Unbelievably Stravinsky Bargain!

[karlhenning]

Lethe's giving you pearls here, Mark 

[karlhenning]

Where has Taruskin written about Ives and Carter?

In his enormous six-volume (?) history of Western music.

[longears]

I don't like to leave a box unlistened to for a long time if I know I will enjoy it - it will make me question why I bought it in the first place. But some boxes I deliberately buy for future listening in mind (especially if they are cheap at the time), for example Dvorak's string quartets or Haydn's symphonies - I know I won't listen to all of it right away, but eventually I'll be glad that I had them all, it'll just take a while to absorb.

I do likewise.  And I rather like to steep myself in "new" music, to live for a while in the soundworld and acquaint myself with the layout.

[karlhenning]

After two weeks where the core of my listening was the Stravinsky box (and rich enjoyment I had in the hearing, too) I've been listening to other music, but I expect to return to The Cheap Box before the month is out 

[longears]

You've convinced me.  I just toggled one-click ordering.    I mean, come on, Stravinsky is one of the few giants.  Wouldn't you jump at the chance to get a 20 CD set of Beethoven or Mozart conducting his own works?

[karlhenning]

longears, I spend weeks at a time where the first thing I listen to in the morning is the Threni out of The Cheap Box!

[Mark]

Hmm ... not convinced as yet, but I see Lethe's point. I'm buying the 60-CD Beethoven set that was touted here on GMG, but then I know I'll devour it inside a month (forthcoming parental responsibilities permitting ). Just don't know if I'd be as keen to get stuck into a big box of Stravinsky.

[Novi]

Y'know, I wish I loved Stravinsky enough to buy this set. But I don't, so I won't.

Now, give me a complete works of Beethoven or Sibelius box, and I'd happily pay triple the price at which this incredible set is being offered.

Here you go Mark .

[Mark]

Here you go Mark .

Yes, I'm aware of this set and will be avidly collecting it over the next couple of years.

[Joe Barron]

Where has Taruskin written about Ives and Carter?

He's written about Ives here, and you can read about his treatment of Carter here.. Unfortunately, you'll have to pay for the articles.

Back in the 1997, after Carter informed the NY Philharmonic he would not fulfill the orchestra's commission for the Allegro Scorrevole (an interesting story in itself), Taruskin wrote a screwy letter to the Times about how composers like Carter have been "terrorizing" orchestras for years, and what a good thing it was the Philharmonic was finally standing up to him.

Longears, the Boulez Sacre I was talking about is the 1992 DGG recording. It's terrific.

Asa for the Stravinsky box, no one really needs it. No one really needs any music, really. But if you have any interest in Stravinsky at all, it's worth having for the price.

[Guido]

Cheers. Pity aout the payment thing, but there may be a way around it back at university...

Back in the 1997, after Carter informed the NY Philharmonic he would not fulfill the orchestra's commission for the Allegro Scorrevole (an interesting story in itself), Taruskin wrote a screwy letter to the Times about how composers like Carter have been "terrorizing" orchestras for years, and what a good thing it was the Philharmonic was finally standing up to him.

hmmm...

[longears]

The box showed up today.  First thing I turned to was Song of the Nightingale.  Delicious. 

The reminder that giants still walked the earth in our lifetimes filled my heart with exceeding gladness.

[MDL]

HMV are selling this box for £22. It must be the bargain of the century. The bone-dry acoustic and upfront sound of many recordings would be a trial in more Romantic music, but it doesn't hurt Stravinsky too much (although some of the choral works really need a bit more bloom and echo). But whatever one's caveats, this is exceptional. A candidate for most important set ever released, alongside Solti's Ring and Bernstein's CBS/Sony Mahler, I'd say.

[sonic1]

I just ordered mine.