The Super-Duper Cheap Bargains Thread

[Brian]

Just take a look at this. First they let you buy all the different sets and then this!

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Vivarte-Collection/hnum/2487942

Harry, that one's a sampler! For instance, I bought the Vivarte box of Haydn symphonies with Bruno Weil, which included 21 different symphonies. This "Vivarte Collection" only includes 6 of the 21. Likewise, this collection has only 2 of Weil's Schubert masses, but you can also buy the complete box with all of them.

I have my own questions about that Vivarte Collection. For example, what order are the CDs in? There are Schubert symphonies on CD 10 and CD 18, but not on 11-17. And how does CD 49 contain 11 Vivaldi concerti unless each concerto is only 7 minutes long?

[hafod]

If (like me) you have the 7CD box 'Van Cliburn plays Great Piano Concertos'
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/RCA/88697742852

then purchasing the 'Complete Album Collection' will duplicate 13 of the discs contained in the 'Complete Collection' as the latter slavishly follows each individual LP content i.e. the discs are generally very short measure.

[DavidA]

I note Amazon UK has an offer on boxed sets of Mozart operas. Incredible bargain - Karajan's Zauberflote, Eric Kleiber's Figaro, one of Bohm's Cosi and Szell's Seraglio.

[bigshot]

Looks like 5 disks of overlap between the Van Cliburn and RCA Living Stereo boxes.

[jut1972]

Looks like 5 disks of overlap between the Van Cliburn and RCA Living Stereo boxes.

Hmmm... will have to try and get the running times on the new Van Cliburn box, CDs 1 and 8 are on a single disc in the Living Stereo box, as are discs 3 and 5.  Would be a bit off if each CD is half an hour long or something. 

[Octave]

I note Amazon UK has an offer on boxed sets of Mozart operas. Incredible bargain - Karajan's Zauberflote, Eric Kleiber's Figaro, one of Bohm's Cosi and Szell's Seraglio.

Thanks for that heads-up.  For lovers of Mozart's operas (I am a new enthusiast myself), if you like Mackerras' approach, you might want to know about that 11cd Telarc box with his Scottish Chamber Orch recordings of MAGIC FLUTE, DON GIOVANNI, COSI FAN TUTTI, and FIGARO, for $22 at B.R.O.  Librettos available online, but still not a bad deal; even cheaper than the bargain editions of each individual release that are floating around, though I think some of those are more attractively packaged, with gratuitous cleavage cover art etc.

Even better, an Amazon Marketplace seller is offering new hardback copies of poet J.D. McClatchy's SEVEN MOZART LIBRETTOS for US$3.25 + shipping.  I got one, and it's a lovely 1100+ page verse translation in a beautifully large font, perfect for aging eyes.  Now I can buy "bargain", libretto-free Mozart operas without rage!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393066096/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

[Ken B]

Thanks for Mozart librettist tip, ordered.

Anyone know anything about new DHM Mozart Edition. Posted pretty cheap and called a box set.

Lester Scarlatti on MP3 is quite satisfactory so far.

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks for that heads-up.  For lovers of Mozart's operas (I am a new enthusiast myself), if you like Mackerras' approach, you might want to know about that 11cd Telarc box with his Scottish Chamber Orch recordings of MAGIC FLUTE, DON GIOVANNI, COSI FAN TUTTI, and FIGARO, for $22 at B.R.O.  Librettos available online, but still not a bad deal; even cheaper than the bargain editions of each individual release that are floating around, though I think some of those are more attractively packaged, with gratuitous cleavage cover art etc.

Even better, an Amazon Marketplace seller is offering new hardback copies of poet J.D. McClatchy's SEVEN MOZART LIBRETTOS for US$3.25 + shipping.  I got one, and it's a lovely 1100+ page verse translation in a beautifully large font, perfect for aging eyes.  Now I can buy "bargain", libretto-free Mozart operas without rage!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393066096/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

I have that book too, and heartily second your rec. It is a pleasure to read the librettos in actually intelligible English. A far cry from what one usually gets. And they work in 'listen-along' mode too. A bargain by any standard! 



PS - Cleavage is never gratuitous.

[Octave]

PS - Cleavage is never gratuitous.

De gustibus!

[Gurn Blanston]

De gustibus!

  I stand corrected.

[Ken B]

Tokyo quartet complete Beethoven from an Amazon vendor $16 http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Complete-Quartets-Tokyo-Quartet/dp/B008BOWG7C/ref=sr_1_11?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1357232182&sr=1-11&keywords=box+set

[Opus106]

19.97 Euros (incl. VAT) at ES

[asin]B0092YHIAA[/asin]

[The new erato]

19.97 Euros (incl. VAT) at ES

[asin]B0092YHIAA[/asin]

Thats slightly cheaper than I've seen other places (around £20 on presto IIRC). What I dearly would like to see however, is a similar offer for the chamber music set on Alpha.

[Opus106]

Thats slightly cheaper than I've seen other places (around £20 on presto IIRC).

To bargain hunters, even the difference of 11 or 12 Dollars matter. But then, this set is not all that expensive to begin with. Even Alpha is selling it for 30 Euros (and I suppose that too includes VAT) with free shipping.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

To bargain hunters, even the difference of 11 or 12 Dollars matter. But then, this set is not all that expensive to begin with. Even Alpha is selling it for 30 Euros (and I suppose that too includes VAT) with free shipping.

But apart from how cheap it is, is it any good?

[Opus106]

But apart from how cheap it is, is it any good?

I'm not sure if anyone's (anyone in GMG, that is) even bought it yet. I remember some mixed reactions to some of it (from Antoine Shumway, I think) when it was featured in these pages before.

[The new erato]

I'm not sure if anyone's (anyone in GMG, that is) even bought it yet. I remember some mixed reactions to some of it (from Antoine Shumway, I think) when it was featured in these pages before.

I have it, mostly to fill in some gaps in my Schumann collection (of course I've got multiple versions of the biggies). As to actually listening to it, however....

[Opus106]

I have it, mostly to fill in some gaps in my Schumann collection (of course I've got multiple versions of the biggies). As to actually listening to it, however....

Oh, okay.

And BTW, Harry and I would like to talk to you about what you may want to do next week.

[The new erato]

Oh, okay.

And BTW, Harry and I would like to talk to you about what you may want to do next week.

So would my wife, I'm afraid....

[Opus106]

So would my wife, I'm afraid....