Recordings That You Are Considering

[PerfectWagnerite]

Well, it's Adams, so, of course, quite naturally, it's disappointing and a hackneyed piece.

Good point. I listened to part of it on youtube and yes it is pretty bad.

[Mirror Image]

Good point. I listened to part of it on youtube and yes it is pretty bad.

I didn't listen to all of it either, but that was enough.

[aligreto]

I didn't mean to be this harsh, but I put Pettersson and Penderecki in the same category in that their music has a lot of a grandstanding but they have no platform to stand on.

Don't take my word as gospel, you may end up liking this music more than I did.

Edit: I do like his Symphony No. 7 very much and really admire, not only its construction, but the late-Romantic aural webs the music sometimes lures me into. This work does have something more in common with the Romantic tradition, but I suppose that's why I like it so much. It's not just barrages of anger and bitterness for it's own sake. There's more of a purpose to this work I feel.

I am actually not complaining that you are harsh. I respect your opinion. I just felt that your comments were interesting. Putting Pettersson and Penderecki together perhaps adds weight with regard to your comments for me 

[Mirror Image]

I am actually not complaining that you are harsh. I respect your opinion. I just felt that your comments were interesting. Putting Pettersson and Penderecki together perhaps adds weight with regard to your comments for me 

No problem. I hope you get more out of Pettersson than I did.

[André]

I slogged my way through that set (or at least most of it) only to find that Pettersson really wanted me to feel his misery. I felt miserable, yes, but only after realizing that I can't get the time back for giving a composer of his rather limited ability a chance to begin with.

A fancy way to say he's not worth your while 

[Mirror Image]

A fancy way to say he's not worth your while 

But the added dramatic effect sure did please me after I re-read the post.

[PerfectWagnerite]

What about this one:

[Mirror Image]

What about this one:

Uniformly excellent performances. If you like the repertoire, this is must-buy.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Uniformly excellent performances. If you like the repertoire, this is must-buy.

I do wish something else is there other than Saint-Saen's 3rd, Franck's D-minor and Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique...

[Mirror Image]

I do wish something else is there other than Saint-Saen's 3rd, Franck's D-minor and Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique...

Yeah, I, too, get tired of the same old, same old, but Martinon's Roussel, Honegger, and Poulenc are certainly worth hearing. I'm not really sure why I bought the box set as there's quite a bit of repertoire I'm not not necessarily interested in, but Martinon is such an awesome conductor that it really doesn't matter, especially if you can get it at a good price.

What other recordings have you been considering?

[PerfectWagnerite]

Yeah, I, too, get tired of the same old, same old, but Martinon's Roussel, Honegger, and Poulenc are certainly worth hearing. I'm not really sure why I bought the box set as there's quite a bit of repertoire I'm not not necessarily interested in, but Martinon is such an awesome conductor that it really doesn't matter, especially if you can get it at a good price.

What other recordings have you been considering?

Yes he is an incredibly gifted conductor, someone who combines orchestral discipline with boundless energy yet always musical. I have this other box and everything in there is extraordinary:



Recently I have been contemplating these:





and also the 3 big DECCA Ansermet boxes.

[Jo498]

It all depends... What I have heard of Tafelmusik is good to very good (except the Biber disc which I found weak) but often not all that special in the usually well covered repertoire. I still rank their Handel fire/water and especially the fillers concerti a due cori and Pastor fido suite quite high. Weil's Haydn is very lean/mean/small scale. (Some of the sacred music might be hard to find in other recordings at all.) The symphonies after serenades are a curiosity but probably the best recording of them (not sure if there is a point, the full serenades are entertaining music).

I am tempted myself once in a while by the Westminster box but have resisted so far... because it is mostly historical and both recordings I already have as well as some I don't think I'll listen to more than once are included. And I don't really want any of the big haphazard anthologies...

[Wanderer]

Highly recommended.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Uniformly excellent performances. If you like the repertoire, this is must-buy.

How is the sound quality in that box? For reference I thought the CSO box is in excellent sound.

Anyone with thoughts on this?

[North Star]

There's the Solti set, too

[asin]B008H29YYQ[/asin]

[kishnevi]

The Solti is good but does not have everything.
The Bohm is not always the best sonics, and has cuts in some operas.
Strauss may in fact be the sort of composer with whom picking and choosing individual recordings may be of benefit.   Although for a couple, Bohm is the only realistic option.

And at least some of the operas have very good DVD performances available.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Strauss may in fact be the sort of composer with whom picking and choosing individual recordings may be of benefit.

This is without question the best option, at least for the operas. And you're right about the Bohm. It's either drab live sonics (the majority) or faulty studio sonics (Elektra). And the singers aren't always up to snuff, either (Schatten). 

The one exception to this is Capriccio, which an outstanding performance in beautiful sound. One of the best Strauss opera recordings out there.

For me I have a mix of Bohm, Solti, Sawallisch, Haitink, Bychkov, Sinopoli, Dohnanyi, Masur, and Kempe. This isn't the cheap way to go but the dividends more than make up for it.   

[mc ukrneal]

My collection has a large gap where Richard Strauss should be.  Are these a worthwhile one-stop shop for the  operas?

Is that this one?
[asin]B00G4PV0H2[/asin]

Tough choice. On Solti, I have or have heard the Elektra, Salome, Frau, and Arabella. All are excellent, so a good box if completeness is not critical. It is a good starting point at roughly $50.

On this other, I have or have heard: Salome/Sinopoli, Elektra/Solti, Frau/Solti, Capriccio/Bohm, and Ariadne/Sinopoli. All of these are excellent too. Of course, it has many other operas, and this could be attractive, especially at $80. A possible advantage here is that it is free on a 30 day trial of some sort so you can get a better idea of what you think (if you have access to that). (and I didn't mention it, but the Norman/Last Songs is great, but can be had separately more cheaply).

So I guess it really depends on what you want, how much you want to spend, and how important it is to have them all. Incidentally, not having the sets, I'm not sure if libretti are included in either set, which is perhaps less critical for the well known operas, but perhaps an issue for the lesser known works. Not sure how easy it will be to find them (or maybe it isn't an issue- I just don't know).

Of course, mixing and matching is often an advantage, except for the wallet. Although, with the Solti set, you'd have to mix and match anyway if you wanted to keep going.

[Madiel]

The customer reviews of that large DG box make clear that it doesn't contain the libretti, but it has "full synopses" whatever that means.

No libretti in the Solti box of half a dozen operas either.

[Mirror Image]

If you are referring to the Amazon Music Unlimited, I signed up and have been listening to both boxes. 

Strauss is still a hard sell for me, so I won't purchase either, at this time - but completeness is more important to me than a different box with fewer operas but by one conductor that contains some recordings more people think are better.  I can alwaays supplement the big box with individual CDs.

Thanks for pointing out that both volumes are available in one big box.

Elektra, Die Frau ohne Schatten, and Salome are probably my favorite Strauss' operas. They're definitely worth your time IMHO. At least, if anything, you'll own these if you buy that DG set.