What are you borrowing?

[Mark]

We have threads for what we're listening to, eating, reading, buying and downloading, so how about a thread for what we're borrowing? Could be from a library or a friend/family member ... and doesn't have to be a CD or LP: might be a book, for example. But please, let's try to keep it classical music related. Let's not have some smart-ass telling us he's borrowing his neighbour's lawn mower.

I'll start. Got these from my local library yesterday:






I know that opinion of Bartoli is much divided. Some adore her, others want her locked up for the rest of her singing life. I'm not sure what to make of her at present. Any thoughts?

[Montpellier]

I saw her on a DVD of Il Barbiere and honestly...decided to give her a miss.  I might return and see what else she's done.   It wasn't so much her voice or stage presence, just that I have a thing about Rosina's role.  Thinking now, that was unfairly dismissive though I prefer a light soprano. 

I've just borrowed the Glyndebourne Lulu, seen a little of Act 1 but it doesn't seem to compare with the Zurich / Welser-Most production.  The Glyndebourne version has the Cerha-completed version about which I'm suspicious anyway(!).  I hope to watch more of it this evening.

[Kullervo]

Szymanowski - Symphonies 2 & 3 (Dorati, Detroit SO)

Apparently O.O.P.

[AnthonyAthletic]

Does downloading constitute borrowing for a tad, if you promise to delete & bin the music after listening? (Yeah right, like you're going to do that)

If so, then I am borrowing Mahler's 1st, Rotterdam PO/Gergiev live; recorded Feb, 2007 & Asahina's Das Lied, Ozaka PO live 1984 

Borrowed Carmen, Baltsa/Carreras from a bud down in London on DVD.

Never joined our Library, bet they have some good stuff.

*I take it you will not be cdr-ing your library loans Ladies & Gentlemen?

[Mark]

Copying library CDs, Tony? I'd have to change the title of this thread to, 'What are you stealing?'

[AnthonyAthletic]

Copying library CDs, Tony? I'd have to change the title of this thread to, 'What are you stealing?'

We'd never do that!!

Reminds me to renew the membership on Wednesday 

[sidoze]

Asahina's Das Lied, Ozaka PO live 1984 

Any good Tony? You've gotta give me recommendations on all those Das Lieds. So far I've d/l only Karajan's and Boulez's.

[Montpellier]

Copying library CDs, Tony? I'd have to change the title of this thread to, 'What are you stealing?'

Hah!   But copying onto a CD blank for Audio Use is ok if it's for your personal use.  A royalty is prepaid on each blank.  It's helped with a few out-of-print CDs.

[EmpNapoleon]

Anyone ever steal cds?  It's fun and easy, if your young and wild.

Barnes and Noble, Borders, and libraries have allowed me to borrow hundreds of cds!  However, they will not be returned.

[Solitary Wanderer]

I rarely loan anything [including money] from anyone. The occasional book from the library, but I prefer to own my own NEW copy;library books tend to stink!

I don't steal either 0:)

[Joan]

I'm a librarian in a public library. Lately I've observed two new copying phenomena:

1) Guy (and I mean guy, I haven't yet observed a female doing this) walks in with his laptop, sits down with a pile of our CDs, and proceeds to copy one after another without checking out any of them. This would seem harmless if not for the below-mentioned issue of circulation statistics.
2) Individual checks out item, copies it at home, then keeps the original disc and returns the copy in its library case. (Sometimes he/she/it also keeps the original cover insert and replaces it with a poor quality copy, like we're not going to notice... )

When someone steals an item from a library, they're also stealing the future circulation count of that item. Public libraries receive funding based on several factors, one of which is circulation. The more items  you check out, the more it helps us to maintain or increase our funding. If our circ goes down, we're punished with less funding. Library card registration numbers also count for funding, so if you want to help your library, get a card, even if you plan never to use it.
I'll get off my soapbox now...

I've been listening to our library copy of Hvorostovky's Russian Romances. I'm really surprised no one has stolen this yet, because it's OP and there seem to be very few used copies available.

[EmpNapoleon]

Sorry Joan, I was just joking about stealing from libraries (but Borders and Barnes are fine to steal from).  It was my friend not I who stole from a couple libraries. 

In one of the libraries, he went back to steal a second stack of cds and noticed that after 4 months, the cases of the cds he had previously stolen remained in their same places!!  He also noticed much of the opera had not been checked out for years.

[Kullervo]

Anyone ever steal cds?  It's fun and easy, if your young and wild.

Barnes and Noble, Borders, and libraries have allowed me to borrow hundreds of cds!  However, they will not be returned.

That is precisely why music retail is dead. The people who want to support classical music suffer because of those who don't give a damn. I don't suppose the people downloading the complete works of contemporary composers are going to concerts, either.

[EmpNapoleon]

The people who want to support classical music suffer because of those who don't give a damn.

What are you talking about? 

Support classical music.  Don't worry about those "suffering" because they can't afford or find cds, and don't worry about those "who don't give a damn."  Just listen to your classical music and enjoy.

[beclemund]

I have and

The Karajan 3rd I did not like... maybe a microphoning or engineering issue, but volume levels were too low or two high never in between.

The box set from the CSO contains a live Tennstedt Bruckner 7th which is why I selected the set. It is marred by an excessive level of crowd noise. I supposed it must have been recorded in the middle of winter with the amount of coughing going on. If you can get over that, the performance is quite wonderful. I am not so sure I would be willing to shell out 220 USD for the set, however. Fortunately, I can borrow it from the library any time I need to. I really need to explore more recordings by the CSO because their playing here is brilliant. Maybe it is time for me to investigate Barenboim's Bruckner output with that group.

[edit: I am listening to the Tennstedt again right now and I just heard someone call out to another audience member about 7'30 into the first movement.  ]

[Kullervo]

What are you talking about? 

Support classical music.  Don't worry about those "suffering" because they can't afford or find cds, and don't worry about those "who don't give a damn."  Just listen to your classical music and enjoy.

Sorry, but only listening is not enough. No composer ever made a cent from people that "just listen". Sad to say, and as paradoxical as it may seem, the arts do not thrive without some form of capital. I will leave it at that for the sake of staying on topic.

[Lilas Pastia]

Théodore Dubois: Piano Trios
Chopin: Ballades, Barcarolle, Fantasy in f minor - Zimerman, DG


Wolf: the string quartets. Artis Quartet, Accord

I borrow stuff that's either not available, or that I'm not sure I'll  like, or that I know nothing about.

[Joan]

Sorry Joan, I was just joking about stealing from libraries (but Borders and Barnes are fine to steal from).  It was my friend not I who stole from a couple libraries. 

In one of the libraries, he went back to steal a second stack of cds and noticed that after 4 months, the cases of the cds he had previously stolen remained in their same places!!  He also noticed much of the opera had not been checked out for years.

Well, I'll forgive you on the library count, since it was your "friend" who did the crime... can't agree on the retail theft, though.
It's true classical music doesn't always check out a lot. I think it could be because the really serious fans prefer to own their own, or maybe they assume the library won't have much of interest so they don't bother coming to look. Libraries don't do enough to market their services, mainly because they don't have big advertising budgets. Maybe with libraries having downloadable music available, more interest will be generated in the physical collection.

My all-time favorite library item was an LP I borrowed in the '70s, Renaissance Duets with Anthony Rooley and James Tyler, playing a variety of lute/theorbo/cittern combinations. Fantastic performances; never released on CD. I've been trying to get hold of that LP ever since. I once saw it on ebay, but I missed out on the auction 

Regarding all the coughing & other audience noise in live recordings: isn't there a way to digitally erase some of these noises? At least the worst of them?

[orbital]

Regarding all the coughing & other audience noise in live recordings: isn't there a way to digitally erase some of these noises? At least the worst of them?

The short answer is no. The long answer will be long, but it will again be no.

[Novi]

I've been listening to our library copy of Hvorostovky's Russian Romances. I'm really surprised no one has stolen this yet, because it's OP and there seem to be very few used copies available.

Hey Joan, where do you work? My sister will probably steal that one. She thinks Hvorostovksy's hot. Better still, have you a dvd?