Box Blather

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

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Moonfish

Quote from: Baklavaboy on October 23, 2014, 01:44:32 AM
Italian Amazon....it keeps calling to me.

    Last night I found the Early music "Secret Labyrinths" box used at Amazon JP for $27, plus $5 shipping. Second hand, but that doesn't bother me. I don't keep the outer box, anyway.

    I have the Ensemble Unicorn and "Saints and Sinners" early music boxes in my basket at importCD.  Fantastic prices on both, but I just got the wonderful Rene Jacobs edition and Hilliard Ensemble 8 disc box for about $20 each.  I don't mean to brag when I give the prices, but rather to excuse my seeming profligacy.  There has to be a point where these sets are just too reasonable to pass up.  And they are just so darned GOOD ???
  About Italian Amazon, the boxes are dead cheap, but shipping is high. However, it goes down with bulk.  The DG Bernstein and the new Decca Weiner Phil box can be had, shipped, for $235, combined.  Of course that's a lot of cash, but for 125 discs, it's under $2 for each, for very fine music indeed.  :'( :'(

Amazon.it is calling your name Al........

"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

AnthonyAthletic

Just a quick one

Has this been the greatest ever year for box sets, the volume and choices have been immense.

I certainly don't remember a year like this, where I sit here surfing and the list gets bigger and bigger and the amount of music I have to listen to takes me well past next summer.

The year's not done yet, either  :D

"Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying"      (Arthur C. Clarke)

The new erato

Quote from: AnthonyAthletic on October 23, 2014, 02:13:27 AM
Just a quick one

Has this been the greatest ever year for box sets, the volume and choices have been immense.

I certainly don't remember a year like this, where I sit here surfing and the list gets bigger and bigger and the amount of music I have to listen to takes me well past next summer.

The year's not done yet, either  :D
The big companies with large back catalogues are dumping their product while there still is somebody willing to pay for music.

AnthonyAthletic

Quote from: The new erato on October 23, 2014, 02:24:27 AM
The big companies with large back catalogues are dumping their product while there still is somebody willing to pay for music.

Never thought of it that way, its all good for us wee collectors.

Just wish they'd dump and stock up zoreno, dodax & nagiry  :laugh:

"Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying"      (Arthur C. Clarke)

Cosi bel do

It is clear that, for about a year or two, I changed my habits, and now almost don't buy any single CD anymore. Except a few oop recordings that have no chance of see included in such boxes, and a few inexpensive CDs from smaller labels (Praga for instance). Big boxes have now become the normal way to buy and listen to music, or so it seems. Why risking buying a CD when you'll end having it included in such a set ?

This year only, if I count only 20CD+ boxes, I bought the Lili Kraus, Fricsay, Kubelik SE, Richter solo rec., Westminster Legacy (the smaller set, I already had both of the big Korean boxes), and Giulini complete DG & Sony rec. (this one, still really at a good price on JPC). And I plan to buy at least the Seon, Bernstein/Sony and Monteux boxes in the next 2-3 months... And then, certainly, Ozawa and Bernstein DG vol.1 are on my list.

Also, I don't think this is the sign that music on CD will soon not exist anymore, and that there won't be any way to buy music except digital files. I think on the contrary these are a big source of profit for labels, I mean, in the end, we are spending more money on recordings that do not cost anything to them (as they are usually decades old), whereas CD production costs have never been lower. And they sell all that with minimal booklets (which is the most expensive element to produce).
And all this is better for us, too, because we can buy more music for the same price, and recordings that had been unavailable, sometimes for decades, before that !

Hurray to the box frenzy ! Let's buy'em and hope for more !

listener

and it will be easier to move when they are already in boxes of 50 or 100 rather than in jewel cases.
"Keep your hand on the throttle and your eye on the rail as you walk through life's pathway."

The new erato

I mainly buy single discs or small sets, as the big boxes generally carry stuff I'm already soaked with. Early music, baroque opera (the rare stuff), out-of-the way romantics, 20th century by-the-wayside-repertoire, these are my bread and butter.

Cosi bel do

Right, as I said, one might still buy a few CDs, 5 or 10 every months, of things he might not find anytime soon in one of these big boxes. But even for early music or baroque opera, I mean, who could resist the Seon or HM Opera Baroque sets ?
And buying 5 or 10 CDs every months, that was okay 10 years ago. But today, how could that be enough ? With these changes on the market, listening habits have also changed. I do not listen to CDs as many times as I did before. I now listen to CDs again because I really like them and want to hear them again, not out of necessity because there's nothing new around...

Jo498

I refuse to buy most of the big boxes. I know that I will not listen to most of it and often I do not like the way they are mixed together (like Living Stereo or other label-focussed stuff).
My biggest composer box is a Beethoven-Box from EMI I bought two years ago or so, mainly because I wanted the piano sonatas with Heidsieck and was also interested in the Ferras violin and Tortelier Cello sonatas and the Hungarian SQ quartets.
My next biggest composer boxes are Wagner/Bayreuth (bought in 07 or so) and Fischer's Haydn symphonies (bought in 02 or so)
Of big artist boxes I bought Samson Francois from EMI France. As I already had most of the Chopin recordings (and had listened to these before) I am not sure how little I have actually listened to. I do not regret getting it, but it was not all that necessary. I almost bought the Fricsay a couple of month ago, but then I decided that I already have most of the stuff I want and rather try for Ebay or other sellers breaking up the boxes and get the 3-4 discs I might be interested in.

Another factor is that I am not that interested in getting the 20th recording of a Beethoven or Mozart symphony.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Mookalafalas

After seeing a detailed listing of what is in this box, I got very excited. Got it today. Terrible packaging and listing, sensational content.

It's all good...

Moonfish

Quote from: Baklavaboy on October 24, 2014, 05:11:06 AM
After seeing a detailed listing of what is in this box, I got very excited. Got it today. Terrible packaging and listing, sensational content.



Yes, that is a nice one! Lots of Schiff's Bach in that box.  If I recall correctly Decca put out a violin masterworks edition as well (which I suspect you may enjoy). I was also quite impressed with the content in the piano edition when it came out. Hmm, this is one of my early boxes (2009?)  when I got addicted to classical music...   :'( :'( :'(

[asin] B001L8K15Y[/asin]
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Mookalafalas

Yeah, and they have it at my shop, too. However, I think the price of both of those leaped upwards by about 50% (they still aren't that much, but the price went up from about $50 to $75). I actually have the violin box in FLAC form on my harddrive. Since the packaging is so poor, I may just burn some of those when I want to put them in rotation...
It's all good...

Moonfish

Quote from: Baklavaboy on October 24, 2014, 05:23:29 AM
Yeah, and they have it at my shop, too. However, I think the price of both of those leaped upwards by about 50% (they still aren't that much, but the price went up from about $50 to $75). I actually have the violin box in FLAC form on my harddrive. Since the packaging is so poor, I may just burn some of those when I want to put them in rotation...

Yes, the presentation is kind of awkward, but it's great music!!!   0:)
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Moonfish on October 24, 2014, 05:31:30 AM
Yes, the presentation is kind of awkward, but it's great music!!!   0:)

  No question, and I have surprisingly little violin, except what are dispersed throughout the big boxes.  I have lots more Cello than violin, strangely enough...I was considering getting the Kyung-Wha Chung set, just to have a solid version of most of the core repertoire.  (I don't really want to spring for the Heiffetz, even if the price comes way down).
It's all good...

Moonfish

Quote from: Baklavaboy on October 24, 2014, 05:38:15 AM
  No question, and I have surprisingly little violin, except what are dispersed throughout the big boxes.  I have lots more Cello than violin, strangely enough...I was considering getting the Kyung-Wha Chung set, just to have a solid version of most of the core repertoire.  (I don't really want to spring for the Heiffetz, even if the price comes way down).

I wish that there was an enormous Hilary Hahn set!   :)    Frankly, Heifetz does not do much for me (I know - heresy), but it leaves me cold most of the time. There are a number of other violinists that allow me to find a different resonance with the music. Perhaps it has to do with the warmth of the recording. The Heifetz recordings have a somber soundscape (if that makes any sense?). Of course, this is all very subjective.
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Moonfish on October 24, 2014, 05:42:31 AM
I wish that there was an enormous Hilary Hahn set!   :)    Frankly, Heifetz does not do much for me (I know - heresy), but it leaves me cold most of the time. There are a number of other violinists that allow me to find a different resonance with the music. Perhaps it has to do with the warmth of the recording. The Heifetz recordings have a somber soundscape (if that makes any sense?). Of course, this is all very subjective.

   I think I know what  you mean, although I haven't played that much Heifetz.  When he plays the giants, with an awesome orchestra behind him it is good, of course, but I don't generally feel it's him that's making the difference.

   Yes, a giant Hillary Hahn box! However, as controls her own recordings now, she probably won't go that route--not for 20 or 30 years, anyway. 

  By the way, do you have any of the little HM boxes? They are just like the DHM ones (10 discs for about 20 bucks). 
E.G.
[asin]B005BZBXZA[/asin]

  (of course this one is listed as much more here at Amazon).  My shop has a Romantic, a Baroque, and one other.  They have a lot of Herrewegh conducted stuff. I don't have that much of him, but what I have really impresses me a lot. 
It's all good...

Cosi bel do

Quote from: Moonfish on October 24, 2014, 05:42:31 AM
I wish that there was an enormous Hilary Hahn set!   :)    Frankly, Heifetz does not do much for me (I know - heresy), but it leaves me cold most of the time. There are a number of other violinists that allow me to find a different resonance with the music. Perhaps it has to do with the warmth of the recording. The Heifetz recordings have a somber soundscape (if that makes any sense?). Of course, this is all very subjective.

I share this mixed feeling about Heifetz. I very much prefer Francescatti, Ferras, Oistrakh, followed by Milstein and Kogan, to speak only of old (ie dead) artists.
By the way, I wish there were a complete Francescatti set on Sony !

king ubu

Quote from: Cosi bel do on October 24, 2014, 06:11:17 AM
By the way, I wish there were a complete Francescatti set on Sony !

Yes please! I'd be all over that as well!

Ferras, luckily, was treated quite well, though I'd wish the DG/Decca to be complete ... but it's chock-full of great music. And the Korean EMI didn't do any damage (other than to my bank account) either, though the DG/Decca is decidedly better, I'd say (the Martzy, de Vito and Morini boxes from Korea are lovely as well).

I love Heifetz though, so I was extremely happy to see the big one re-appear!

Es wollt ein meydlein grasen gan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Und do die roten röslein stan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Fick mich mehr, du hast dein ehr.
Kannstu nit, ich wills dich lern.
Fick mich, lieber Peter!

http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/

Cosi bel do

Quote from: king ubu on October 24, 2014, 06:23:18 AM
Yes please! I'd be all over that as well!

Ferras, luckily, was treated quite well, though I'd wish the DG/Decca to be complete ... but it's chock-full of great music. And the Korean EMI didn't do any damage (other than to my bank account) either, though the DG/Decca is decidedly better, I'd say (the Martzy, de Vito and Morini boxes from Korea are lovely as well).

I love Heifetz though, so I was extremely happy to see the big one re-appear!

Yes I really admire the 3 violinists you named too. I'll get their sets the day I'll have 500€ to spare :D

Mookalafalas

Quote from: king ubu on October 24, 2014, 06:23:18 AM
I love Heifetz though, so I was extremely happy to see the big one re-appear!

Interesting, Ubu. Do you really play a lot from it? Do you find his later stuff as good as his earlier?

   As I mentioned, I only have a couple of his discs with orchestra, and don't play them that much. However, I forgot that I have his chamber box, and like that a lot.  Love even.
     I watched a documentary about him "God's Fiddler", which is very good.  Although it doesn't try to tear him down or anything (far from it), afterwards I found myself a bit prejudiced against him and his music.  He was such an odd bird, in a cold fish sort of way (to shamelessly mix metaphors :D).  In Rubinstein's 2 volumes of autobiography (great reading!) he makes fun of Heifetz some (they were friends).  He says he didn't really love the music enough--but then that is kind of Rubinstein's stock criticism against his "rivals" (he says that several times in regards to Horowitz).
It's all good...