Mahler Bargain for Canadians

[Shrunk]

The 12 disc boxset of Mahler's Complete Symphonies by Chailly and the Royal Concertgebouw  is currently being sold in Canada for around $35.  Worth getting?

[MishaK]

Absolutely worth getting. Who's selling it?

[AnthonyAthletic]

The 12 disc boxset of Mahler's Complete Symphonies by Chailly and the Royal Concertgebouw  is currently being sold in Canada for around $35.  Worth getting?

No Brainer....Fill your boots 

What's that in £'s....£12 ish?

[not edward]

I don't have any of these recordings. I'll second the "who's selling?" question and thank the OP for the notification.

I know what I'm buying next.

[AnthonyAthletic]

Chailly's is a fine set, the only one which is 'average' is the 6th which is stodgy slow and heavy going.  Good points are his wonderful 3rd, demure 4th with sumptuous strings in the Ruhevoll and his 'near top of the list' 5th which is one of my favourite Mahler recordings.  The 'throwing in' for good measure of the 10th too is a real gem, live with the Berlin Rias.  Symphonies 1 thru 9 are with the Royal Concertgebouw.

Great Project.

Its worth $35 CND just to hear those Concertgebouw strings alone.  No DLvDE but that's beside the point.

Snap it up without reservation at that price

[MishaK]

Chailly's is a fine set, the only one which is 'average' is the 6th which is stodgy slow and heavy going.  Good points are his wonderful 3rd, demure 4th with sumptuous strings in the Ruhevoll and his 'near top of the list' 5th which is one of my favourite Mahler recordings.  The 'throwing in' for good measure of the 10th too is a real gem, live with the Berlin Rias.  Symphonies 1 thru 9 are with the Royal Concertgebouw.

You're forgetting the brilliant 8th.

But the question remains: where is this deal available?

[AnthonyAthletic]

You're forgetting the brilliant 8th.

But the question remains: where is this deal available?

I bet you, like myself out of curiousity have checked Amazon Canada where its $70+

Didn't forget the 8th, nor the 2nd & 9th or the rest    Highly consistant throughout.

So, er...where can you guys get it from.  Mine cost £28 on Amazon when it first came out and I was happy with that price, hope y'all can steal it for the current price.

I have just picked this up for £4 today, Wand's Beethoven complete symphony set on RCA, back up to £17 ish now, although I have seen it at various intervals around the £4 in the UK

[Wendell_E]

I bet you, like myself out of curiousity have checked Amazon Canada where its $70+

I get two results at Amazon Canada.  The one you mention (released back in 2005), and another one, release about a month ago, for CDN$ 38.99 (but available from a seller for CDN$ 31.24):

http://www.amazon.ca/Comp-Syms-Mahler-Chailly/dp/B000VD9YLW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/701-4229642-0751537?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1193164368&sr=8-1

[Shrunk]

It's advertised here as well.  I became aware of it from CBC Radio's Sound Advice this weekend, which mentioned that it is available throughout Canada at this price, so I imagine you can get it at any retailer here.  Not sure if you can get it mail order to other countries, however.

[RebLem]

No Brainer....Fill your boots 
What's that in £'s....£12 ish?

I have a currency converter on my desktop; you can convert any currency to any other.  Currently, $35 Canadian is 17.65 UK pounds.

[Lilas Pastia]

Mind you, I think GBP prices include VAT, which CAD ones don't (approx 15% surcharge).

I, too, was made aware of this deal through CBC's Sound Advice program this past Saturday. From what I've read in ARG, symphony 9 is a non-starter, and I was distincly underwhelmed at his stodgy 8th (heard at the same CBC program a year ago). Mind you, not everybody thinks the same, for Classics today (Huwitz) raves no end on his 9th.

But I guess if the price is right, you can sell anything. Even I might give it a passing shot, although I'm still waiting to unwrap the Bertini set I purchased almost a year ago.

[BorisG]

Spend that money toward the Bertini set.

[Grazioso]

FYI, you can get it from the BMG Club for around $40. Of this set, I've so far heard the 3rd, 5th, and 7th (twice), and based on that limited sampling can recommend it with some reservations. The good: glorious playing, superb sound (if a little too resonant for some tastes), and beautifully molded and nuanced phrasing and pacing. The bad: the overall pacing tends to be broad if not downright slow, sapping some of the necessary intensity from the works.

[Sergeant Rock]

The bad: the overall pacing tends to be broad if not downright slow, sapping some of the necessary intensity from the works.

No, the overall pacing is not slow. First movement of the Sixth is very slow (but so is Barbirolli) and the first movement of the Eighth is a tad slower than the norm but I think that increases the tension and adds a powerfull majesty to a movement that can sound hectic in some recordings. But elsewhere there are no particularly sluggish tempos. As a set I think Chailly is the best available with great performances of the Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth as well as a controversial but fascinating Sixth)...and for $35 it's a steal.

Sarge

[not edward]

Having got it now, I can report that the third blew me away. I tend to find performances of this symphony lose me, either by being too wild and wilful or by keeping it under so much control that the extremes are neutered. For me, Chailly hits the perfect balance: superb architectural control sets the stage for the music to let rip or sing out when appropriate. The finale, in particular, is magnificent.

Even if the rest of the cycle stinks (and the fifth certainly doesn't) I consider this $35 well spent.

(Edit: OK, I really really don't like Chailly's sixth, finding it somehow both lightweight and ponderous. Still think the set's a good deal though.)

[Lilas Pastia]

OK, I relented and although I needed it as much as an extra thumb, I went for it today: 29.99$ at Archambault (there was a whole big shelf of them boxes).