsoper rec 1958; beginning Symphony 3...
4. Symphony 3 cont'd Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig rec 1960, live; Kindertotenlieder, Lucretia West, Orch: der Wiener Staatsoper rec 1958
5. Symphony 5 Orch: der Wiener Staatsoper rec 1953
6. Symphony 6 Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig rec 1960, live [total time : 53'49"]
7. Symphony 7 Wiener Symphoniker rec 1950, live
8. Symphony 10 Adagio, Wiener Symphoniker; beginning Symphony 8...
9. Symphony 8 part ii, Wiener Symphoniker rec 1951 live
10. Symphony 9 Wiener Symphoniker rec 1950, live


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[Dave2002]

vints - that apart, is the Scherchen Mahler set worth having?

[vinteuil]

vints - that apart, is the Scherchen Mahler set worth having?

... Dave - I'm sure it will be (and at such a price!) - but I've got a lot on at the moment, and heaps of CDs demanding my attention : it may be months before I get round to listening to this box!

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[Bryn]

Thanks, vinteuil, I really cannot think how the 6th could be brought off in 53'49 without very significant cuts. Despite the set's low price I think I will rely on those recording in the Scribendum box for the time being.

[vinteuil]

Thanks, vinteuil, I really cannot think how the 6th could be brought off in 53'49 without very significant cuts. Despite the set's low price I think I will rely on those recording in the Scribendum box for the time being.

... but you'll be missing out on 3, 8, and 9. And the 10 adagio, plus Kindertotenlieder and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen...



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[Conchis]

vints - that apart, is the Scherchen Mahler set worth having?

The late lamented Ted Ryder of these parts once claimed that the Scherchen 9th is the greatest 9th ever recorded. On that basis alone, I’d be interested in hearing it.

[cloughie]

... but you'll be missing out on 3, 8, and 9. And the 10 adagio, plus Kindertotenlieder and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen...



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I think one for the Amazon save for later list!

[Bryn]

I think one for the Amazon save for later list!

3 and 9 are on QOBUZ, and the Adagio from the 10th is on the Scribendum box. It's only the 8th which appears to be a problem.

[gurnemanz]

Thanks, vinteuil, I really cannot think how the 6th could be brought off in 53'49 without very significant cuts. Despite the set's low price I think I will rely on those recording in the Scribendum box for the time being.

I found some Amazon.com reviews. One refers to "The best mahler six of all", despite "awful cuts". I'm certainly pondering getting this set. Quite interested in the Leipzig recordings. Reading up on him a bit, I noticed that in 1920/21 he spent some time in Leipzig with the Orchester des Konzertvereins - a predecessor of the Rundfunksinfonieorchester.

... and No 2 - interesting review here.