BaL 5.11.11 Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony

[Petrushka]

The Kempe Beethoven set is available from HMV Japan: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/search/index...SEARCH&type=sr

Another forum member (Bryn?) pointed me in the direction of these some time ago though I still haven't got round to ordering. Can anyone say if there are any problems ordering from Japan? Hopefully, the set will become available in the UK again.

[Alison]

HMV Japan has always been v efficient for me.

[Petrushka]

HMV Japan has always been v efficient for me.

Thanks, Alison. Think I'll take the plunge.

[barber olly]

Thanks, Alison. Think I'll take the plunge.

Yes but what do they cost in old money?

[barber olly]

No mention at all, honourable or otherwise...

Considering how these two conductors (Bohm and Boult) have been generally neglected over the last 20 or so years this is not surprising.

[Petrushka]

Yes but what do they cost in old money?

A quick Google search gives me just over £9.

I'm having a lot of problems with the registration process so think I'll give up on it. (Click on 'next' and it takes me to the previous page every time not the next one).

[Don Petter]

A quick Google search gives me just over £9.

I'm having a lot of problems with the registration process so think I'll give up on it. (Click on 'next' and it takes me to the previous page every time not the next one).

It would be scurrilous (and unhelpful) to suggest they write from right to left.

So I'll offer this site, which I have seen others recommend:

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/request/shopping.html

All in English, and they will get items from other Japanese sites for a (small?) fee.

Let us know how you get on.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well i listened to the full C Kleiber version on Ess Classics this am, admittedly in the car, and was very taken with the account of the piece but the sound quality was not such as to encourage frequent listening, so for all his acumen in discussing versions and accounts i do feel that the audiophile in me was rather let down by Dr Deathridge in this recommendation ...

[jayne lee wilson]

I ordered the (superbly remastered) Neumann Martinu cycle from HMV Japan a few weeks back, ordered Sunday arrived Liverpool Wednesday. Despite being a few pounds over £18, customs overlooked it.

I just noticed the Kempe Beethoven Symphonies discs are 5-figure serial nos. starting 14-, so they're almost certainly Yoshio Okazaki remasters! Now THERE's a temptation! But of course if you order them all you probably will get hit by VAT/Parcelforce... in the unlikely event I feel less broke in a few weeks, I might give them to me.

The Kempe Beethoven set is available from HMV Japan: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/search/index...SEARCH&type=sr

Another forum member (Bryn?) pointed me in the direction of these some time ago though I still haven't got round to ordering. Can anyone say if there are any problems ordering from Japan? Hopefully, the set will become available in the UK again.

[jayne lee wilson]

Er, just a suggestion from the school of the bleedin' obvious, but you did tick the "agree to term of service" box...?
OK, coat on, leaving now etc.

Wait a minute, was your password too short? Can't remember the minimum now, try 8 characters up.

If all else fails, another browser might work... tried Firefox?

A quick Google search gives me just over £9.

I'm having a lot of problems with the registration process so think I'll give up on it. (Click on 'next' and it takes me to the previous page every time not the next one).

[HighlandDougie]

Registering with and then ordering from HMV.JP was, alas, all too easy following JLW's helpful hints - and her mention of the Neumann Martinu as "superbly remastered" was all the encouragement I needed. I'll see if it arrives just as quickly in France. I think maybe I need to set my browser to block the site as the prospect of Japanese SACDs, not to mention re-mastered CDs, is horribly tempting. On the masters of remastering question, I notice that my single-disc HMV Japan Cluytens Beethoven 6 (bought for some ridiculously small sum in, I think, Singapore) is remastered by the afore-mentioned Mr Okazaki - and very good it is too.

[jayne lee wilson]

I was dithering over the Martinu when I found a comment on Amazon.fr, something like, "Import Japonais... son visiblement rajeuni par rapport a l'edition Supraphon". So I thought what the heck, delighted to see when it arrived "MS" on the back, "Mastersonic 24-bit master transfer". It's still Supraphon of course!

Shame those Japonais remasters have been complicated with SHM-CD and HQCD editions, all I can say for sure is, any EMI issue with a 5-figure serial no. beginning 13- or 14- is a good bet. The Okazaki series seems to have begun in 2004 with a number of Klemperer classics including the 1957 Pastoral - ah, relevance to the thread at last...

[visualnickmos]

This afternoon, I listened to Kempe and the Munich Philharmonic; wow! what a marvellous experience. The speeds are brisk and energetic where appropriate, and - well - the woodwind section of said orchestra at the time of the recording are sheer brilliance. Surely at the time the very best in the best in the business, and this symphony gives them a superb opportunity of a chance to shine, which they certainly do. This is all augmented by the magnificent expertise of the then EMI recording team. Such clarity, balance and realism. I have the Disky set, licensed from EMI. Get it, is my advice.

[Nick Armstrong]

But I shall be listening out for the Kleiber on Monday

So Ammy did you give it a listen?

I have, twice. Surprisingly, it left me a little cold. A bit hustled in the first movement, especially... The last movement is magnificent. But the dodgy recording was a barrier. I'd have to agree with opinions here, notable your own Monsieur l'Amateur, that it is an odd library choice. To answer your question: no, I'm not sure I could live with it. I won't be able to confirm that, as I don't intend to buy it.

[amateur51]

So Ammy did you give it a listen?

I have, twice. Surprisingly, it left me a little cold. A bit hustled in the first movement, especially... The last movement is magnificent. But the dodgy recording was a barrier. I'd have to agree with opinions here, notable your own Monsieur l'Amateur, that it is an odd library choice. To answer your question: no, I'm not sure I could live with it. I won't be able to confirm that, as I don't intend to buy it.

I did listen to it, Caliban and while I enjoyed its efficiency and drive, I'd reserve it for an occasional outing, more as an example of the work of an extraordinary conducting genius.

I'm grateful that John Deathridge brought it to my attention but sad that he suggested this version as the essential purchase to the neophyte.