Purchases Today

[T. D.]

Yeah, I think the Kontra recorded several of Langgaard's SQs. Also worth mentioning is they recorded Nørgård SQs Nos. 1-6 as well and these works were quite good (to the best of my memory).

This is really funny...The Holmboe SQ box (Kontra Qt.) arrived: great condition, record fast shipping time (less than 48 hrs. from Brooklyn to Upstate NY), I love the music so far and performances seem outstanding, compositions and playing seem better than their Langgaard set I own.

Unfortunately, there's no booklet or track listing, just a box and 7 cardboard sleeves with no text.  I can easily crib a track listing, but the Da Capo website doesn't seem to have (at least for free) easily DL'able liner notes.

I don't actually think the Discogs seller hosed me; most of his offerings are non-classical and I suspect he just reoffered (without close inspection) something he acquired.

[Brian]

What's on this one?

Nobody famous - folk arrangements by Sandor Veress, and then original compositions including a Notturno by Ferenc Farkas and unknown to me composers Weiner (not Leo, another), Kokai, Frid.

[JBS]

Nobody famous - folk arrangements by Sandor Veress, and then original compositions including a Notturno by Ferenc Farkas and unknown to me composers Weiner (not Leo, another), Kokai, Frid.

Sounds promising.

[Madiel]

This is really funny...The Holmboe SQ box (Kontra Qt.) arrived: great condition, record fast shipping time (less than 48 hrs. from Brooklyn to Upstate NY), I love the music so far and performances seem outstanding, compositions and playing seem better than their Langgaard set I own.

Unfortunately, there's no booklet or track listing, just a box and 7 cardboard sleeves with no text.  I can easily crib a track listing, but the Da Capo website doesn't seem to have (at least for free) easily DL'able liner notes.

I don't actually think the Discogs seller hosed me; most of his offerings are non-classical and I suspect he just reoffered (without close inspection) something he acquired.

Oh dear. And I remember at least one review criticising Da Capo for how the cardboard sleeves didn't have a track listing on them!

While Da Capo doesn't present the liner notes in a form that's easy to download, Chandos does. The Chandos website is often HIGHLY useful for this. https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/DK%207001

[T. D.]

Oh dear. And I remember at least one review criticising Da Capo for how the cardboard sleeves didn't have a track listing on them!

While Da Capo doesn't present the liner notes in a form that's easy to download, Chandos does. The Chandos website is often HIGHLY useful for this. https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/DK%207001

Awesome. Many thanks! Didn't know of Chandos in that regard.

[Mirror Image]

This is really funny...The Holmboe SQ box (Kontra Qt.) arrived: great condition, record fast shipping time (less than 48 hrs. from Brooklyn to Upstate NY), I love the music so far and performances seem outstanding, compositions and playing seem better than their Langgaard set I own.

Unfortunately, there's no booklet or track listing, just a box and 7 cardboard sleeves with no text.  I can easily crib a track listing, but the Da Capo website doesn't seem to have (at least for free) easily DL'able liner notes.

I don't actually think the Discogs seller hosed me; most of his offerings are non-classical and I suspect he just reoffered (without close inspection) something he acquired.

Glad you're enjoying the set. Man, that stinks about the booklet! I can't imagine owning any box set without all of its content. Do you think the seller just forgot about the booklet or did they just not have it?

[T. D.]

Glad you're enjoying the set. Man, that stinks about the booklet! I can't imagine owning any box set without all of its content. Do you think the seller just forgot about the booklet or did they just not have it?

I'm giving the seller the benefit of the doubt on this one. He accurately advertised everything as NM and shipping was fantastic. I noticed before ordering that he was new to Discogs and most of his offerings were non-classical; I have a feeling he bought the set cheap and didn't carefully inspect the contents. In many jazz clamshell boxes (e.g. "5 Original Albums" and Black Saint / Soul Note "complete remastered" reissues) there's no booklet, just facsimile LP cover CD sleeves.

Fortunately Madiel pointed out that I could DL a booklet free from Chandos website.

I have to say that Da Capo's printing the individual CD sleeves with attractive art on the faces but solid black obverses is bizarre and questionable.

[Mirror Image]

I'm giving the seller the benefit of the doubt on this one. He accurately advertised everything as NM and shipping was fantastic. I noticed before ordering that he was new to Discogs and most of his offerings were non-classical; I have a feeling he bought the set cheap and didn't carefully inspect the contents. In many jazz clamshell boxes (e.g. "5 Original Albums" and Black Saint / Soul Note "complete remastered" reissues) there's no booklet, just facsimile LP cover CD sleeves.

Fortunately Madiel pointed out that I could DL a booklet free from Chandos website.

I have to say that Da Capo's printing the individual CD sleeves with attractive art on the faces but solid black obverses is bizarre and questionable.

Sometimes people make mistakes and forget to pack things, so I would still inquire about the booklet, but do what you want. I bought this set new about 4-5 years ago for around $35, which I suppose is a pretty decent price compared to asking prices nowadays.

[Que]

Hello - Did you get a chance to listen to the below recordings yet?



Interested what you thought of them? (same goes for anyone else who has heard the recording already)...

Personally I think his Beethoven is more successful. His Schubert cycle features a number of interesting fortepianos, of which some seem unfortunately not properly restored. In addition his approach seems willful, or perhaps too "literal", with rather eccentric choices in tempi and accents and abrupt transitions. It feels like a ride on a roller coaster in a rickety cart.... Tiring on the ear and mind.

Try before you buy! 
Or just stick with Jan Vermeulen (complete cycle on EtCetera and a great incomplete cycle on Vanguard (on a Tröndlin)), Andreas Staier and Alexei Lubimov.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Recent LP purchases:

Moussorgski:  L'oeuvre pour piano seul, les tableaux d'une exposition/Victoria Postnikova/Le Chant du Monde (2 LP set)
Martinu/Schulhoff:  Concertos for String quartet and Orchestra/Talich Quartet/Czech Phil Orch/Kosler on Panton
from Bartok (The Complete Edition):  Violin Concerto with Szekely/Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orch/Mengelberg/Hungaroton
Schubert Impromptu As-dur, op. 142, No. 2 and Sonata c-moll op. post. with Richter on Eurodisc/Melodia
Bartok:  Concerto No. 2 & Prokofiev:  Concerto No. 5 with Richter/Maazel/Orch de Paris & LSO on EMI Angel
Poulenc:  Concerto for Organ, Strings & Timpani with Simon Preston/Andre Previn/LSO on Angel (part of their 45 Angel Sonic Series)

And there you have it! 

PD

p.s.  I also posted this under the vinyl thread.

[Brian]

Dacapo has a habit of changing box set packaging on second or third printing. I have a normal Langgaard symphony box (i.e. paper sleeves with track times printed on them in a clamshell) but apparently the original was a wacky accordion style contraption.

[Mirror Image]

Dacapo has a habit of changing box set packaging on second or third printing. I have a normal Langgaard symphony box (i.e. paper sleeves with track times printed on them in a clamshell) but apparently the original was a wacky accordion style contraption.

Yep and I have that accordion-style Langgaard set. Totally awkward to say the least.

[DavidW]

Hello - Did you get a chance to listen to the below recordings yet?

Oh sorry not yet.

[T. D.]

Sometimes people make mistakes and forget to pack things, so I would still inquire about the booklet, but do what you want. I bought this set new about 4-5 years ago for around $35, which I suppose is a pretty decent price compared to asking prices nowadays.

Yeah, I inquired. Maybe the deal ($23.75 incl. shipping and tax) wasn't as great as I thought.  But I'm really enjoying this set so don't begrudge the money.

[SonicMan46]

Hello - Did you get a chance to listen to the below recordings yet?

     

Interested what you thought of them? (same goes for anyone else who has heard the recording already)...

Hi Undersea - I own those Paul Badura-Skoda Schubert recordings in the original 3 boxes released by Arcana shown above, but have not put them on for a listen in a long time (also bought the new box of his fortepiano recordings of Beethoven's Sonatas) - assume that you know he uses a variety of original (restored and not replicas) fortepianos if that is your desire?  Reviews are attached and the extensive booklet notes are HERE - the price on Amazon USA is certainly a good deal (I likely paid twice that amount for the 3 boxes back when?).  Dave

[Undersea]

Oh sorry not yet.

Thats OK - no worries

Personally I think his Beethoven is more successful. His Schubert cycle features a number of interesting fortepianos, of which some seem unfortunately not properly restored. In addition his approach seems willful, or perhaps too "literal", with rather eccentric choices in tempi and accents and abrupt transitions. It feels like a ride on a roller coaster in a rickety cart.... Tiring on the ear and mind.

Try before you buy! 
Or just stick with Jan Vermeulen (complete cycle on EtCetera and a great incomplete cycle on Vanguard (on a Tröndlin)), Andreas Staier and Alexei Lubimov.

Hi Undersea - I own those Paul Badura-Skoda Schubert recordings in the original 3 boxes released by Arcana shown above, but have not put them on for a listen in a long time (also bought the new box of his fortepiano recordings of Beethoven's Sonatas) - assume that you know he uses a variety of original (restored and not replicas) fortepianos if that is your desire?  Reviews are attached and the extensive booklet notes are HERE - the price on Amazon USA is certainly a good deal (I likely paid twice that amount for the 3 boxes back when?).  Dave

Great - thanks very much for that Que and SonicMan.
I'll check out those reviews shortly...

[SonicMan46]

             
Thats OK - no worries

Great - thanks very much for that Que and SonicMan.
I'll check out those reviews shortly...

Well, I'm about to finish the first volume of 3 discs in my Badura-Skoda collection, and not sure that I'd go as far as Que, e.g. 'feels like a ride on a roller coaster in a rickety cart.' BUT, there are a number of movements in several sonatas w/ forte emphasis where I felt the piano was going to collapse -    I guess since this is such an 'historic' recording, ignoring these occasional 'hiccups' could be excused (or not)? 

Now I've not searched out another period instrument performance of these Schubert Sonatas (do own the box of Uchida on a MI; like to have both approaches in that era); but Que mentioned Jan Vermeulen who I cannot find on Spotify, however, Bilson is present and I will take a listen to him (although Susan Kagan in several Fanfare reviews was not too kind to Malcolm Bilson's performances nor the fortepiano used).  Vermeulen's 6 2-disc volumes are available at PrestoClassical for $17 USD each, i.e. probably close to $110 w/ overseas shipping for me, so not a 'deal-maker' - not sure if these have been boxed up and maybe others can provide some comments.  Dave

 

[Que]

but Que mentioned Jan Vermeulen who I cannot find on Spotify, however, Bilson is present and I will take a listen to him (although Susan Kagan in several Fanfare reviews was not too kind to Malcolm Bilson's performances nor the fortepiano used).  Vermeulen's 6 2-disc volumes are available at PrestoClassical for $17 USD each, i.e. probably close to $110 w/ overseas shipping for me, so not a 'deal-maker' - not sure if these have been boxed up and maybe others can provide some comments.  Dave

When I search "Schubert Vermeulen" on Spotify, the entire series shows up. But could availability vary geographically?

[SonicMan46]

When I search "Schubert Vermeulen" on Spotify, the entire series shows up. But could availability vary geographically?

You're right! I was reversing the 'eu' in the middle of his name -    Now have a playlist of all 6 volumes and listening now on my den speakers - thanks!  Dave

[Undersea]

Well, I'm about to finish the first volume of 3 discs in my Badura-Skoda collection, and not sure that I'd go as far as Que, e.g. 'feels like a ride on a roller coaster in a rickety cart.' BUT, there are a number of movements in several sonatas w/ forte emphasis where I felt the piano was going to collapse -    I guess since this is such an 'historic' recording, ignoring these occasional 'hiccups' could be excused (or not)? 

No worries - I expect recordings made with Historic Instruments to sound a bit crappy (even when they are well recorded) compared to a MI which is all part of their charm IMO.
Maybe you missed that I bought the PB-S recordings already (I posted it a few pages back) - I'm pretty broad-minded when it comes to enjoying different performances so I'll be surprised if I don't like the recordings when I eventually receive them.
Thanks for your input though - its interesting to read about different peoples reactions to the same pieces of music.