Box Blather

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

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Moonfish

Quote from: marvinbrown on December 04, 2014, 02:01:49 AM
  You did well to pick that box up.  Good price too:)


  I really can not express the immense joy the Verdi  boxset has given me.  The quality of recordings (save for a few ie 2-3) are top notch. Plus recordings of both La Forzas and Don Carlo/s that Verdi composed are included and many rarities.  I know I will treasure this boxset for many years to come.

  marvin

+1

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

bigshot

Decca might have shot themselves in the foot on that by releasing a slightly smaller box with just the operas people generally want.

The new erato

Quote from: bigshot on December 04, 2014, 09:32:06 AM
Decca might have shot themselves in the foot on that by releasing a slightly smaller box with just the operas people generally want.
?? AFAIK that slightly smaller box has all the operas complete.

Ken B

Quote from: The new erato on December 04, 2014, 12:09:52 PM
?? AFAIK that slightly smaller box has all the operas complete.
Well, I only wants the ones that were written.

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Ken B on December 04, 2014, 02:19:27 PM
Well, I only wants the ones that were written.

you lost me on this one Ken.  BTW, I'm also curious about your antipathy for shirts and cotton, both of which I like very much.

  Down to TD.

My local shop has come out with the Monteux box for a very good price.  As far as boxes go, I am planning to eventually get:
1. Festetics Haydn String Quartets
2. Decca Weiner Phil
3. Fricsay
4. Seon
5. Monteux

I'm thinking of snapping up the Monteaux first, but am wondering if anybody has any opinions regarding it that might dissuade me (probably this is most aimed at Moonfish, who has everything except the Festetics).  What do you who have it think of the Monteux?
It's all good...

Moonfish

#405
Quote from: Mookalafalas on December 05, 2014, 06:29:31 AM
you lost me on this one Ken.  BTW, I'm also curious about your antipathy for shirts and cotton, both of which I like very much.

  Down to TD.

My local shop has come out with the Monteux box for a very good price.  As far as boxes go, I am planning to eventually get:
1. Festetics Haydn String Quartets
2. Decca Weiner Phil
3. Fricsay
4. Seon
5. Monteux

I'm thinking of snapping up the Monteaux first, but am wondering if anybody has any opinions regarding it that might dissuade me (probably this is most aimed at Moonfish, who has everything except the Festetics).  What do you who have it think of the Monteux?

On your list (not knowing Festetics' Haydn, but having a feeling of that it is special indeed) the Monteux is my least favorite.  I am just starting to listen to it encountering 1940s sound   ??? (wonderfully remastered, but still 40s). I like historical recordings, but if I had a limited budget I would buy Wiener, Seon and Fricsay before Monteux (again, not knowing Festetics).  Still, this depends on what you have in your collection. Most likely Fricsay would bring you an array of pieces you have not heard before (20th cent).  Personally I have had a great time with Seon (yummy Baroque) and Wiener Phil (lots of warhorses, but they are gooood). 
The sound of Monteux's recordings is likely to improve as the latter half of the compilation is from the 50s.  There is an excellent review on amazon UK by John Fowler that discusses content and Monteux's discography that you probably would like to read:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3IZ0FOHC45M7A/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00MAPMAFQ&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=229816&store=music

Ultimately, you are likely to listen to it all anyways....     >:D

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

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Moonfish on December 05, 2014, 07:03:15 AM
On your list (not know Festetics' Haydn, but having a feeling of that it is special indeed) the Monteux is my least favorite.  I am just starting to listen to it encountering 1940s sound   ??? (wonderfully remastered, but still 40s). I like historical recordings, but if I had a limited budget I would buy Wiener, Seon and Fricsay before Monteux (again, not knowing Festetics).  Still, this depends on what you have in your collection. Most likely Fricsay would bring you an array of pieces you have not heard before (20th cent).  Personally I have had a great time with Seon (yummy Baroque) and Wiener Phil (lots of warhorses, but they are gooood). 
The sound of Monteux's recordings is likely to improve as the latter half of the compilation is from the 50s.  There is an excellent review on amazon UK by John Fowler that discusses content and Monteux's discography that you probably would like to read:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3IZ0FOHC45M7A/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00MAPMAFQ&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=229816&store=music

Ultimately, you are likely to listen to it all anyways....     >:D

Peter

Excellent, Moonfish! I knew I could count on you.
It's all good...

marvinbrown

Quote from: bigshot on December 04, 2014, 09:32:06 AM
Decca might have shot themselves in the foot on that by releasing a slightly smaller box with just the operas people generally want.

Quote from: The new erato on December 04, 2014, 12:09:52 PM
?? AFAIK that slightly smaller box has all the operas complete.


The new erato is right!  The smaller box set includes EVERYTHING Verdi composed (it contains 75 CDs) or just about everything Verdi composed. All of the operas are complete,  Question is why didn't it sell?? Anyway that issue is moot now.  I am sure more Verdi boxsets will be coming out in the distant future.

  marvin

Jo498

I think it depends what you are looking for: Festetics Haydn would be "repertoire-driven", unless you already have a lot of Haydn quartets. If the latter, I'd skip the big box (unless you are completely obsessed with the music) and rather get some of the separate vols.
The Seon is probably the most interesting as far as repertoire is concerned but some of it might be counted as superseded by newer recordings (for some reasons HIP recordings sometimes age faster than others)
Decca Vienna Phil box is warhorses, I would not be interested.
Fricsay is a favorite of mine so I certainly recommend this one. The sound should be o.k. for you if you are fine with the mono Westminsters.
(Can't comment on the Monteux)
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

bigshot

Quote from: marvinbrown on December 05, 2014, 07:45:40 AM
    The new erato is right!  The smaller box set includes EVERYTHING Verdi composed (it contains 75 CDs)

No, I am talking about the smaller EMI Verdi box. It had 35 CDs and had 16 operas... Just the ones most people really want.
http://www.amazon.com/Verdi-Great-Operas-Giuseppe/dp/B00A4AI17A/

I think this set took buyers away from the big one. Why buy everything when they've already done the cherry picking for you?

Ken B

Quote from: Mookalafalas on December 05, 2014, 06:29:31 AM
you lost me on this one Ken.  BTW, I'm also curious about your antipathy for shirts and cotton, both of which I like very much.

  Down to TD.

My local shop has come out with the Monteux box for a very good price.  As far as boxes go, I am planning to eventually get:
1. Festetics Haydn String Quartets
2. Decca Weiner Phil
3. Fricsay
4. Seon
5. Monteux

I'm thinking of snapping up the Monteaux first, but am wondering if anybody has any opinions regarding it that might dissuade me (probably this is most aimed at Moonfish, who has everything except the Festetics).  What do you who have it think of the Monteux?

Shirts was the Twitter outrage over the comet guy. As for cotton ... http://www.theactivetimes.com/cotton-kill-you-case-better-fabric
I just like the phrase  :laugh:

The new erato

But EMI isn't (wasn't) Decca....you talked about Decca shooting themselves in the foot IIRC.

Quote from: bigshot on December 04, 2014, 09:32:06 AM
Decca might have shot themselves in the foot on that by releasing a slightly smaller box with just the operas people generally want.

bigshot

Ah! There are too many teams in this league. Hard to keep them all straight.

Moonfish

Quote from: bigshot on December 05, 2014, 12:45:36 PM
Ah! There are too many teams in this league. Hard to keep them all straight.

True! At least we get decent price competition...   8)
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

kishnevi

Quote from: bigshot on December 05, 2014, 08:48:14 AM
No, I am talking about the smaller EMI Verdi box. It had 35 CDs and had 16 operas... Just the ones most people really want.
http://www.amazon.com/Verdi-Great-Operas-Giuseppe/dp/B00A4AI17A/

I think this set took buyers away from the big one. Why buy everything when they've already done the cherry picking for you?

Which I may go for eventually.   I have a few of his earlier operas, and that is enough for me.  Too much oom pah pah park and bark singing, and they start to sound alike. 

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Ken B on December 05, 2014, 08:52:21 AM
Shirts was the Twitter outrage over the comet guy. As for cotton ... http://www.theactivetimes.com/cotton-kill-you-case-better-fabric
I just like the phrase  :laugh:

  Ah, I see. I also see why I was confused. I had mistakenly assumed there was a link between the two (Cotton shirts can hurt--and eventually kill--you).
It's all good...

Ken B

Quote from: Mookalafalas on December 05, 2014, 03:35:37 PM
  Ah, I see. I also see why I was confused. I had mistakenly assumed there was a link between the two (Cotton shirts can hurt--and eventually kill--you).

Drunk, and with a gun, there's no telling what a disgruntled cotton shirt might do.

TD, I continue to be impressed by Sony's Bernstein remastering.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on December 05, 2014, 01:58:55 PM
Which I may go for eventually.   I have a few of his earlier operas, and that is enough for me.  Too much oom pah pah park and bark singing, and they start to sound alike.

I don't really mind the oom pah pah and there are some wonderfully inspired moments in each of the early operas to make each one of them worth exploring. To each his own I guess.

  marvin

 

Jo498

I'd have expected it referred to the environmental problems cotton (needs lots of water etc.) can cause...

The article is not wrong but way over the top. People were hiking and climbing long before modern high tech wear and most of the time they did not freeze to death. I myself did quite a bit of hiking in the 90s often still in Jeans and cotton underwear/shirt, because the magic fibres were still expensive. Of course the natural "magic fibre" for cold and wet is wool, not cotton. It's actually coming back as underwear for outdoor sports.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Ken B

Quote from: Jo498 on December 06, 2014, 12:42:05 AM
I'd have expected it referred to the environmental problems cotton (needs lots of water etc.) can cause...

The article is not wrong but way over the top. People were hiking and climbing long before modern high tech wear and most of the time they did not freeze to death. I myself did quite a bit of hiking in the 90s often still in Jeans and cotton underwear/shirt, because the magic fibres were still expensive. Of course the natural "magic fibre" for cold and wet is wool, not cotton. It's actually coming back as underwear for outdoor sports.
Yes. Wool will insulate even if it gets wet.
Your chances of dieing of exposure are actually higher in only moderately cold weather. In brutally cold people are bundled up, but die when they have a breakdown in the middle of nowhere and it's not even freezing.