Mozart piano sonatas

[Franco]

$30 new is pricey for five discs?  Since when?

Also, I'm not sure who Uchido is - what label did s/he record for?

I posted in a rush and made a typo, of course I meant Mitsuko Uchida.  The set I linked was priced at $45, and I don't always consider third party sellers.

[Todd]

I don't always consider third party sellers.

You should.  I can't remember the last time I bought from Amazon directly.  Why pay more?  That written, $45 new for a five disc set is cheap.

[Franco]

I guess we live on different budgets. 

[Gurn Blanston]

I posted in a rush and made a typo, of course I meant Mitsuko Uchida.  The set I linked was priced at $45, and I don't always consider third party sellers.

Really and truly you should always consider 3rd party sellers. Places like Newbury Comics, ImportCD's, Classical Music Superstore and a few others are outstanding in terms of service and reliability, and they are usually way cheaper than Amazon. $30 for a 5 disk set IS pretty cheap. $45 and I would think twice. Last week, for example, I got an Op 111 4 disk set of Vivaldi (from the new series) at Import CD's (brand new) for $11.99. OK, now that's cheap!

[Todd]

I guess we live on different budgets.

$45 and I would think twice.

Man, I just don't get it.  $45 for a new, recently recorded set of Mozart's sonatas is cheap, and yet people look at the price as if it is expensive, or at least not a bargain.  When I started serious collecting in the 90s, a five disc set of new recordings for only $45 from a major label or small, non-Naxos independent was pretty much unheard of.  Now even brand new releases can be had at discounts on the date of release, and multi-disc sets are sold at discounts to the per disc price as a matter of course.  Recorded music is cheap nowadays, cheaper than in the recent past, and much cheaper than decades ago, when adjusted for inflation, yet people say it's not cheap.  Well, I guess compared to file sharing and (possibly) MP3s, I guess CDs do have a "premium" price.

As to "third party" sellers, some are not really even traditional third parties.  In the case of the set in question, the second cheapest seller is Allegro, which is the US distributor for Avie.  (Makes me wonder how MovieMars can undercut them.) 

[Franco]

I agree with you that $45 is not outlandish, but I've already got three compete sets of Mozart piano sonatas (Brautigam, Schiff and Uchida) as well as lots of other disks with selected sonatas by a variety of great pianists, and I  am holding back a bit from buying this set by someone I don't know much more about then the few good reviews I've read and I guess I'm using the "not a bargain" excuse. 

[Todd]

[ B ]ut I've already got three compete sets of Mozart piano sonatas (Brautigam, Schiff and Uchida)...and I am holding back a bit from buying this set by someone I don't know much more about then the few good reviews I've read and I guess I'm using the "not a bargain" excuse.

Now this I get.  The McCawley is quite good - better than Uchida and about on par with Schiff to my ears, though different from both.  Others will say other things of course.  Is it a must-hear?  I probably wouldn't go that far.  (Must-hear is what I'd reserve for Michael Endres among recent sets, to the extent any set is a must-hear.)

As an aside, I've been on something of a Mozart and Debussy piano music bender lately, and have added four new Mozart cycles this year, including the McCawley.  I'm still working through two sets, but to the extent one has emerged a clear favorite, it's Eschenbach, with McCawley right behind.

[Scarpia]

I don't always consider third party sellers.

I always consider third party sellers.  When possible I purchase used copies from 3rd party sellers.  You can almost always find a new copy for 30% off, and it is not out of the ordinary to pay $3.00 for a used copy of a CD Amazon is selling for $18.99.  CDs can take a lot of punishment and still play just fine, and I've never had a used CD that didn't play.

[Gurn Blanston]

Man, I just don't get it.  $45 for a new, recently recorded set of Mozart's sonatas is cheap, and yet people look at the price as if it is expensive, or at least not a bargain.  When I started serious collecting in the 90s, a five disc set of new recordings for only $45 from a major label or small, non-Naxos independent was pretty much unheard of.  Now even brand new releases can be had at discounts on the date of release, and multi-disc sets are sold at discounts to the per disc price as a matter of course.  Recorded music is cheap nowadays, cheaper than in the recent past, and much cheaper than decades ago, when adjusted for inflation, yet people say it's not cheap.  Well, I guess compared to file sharing and (possibly) MP3s, I guess CDs do have a "premium" price.

As to "third party" sellers, some are not really even traditional third parties.  In the case of the set in question, the second cheapest seller is Allegro, which is the US distributor for Avie.  (Makes me wonder how MovieMars can undercut them.)

Well, there's a big difference between "a price too high to pay" and "not really a bargain". I've happily paid $45 and more for a 5 disk set. But not without having shopped around quite a bit for a better deal. Thus "think twice". My question to myself is "why would I pay $45 when I can get it for $30?". Then I can use the other $15 to get another disk or 2.

[Franco]

Now this I get.  The McCawley is quite good - better than Uchida and about on par with Schiff to my ears, though different from both.  Others will say other things of course.  Is it a must-hear?  I probably wouldn't go that far.  (Must-hear is what I'd reserve for Michael Endres among recent sets, to the extent any set is a must-hear.)

As an aside, I've been on something of a Mozart and Debussy piano music bender lately, and have added four new Mozart cycles this year, including the McCawley.  I'm still working through two sets, but to the extent one has emerged a clear favorite, it's Eschenbach, with McCawley right behind.

Oh, I completely forgot that I also have the Eschenbach set - it was my first set buying it way back on LPs, and it is my favorite (now on CD), but the Uchida was recently acquired (free) and I've been enjoying the warmth of it.  Michael Endres I know nothing about, so I will probably take a look at it since you recommend it so highly, and I love these works. 

[George]

Another plug for third Party sellers - and Kraus's Mozart!! 

[SonicMan46]

...............
As an aside, I've been on something of a Mozart and Debussy piano music bender lately, and have added four new Mozart cycles this year, including the McCawley.  I'm still working through two sets, but to the extent one has emerged a clear favorite, it's Eschenbach, with McCawley right behind.

Thanks Todd et al - I was looking for another set of these works to supplement my Uchida & Brautigam - the Eschenbach is being offered as a great bargain on the Amazon MP, and just ordered yesterday!   

[jlaurson]

Thanks Todd et al - I was looking for another set of these works to supplement my Uchida & Brautigam - the Eschenbach is being offered as a great bargain on the Amazon MP, and just ordered yesterday!   

FYI: Eschenbach just dumped on that Mozart set when I spoke to him a few weeks ago... I'll try to upload the audio for your amusement. 

[SonicMan46]

FYI: Eschenbach just dumped on that Mozart set when I spoke to him a few weeks ago... I'll try to upload the audio for your amusement. 

Jens - now you tell me!   

Well, I guess a lot of 'listeners' must disagree w/ whatever comments are made, the set sure has gleamed some excellent ratings - luckily not a major investment - Dave 

[Gurn Blanston]

Jens - now you tell me!   

Well, I guess a lot of 'listeners' must disagree w/ whatever comments are made, the set sure has gleamed some excellent ratings - luckily not a major investment - Dave 

You won't dislike it, Dave, at least I don't think so. There are others that I like better, but for a modern piano version, Eschenbach is really quite OK. I guess I like Haebler better, but that is because she is able to make her modern piano sound like a fortepiano...   Or maybe she can't reach the pedals and ends up playing it right by default.

[Todd]

FYI: Eschenbach just dumped on that Mozart set when I spoke to him a few weeks ago...

I won't read too much into it.  Alfred Brendel, for instance, did something similar with regard to his first two Beethoven sonata cycles, which is unusual for me in that both are better than his last one.  Maybe some artists don't like looking (or listening) back at what they did in the past, especially if they think differently about the music now.

[Sergeant Rock]

FYI: Eschenbach just dumped on that Mozart set when I spoke to him a few weeks ago... I'll try to upload the audio for your amusement. 

I'd like to hear that too, Jens. Eschenbach's was the first Mozart cycle I acquired (a box with 7 LPs), probably bought around 1974. Here's the picture on the back of the box (he looks slightly different today )



Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

I won't read too much into it.  Alfred Brendel, for instance, did something similar with regard to his first two Beethoven sonata cycles, which is unusual for me in that both are better than his last one.  Maybe some artists don't like looking (or listening) back at what they did in the past, especially if they think differently about the music now.

Yes.

FWIW, I think Brendel's 1st (Vox) Beethoven is his best.

[Todd]

Here's the picture on the back of the box (he looks slightly different today

That is one sweet comb-over for such a young man!

[George]

I won't read too much into it.  Alfred Brendel, for instance, did something similar with regard to his first two Beethoven sonata cycles, which is unusual for me in that both are better than his last one.  Maybe some artists don't like looking (or listening) back at what they did in the past, especially if they think differently about the music now.

I recall that the greatest Op. 110 that I have ever heard was denied release by the pianist during his lifetime. This was the 1960 Rudolf Serkin recording.