The Super-Duper Cheap Bargains Thread

[Mookalafalas]

I guess I'm quite unable to keep those two apart 

You said it! I find full priced discs infinitely resistible.  Once you get down to 85% off of typical full price, however, my will-power melts into jelly.

[Moonfish]

The Callas set just dropped to 116 GBP at Amazon UK.

I could kick myself as I got it from France just a week ago at a much higher price! Oh well, it is Callas after all and she is worth every gold coin I earn. 
Regardless, this seems like a great deal at this point in time!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Callas-Remastered-Complete-Recordings-1949-1969/dp/B00KN15P56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412743511&sr=8-1&keywords=callas

[asin] B00KN15P56[/asin]

[Moonfish]

DG Wagner for 43 GBP at Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Complete-Operas-Various-Artists/dp/B00980IA3M/ref=pd_sim_m_h__35?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NPQ0JJT76YA73H8ECV9

[asin] B00980IA3M[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

DG Wagner for 43 GBP at Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Complete-Operas-Various-Artists/dp/B00980IA3M/ref=pd_sim_m_h__35?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NPQ0JJT76YA73H8ECV9

[asin] B00980IA3M[/asin]

I think their choice of The Ring cycle is rather unfortunate, especially since Bohm, Karajan, and Solti are more highly rated than Levine. Of course, HvK gets my vote for best Ring all-around. I can think Sarge for this!

[Moonfish]

I think their choice of The Ring cycle is rather unfortunate, especially since Bohm, Karajan, and Solti are more highly rated than Levine. Of course, HvK gets my vote for best Ring all-around. I can think Sarge for this!

Yeah, they seem to hold off HvK's cycle to extend the profit. Why include a cycle in a box set that already sells so well on its own....?

[Pat B]

Yeah, they seem to hold off HvK's cycle to extend the profit. Why include a cycle in a box set that already sells so well on its own....?

Ditto Solti. It's a business decision, not an artistic one.

There are plenty of ways the major labels annoy me, but it's hard to blame them for not choosing their prestige recordings for budget releases.

(Disclaimer: I haven't heard any of these, but I am aware that Karajan's and especially Solti's Rings are more acclaimed than Levine's.)

[Wanderer]

I think their choice of The Ring cycle is rather unfortunate, especially since Bohm, Karajan, and Solti are more highly rated than Levine.

Don't underestimate the Levine Ring, it's still a superb Ring cycle to have and certainly one of my favourites. They could have done much worse.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I think their choice of The Ring cycle is rather unfortunate, especially since Bohm, Karajan, and Solti are more highly rated than Levine. Of course, HvK gets my vote for best Ring all-around.

I have parts from both Böhm's and Solti's Ring and neither are as satisfying as Levine's Ring. So from first-hand experience I can say the Levine is in no way inferior.

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, they seem to hold off HvK's cycle to extend the profit. Why include a cycle in a box set that already sells so well on its own....?

Ah yes, the almighty dollar. It would be nice if UMG would put aside their greed at least for the release of box sets such as this Wagner. That's all I'm saying.

[Ken B]

Ah yes, the almighty dollar. It would be nice if UMG would put aside their greed at least for the release of box sets such as this Wagner. That's all I'm saying.

Well John, you could set aside your own liking for the almighty dollar and buy the expensive one. But I suspect you are motivated by the same thing I am: consumer greed.

[bigshot]

With Bohm and Janowski at bargain prices, there really isn't much reason to gripe. Those are both great Rings. If you want to talk about price gouging, talk about Testament and the Kielberth Ring. good as it is, that one is a major gouge.

[Moonfish]

With Bohm and Janowski at bargain prices, there really isn't much reason to gripe. Those are both great Rings. If you want to talk about price gouging, talk about Testament and the Kielberth Ring. good as it is, that one is a major gouge.

All major Ring versions are needed regardless of the price!!!   
More....more....

[Mirror Image]

Well John, you could set aside your own liking for the almighty dollar and buy the expensive one. But I suspect you are motivated by the same thing I am: consumer greed.

Yep, I like getting a good deal, but who doesn't, right?

[king ubu]

Well, alright, might sound strange coming from me, but yeah, I actually like paying some for important (to me) stuff. It feels almost pervese how classical music is being sold out - and I'm plucking the day as a) I'm a newbie and most eager to discover stuff, b) (as the lady might add) I'm nutty a collector of music, and c) it feels like the twilight of the CD era ... so it's carpe diem, indeed.

[bigshot]

The odd thing to me is that I remember the LP days when there was a classical bin with the main line with beautiful covers and up to date recordings, then a bargain classical bin full of Seraphims with plain covers and older ones. Now, it's turned upside down. The mono recordings are often on boutique labels at full price and Herbert von Karajan's entire recorded output costs two bucks a disk in fancy box sets. I guess it's supply and demand.

[hafod]

A round-up; not all SDCBs but still good prices.

Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas - Ronald Brautigam - SACDs: now down to under £37.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LJ3EUG...I2U04QHE6DX665

There is a third Ansermet box - The Great European Tradition (31 discs). Not yet available on AmUK but AmIt has it for under €58.
http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00NO9LG4I/r...=IIVYSDGJP5PJE
Mouth-watering contents list at jpc.
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/det...n/hnum/6129761

At AmUK Hogwood's Mozart symphony box is a paltry £22, Gergiev's LSO Live Mahler cycle a tad under £20 and Stoki's Columbia Stereo Recordings £9.11.

Finally, a new Backhaus concerto box is listed on AmUK at £66 but is under €21 at AmIt - it seems the algorithms cannot agree!
http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00NH58SD6/r...I175G6Z8N77FY4

[ritter]

Finally, a new Backhaus concerto box is listed on AmUK at £66 but is under €21 at AmIt - it seems the algorithms cannot agree!
http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00NH58SD6/r...I175G6Z8N77FY4

The Backhaus has shot up to #1 position in the sales ranking of classical music at AmIt! I'm seriously considering it, but also dread a mesaage saying "ci dispiace, ma il prezzo del prodotto era sbagliato..."

[king ubu]

Haven't played much of the Ansermet French box yet (and none of the Russian), but this is cool news!

As for Backhaus, I really need the Beethoven sonatas, I guess.


EDIT:

Here's a working link for the Brautigam Beethoven - most tempting indeed!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LJ3EUGC/

The Hogwood Mozart probably does not come with the extensive booklet of the more expensive version. Matters to me as I don't know sh*t about all this and having some background info is highly welcome.

[Ken B]

The Backhaus has shot up to #1 position in the sales ranking of classical music at AmIt! I'm seriously considering it, but also dread a mesaage saying "ci dispiace, ma il prezzo del prodotto era sbagliato..."

If it gets cheap enough that is a set I want. His recording of the LvB was the first concerto recording of any kind I ever heard. Start at the top! There are a few technical flaws but it's still one of the best 4s ever.

[bogdan101]

The Backhaus has shot up to #1 position in the sales ranking of classical music at AmIt! I'm seriously considering it, but also dread a mesaage saying "ci dispiace, ma il prezzo del prodotto era sbagliato..."

Amazon.de says 29 euro, so obviously amazon uk are way off on this one.