Purchases Today

[André]

Potboiler time ! 

[Mirror Image]

Just bought:



I'm always looking out for recordings of Elgar's Violin Concerto, which is one of my favorites. I've read positive things about this Benedetti performance.

[Brass Hole]

Filled in a few of the gaps:

[The new erato]

JPC had an unexpected Glossa sales:

I have most of these Glossa issues you listed, but partook of a few other issues I didn't have, including the Boccherini trios. Thanks for the alert.

[Harry]

I have most of these Glossa issues you listed, but partook of a few other issues I didn't have, including the Boccherini trios. Thanks for the alert.

Most of the stuff was already offered in a previous sale, so I bought most of the Glossa CD'S

[vandermolen]

Bernard Herrmann
I liked the upbeat musical extract as well
https://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=2304928

[Mirror Image]

Just bought:



Thanks to Andre for bringing this one to my attention. I had forgot that McCreesh recorded it (I already own and was rather impressed with recording of Britten's War Requiem).

[The new erato]

Just arrived:



Colorful and vivid, but need to listen more carefully.

[71 dB]

Just bought:


I'm always looking out for recordings of Elgar's Violin Concerto, which is one of my favorites. I've read positive things about this Benedetti performance.

I wonder how hidious the original background of her photo was when they though changing it to this dull yellow is something they want to do... ...not the greatest CD cover I have seen.

I manipulated the colors quickly to come up with something that makes more sense to my eyes:

[Mirror Image]

I wonder how hidious the original background of her photo was when they though changing it to this dull yellow is something they want to do... ...not the greatest CD cover I have seen.

I manipulated the colors quickly to come up with something that makes more sense to my eyes:

I don't like any cover photo that has the performers on it and this one is no different. At any rate, the performances are what I care about.

[71 dB]

I don't like any cover photo that has the performers on it and this one is no different. At any rate, the performances are what I care about.

I am the same. That's why I llke labels such as Naxos and CPO. Very rarely or never do that put performers on the cover. Decca on the other hand is hopeless in this regards. 

[71 dB]

But many Naxos recordings are piss poor performance-wise (there are exceptions of course).

Not really. Sure, some are mediocre, but I wouldn't say there are that many "piss poor" ones. Of course one can avoid those bad ones.

Their Elgar cycle is bottom-of-the-barrel to me and the same with their RVW cycle.

Really? I think their Elgar is pretty decent. My Elgar problem with Naxos is they are not exactly Elgar-completists. There are TONS of Elgar they haven't touched at all. Anyway, I value their Elgar Symphony cycle including the third very high and I am not the only one.

When I have conductors like Boult, Barbirolli, Andrew Davis or Elder in Elgar, I see no reason to buy a Naxos recording of any of their Elgar.

Really? Have you even listened to them? For me Barbirolli's take on the Symphonies are actually disappointing compared to Hurst and Downes on Naxos.

I know you have some kind of strange attachment to Naxos, but they're not the bee's knees and never have been for me. Bad cover art has never deterred me away from buying a recording, especially one that resonates with me.

You are entitled to spend your money to any label you want. So am I. For me it's silly to overlook a classical music giant the Naxos is today just because they are a budget label and don't really use the BIGGEST stars on the planet.

Also, I didn't tell you to not buy CDs with ugly covers. I just told I find the yellow hidious. The performance can of course be excellent so enjoy! 

[The new erato]

I buy quite some Naxos discs but mainly for repertoire scantily served elsewhere. They can be very fine, but for the major repertoire there are so many superb midprice reissues of classical performances by great performers at prices comparable to Naxos that I mainly wouldn't bother, In the major repertoire it's all about the performances.

[Mirror Image]

I buy quite some Naxos discs but mainly for repertoire scantily served elsewhere. They can be very fine, but for the major repertoire there are so many superb midprice reissues of classical performances by great performers at prices comparable to Naxos that I mainly wouldn't bother, In the major repertoire it's all about the performances.

Yes, agreed. I turn to Naxos for those harder to find crevasses that the major labels won't even bother recording.

[Madiel]

I manipulated the colors quickly to come up with something that makes more sense to my eyes:

The modern idea that people can always change things to suit themselves continues to mystify me.

[71 dB]

I buy quite some Naxos discs but mainly for repertoire scantily served elsewhere. They can be very fine, but for the major repertoire there are so many superb midprice reissues of classical performances by great performers at prices comparable to Naxos that I mainly wouldn't bother, In the major repertoire it's all about the performances.

I get that point, but for my "jumping outside Naxos" means jumping into the unknown. Which of the many options are the best ones? Which ones have good sound quality. Is the sound even stereo? Even people who know these performances inside out can't agree about which ones are the best! Naxos is the "no homework needed" label. Exploring music gets VERY laborious when you need to spend hours online finding out what performance to buy and when you finally know you realise it's an OOP dics and you are not willing to pay $70 for it!  Naxos is so easy. No homework. Cheap. You just grab it. Good stereo sound. Decent to excellent performances and you are done.

[71 dB]

The modern idea that people can always change things to suit themselves continues to mystify me.

I can change only how the cover looks on monitor. I have Gimp on my Mac. Nothing mystic about that. 

[Madiel]

I can change only how the cover looks on monitor. I have Gimp on my Mac. Nothing mystic about that. 

I didn't say the technology was mystic. I said the idea was mystifying.

My response to something I don't like is to just not like it. Not to think that it's somehow my job to fix it according to my tastes. But I'm well aware I'm a dinosaur in this regard. People go changing the tracklist of pop albums on the day of release.

[Mirror Image]

Really? Have you even listened to them?

Ummm...no, I'm just talking out of the side of my mouth with no knowledge whatsoever of the performances I'm talking about. Of course I've heard Barbirolli's performances of the symphonies. I love them and they have more character and spirit than Downes or Hurst. Barbriolli's credentials as an Elgarian are world renown. Many people who are just getting into Elgar's music haven't the faintest clue who Downes or Hurst are and this even goes for people who are familiar with Elgar.

[Daverz]

But many Naxos recordings are piss poor performance-wise (there are exceptions of course). Their Elgar cycle is bottom-of-the-barrel to me and the same with their RVW cycle. When I have conductors like Boult, Barbirolli, Andrew Davis or Elder in Elgar, I see no reason to buy a Naxos recording of any of their Elgar. I know you have some kind of strange attachment to Naxos, but they're not the bee's knees and never have been for me. Bad cover art has never deterred me away from buying a recording, especially one that resonates with me.

I don't know how you can call their Vaughan Williams cycle (shared between Kees Bakels and Paul Daniel) bottom-of-the-barrel.  It's a good cycle, though perhaps not a top choice.  I really like the 8th.

In other British repertoire, Naxos is generally excellent.