Purchases Today

[Madiel]

...this is you with declining purchases??!

I'm having a slow year even by my standards. I think the Haydn op.33 I bought on eBay the other week is the only classical purchase I've made. This is partly because I haven't finished with everything I bought in September/October 2019. Although, I think I'm going to buy some stuff very shortly, if shipping prices aren't too horrible.

[Mirror Image]

...this is you with declining purchases??!

I'm having a slow year even by my standards. I think the Haydn op.33 I bought on eBay the other week is the only classical purchase I've made. This is partly because I haven't finished with everything I bought in September/October 2019. Although, I think I'm going to buy some stuff very shortly, if shipping prices aren't too horrible.

Hah. So what's currently under your consideration for purchase?

[Madiel]

Hah. So what's currently under your consideration for purchase?

Haydn piano trios, Haydn symphonies, Haydn string quartets... Dvorak songs, new and improved Faure songs. Those are the things where I have a specific decision on versions that I want to buy.

Of course, the perils of taking forever to decide these things and know what I want is that sometimes the thing I want is harder to get by the time I make up my mind. Some things go out of print pretty quickly these days. Ironically, given how this conversation started, this is where the record label becomes important. Some labels keep pretty well everything in print, some labels tend to disappear, and some labels you can just wait until they rerelease the recording for the 7th time.

Otherwise... thank God that eBay has proven itself to be a solid marketplace as Amazon goes down the toilet.

[The new erato]

Back to purchases, and don't be too harsh on our Finnish friend. It's not a crime to like what one likes, and I've found enjoyment in plenty of Naxos discs.

Just arrived from europadisc:





As I'm gradually retiring from my two jobs, in between home improvement projects I'm finding more time for listening and exploring. Hahn has become a particular interest the last year.

[Harry]

A thing or two about Naxos. It is true that in the past some of their artist were below par, but for the last 15 years, they are using top quality orchestras, and conductors and soloists, and as the cherry on the cake, the sound engineers are top notch too. I have also some problems with people that think it necessary to disparage performances released by Naxos and in general. All British orchestral series by Naxos are very good. People that can neither compose nor read notes, or understand the technique of composing, may have the opinion, liking it or not, but are not in a position to denigrate. 

[Jo498]

When they started over 30 years ago, I think Naxos had as main goal to provide solid, cheap recordings of standard repertoire. The task of recording discoveries and often providing the first or the first easily available recording at all fell to "Marco Polo". Later on both were combined and Naxos has had rarities for many years now. And Naxos historical was also added.
To be fair, I'd say that Naxos has overall been a great success but they did so much that it will obviously not be all of the same quality. Especially in their first years in the late 1980s and mid 1990s there were many subpar recordings (also on Marco Polo, but of course there were also many pretty good ones on both labels and the choices were often far fewer even in the mid-1990s, unless one lived in a city with very good CD stores as online ordering was not as common and comfortable) and especially with common repertoire one usually did better with discs from cheap/reissue lines of the majors. I started buying CDs in 1988 at 16 and the latter soon became my preferred strategy, so I had very little Naxos for many years. (Because I was a) mainly interested in "standard" repertoire and b) they were not cheap enough compared with series like Sony essential classics, DG resonance, Teldec Diamonds etc.)

Today the situation is different, price is rarely a strong factor to prefer Naxos because CDs are so often on sale or even cheaper used or in supercheap boxes but the general quality of Naxos has become good enough to be competitive with most other labels.

[71 dB]

I think the point here is that you can't even declare which label you prefer or what you like without being harassed or bullied on a forum...

Yeah, I miss the days in the past when you had the right to like what you like and it wasn't other people's business. Apparenty I am not even supposed to hear noises in recording other people don't hear. Sorry, I am an acoustic engineer. I have analytic hearing (different from golden ear).

I have bought 18 CDs of classical music this year and 7 of those are Naxoses. I have been pleased with all those Naxos CDs, even the oldest ones recorded in 1992 (Haydn Op. 20) which have been some of my favorite purchases of the year! 

[Que]

Yeah, I miss the days in the past when you had the right to like what you like and it wasn't other people's business. Apparenty I am not even supposed to hear noises in recording other people don't hear. Sorry, I am an acoustic engineer. I have analytic hearing (different from golden ear).

Not to worry, I'm sure that your fellow members can behave themselves and let you and your opinions be.

If not, I'll be happy to provide the necessary encouragement. After all, it is almost Christmas....  0:)

Q

[Mirror Image]

Could you please list them or mention a few? What are the ones to avoid like corona virus in your opinion?

Most of Marin Alsop's recordings with the notable exception of Barber and Bernstein. These two composers she is quite good, but outside of these composers, I avoid her as much as I can. Any of the major works of Bartók. The Vaughan Williams and Elgar recordings as already mentioned, but with the special notable exception of James Judd's excellent recording of The Nursery Suite and The Wand of Youth --- I like this one a lot. All of their Mahler recordings. All of their Bruckner recordings. All of their Nielsen recordings. They've done some decent Shostakovich, but I don't like Petrenko very much as a conductor and there much better performances elsewhere. None of their Prokofiev has been good. Anyway, I think this is enough for now.

[The new erato]

Hurwitz disagrees strongly with you about Naxos' Mahler 8:

Reference Recording: Wit's Naxos Mahler 8th Has Everything
Review by: David Hurwitz


Just when you thought you didn't need yet another Mahler 8, along comes this version, and it just about sweeps the board. Let's face it, it's been a good couple of years for this symphony.

And Fanfare wrote about the Naxos 3rd: Fanfare "These are outstanding performances at any price. Highly recommended"

I think neither the discussion nor broad generalizations belongs in this thread.

[Mirror Image]

Hurwitz disagrees strongly with you about Naxos' Mahler 8:

Reference Recording: Wit's Naxos Mahler 8th Has Everything
Review by: David Hurwitz


Just when you thought you didn't need yet another Mahler 8, along comes this version, and it just about sweeps the board. Let's face it, it's been a good couple of years for this symphony.

I disagree with Hurwitz about a lot of things, but he's another one that seems to be sponsored by Naxos, so I don't know whether to take him seriously or not.

[The new erato]

My point being that broad generalizations are pretty useless.

[Brahmsian]

Most of Marin Alsop's recordings with the notable exception of Barber and Bernstein. These two composers she is quite good, but outside of these composers, I avoid her as much as I can. Any of the major works of Bartók. The Vaughan Williams and Elgar recordings as already mentioned, but with the special notable exception of James Judd's excellent recording of The Nursery Suite and The Wand of Youth --- I like this one a lot. All of their Mahler recordings. All of their Bruckner recordings. All of their Nielsen recordings. They've done some decent Shostakovich, but I don't like Petrenko very much as a conductor and there much better performances elsewhere. None of their Prokofiev has been good. Anyway, I think this is enough for now.

I can't say that I agree with some of what you wrote, and perhaps strongly disagree. I happen to really like Alsop's recording of Bartok's 'The Wooden Prince'.

Petrenko's Shostakovich's symphonic cycle is consistent and quite strong overall. I think it compares favourably to other cycles. I think it is close to top tier level, if not indeed top tier level.

But, we can agree to disagree. 😁

[Jo498]

I have bought 18 CDs of classical music this year and 7 of those are Naxoses. I have been pleased with all those Naxos CDs, even the oldest ones recorded in 1992 (Haydn Op. 20) which have been some of my favorite purchases of the year! 

They had good recordings, especially some piano and chamber already around 1990. (I am not especially fond of the Kodaly Haydn but there is nothing technically or otherwise "wrong" with them (a bit resonant for some tastes), they are not substandard recordings). The last three Naxos discs I bought were one from the Grieg and two from the Scarlatti piano series. Technically they were all good, one of the Scarlattis I found somewhat bland interpretatively, the other (Frith) very good but even this was put into the shadow by the Tipo/EMI I got  a few weeks later. But then Tipo's Scarlatti is one of the five or so best anthologies I have heard, so this is a bit unfair.

One also needs to keep in mind that Naxos has re-issued material from other labels. E.g. a bunch of excellent Buxtehude with Mortensen et al., originally on a danish label, a British song series with Graham Johnson as pianist (I think), originally on Collins. And so on.

I have not heard any of Wit's Mahler, but Wit's recordings on Naxos usually have had very good reviews for years.

But I think there was another thread somewhere for recommendable or better avoided Naxos recordings.

[Mirror Image]

I can't say that I agree with some of what you wrote, and perhaps strongly disagree. I happen to really like Alsop's recording of Bartok's 'The Wooden Prince'.

Petrenko's Shostakovich's symphonic cycle is consistent and quite strong overall. I think it compares favourably to other cycles. I think it is close to top tier level, if not indeed top tier level.

But, we can agree to disagree. 😁

When I have heard Boulez, Dorati and Fischer in The Wooden Prince, I think it's fair for me to say that Alsop is lackluster all-around. But, as I mentioned, I don't turn to Naxos for the big names. I turn to them for more obscure repertoire that you simply can't get anywhere else.

[Mirror Image]

Just bought:



I already owned the BIS orchestral set of Grieg, but I've been meaning to buy this set of his solo piano works for years. Well, today was the day.

[Florestan]

Just bought:



I already owned the BIS orchestral set of Grieg, but I've been meaning to buy this set of his solo piano works for years. Well, today was the day.

That's a very fine set. Enjoy!

[Mirror Image]

That's a very fine set. Enjoy!

Thanks, Andrei. I already knew many of the Lyric Pieces, but I needed to expand my knowledge of this fabulous composer's piano oeuvre. Also, I own BIS's orchestral set with Ruud at the helm, so it'll make for a nice complimentary set. I'm wondering if I should get that Songs set, have you heard any of this?



The problem I have even thought I know Groop has a lovely voice is that I like more variety in song settings.

[Florestan]

Thanks, Andrei. I already knew many of the Lyric Pieces, but I needed to expand my knowledge of this fabulous composer's piano oeuvre. Also, I own BIS's orchestral set with Ruud at the helm, so it'll make for a nice complimentary set. I'm wondering if I should get that Songs set, have you heard any of this?



The problem I have even thought I know Groop has a lovely voice is that I like more variety in song settings.

This is the songs set I have:



It comprises the complete songs*, the complete piano music and the complete chamber music.

* 7 compact discs of the Grieg Complete Song series featuring famed accompanist Rudolf Jansen at the piano . Singers include Marianne Hirsti , Kjell Magnus Sandve , Knut Skram & Christa Pfeiler . --- they do indeed provide more variety.

I have to say that, as is the case with many composers (Mendelssohn and Brahms immediately come to mind), Grieg's songs are his best kept secret. Ravishingly beautiful pieces. Do give them a try asap.

[Mirror Image]

This is the songs set I have:



It comprises the complete songs*, the complete piano music and the complete chamber music.

* 7 compact discs of the Grieg Complete Song series featuring famed accompanist Rudolf Jansen at the piano . Singers include Marianne Hirsti , Kjell Magnus Sandve , Knut Skram & Christa Pfeiler . --- they do indeed provide more variety.

I have to say that, as is the case with many composers (Mendelssohn and Brahms immediately come to mind), Grieg's songs are his best kept secret. Ravishingly beautiful pieces. Do give them a try asap.

That looks like a great set, Andrei, but here's what I ended up buying:



I've read good things about this recording and it will act as an introduction to some of these songs.