The Super-Duper Cheap Bargains Thread

Started by Mark, November 13, 2007, 02:26:18 PM

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Brian

Quote from: Opus106 on February 05, 2011, 08:51:25 AM
What's your limit on SD(C)B? :)

Well I thought I was going to wait until August and then pick up a copy when I went back to the USA to a PhD program. Bring it along to the apartment as a self-housewarming-present. But it's so rare already that if I wait until August I might have to pay $200.

So let's say <$100.

Brian

Quote from: Scarpia on February 05, 2011, 09:22:16 AM
That is an assumption.  How else can one find out?  My curiosity got the better of me.

Well at a minimum I will be curious about the results. Maybe start a thread, or post your findings in the Liszt's Lair or whatever it's called?

The new erato

Quote from: Scarpia on February 05, 2011, 09:22:16 AM
That is an assumption.  How else can one find out?  My curiosity got the better of me.
Well yes, of course that's one of the attractions of buying classical music. But the satisfaction of curiosity in this case comes with a hefty pricetag - and (what's more important) the sacrifice of lots of time - there's lots of music I feel is a safer bet to explore. Eg the 60 disc BIS Sibelius edition, etc etc....

Coopmv

Quote from: Brian on February 05, 2011, 09:24:29 AM
Well I thought I was going to wait until August and then pick up a copy when I went back to the USA to a PhD program. Bring it along to the apartment as a self-housewarming-present. But it's so rare already that if I wait until August I might have to pay $200.

So let's say <$100.

Only time will tell.  If the Euro collapses, then the dollar may enjoy some unexpected strength and thereby purchasing power ...   ;)

Scarpia

Quote from: erato on February 05, 2011, 09:27:02 AM
Well yes, of course that's one of the attractions of buying classical music. But the satisfaction of curiosity in this case comes with a hefty pricetag - and (what's more important) the sacrifice of lots of time - there's lots of music I feel is a safer bet to explore. Eg the 60 disc BIS Sibelius edition, etc etc....

That 60 cd BIS Sibelius edition would cost me $600, rather than $200 (street price in the US) and most of the stuff in there that I don't already have in in genres which I don't generally listen to, like choral music, voice and piano, violin and piano (I have a ton of Sibelius on the shelves).  I am tempted by the Chamber music volumes, though.


PaulSC

Quote from: erato on February 05, 2011, 09:12:42 AMSome of Liszt's music is very impressive, but for every impressive work I've heard, I've heard at least one superficial, virtuosic potboiler, and I fear those will dominate the further one ventures into the unknown realms documented in this set.....
Quote from: Scarpia on February 05, 2011, 09:22:16 AM
That is an assumption.  How else can one find out?

There is another way.

Scarpia

Quote from: PaulSC on February 08, 2011, 10:21:39 AM
There is another way.

Besides listening to it?

I can't really think of any Liszt pieces that can be described by the typical criticism of empty pianistic pyrotechnics.  What are the examples of this sin?

PaulSC

Scarpia, sorry if that was obscure; I posted a link to the (nearly) complete scores online at IMSLP.  I've found it to be a great resource for exploring unfamiliar music without blind-buying recordings. There is, I admit, always the possibility that a great performance will turn you on to a seemingly unpromising piece, I admit...

Quote from: Scarpia on February 08, 2011, 10:28:04 AM
Besides listening to it?

I can't really think of any Liszt pieces that can be described by the typical criticism of empty pianistic pyrotechnics.  What are the examples of this sin?

Scarpia

#969
Quote from: PaulSC on February 08, 2011, 11:28:18 AM
Scarpia, sorry if that was obscure; I posted a link to the (nearly) complete scores online at IMSLP.  I've found it to be a great resource for exploring unfamiliar music without blind-buying recordings. There is, I admit, always the possibility that a great performance will turn you on to a seemingly unpromising piece, I admit...

Ok, maybe if I drop a random score of a piece by Liszt in front of you, you will be able to tell if those pages and pages of flowing arpeggios are just "pyrotechnics" or a work of genius like some of the movements in Annes de Pelerinage.   And how many hours of pouring over scores will it take to verify that each disc of that set, which costs me $2, is worth my time?   Isn't it more pleasant to simply listen to it?

The way I see it, for $2 a day, Liszt is a troubadour providing my evening entertainment.   And as has been mentioned above, there are lots of people who are wont to imply that Liszt produced a lot of trashy music without even naming an example.

Brian

Quote from: Orpheus on February 08, 2011, 10:04:22 AM
For Gilels fans...



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emil-Gilels-Icon/dp/B003D0ZNXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297191333&sr=8-1

Orpheus  ;)

Hmm, I don't need two (!) Beethoven concerto cycles, but I am a Gilels fan, and that's 9 discs for the price of 1...!

Scarpia

Quote from: Brian on February 08, 2011, 01:05:52 PM
Hmm, I don't need two (!) Beethoven concerto cycles, but I am a Gilels fan, and that's 9 discs for the price of 1...!

That's odd, Cleveland/Szell on EMI.  Must have been some sort of deal with Columbia.

MishaK

Quote from: Scarpia on February 08, 2011, 01:14:42 PM
That's odd, Cleveland/Szell on EMI.  Must have been some sort of deal with Columbia.

He was all over the place. There is a Dvorak Cello Concerto with Fournier/Berlin Phil/Szell on DG.

Scarpia

Quote from: Mensch on February 08, 2011, 02:10:43 PM
He was all over the place. There is a Dvorak Cello Concerto with Fournier/Berlin Phil/Szell on DG.

I have several non-Columbia Szell recordings, but I thought there was an exclusive contract for Szell/Cleveland

PaulSC

Quote from: Scarpia on February 08, 2011, 11:48:08 AM
Ok, maybe if I drop a random score of a piece by Liszt in front of you, you will be able to tell if those pages and pages of flowing arpeggios are just "pyrotechnics" or a work of genius like some of the movements in Annes de Pelerinage.   And how many hours of pouring over scores will it take to verify that each disc of that set, which costs me $2, is worth my time?   Isn't it more pleasant to simply listen to it?

Both are equally pleasant and take equally long.

Scarpia

#975
Quote from: PaulSC on February 08, 2011, 03:01:41 PM
Both are equally pleasant and take equally long.

Squinting at my monitor trying to decipher piano scores does not give me as much pleasure as listening to music, but that's me.

PaulSC

Quote from: Scarpia on February 08, 2011, 03:03:14 PM
Squinting at my monitor trying to decipher piano scores does not give me as much pleasure as listening to music, but that's me.
Indeed.


mc ukrneal

Be kind to your fellow posters!!

MishaK

Quote from: ukrneal on February 09, 2011, 12:08:48 PM
This seems like a pretty good deal at EUR 17.99 (5 discs worth of her music): http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Hilary-Hahn-Collection-Sony-Recordings/hnum/7936944


Absolutely. An extremely worthwhile acquisition by any means even for multiples of that price. I own these in their individual incarnations. The Bach and Beethoven are absolutely superlative. Hahn is the queen of doublestops, and her Bach, recorded at age 16, is still a marvel of pure natural musicianship. Bach's polyphony just comes alive and hovers in the room. The Beethoven is just gorgeous, with possibly the most dance inducing finale on record. Benefits from Zinman's thoughtful accompaniment. Bernstein and Meyer lack any serious competition anyway. The Mendelssohn is a brisk, fleet, controlled sort of Sturm-und-Drang take on the familiar warhorse. The Shosty may be too controlled and analytical for some, but I think the work benefits from having the ideological and cultural baggage essentially thrown out the window. At least it's a valid alternative interpretation. The Brahms is gorgeous if not quite as magesterial as Milstein/Fistoulari, Ferras/Schuricht or Oistrakh/Klemp. The Stravinsky is wonderfully incisive and precise on Hahn's part, but Marriner/ASMIF aren't perhaps the ideal accompanists.