Purchases Today

[Octave]

Took you long enough.

You are a bad man to test my infirmities with PM 'deal alerts'.
I mean really.
You see it only took a meagre further ~$10 drop for my will to be broken.  Never mind interrogation when there's a bargain at hand.

Thanks for that update Octave. That is an amazing deal for Perahia's recordings. Too bad I am not as patient as you were..     

The return pleasure will make the extra money spent vanish from memory.  I have dragged my feet out of subliminal cowardice, not patience: a persistent anti-Perahia infection that's dogged me.  I have absolutely nothing to go on here....negative references encountered piecemeal, sources now obscure to me.  I listen to his rollicking Schubert IMPROMPTUS, his Mozart with Lupu, his sparkling GOLDBERGs, and I do not know what the problem is.  I remember a former (?) GMGer pianophile/Chopin-enthusiast Ezodisy once dismissed Perahia as a 'medium talent' (cf. Bill Murray after fistfight with Chevy Chase) with a reputation constructed by studio edits.  Ezodisy seemed quite literate in the Chopin discography, but that claim really struck me.  Really?  Pianophiles are cruel lovers!

I guess I wish I'd just skipped getting a few smaller Perahia items and gone straight to the big box, as Gordo did/advised.

I have almost no Horowitz in my collection, so I got this while the getting is good.  Kinda spendy, though, at almost two bucks a disc . . .

Where is the current best deal for the new reissue of this?  At a glance, it looks like Amazon.de could ship to USA for $125 or so.
Also, silly OCD, does anyone happen to know a total timing for the whole Horowitz box.  It's an absurd calculation I do re: duplications.  Allmusic usually helps but no luck this time.

[Octave]

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I liked that collection quite a bit----Harrison is his own man.  However, it came to me 'new' as CDRs, as is the case with apparently much Nimbus gear these days.  That might not bother you, though.

[Moonfish]

Where is the current best deal for the new reissue of this?  At a glance, it looks like Amazon.de could ship to USA for $125 or so.
Also, silly OCD, does anyone happen to know a total timing for the whole Horowitz box.  It's an absurd calculation I do re: duplications.  Allmusic usually helps but no luck this time.

Octave,
I think it is Amazon.de at the moment with the 99 Euro price (great deal - I paid much more for it several years ago). I have no idea about the total timing. Do you log those in your data bank? I am curious now...   

[Wakefield]

I have dragged my feet out of subliminal cowardice, not patience: a persistent anti-Perahia infection that's dogged me.  I have absolutely nothing to go on here....negative references encountered piecemeal, sources now obscure to me.  I listen to his rollicking Schubert IMPROMPTUS, his Mozart with Lupu, his sparkling GOLDBERGs, and I do not know what the problem is.  I remember a former (?) GMGer pianophile/Chopin-enthusiast Ezodisy once dismissed Perahia as a 'medium talent' (cf. Bill Murray after fistfight with Chevy Chase) with a reputation constructed by studio edits.  Ezodisy seemed quite literate in the Chopin discography, but that claim really struck me.  Really?  Pianophiles are cruel lovers!

You have perfectly summarized my point of view. I don't know from where it comes (Perahia as a secondary value), but it's a real thing.

For instance, I recall myself a bit ashamed some years ago, when I said Perahia's could be one of the best complete cycles of Mozart's piano concertos. Not to mention his Schumann, Brahms or Chopin.

Also, silly OCD, does anyone happen to know a total timing for the whole Horowitz box.  It's an absurd calculation I do re: duplications.  Allmusic usually helps but no luck this time.

Right now I have the box in front of me, but it doesn't help because there is no indication of total duration of the 70 discs.

Beautiful box and booklet like Perahia's, but considerably more compact.

I recall this collection as one of the first big boxes I purchased. It was a partial release of this same big box set (exactly same box, but smaller), including just 20 CDs (now obviously duplicated). 

[Ken B]

Where is the current best deal for the new reissue of this?  At a glance, it looks like Amazon.de could ship to USA for $125 or so.
Also, silly OCD, does anyone happen to know a total timing for the whole Horowitz box.  It's an absurd calculation I do re: duplications.  Allmusic usually helps but no luck this time.

To comments:
1. He who hesitates is lost. Go for it.
2. Your concern with duplication and timings suggests you want this only for it's bargainy aspect, not the recordings. Pass on it.

Hope this helps. 

[Moonfish]

Thread duty...

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[Ken B]

Thread duty...

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Got this?
[asin]B000KC849W[/asin]
Guaranteed to please the most discerning palate.

[Karl Henning]

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I cannot in good conscience say that a reduction to line-drawing is at all flattering to the composer.

[Brian]

I cannot in good conscience say that a reduction to line-drawing is at all flattering to the composer.

The contents are flattering; a very good cycle. I'd be more likely to buy it if they'd included Sakari's equally consistent discs of the other orchestral works...

[Ken B]

Thread duty...


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ditto

Evil Tempterfish. I bet Octave agrees. 

[Karl Henning]

The contents are flattering; a very good cycle. I'd be more likely to buy it if they'd included Sakari's equally consistent discs of the other orchestral works...

Aye, I've heard good spoken of it; and (unless Naxos has issued more than one) the Kullervo that is in there was one of the very first Naxos discs ever I bought.  (Back not only when there was a Border's on School & Washington Streets, but when it carried a reasonable breadth of classical recordings.)

[Moonfish]

Got this?
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Guaranteed to please the most discerning palate.

Yep, yep...   

Have you got this?
It is pretty interesting (and quite good overall in terms of sound)

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review at: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/June11/Sibelius_233314.htm

[Moonfish]

I cannot in good conscience say that a reduction to line-drawing is at all flattering to the composer.

I agree. That cover belongs in the poor cd art thread. I wonder what Naxos was thinking... Hmm, perhaps they wanted to obliterate the endless images of snow covered forests and lakes associated with Sibelius recordings? Needless to say the cover will never be an incentive to lure anybody into these recordings.

[ritter]

A real rarity, bought from an amazon.es marketplace seller:



Bruno Maderna's soundtrack for the 1968 "experimental / psychedelic thriller" directed by Giulio Questi (and starring Gina Lollobrigida  )...

[Ken B]

Yep, yep...   

Have you got this?
It is pretty interesting (and quite good overall in terms of sound)

[asin] B004VRO7ES[/asin]

review at: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/June11/Sibelius_233314.htm

Unlike Bogey, I fear the mono button. Excluding two Schnabel discs in the mail, and big boxes, I own exactly 2 mono discs.

[Moonfish]

Unlike Bogey, I fear the mono button. Excluding two Schnabel discs in the mail, and big boxes, I own exactly 2 mono discs.

Really!? But that excludes so many wonderful recordings from your cdcdcd mania?     Hmm, so - you do not listen to any historical recordings at all (Toscanini, Furtwangler, Knappertsbusch, Meyer etc)?  The "poor" aspects of the sound just disappears within minutes for me. So much to enjoy in the mono realm!!   

[Moonfish]

Ok, I could not resist any longer. Have to hear the Bruckner. The rest is all bonus!!!

affordable at Amazon.de   http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00EXS4OVQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3JWKAKR8XB7XF

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[Pat B]

I agree. That cover belongs in the poor cd art thread. I wonder what Naxos was thinking... Hmm, perhaps they wanted to obliterate the endless images of snow covered forests and lakes associated with Sibelius recordings? Needless to say the cover will never be an incentive to lure anybody into these recordings.

I think it's above average by Naxos standards -- which isn't saying much, although they have gotten better over time. I like the line drawing itself better than the decision to mirror it.

Thread duty: Ančerl's Janáček Sinfonietta and Martinů arrived today.
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[Brahmsian]

I cannot in good conscience say that a reduction to line-drawing is at all flattering to the composer.

Looks more like Bruckner, Sawallisch, Kojak or the bald guy in Annie, than does Sibelius. 

[not edward]

Thread duty: Ančerl's Janáček Sinfonietta and Martinů arrived today.
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I really envy anyone about to hear these performances for the first time.