Recordings That You Are Considering

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Boulez, Chopin, and Kuusisto.  Vinyl only.

Vinyl only? Loving the revival of vinyl these days but it would be a bit annoying for those who don't have record players....however since I do have one I would love to get this

Paavali Jumpanen recorded the best Boulez sonatas I've heard...I hope they get released on vinyl too!

[Todd]

Paavali Jumpanen recorded the best Boulez sonatas I've heard

I concur.  A great recording.  DG is currently reissuing a healthy chunk of former LP issues in vinyl form, and they have issued some recent recordings in vinyl (eg, Ingolf Wunder), so you never know.

[mc ukrneal]

I've never bought a really big box, but am seriously considering the SEON box for roughly $70. Finding clips of this has been difficult. Anyone found some? My concern on the set is: 1) Too much harpsichord, 2) Too much organ, and 3) Too much solo singing. I don't have much of the music (with the exception of the Bach, but not as heavily weighted that direction as could be). On #1, I don't love solo harpsichord. SO far, it doesn't seem too much, but maybe someone who has heard it can comment. As to organ, I don't dislike organ, but find it less easy on disc than in person. Any comments and thoughts on this set would be appreciated. Also, one question: What is the legend of Orpheus double disc? Thanks in advance for your help.
[asin]B00KXJD58M[/asin]

[Ken B]

I've never bought a really big box, but am seriously considering the SEON box for roughly $70. Finding clips of this has been difficult. Anyone found some? My concern on the set is: 1) Too much harpsichord, 2) Too much organ, and 3) Too much solo singing. I don't have much of the music (with the exception of the Bach, but not as heavily weighted that direction as could be). On #1, I don't love solo harpsichord. SO far, it doesn't seem too much, but maybe someone who has heard it can comment. As to organ, I don't dislike organ, but find it less easy on disc than in person. Any comments and thoughts on this set would be appreciated. Also, one question: What is the legend of Orpheus double disc? Thanks in advance for your help.
[asin]B00KXJD58M[/asin]

I have large chunks of it. Buy. At $70 this is incredible.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Considering some keyboard recordings:

Bach Partitas, Sheppard



Byrd Fantasias, Wilson

[kishnevi]

I have large chunks of it. Buy. At $70 this is incredible.

I thought I was getting a superb price at 80€. (Currently in transit from JPC)
Buy it.
Peter Watchorn gave it a five star review on Amazon.  Does that help convince you?
and they contain some of the greatest musicianship of our time (and the greatest music from ...
By Peter G. Watchorn on September 18, 2015
Verified Purchase
This 85-CD collection includes all of the legendary recordings produced by Wolf Erichson, who began Das Alte Werk for Telefunken and later became producer of the SONY Vivarte series. The SEON set is the most important document of the early music revival that flourished in Europe and the USA from the 1960s. This is literally the entire SEON catalogue for under $200. Everyone should run to buy this while it is still available. Performances are exemplary: Leonhardt, Bruggen, Schroeder, van Egmond, the Kuijkens, Dombois, Bylsma and many others. Recordings (from the late analogue era) are all state of the art for their time, holding up well today. These recordings will never be surpassed, and they contain some of the greatest musicianship of our time (and the greatest music from the late medieval period through to the early 19th century). Buy this set today. The price is almost disturbingly low for what you receive, which includes a large and informative book about the series, the music and the producer. When i founded my own CD label in 2000, this was the model for it. I can't overestimate the importance of this set.

[mc ukrneal]

I thought I was getting a superb price at 80€. (Currently in transit from JPC)
Buy it.
Peter Watchorn gave it a five star review on Amazon.  Does that help convince you?
and they contain some of the greatest musicianship of our time (and the greatest music from ...
By Peter G. Watchorn on September 18, 2015
Verified Purchase
This 85-CD collection includes all of the legendary recordings produced by Wolf Erichson, who began Das Alte Werk for Telefunken and later became producer of the SONY Vivarte series. The SEON set is the most important document of the early music revival that flourished in Europe and the USA from the 1960s. This is literally the entire SEON catalogue for under $200. Everyone should run to buy this while it is still available. Performances are exemplary: Leonhardt, Bruggen, Schroeder, van Egmond, the Kuijkens, Dombois, Bylsma and many others. Recordings (from the late analogue era) are all state of the art for their time, holding up well today. These recordings will never be surpassed, and they contain some of the greatest musicianship of our time (and the greatest music from the late medieval period through to the early 19th century). Buy this set today. The price is almost disturbingly low for what you receive, which includes a large and informative book about the series, the music and the producer. When i founded my own CD label in 2000, this was the model for it. I can't overestimate the importance of this set.

I just got 10% off coupon, so that is why it is a bit cheaper, plus VAT is excluded.

[Mookalafalas]

I've never bought a really big box, but am seriously considering the SEON box for roughly $70. Finding clips of this has been difficult. Anyone found some? My concern on the set is: 1) Too much harpsichord, 2) Too much organ, and 3) Too much solo singing. I don't have much of the music (with the exception of the Bach, but not as heavily weighted that direction as could be). On #1, I don't love solo harpsichord. SO far, it doesn't seem too much, but maybe someone who has heard it can comment. As to organ, I don't dislike organ, but find it less easy on disc than in person. Any comments and thoughts on this set would be appreciated. Also, one question: What is the legend of Orpheus double disc? Thanks in advance for your help.
[asin]B00KXJD58M[/asin]

At $70 I would think about buying 2 in case I wear out the first one.  It's really good, and the performers are top drawer.  Perhaps the star, though, is the production engineer--it has wonderful sound throughout.   There are a number of organ discs, but I ended up liking the ones I've heard (and I'm not generally a big fan of solo organ).  Even if you throw all those out, you will still be getting fantastic discs at less than a dollar a piece!

TD:
  This is at my local store for about $90.  I don't have any of it, and don't know much about Rattle.  He has always turned me off, but for petty reasons--there is just something a bit Kenny G about the way he is promoted.  Certainly it is not his fault he is photogenic, and being inordinately proud of his big hair shouldn't be considered a mark against his musical ability (right )
  I like that this is a mixed bag with some less canonical music in it, but don't know if Rattle, and this orchestra, are considered better at producing it than others.  Anyone planning on getting it?

[asin]B0116CI6WO[/asin]

[kishnevi]

Rattle is at his best in English music and music written after 1915.  Also, some of his remakes with the BPO are better.
An alternative would be a series of smaller boxes, of which this is one

Composer specific, or at least group of composer specific.

[Karl Henning]

Rattle is at his best in English music and music written after 1915.

I'm still fond of his complete Жар-птица, I admit.

[North Star]

And I rather like his Brahms cycle with the Berliners.

[kishnevi]

And I rather like his Brahms cycle with the Berliners.

Yes....although I do not think it is a standout Brahms. More solid goodness.
But the box is specifically his Birmingham recordings, so the BPO recordings (which I think are generally better)are not in there.

[Karl Henning]

Yes....although I do not think it is a standout Brahms. More solid goodness.
But the box is specifically his Birmingham recordings, so the BPO recordings (which I think are generally better)are not in there.

I seem to remember liking his Apollon musagète, when I first got the CD way back in Buffalo.  Lately I was warmly impressed by the Neville Marriner recording . . . wonder how the Rattle would strike me now?  (* makes note to check the archives tonight *)

[Mookalafalas]

Thanks, gentlemen, for the comments   I like the format, repertoire, and price of the box, but will hold off.   

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I hope that soon a box set of Rattle's complete recordings with the Berliners will be released. Most likely on their home label I suppose, but perhaps EMI or DG or something like that.

[SimonNZ]

I can't find a listing of the discs in that box anywhere, but it should contain a number of albums I think of as near essential, especially - just the first ones that come to mind - his four discs of Szymanowski, his two discs of Henze, the Adams Hamonielehre, the Ades Asyla, the Percy Grainger In A Nutshell, the RVW On Wenlock Edge with Robert Tear, and his Haydn discs - particularly the best-ever stop-retune-restart of No.60 "Il Distratto".

I've always liked his Second Vienese recordings, and his CBSO Mahler and Sibelius are still highly regarded against stiff competition, though I've only heard a couple of each.

[Mirror Image]

Rattle is at his best in English music and music written after 1915.  Also, some of his remakes with the BPO are better.
An alternative would be a series of smaller boxes, of which this is one

Composer specific, or at least group of composer specific.

He's great in Britten and even greater in Szymanowski IMHO.

[kishnevi]

He's great in Britten and even greater in Szymanowski IMHO.

I have the Szymanoski box in that series, and the Stravinsky.

Those boxes, btw, draw on both his Birmingham and Berlin recordings.
I am not a fan of his Mahler, btw.
Simon mentioned his Haydn.  I do not know if I ever heard that.
Another great Berlin recording of his is Ravel's Enfant et les Sortileges.

[Mirror Image]

I have the Szymanoski box in that series, and the Stravinsky.

Those boxes, btw, draw on both his Birmingham and Berlin recordings.
I am not a fan of his Mahler, btw.
Simon mentioned his Haydn.  I do not know if I ever heard that.
Another great Berlin recording of his is Ravel's Enfant et les Sortileges.

No, his Szymanowski set was strictly in Birmingham. Look at the contents of the set:

[SimonNZ]

I have the Szymanoski box in that series, and the Stravinsky.

Those boxes, btw, draw on both his Birmingham and Berlin recordings.
I am not a fan of his Mahler, btw.
Simon mentioned his Haydn.  I do not know if I ever heard that.
Another great Berlin recording of his is Ravel's Enfant et les Sortileges.

I've only heard a couple of his Mahler some time back. What was it about them you don't like? I seem to remember the No.2 had quite a bit of praise heaped on it in its day.