Purchases Today

[AnotherSpin]

So that everyone can feel comfortable, I should say I have no Medtner albums and no Alkan albums. I never had any Medtner, and about twenty years ago I had two or three Alkan recordings by Hamelin, but they have long since gone.

[Kalevala]

Well, yes...

...well, no. You're asking somebody with a distinct liking for sets, who decided to strike out and buy over 70 recordings when he had only heard a selection of them, whether he's now considering getting rid of some of them? It doesn't work like that. Frankly, the question seems odd when you've observed what I'm doing.

The only ones I would get rid of are the concerto/voices box set re-releases that look different, if I decide at some point to be especially silly and aim to get the 5/6 discs in each box in their original stand-alone form. With cardboard slipcases otherwise the switch would be unnecessary.

The only discard thus far is that ridiculous free gift that turned out to be an album by a convicted arsonist and murderer. Which, as previously flagged, is now somewhere in the local garbage dump.

I don't remember you liking sets per se [Sorry, not trying to be rude here, but I do have things going on in my own life too].  I remember you mentioning about hearing/listening to some of the music--I don't recall all of the details.  I do remember you mentioning one CD that you didn't like at least one of the pieces but liked another, so wondered whether or not you were wanting/able to let things go that you didn't like so well....I know, easier said than done; that's all.   

K

[Madiel]

I don't remember you liking sets per se [Sorry, not trying to be rude here, but I do have things going on in my own life too].

But you do know I'm on a quest to collect all the volumes of the series. You've been following it. You're even asking about my progress. You know I that I want THIS set. That's why I find your question a bit bewildering.

Anyway. Besides all that I'm also not in the business of disposing of albums after just one listen. It often takes me years to decide to acquire them.

[Kalevala]

But you do know I'm on a quest to collect all the volumes of the series. You've been following it. You're even asking about my progress. You know I that I want THIS set. That's why I find your question a bit bewildering.

Anyway. Besides all that I'm also not in the business of disposing of albums after just one listen. It often takes me years to decide to acquire them.

I had thought that you had listened to your CDs from this set more than once--at least some of them before commenting. 

If you don't enjoy them (after some point in time), maybe let them go?  Just a thought.  Things take up space....trying here to get rid of some things....perhaps that's clouding my judgement.

And, yes, enjoy the series; and, yes, I don't remember whether or not you stream music...sorry!

K

[Florestan]

[Florestan]

The piano sonatas (Hamelin) and the piano concerti (Tozer 1-3, Alexeev 1, Demidenko 2-3) are good places to start. Two pianos: Knight errant (Alexeev/Demidenko). For chamber music, the violin sonatas (especially fond of Mordkovitch in 1-2). Two more favourites of mine: the Second Improvisation and the Sonate-Vocalise.

I have often heard it said that Medtner is Rachmaninoff without the tunes --- but when it comes to solo piano music, Medtner is actually more tuneful than Rachmaninoff, to my ears at least.

[Wanderer]

I have often heard it said that Medtner is Rachmaninoff without the tunes --- but when it comes to solo piano music, Medtner is actually more tuneful than Rachmaninoff, to my ears at least.

And not just in solo piano music.

[JBS]

[hopefullytrusting]

Pretty much every Presto sale I look at the new releases to see if there is anything I'd like to buy, this time around - just these two.

[JBS]

Pretty much every Presto sale I look at the new releases to see if there is anything I'd like to buy, this time around - just these two.

This is one time where downloading beats physical media.

I'm not ordering anything from Presto or anyone else outside the U.S. until the shutdown ends and I don't have to worry about it being stuck in Customs.

This has a side benefit of not spending as much money as usual.

[hopefullytrusting]

This is one time where downloading beats physical media.

I'm not ordering anything from Presto or anyone else outside the U.S. until the shutdown ends and I don't have to worry about it being stuck in Customs.

This has a side benefit of not spending as much money as usual.

Oh, for sure.

Ordering physical media, or physical anything really, seems like a nightmare if it has to go through customs.

I think the I am done buying most physical media outside of the occasional "book" (including comics, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, etc.).

[Que]

It's amazing how many recordings of Marias' music there are these days....
This series by Joubert-Caillet and his L'Achéron now supersedes the hard to find but excellent pioneering series by Jean-Louis Charbonnier et al, dispersed on several volumes issued on two different tiny French labels (both now defunct): Pierre Vérany and Ligia. This series by L'Achéron is a step up in advancement of period performances practices (and recording technology).

Anyway... a firm endorsement of your choice! 

[Harry]

Excellent choice, these performances are hard to top.

[Madiel]

I have often heard it said that Medtner is Rachmaninoff without the tunes --- but when it comes to solo piano music, Medtner is actually more tuneful than Rachmaninoff, to my ears at least.

Having just reacquainted myself with the op.8/2 skazka, I find this surprising. That's an example of a piece that is not at all 'tuneful' in my book.

It's good music. Just not tuneful.

Mind you, the liner notes do describe it as one of the most 'modern' pieces that Medtner ever did even though it's early in his career, so maybe I'm currently listening to an outlier.

[Florestan]

And not just in solo piano music.

I wouldn't go that far. True, Medtner's violin sonatas are more tuneful than Rachmaninoff's, but this is offset by Rachmaninoff's symphonies being more tuneful than Medtner's. As for PCs, there's nothing in Medtner that can rival the big tunes in Rachmaninoff's 2nd and 3rd, or the 18th variation in the Paganini Rhapsody.

@Madiel What I meant is rather that, paradoxically enough, Rachmaninoff's piano music has no such big tunes or even no tunes at all whereas Medtner's has comparatively more tunes, albeit equally unmemorable.

[Madiel]

I still think solo piano Rach has its share of big tunes. Anyway.