a "real life" Brahms vs. Wagner experience

[Scion7]

In 1982 the mail-order record service Blue Angel Records out of Maryland had obtained a few of the Brahms-Kammermusik 15LP DG box sets - not the clothbound "tulips" edition from 1968, but a later edition  (yet another edition was issued in 1983 with a different cover in France/England.)  If I recall correctly, it went for ~ $80 or so.   I tried to get one, but was told "sold out" - they went fast!  So I was going to have to just suck a lemon and be content with the rest of the order I placed that they still had.

A few days later, I'm sitting in the living room listening to Frank Zappa-Lumpy Gravy, and the phone rings - a lady from Blue Angel is telling me that they've accidentally shipped me a very expensive complete set of the Wagner Ring cycle - I think it was the Solti - and could I please make sure to notify them when it arrived so they could make arrangements for UPS to come and pick it up.   "Sure" says I - briefly contemplating melting it down on arrival -  - I used to be caught up in the silly fanatical B/W wars back then. "One for Clara!" I was thinking. 

BUT - some days later, UPS delivers a package, which I knew was too small to be the complete Ring.  Inside is this with a note from the lady saying they "found" a set and sent it to me next-day UPS - I knew she was "bribing" me to good intentions/actions on that Ring set.     Some poor slob out in Peoria wasn't going to get his Brahms set - and I could not have cared less, clutching it in me greedy paws and savoring it as I tore off the plastic wrapper.   Eventually UPS dropped two big boxes on my porch, and I called BAR and they had it picked up.

          click to enlarge


It's an awesome set, and the recordings - 1960-1968 by various artists/ensembles - are very good.

[Opus106]

What big booklets you have!

[The new erato]

I bought this too in the late 70-ies, (76 maybe?) in exact the same edition. In fact I bought two, one for me, one for a friend; and I seem to remember they were ridicolously cheap, certainly less than what you paid. A wonderful set that opened me to Brahms, still sitting on my shelves.

[Scion7]

It may have been less - don't have any old Blue Angel catalogues or even any old Schwann's - wish I never tossed them out.  Who knew there wouldn't be a new issue of Schwann at the time?   

[Geo Dude]

This is a great story, thanks for telling it.