Past Purchases (CLOSED)

[Octave]

[asin]B0054MEISO[/asin]
Hat-tip to Harry and a non-GMG friend for comments on this DHM box.

[asin]B000000T6Z[/asin]
Hat-tip DD, Mandryka, and possibly others.  Decided on this over the Florestan just 'cause.  Still intent on getting the HIP Gaia Scienza eventually.  For those who, please notice that "new" hardcopies ordered directly from Amazon are burned-to-order CDRs; I am hoping my used copy is not this way.  <fingerscrossed>

[Octave]

I wonder who Membran stole this from.

I wonder if we should be shopping from vendors who sell Membran?  If it's clear that they are disreputable, then why does Berkshire Record Outlet in the USA sell Membran?  (We could say the same about Regis, though I have yet to see evidence for either of these cases, just hearsay.)  I don't keep up with the identity and veracity of "wall of shame" labels: does B.R.O. sell many such labels' wares?  Should they be boycotted because of this?

EDIT: it seems that Presto, too, sells at least some of the Membran/Artone releases.  Are these sellers, in addition to Amazon---to whom we link---assisting, profiting from, transfer piracy?

[kishnevi]

I wonder if we should be shopping from vendors who sell Membran?  If it's clear that they are disreputable, then why does Berkshire Record Outlet in the USA sell Membran?  (We could say the same about Regis, though I have yet to see evidence for either of these cases, just hearsay.)  I don't keep up with the identity and veracity of "wall of shame" labels: does B.R.O. sell many such labels' wares?  Should they be boycotted because of this?

EDIT: it seems that Presto, too, sells at least some of the Membran/Artone releases.  Are these sellers, in addition to Amazon---to whom we link---assisting, profiting from, transfer piracy?

At least some of what Membran offers has to be legit.  I have a 10 CD box from them of British (20th Century) symphonic,  all giving recording dates within the last 15 years,  with existing orchestras and (AFAIK) a still living conductor (Bostock),  and with music  in two cases by composers who are still living.   It's hard to imagine them getting away with that if they didn't get the proper permissions.    Perhaps they are recordings for which the original record labels have no further plans.

Of course, that's just one box, and it gives no details about the original record label-only the recording date.

(How is Classico related to Membran?  Are they the same company?)

This was a box bought on AmazonUK, but it was also available at the time from JPC in Germany.

Regis/Alto (I think they are the same company) I'm fairly sure are on the up and up;  Melodiya seems to be a major source and they do at least some of their own remastering.

[kishnevi]

This landed today: 
[asin]B009KY0WCI[/asin]
Overall, a nice performance.  It's not too romanticized, and when it does go in the direction, it's more through manipulating dynamics and tempo, and not rubato, etc.    But he remembers that much of this music was meant to suggest Dance to the baroque ear, and plays accordingly. 

Liked it enough that I'm ordering this one off of Amazon MP.
[asin]B000LPRNVS[/asin]

I suppose I will be able to survive the Boulez....(actually, the Boulez is Notations and Sur Incises,  works I've never heard, so  it's possible I'll even like them)

[Octave]

My thanks to Jeffrey for mentioning this just above; I was pretty sure that this edition was OOP and expensive last time I checked the Amazoo.  I didn't really want to buy the more recent Virgin/EMI 5cd with no Ravel and a bunch of other Debussy I wasn't excited about....nice to find this 2cd on the cheapish.  I've been wanting to hear this Delphine Seyrig recitation all the more badly since I saw her as a vampire ('Countess Bathory', to be exact) in a great campy euro-horror flick called DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS, not necessarily recommended, but enjoyed by me.  (Also learned that Seyrig was born in Beirut and shares the directing credit for the film version [!] of Valerie Solanas' S.C.U.M. MANIFESTO.)

[Octave]

I suppose I will be able to survive the Boulez....(actually, the Boulez is Notations and Sur Incises,  works I've never heard, so  it's possible I'll even like them)

Re: Boulez piano [esp. NOTATIONS]: It might not be love at first bite, but try try again.  I actually despised "Notations" when I first heard it, but it has become fascinating to me since; I'm not even sure I've heard the best possible case for it.  Also, I you mention "Sur Incises", but I think that's the title of a ensemble piece based on the piece on the Fray record, "Incises", which is a little bit older.  I really need to hear that solo piano version; the ensemble SUR INCISES was quite beautiful, I thought, when I heard it several years ago.  Those INCISES pieces are somehow structurally connected to another beautiful later Boulez piece called Répons, though I cannot remember for the moment how that worked.  I need revisit those.

I think Christopher Culver has written some helpful notes at GMG on the pleasures of some Boulez solo piano music, but it might have been just the first couple sonatas, not NOTATIONS; I cannot remember.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

At least some of what Membran offers has to be legit.  I have a 10 CD box from them of British (20th Century) symphonic,  all giving recording dates within the last 15 years,  with existing orchestras and (AFAIK) a still living conductor (Bostock),  and with music  in two cases by composers who are still living.   It's hard to imagine them getting away with that if they didn't get the proper permissions.    Perhaps they are recordings for which the original record labels have no further plans.

Of course, that's just one box, and it gives no details about the original record label-only the recording date.

(How is Classico related to Membran?  Are they the same company?)

This was a box bought on AmazonUK, but it was also available at the time from JPC in Germany.

Regis/Alto (I think they are the same company) I'm fairly sure are on the up and up;  Melodiya seems to be a major source and they do at least some of their own remastering.

Membran is all above board, it may seem impossible, but they pay for what ever they release, unless there are no rights anymore. Classico the same. It would not be sold in the business if there would be something fishy about it. too much hassle and little profit in that.

[Daverz]

I wonder if we should be shopping from vendors who sell Membran?

I was just joking.  Didn't mean to cause a kerfuffle.

[Octave]

Yes, but someone else said something to this effect very recently when I asked about some Wunderlich boxes from Membran.  I was just curious whether it was true or not.  Harry, do you mind letting us know your source for your assertion about Membran and licensing?  I ask because I've run into disparagements of their legality, a few times before, and not in jest.  It would be nice to be able to set such rumors straight, if rumors they be.

I have reason to believe that the JSP label has done some very not-above-board things with their folk/blues/jazz transfers, though I still haven't gotten to the bottom of that story.  It has made me little bit regretful of a couple of my purchases, though. 

[Conor71]

Quote from: DavidRoss on January 28, 2013, 11:49:40 PM

Thanks for the quick response. So the recordings have been remastered (probably in 2012 with copyright in 2013 -- 3 weeks from remastering to retail sale seems improbably fast). Now I just need to ask myself whether buying it is really the best use of $18 -- especially in these troubled times. 

Personally I think if youre happy with your current recording theres not much need to trade up - I never buy the same material with different remasterings. Stuff like this is wasted on a cloth-ears like myself! 

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Yes, but someone else said something to this effect very recently when I asked about some Wunderlich boxes from Membran.  I was just curious whether it was true or not.  Harry, do you mind letting us know your source for your assertion about Membran and licensing?  I ask because I've run into disparagements of their legality, a few times before, and not in jest.  It would be nice to be able to set such rumors straight, if rumors they be.

I have reason to believe that the JSP label has done some very not-above-board things with their folk/blues/jazz transfers, though I still haven't gotten to the bottom of that story.  It has made me little bit regretful of a couple of my purchases, though.

I have some contacts through JPC de, and asked them about it some time ago, when this question came up on GMG.  He assured me, after some some extensive research, that the recordings that were offered for sale, were legal and paid for. They always check this, before things go on sale.

[Octave]

Thanks much, Harry.

[Fafner]

I have some contacts through JPC de, and asked them about it some time ago, when this question came up on GMG.  He assured me, after some some extensive research, that the recordings that were offered for sale, were legal and paid for. They always check this, before things go on sale.

Thanks, Harry, for pacifying my conscience.
Anyway, I am quite happy with my Membran Ring box. The sound is pretty good (I do not have a direct comparison to the EMI remasters) and it is Furtwängler, baby! 

[prémont]

(How is Classico related to Membran?  Are they the same company?)

Classico is a Danish business, which only releases their own produced recordings. Membran is related to Classico in that way, that Membran releases some licenced Classico recordings. I have noticed, that the sound quality of the Membran releases uses to be better than that of the Classico releases, which means, that Classico has given Membran access to the primary source material.

[prémont]

I wonder who Membran stole this from.

It is certainly inadmissible to imply piracy without any supporting facts.

[jlaurson]

It is certainly inadmissible to imply piracy without any supporting facts.

Sure it's admissible. We've all implied doping with Armstrong, before we had supporting facts. Especially if it's slightly tongue-in-cheek as Daverz comment.

And Membran -- hardly alone in this; even majors are sometimes guilty of this, when re-issuing an old recording -- most certainly has used masters that weren't their own on occasions before. (At least that's what my sources tell me.) There just has never been a suit brought to any court about it, because the cost would vastly outstrip any potential gain or presumed loss incurred from said violation. (Though I wish that a suit was brought forth at some point, just to make an example of one of the violating companies so that an end might be put to that relatively wide-spread practice.)

That's not to say that Membran never goes back to actually copyright free sources (masters, if they have access, or early pressings) and put people to work to restore their sound and bring them up to snuff. Anyone is free to doubt that, though, especially looking at the price of Membran products.

In any case, JPC couldn't possibly check -- and doesn't -- whether the mastering is theirs or not. It can't be expected of them, either. They check if any copyright on material is breached or if all licensing is in order. Which is what they should do.

[Sergeant Rock]

It's a Havergal Brian day. Symphonies 2, 3, 4 and 5. All three CDs come with liner notes written by our own Johan (J. Z. Herrenberg):






Sarge

[Karl Henning]

It's a Havergal Brian day.

A red day, a sword day, a Havergal Brian day!

[Daverz]

24/96 download of Schuricht's Bruckner 9 from HDTracks.

[jlaurson]

Recent Cat Draggings from Scotland, England, and Austria:


Arcangelo Corelli
12 Violin Sonatas Op.5
The Avison Ensemble
Linn SACDs
German link - UK link
Spirited, technically flawless, in superb detailed and properly resonant sound, with a continuo band that provides variety and texture...


Ricky Wagner
Die Walküre
V.Gergiev / Mariinsky /
A.Kampe, J.Kaufmann, R.Pape, N.Stemme
Mariinsky Live SACDs
German link - UK link

Certainly the NAMES of the front-lineup (all the rest are Mariinsky singers) is top notch. Stemme and Kampe? Sign me up!


Den Männern ebenbürtig
("On a Par with the Men / égales aux hommes")
Ethel Smyth - Louise Farrenc - Pauline Viardot-Garcia - Lili Boulanger
T.A.Irnsberger / B.Moser
Gramola SACD
German link - UK link

Europe only, so far.