New releases

[cloughie]

It would appear that DG consider the pianist to be rather more important than the composer, in this instance.

Well they pay him more!

[Pulcinella]

It would appear that DG consider the pianist to be rather more important than the composer, in this instance.

Isn't that DG style?
Their CDs nearly always feature the artist(s) not the composer.

[Barbirollians]

Just taken delivery of the new Vilde Frang coupling of the Beethoven and Stravinsky concertos with the Bremen orchestra conducted superbly by another violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Am rather bowled over by both performances. Frang is endlessly interesting and poetic in the Beethoven and ido not think I have ever heard a wittier performance of the Stravinsky . A CD I found myself immediately replaying.

[Bryn]

Just taken delivery of the new Vilde Frang coupling of the Beethoven and Stravinsky concertos with the Bremen orchestra conducted superbly by another violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Am rather bowled over by both performances. Frang is endlessly interesting and poetic in the Beethoven and ido not think I have ever heard a wittier performance of the Stravinsky . A CD I found myself immediately replaying.

I have not listened to the Beethoven yet but was very taken with the Stravinsky performance. Ironic pairing, given Stravinsky's dismissal of the Beethoven concerto.

[jayne lee wilson]

Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1
Quatuor Van Kuijk

• Released on 09/09/2022 by Alpha Classics

QOBUZ 24/96

[jayne lee wilson]

Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 6, 7, 8 "Le Matin", "Le midi", "Le Soir"
Joseph Haydn
Released on 28/10/2022 by Channel Classics Records

FLORILEGIUM
QOBUZ 24/96

[Barbirollians]

Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1
Quatuor Van Kuijk

• Released on 09/09/2022 by Alpha Classics

QOBUZ 24/96

Strange cover looks like a C and A advert from the 1970s.

[LHC]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned Decca’s re-release of the Solti Ring beginning with Das Rheingold.

The recordings have been newly remastered in 24bit / 192kHz from the original master tapes and are being released on vinyl and SACD in deluxe box sets. They have also been remastered in surround in Dolby Atmos (the surround version isn’t available on the SACDs, although a blu ray audio of the complete cycle in Dolby Atmos will apparently be included when the complete cycle is released in a limited edition next year).

While that is all well and good, the most remarkable thing about these issues is the price being charged. The SACD set of Das Rheingold is being sold for £85 with the LPs at £90. The prices for the other operas will be £90 (SACD) and £130 (LPs) each. The complete cycle will cost around £370.

This seems an astonishing price to me for something that has already been released multiple times.

[Petrushka]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned Decca’s re-release of the Solti Ring beginning with Das Rheingold.

The recordings have been newly remastered in 24bit / 192kHz from the original master tapes and are being released on vinyl and SACD in deluxe box sets. They have also been remastered in surround in Dolby Atmos (the surround version isn’t available on the SACDs, although a blu ray audio of the complete cycle in Dolby Atmos will apparently be included when the complete cycle is released in a limited edition next year).

While that is all well and good, the most remarkable thing about these issues is the price being charged. The SACD set of Das Rheingold is being sold for £85 with the LPs at £90. The prices for the other operas will be £90 (SACD) and £130 (LPs) each. The complete cycle will cost around £370.

This seems an astonishing price to me for something that has already been released multiple times.

I was going o start a thread on this a fortnight or so ago but forgot about it!

Agree with your conclusion. I have the original LPs, the 1997 CD boxed set and a blu ray disc that I've not yet played due to lack of a player! These recordings are now around 60 years old and you have to wonder how much more juice can be squeezed out of them.

Most collectors will already have one or another of the reissues, and the prices are a major misjudgement in a cost of living crisis and recession, in my view. Another major disincentive is the dismal and unimaginative cover art. The original Hans Wild photo covers have never been bettered and should have been used. I'll stick with what I have.

[cloughie]

I was going o start a thread on this a fortnight or so ago but forgot about it!

Agree with your conclusion. I have the original LPs, the 1997 CD boxed set and a blu ray disc that I've not yet played due to lack of a player! These recordings are now around 60 years old and you have to wonder how much more juice can be squeezed out of them.

Most collectors will already have one or another of the reissues, and the prices are a major misjudgement in a cost of living crisis and recession, in my view. Another major disincentive is the dismal and unimaginative cover art. The original Hans Wild photo covers have never been bettered and should have been used. I'll stick with what I have.

Like me Pet - wish there was a simple Blu Ray player that plugged into a good straightforward hifi system - very thoughtless of the ageist manufacturers!

[HighlandDougie]

Like me Pet - wish there was a simple Blu Ray player that plugged into a good straightforward hifi system - very thoughtless of the ageist manufacturers!

I've extolled its virtues before but the Sony UBP x800 m2 produces remarkably good results - BluRay, SACD and CD all sound better than they ought to at its relatively low price. £269.00 on Amazon at the moment. Worth looking on eBay as well. And it plugs straight into the back of an amp. My other Universal Disc Player (a Pioneer) is playing up so I'm glad that I have the Sony as a back-up.

[cloughie]

I've extolled its virtues before but the Sony UBP x800 m2 produces remarkably good results - BluRay, SACD and CD all sound better than they ought to at its relatively low price. £269.00 on Amazon at the moment. Worth looking on eBay as well. And it plugs straight into the back of an amp. My other Universal Disc Player (a Pioneer) is playing up so I'm glad that I have the Sony as a back-up.

Thanks HD!

[Bryn]

Thanks HD!

The problem, these days, is finding DVD-A compatibility at a reasonable price.

[Petrushka]

I've extolled its virtues before but the Sony UBP x800 m2 produces remarkably good results - BluRay, SACD and CD all sound better than they ought to at its relatively low price. £269.00 on Amazon at the moment. Worth looking on eBay as well. And it plugs straight into the back of an amp. My other Universal Disc Player (a Pioneer) is playing up so I'm glad that I have the Sony as a back-up.

Thanks from me too, HD. However, my amp, Cambridge Audio Azur 651A, doesn't take HDMI. What adapter do I need?

[LHC]

Thanks from me too, HD. However, my amp, Cambridge Audio Azur 651A, doesn't take HDMI. What adapter do I need?

I have the Sony UBP x800 m2. It has a coaxial digital output, so as long as your amp has a digital input, you should be able to use it.

Edited to add for Bryn,it also plays DVDAs