Recordings That You Are Considering

[Octave]

Shostakovich by Kondrashin (Melodiya, 11cd)

Is ~$68 a reasonable deal for this set?  The question is a bit meaningless, because what is the wine worth?  Plus it's been more expensive via Amazon/MP for a long while now.  Still.  The price I quote is from Presto while their Melodiya sale is on, through mid-May.  Likewise the Prokofiev symphonies by Rozhdestvensky for ~$27 (3 discs).
I know I want both, but as always I'm on the prowl for a deal.  RussianDVD doesn't even seem to stock them!  Maybe that is no surprise?  Somehow I thought they were go-to guys for Melodiya in the U.S., but evidently not.

[Karl Henning]

I think that's a good price for the Kondrashin box.

[Daverz]

Shostakovich by Kondrashin (Melodiya, 11cd)

Is ~$68 a reasonable deal for this set?

I think I paid more for the older Korean box of these recordings.  I've read that the Melodiya sounds even better, and my experience with other remasterings by the "new" Melodiya (whoever they are) makes this very believable.   On the other hand, I wouldn't say you need the set unless you're a Shostakovich or Kondrashin collector.  I'm more enthusiastic about the Prokofiev set.

[Octave]

Thanks for this input, Karl et Daverz.  I have had the trigger finger trembling over the Jansons Shost set for weeks now, and I will probably get it regardless; but you know, one keeps hearing legend about the Kondrashins.  I appreciate the feedback.

[Daverz]

Thanks for this input, Karl et Daverz.  I have had the trigger finger trembling over the Jansons Shost set for weeks now, and I will probably get it regardless; but you know, one keeps hearing legend about the Kondrashins.  I appreciate the feedback.

Prestoclassical is asking 2 bucks less for the Kondrashin box, and is probably going to have a better shipping rate on the box.

One thing that should be noted: I believe the version of the 13th in this box is slightly bowdlerized.  That shouldn't be a deciding factor, though.  There was a live, unbowdlerized recording with bass Vitaly Gromadsky from the second performance.  It was issued on CD by Russian Disc.  It's a very intense performance in surprisingly good sound.

http://www.amazon.com/Dmitry-Symphony-No-13--Babi/dp/B000001LP5

[Octave]

This is all great to know, cheers

[Octave]

Several items in which I am interested.


Faure MELODIES (Souzay & Ameling - Brilliant, 4cd)

Disc 5 of the Ameling ICON set is all Faure; are these recordings from the original EMI melodies 4cd that were licensed by Brilliant for their 4cd Souzay/Ameling Faure melodies set?  Or are the ICON recordings different sessions?


[asin]B008I1572Y[/asin]
John Ogdon: ICON (EMI, 17cd)
I've never heard a thing from Ogdon; I do like that there are many new-to-me composers represented in this box.

[asin]B006MO0N6Y[/asin]
Alexis Weissenberg: ICON (EMI, 11cd)

[Gold Knight]

Right now, I am trying to decide between the Rowicki and Kertesz conducted Dvorak Symphonic Cycle done with the LSO. Based on Sarge's kind input, I am leaning somewhat towards the former.

[Mirror Image]

Right now, I am trying to decide between the Rowicki and Kertesz conducted Dvorak Symphonic Cycle done with the LSO. Based on Sarge's kind input, I am leaning somewhat towards the former.

Kertesz or Kubelik in Dvorak symphonies cannot be beat. Neumann also has a later cycle with the Czech Philharmonic (on Supraphon) that I'm quite fond of.

[Gold Knight]

Thanks, John. I have been sampling some of the Vaclav Neumann on Spotify as well.

[Daverz]

Right now, I am trying to decide between the Rowicki and Kertesz conducted Dvorak Symphonic Cycle done with the LSO. Based on Sarge's kind input, I am leaning somewhat towards the former.

I think Rowicki bests both Kertesz and Kubelik in the middle works.  I think the sound is better, too: more immediate.

[Octave]

[asin]B000000AX1[/asin]
Leiferkus sings Rachmaninov (Chandos)
I added this to a shopping cart at some point, but now I cannot find the origin of the recommendation.

[asin]B000WPJ5S6[/asin]
Tippett piano concerto etc (Osborne et al - Hyperion, 2cd)
I did some searching in our ample Tippett thread, but I'm also not sure how this one made its way into the cart.

[asin]B00099FVCO[/asin]
Purcell: FAIRY QUEEN by Deller (HM)
I have been hoping the Christie will come back into print; perhaps there's another recording of FQ that I should get and bypass both of these?

[asin]B000009J2K[/asin]
Schmidt: Clarinet Quintet in A (Janoska et al)
also maybe his string quartets (I have only looked at the Schubert Quartett Wien's recording on Nimbus, I need to look through the composer thread again for alternatives, if need be)

[Sergeant Rock]

Kertesz or Kubelik in Dvorak symphonies cannot be beat.

Yes they can. I think Rowicki, Anguélov, Suitner and Neumann are better. Even discounting for taste, those four cycles are at least the equal of Kertesz or Kubelik and should be seriously considered. In the first five symphonies, Rowicki reigns supreme IMO. Competition gets stiffer with 6-9 and I believe the best performances and recordings are outside the cycles.

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

Yes they can. I think Rowicki, Anguélov, Suitner and Neumann are better. Even discounting for taste, those four cycles are at least the equal of Kertesz or Kubelik and should be seriously considered. In the first five symphonies, Rowicki reigns supreme IMO. Competition gets stiffer with 6-9 and I believe the best performances and recordings are outside the cycles.

Sarge

I do like Suitner's a lot. His cycle would be another I highly recommend. The best performances of 7-9 are still Szell IMHO.

[SonicMan46]

Right now, I am trying to decide between the Rowicki and Kertesz conducted Dvorak Symphonic Cycle done with the LSO. Based on Sarge's kind input, I am leaning somewhat towards the former.

Hi Gold Knight - believe that you are receiving some excellent responses, but just to add another, I own 3 sets (Rowicki, Kertesz, & Suitner) - and must say that the Rowicki box may be my favorite at the moment, although I've not done a lot of comparisons - good luck on your selection(s) - Dave

[Brahmsian]

Kertesz or Kubelik in Dvorak symphonies cannot be beat. Neumann also has a later cycle with the Czech Philharmonic (on Supraphon) that I'm quite fond of.

Libor Pesek with Czech Philharmonic/Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra set is a very good one (although I'm certainly not saying it tops Kertesz or Kubelik)

[Gold Knight]

Hi Gold Knight - believe that you are receiving some excellent responses, but just to add another, I own 3 sets (Rowicki, Kertesz, & Suitner) - and must say that the Rowicki box may be my favorite at the moment, although I've not done a lot of comparisons - good luck on your selection(s) - Dave

Hi, Dave. Thanks so much for your input on this.  A short time ago, I just pulled the trigger and purchased the Rowicki/LSO box. Thanks again for your interest!

[Octave]

I just realized that:
1. I don't have Zemlinsky's Symphonies 1 & 2 by anyone, and
2. Ida Haendel's Sibelius Violin Concerto w/Berglund (not included with any of the EMI Sibelius/Berglund boxes, afaik, at least not the two I have) is not totally OOP, as I carelessly thought it was.

I will probably be getting both of these in their bargain EMI 'Encore' series reissues.  Since Arkiv has a slight sale on these in quantity , so I'd be curious if anyone can highly recommend any of the other issues.  The whole (?) series is here:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/listPage.jsp?list_id=3101&page_size=100&page_type=2

Some that are in larger/other sets I already have (Kempe's Strauss, anything Oistrakh, all Weissenberg, anything Karajan, Jansons' Rachmaninov), but a few things popped out at me as potentially interesting:
1. Liszt B-min sonata (Agustin Anievas)
2. Janacek SINFONIETTA + Weinberg/Smetana by Mackerras (the latter two not on the ICON set iirc)
3. Schmidt's #4 (Welser-Most)
4. Rachmaninov ETUDES-TABLEAUX (Ovchinnikov)
5. Bach MOTETS by Eric Ericson
6. Prokofiev: SYMPHONY-CONCERTO & CELLO SONATA (Chang/Pappano)
7. Te Kanawa & Tate: FRENCH SONGS/ARIAS
8. Prokofiev: VIOLIN CONCERTOS + SONATA (Perlman/Zukerman/Rozhdestvensky)

Or anything else that occurs to you.  The 'Encore' series issues have a white cover with a cherub sitting on a compact disc.  *gag*
I'm not desperate for a slight deal, so only recommend something if you really like it a lot and it's worth having!

[The new erato]

I just realized that:
1. I don't have Zemlinsky's Symphonies 1 & 2 by anyone, and
2. Ida Haendel's Sibelius Violin Concerto w/Berglund (not included with any of the EMI Sibelius/Berglund boxes, afaik, at least not the two I have) is not totally OOP, as I carelessly thought it was.

I will probably be getting both of these in their bargain EMI 'Encore' series reissues.  Since Arkiv has a slight sale on these in quantity , so I'd be curious if anyone can highly recommend any of the other issues.  The whole (?) series is here:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/listPage.jsp?list_id=3101&page_size=100&page_type=2

Some that are in larger/other sets I already have (Kempe's Strauss, anything Oistrakh, all Weissenberg, anything Karajan, Jansons' Rachmaninov), but a few things popped out at me as potentially interesting:
1. Liszt B-min sonata (Agustin Anievas)
2. Janacek SINFONIETTA + Weinberg/Smetana by Mackerras (the latter two not on the ICON set iirc)
3. Schmidt's #4 (Welser-Most)
4. Rachmaninov ETUDES-TABLEAUX (Ovchinnikov)
5. Bach MOTETS by Eric Ericson
6. Prokofiev: SYMPHONY-CONCERTO & CELLO SONATA (Chang/Pappano)
7. Te Kanawa & Tate: FRENCH SONGS/ARIAS
8. Prokofiev: VIOLIN CONCERTOS + SONATA (Perlman/Zukerman/Rozhdestvensky)

Or anything else that occurs to you.  The 'Encore' series issues have a white cover with a cherub sitting on a compact disc.  *gag*
I'm not desperate for a slight deal, so only recommend something if you really like it a lot and it's worth having!

There's a 50 CD Encore box. ...... 

[Octave]

There's a 50 CD Encore box. ...... 

Haha, that's terrible....well, you know my kryptonite.  Actually, I wonder if there would be so much overlap with things I already have; it would have to be very cheap for me to bite, probably.....
I know my research skills are not great, but I am having trouble finding this box.