Past Purchases (CLOSED)

[kishnevi]

Pulled the trigger tonight on ordering the Roussel Symphonies set from Naxos that seems to be pleasing several folks here, and also ordered the first volume of Paul Lewis's Beethoven cycle (I have volumes 2, 3, and 4) and the CD of Tippett String Quartets 1, 2 and 4 to go with the recording of  No. 3 and 5 I already have (Tippett Quartet on Naxos).

[DavidRoss]

I don't agree with that, I think Maazel's Pittsburgh cycle contains some of the finest recordings of Sibelius symphonies that I have heard.

Bettered, I think, by his Vienna cycle, which to me is the best and most consistent "overheated" cycle I know and which--along with the Rozhdestvensky cycle mentioned above--is the only one of its ilk I choose to hear for the sake of sheer pleasure and not out of a sense of duty.

[Sergeant Rock]

It's no secret around here that I'm a huge admirer of Maazel's WP Sibelius cycle, especially 1, 4 and 7. (Maazel's performance of the Fifth at his first concert in Cleveland after being named music director was my introduction to the composer--well, besides the inevitable Finlandia we played in high school band. Made an instant Sibelian of me, for which I'll always be grateful to the man.) I acquired the Pittsburgh cycle a few weeks ago but have only heard 4 and 5. I prefer the Pittsburgh Fifth actually and I'm intrigued how different that Fourth is compared to the legendary Vienna version. I'll have to listen to the Sixth soon...to see if I agree with Brian. I may not for an uncharacteristic (for me) reason: I prefer swift tempos in that symphony: Davis/Boston being my ideal.

Sarge

[Scarpia]

It's no secret around here that I'm a huge admirer of Maazel's WP Sibelius cycle, especially 1, 4 and 7. (Maazel's performance of the Fifth at his first concert in Cleveland after being named music director was my introduction to the composer--well, besides the inevitable Finlandia we played in high school band. Made an instant Sibelian of me, for which I'll always be grateful to the man.) I acquired the Pittsburgh cycle a few weeks ago but have only heard 4 and 5. I prefer the Pittsburgh Fifth actually and I'm intrigued how different that Fourth is compared to the legendary Vienna version. I'll have to listen to the Sixth soon...to see if I agree with Brian. I may not for an uncharacteristic (for me) reason: I prefer swift tempos in that symphony: Davis/Boston being my ideal.

Sarge

The 3rd and 6th are the two that really stand out in the Pittsburgh cycle, in my estimation.   His WP cycle is also very fine, and highly regarded obviously, but if I had to choose one to keep it would be Pittsburgh.  Plus Epstein(?) did great things with the audio production.

[Coopmv]

It's no secret around here that I'm a huge admirer of Maazel's WP Sibelius cycle, especially 1, 4 and 7. (Maazel's performance of the Fifth at his first concert in Cleveland after being named music director was my introduction to the composer--well, besides the inevitable Finlandia we played in high school band. Made an instant Sibelian of me, for which I'll always be grateful to the man.) I acquired the Pittsburgh cycle a few weeks ago but have only heard 4 and 5. I prefer the Pittsburgh Fifth actually and I'm intrigued how different that Fourth is compared to the legendary Vienna version. I'll have to listen to the Sixth soon...to see if I agree with Brian. I may not for an uncharacteristic (for me) reason: I prefer swift tempos in that symphony: Davis/Boston being my ideal.

Sarge

Here's one CD by the PSO I really would like to have.  Unfortunately, it is OOP and I do not care to get the CDR from Arkive Music ...

[Daverz]

Here's one CD by the PSO I really would like to have.  Unfortunately, it is OOP and I do not care to get the CDR from Arkive Music ...

Pittsburgh did an excellent Brahms Symphony cycle with Steinberg.

Their Rustic Wedding Symphony with Previn is one of the best, and I've heard good things about a Previn/Pittsburgh Mahler 4 with Elly Ameling.

[Coopmv]

Pittsburgh did an excellent Brahms Symphony cycle with Steinberg.

Their Rustic Wedding Symphony with Previn is one of the best, and I've heard good things about a Previn/Pittsburgh Mahler 4 with Elly Ameling.

I believe the Previn/Pittsburgh Mahler 4 with Elly Ameling is OOP.

[Daverz]

I believe the Previn/Pittsburgh Mahler 4 with Elly Ameling is OOP.

Archivmusic has it on one of their overpriced CDRs.  I'm hoping they have a sale soon.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=9711&name_role1=3&bcorder=3&name_id=7537&name_role=1

[Coopmv]

Archivmusic has it on one of their overpriced CDRs.  I'm hoping they have a sale soon.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=9711&name_role1=3&bcorder=3&name_id=7537&name_role=1

I don't think Arkiv will lower the price from $19.99, which appears to be the price it charges for all its CDR's ...

[Daverz]

I don't think Arkiv will lower the price from $19.99, which appears to be the price it charges for all its CDR's ...

The Previn Mahler 4 is $17.  I've also bought ArchivCDs on sale before.  They only knock a couple bucks off anyway, but it's enough to lower my resistance a bit for the things I really want that I can't get at a reasonable price elsewhere.

[Coopmv]

The Previn Mahler 4 is $17.  I've also bought ArchivCDs on sale before.  They only knock a couple bucks off anyway, but it's enough to lower my resistance a bit for the things I really want that I can't get at a reasonable price elsewhere.

I have tremendous aversion for CDR.  Fortunately, I really do not have a long list of must-haves of OOP recordings ...

[Daverz]

I have tremendous aversion for CDR.

I immediately rip everything to hard drive these days (which reminds me that I have to buy a backup drive).  I have had problems with CDRs in the past, but not with the ArchivCDs so far.

[Coopmv]

Just placed an order on the following SACD/CD sets this evening with Presto.

[kishnevi]

Just placed an order on the following SACD/CD sets this evening with Presto.

Have and enjoy the last two.

Thread duty:  Purchased today the DG/Decca "Complete Mahler" box set.

Initial impression--

Set up much better than EMI's competing set.  Nothing is squished together; every symphony has its own CD--No. 3, 7 and 9 run are split onto two CDs each, but  don't share those CDs with anything else.  The closest it comes to squeezing things together is adding Boulez's recording of Totenfeier (which is not even represented in the EMI box) to the CD devoted to Boulez's recording of No. 4, and Ozawa's Blumine is tacked onto Kubelik's First.  Besides the Totenfeier, DG includes an entr'acte from Drei Pintos, which is not represented in the EMI set.  Neither set includes the Bach suite or other orchestrations.

Chronological spread of the recordings is much slimmer--Kubelik First and Haitink Third from the mid sixties;  Solti Eighth, Mehta Second, and Ozawa Blumine from the seventies; everything else is from the eighties or nineties except for Abbado's Sixth (2004).  By contrast, the EMI box includes performances stretching back to the mono era
EMI included a link which allows you to download all the texts and translations;  DG does not seem to have one--or if it does, it doesn't mention it in the liner notes.

The early Lieder und Gesange is presented by EMI with a mix of soloists but only in piano versions.  The DG set also uses a mix of singers (albeit a smaller group), but confusingly offers some of these early songs in orchestrated versions. Most of the orchestrations are not by Mahler--two are by Berio, who conducts them with Hampson singing.

Speaking of orchestrations, EMI offers both an orchestral and a piano version of Ruckertlieder;  DG only the orchestral version.  EMI includes as part of its bonus CD the piano version of Urlicht; DG does not offer this, nor does it offer the multitude of renditions of one song on the bonus CD--there is no bonus CD with DG--but that is not necessarily a loss. 

Unlike the EMI set, no conductor is represented by more than one symphony;  three are allowed to lead both a symphony and a song cycle (Bernstein's 5 and Gesellen/Kindertotenlieder/Ruckertlieder; Abbado's 6 and Wunderhorn; Chailly's 10 and Klagende Lied (the first and the last?)).

At this point I suspect I will get more use out of the DG box than the EMI box, if only because I have far fewer of the performances in my existing collection (Mehta 2, Bernstein 5 and Solti Eighth).    But on the whole I'm glad I now have both.

[Mirror Image]

Thread duty:  Purchased today the DG/Decca "Complete Mahler" box set.

I'm not particularly enthralled with these "complete" Mahler sets. I own all of the box sets seperately and the only set I lack is Gielen's ever-expensive set on Hanssler. I guess I can see if somebody didn't own that much Mahler how a set like this could be valuable, but to us seasoned Mahlerians it's nothing, but a rehash of what we've already heard in the original recordings.

[Bulldog]

I don't think Arkiv will lower the price from $19.99, which appears to be the price it charges for all its CDR's ...

The current ArkivCD price is about $17.99, and the prices do vary a little.

[kishnevi]

I'm not particularly enthralled with these "complete" Mahler sets. I own all of the box sets seperately and the only set I lack is Gielen's ever-expensive set on Hanssler. I guess I can see if somebody didn't own that much Mahler how a set like this could be valuable, but to us seasoned Mahlerians it's nothing, but a rehash of what we've already heard in the original recordings.

You're quite correct. It's probably safe to say that except for the Ozawa Blumine, and possibly those Kubelik and Haitink recordings from the sixties (I haven't checked) everything in this box is available in some format now--if nothing else as part of a box set. But for us Mahlerians who have not yet attained full ripeness, it is a good buy.  For instance, most of this box is new to me.  Especially since those Border coupons mean I never have to pay full price 
--and it's certainly an easy way to acquire the early lieder.

But if you have everything or most everything already,  it certainly is not worth the expense.

[Scarpia]

Want to have recordings of all of Stravinsky's major works, and these closed a few gaps:

[jhar26]

I've been enjoying Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras and especially his string quartets lately, so I decided to add significantly to my Villa-Lobos collection and I've just ordered these....

 

 

[mc ukrneal]

I'm not particularly enthralled with these "complete" Mahler sets. I own all of the box sets seperately and the only set I lack is Gielen's ever-expensive set on Hanssler. I guess I can see if somebody didn't own that much Mahler how a set like this could be valuable, but to us seasoned Mahlerians it's nothing, but a rehash of what we've already heard in the original recordings.

I know it is not the same as buying it at higher quality, but I believe I saw this (Gielen set) for 9.95 Euros at jpc for download. I think it was for the complete set. But you should check, I was looking for something else at the time. Not sure if the price is perhaps an error.