Box Blather

Started by Ken B, April 19, 2014, 07:07:51 PM

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mc ukrneal

Quote from: Octave on April 26, 2014, 01:24:22 AM
[oops, we posted similar tidbits at the same time...]
Actually the confusion between HM/DHM is probably worsened by the fact that there was a business relationship between the label bosses (DHM/HM) for a while, maybe just into the 80s before DHM was bought out by a major.  I was under the impression they'd not been connected in a long time.
[I'm trying to remember if I've run across titled 'released' by both labels.  All I remember is a BMG, then an EMI, connection.]



Here is an insanely OCD-y question about Hyperion's Schubert complete songs edition.  Does anyone know how much of the original series contents was omitted from the compilation 40cd box?  I.e. how many performances total, and if it's been posted somewhere, exactly which ones?

I thought maybe some devoted discographist might have done this somewhere.  I read that a few tracks had been snipped from a Brigitte Fassbaender disc from the series, and my guts said nooooooo.
If you go to the digital booklet that accompanies the box (which is free and contains all texts), go to page 420, where you will see all the songs and where they are in the original release vs the box (it goes on quite some pages). You will notice that there were a few that were included more than once and only one was included in the big box. Thus, in terms of completeness of the songs themselves, it is COMPLETE and no songs are missing.

It does look like that there are a few extra songs on the individual discs, but these are all songs that were sung twice (and appears to be by more than one singer, but perhaps not the case in every one).  It only applies to a handful of songs. When you go through the booklet, you can determine which songs it applies to.
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

EigenUser

I really want this!
[asin]B00386FG0M[/asin]
Anyone have it?
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Drosera

Quote from: EigenUser on April 27, 2014, 06:33:41 PM
I really want this!
[asin]B00386FG0M[/asin]
Anyone have it?

I do. Definitely worth having (at least, it was at the original price). Hardly a weak performance in the entire box and plenty of highlights (Gardiner's symphonies, Pollini's piano music, Hagen Quartett's string quartets). Although it's best if you do not have a Fischer-Dieskau aversion, because he's singing almost all the Lieder in the box.

In fact, I believe DG/Universal is really doing great work with these composer boxes. The Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner and Strauss cubes are all really well put together. (Which for me means: consisting of interesting performances I always wanted to have but were not yet in my collection  :) ). I have all of them (except the Strauss, which I already owned almost completely as separate recordings).

North Star

Quote from: EigenUser on April 27, 2014, 06:33:41 PM
I really want this!

Anyone have it?
Looks tad expensive now, perhaps you should get the Gardiner separately, and possibly others like the Pollini, and supplement with other recordings (Hyperion complete songs ought to be good, Herreweghe has great period instrument recordings of the PC & CC, Barto & Eschenbach's disc on Ondine is marvelous, and then there is the VC and the chamber music - Widmann's VS's on ECM are dynamite)

[asin]B00H5DNC32[/asin]
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

Ken B

Quote from: North Star on April 29, 2014, 02:39:44 AM
Looks tad expensive now, perhaps you should get the Gardiner separately, and possibly others like the Pollini, and supplement with other recordings (Hyperion complete songs ought to be good, Herreweghe has great period instrument recordings of the PC & CC, Barto & Eschenbach's disc on Ondine is marvelous, and then there is the VC and the chamber music - Widmann's VS's on ECM are dynamite)

[asin]B00H5DNC32[/asin]
A strong recommendation for the Gardiner from me. Karajan is great but Gardiner will change your ideas about Schumann.

Mookalafalas

Quote from: EigenUser on April 27, 2014, 06:33:41 PM
I really want this!
[asin]B00386FG0M[/asin]
Anyone have it?

  I bought this one just because I saw that the price had gone up everywhere except at my local store...I've barely even tapped it yet.  For those who have it, how about some recommendations to start me off on the right foot?
It's all good...

Octave

Quote from: Baklavaboy on May 02, 2014, 03:07:26 AM
  I bought this one just because I saw that the price had gone up everywhere except at my local store...I've barely even tapped it yet.  For those who have it, how about some recommendations to start me off on the right foot?

Solo piano ALL THE POLLINI
Plus maybe that is a good way into his whole soundworld.
Eigenuser, it's a really nice set but absolutely do not pay more than like $100 for it.  As has already been stated, you can get the arguably-choicest parts of it separately at reasonable prices and substitute perhaps more desirable things as well.  But is this not always the case?  I will use this post as my new signature.
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Ken B

Quote from: Baklavaboy on May 02, 2014, 03:07:26 AM
  I've barely even tapped it yet. 
I confess, when I look a the picture of Schumann on that box, the last thing I would ever think is I'd tap that.

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Ken B on May 02, 2014, 03:08:37 PM
I confess, when I look a the picture of Schumann on that box, the last thing I would ever think is I'd tap that.
Even with that dimple in his chin? :-*
 
Anyway, once I start into, I expect to become a big fan. I remember when I got the Lizst box (the awesome Sony box, although the DG looks very good, too), I had some doubts, and then it was "wow!". I've encountered a lot of Schumann in passing, but so far nothing has really rattled my tree, but I'm confident once the right piece gets makes an impression and I'll have a breakthrough.  The Pollini and Gardiner should be good places to start...
It's all good...

Ken B

Quote from: Baklavaboy on May 02, 2014, 08:34:38 PM
Even with that dimple in his chin? :-*
 
Anyway, once I start into, I expect to become a big fan. I remember when I got the Lizst box (the awesome Sony box, although the DG looks very good, too), I had some doubts, and then it was "wow!". I've encountered a lot of Schumann in passing, but so far nothing has really rattled my tree, but I'm confident once the right piece gets makes an impression and I'll have a breakthrough.  The Pollini and Gardiner should be good places to start...

The DG Liszt box is terrific.
The piano music is the place to start with Mad Robert. Faschingschwank is fun to say, so I'd start there.  :)

EigenUser

So, my birthday is coming up next month. My parents will probably want to know what I want soon and I'd like to ask for a nice box set of music that is kind-of new to me. Anyone recommend any of the following? I've been wanting to listen to more Messiaen recently, so maybe this:
[asin]B001D94L1Q[/asin]

I sampled some Boulez (other than my beloved "Derive I" ;) ) and I think I'm warming up to it, so maybe this:
[asin]B00BLDHPZS[/asin]

Any Feldman box sets? I didn't see any, which seems surprising.
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Ken B

Quote from: EigenUser on May 03, 2014, 03:54:33 PM
So, my birthday is coming up next month. My parents will probably want to know what I want soon and I'd like to ask for a nice box set of music that is kind-of new to me. Anyone recommend any of the following? I've been wanting to listen to more Messiaen recently, so maybe this:
[asin]B001D94L1Q[/asin]

I sampled some Boulez (other than my beloved "Derive I" ;) ) and I think I'm warming up to it, so maybe this:
[asin]B00BLDHPZS[/asin]

Any Feldman box sets? I didn't see any, which seems surprising.

Boulez? You're dead to me!

EMI Warner have an excellent Messiaen box. And one of the best boxes out there is the Vivarte box. Not that I'm willing to talk to you anymore!  ;)

EigenUser

Quote from: Ken B on May 03, 2014, 04:06:32 PM
Boulez? You're dead to me!

EMI Warner have an excellent Messiaen box. And one of the best boxes out there is the Vivarte box. Not that I'm willing to talk to you anymore!  ;)
Yes, my attitude toward Boulez (among others) has changed a bit since joining here. I used to think "academic, cerebral music". Now I think "so what? it sounds cool!" It is challenging music, but I want something that I can enjoy while reading a score. It's modern, but much of it isn't grating or difficult to listen to. It still has a "French-ness" elegance to it that I like.

I first figured that I'd appreciate Schoenberg before Boulez, but I still haven't warmed up to him at all. Like you said in an earlier post, Boulez is much lighter sounding.
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Ken B

Quote from: EigenUser on May 03, 2014, 04:15:11 PM
Yes, my attitude toward Boulez (among others) has changed a bit since joining here. I used to think "academic, cerebral music". Now I think "so what? it sounds cool!" It is challenging music, but I want something that I can enjoy while reading a score. It's modern, but much of it isn't grating or difficult to listen to. It still has a "French-ness" elegance to it that I like.

I first figured that I'd appreciate Schoenberg before Boulez, but I still haven't warmed up to him at all. Like you said in an earlier post, Boulez is much lighter sounding.
He is. I have the piano sonatas and give them a whirl every now and then. But still it's sad to see the young corrupted.
I do recommend getting to know Mess though. I am less a fan than I thought I'd be based on the first few pieces I heard. The big piano cycles are essential music. I think he has a strong tendency towards triteness but YMMV.

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: Ken B on May 02, 2014, 08:38:40 PM
The piano music is the place to start with Mad Robert.

So, so, so true.


Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

amw

Quote from: Ken B on May 02, 2014, 03:08:37 PM
I confess, when I look a the picture of Schumann on that box, the last thing I would ever think is I'd tap that.

He was somewhat more fetching in his younger days:



The music's better, too ;)

EigenUser

#96
Quote from: Ken B on May 03, 2014, 04:55:40 PM
He is. I have the piano sonatas and give them a whirl every now and then. But still it's sad to see the young corrupted.
I do recommend getting to know Mess though. I am less a fan than I thought I'd be based on the first few pieces I heard. The big piano cycles are essential music. I think he has a strong tendency towards triteness but YMMV.
Haha. Interestingly, the piano sonatas (along with "Structures") are the first things of Boulez I heard a few years ago and what made me so put off. While I understand that a lot of thought goes into the work, my first impression was a cat walking across a piano.

My friend, who is an amazing pianist (needless to say), introduced me to Messiaen because he won a competition playing the tenth of the "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jesus" ("Contemplation of the Joyous Spirit"). I love the "Turangalila-Symphonie" in small doses (I listen regularly to mvts I, II, V, and X). The fifth movement is remarkably similar to the tenth of the "20 Contemplations", actually. I am in awe every time I listen to "Et Exspectum..." (*hint*), too -- very powerful music.
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Ken B

Quote from: amw on May 03, 2014, 05:39:31 PM
He was somewhat more fetching in his younger days:



The music's better, too ;)
You don't remember schwing! do you?
:laugh:

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Ken B on May 03, 2014, 05:51:02 PM
You don't remember schwing! do you?
:laugh:
I do ;D  I know what you mean. It's the mole, I think :-*
It's all good...

The new erato

#99
Quote from: EigenUser on May 03, 2014, 04:15:11 PM

I first figured that I'd appreciate Schoenberg before Boulez, but I still haven't warmed up to him at all. Like you said in an earlier post, Boulez is much lighter sounding.
Boulez is more concerned about sound, Schoenberg about structure (not that there isn't lots of structure in Bulez, but still.....). All true to their national stereotypes, sensual vs stern.