The Super-Duper Cheap Bargains Thread

[Walt Whitman]

No shipment but mine's still alive with the following verbiage in my orders:

Not yet shipped 

Delivery estimate: We need a little more time to provide you with a good estimate. We'll notify you via e-mail as soon as we have an estimated delivery date.

[Mirror Image]

Nothing so far.

Here,s hoping your date's a Bach fan! 

I'm kind of hoping she's more of a Reveultas or Chavez fan myself. (maracas crossed)

[Artem]

Squidco is having a sale on HatHut label. You can get 3 Morton Feldman CDs for 50% less their regular price. To me HatHut's Feldman's is some of the best Feldman out there. http://www.squidco.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=S&Category_Code=HATSALE

[Que]

I'm not sure what the appeal of the Handel box is? 
There are so many superlative Handel recordings that are not in that box....most of them, actually...
Why bother?

Q

[Jo498]

I'm not sure what the appeal of the Handel box is? 
There are so many superlative Handel recordings that are not in that box....most of them, actually...
Why bother?

I think for some it is just to get 60 disc for less than half a $ per disc. Or the fact that they have heard only Messiah and Water/Fireworks music and would like to explore some Handel without spending real money.
Even a more realistic price for the Brilliant box, say $80 doesn't get you very far if you want to buy separate issues of a bunch of Handel operas or oratorios.

[Ken B]

I'm not sure what the appeal of the Handel box is? 
There are so many superlative Handel recordings that are not in that box....most of them, actually...
Why bother?

Q

There's some very good stuff in it, such as all the chamber music. It also makes a good Xmas gift for non-collectors.

[Que]

There's some very good stuff in it, such as all the chamber music. It also makes a good Xmas gift for non-collectors.

The chamber music recordings from the CRD label have generally had good press.

Anyway..... I didn't do the math on the price per disc, but here is another bargain brick - 40 euro at jpc



Q

[Harry]

The chamber music recordings from the CRD label have generally had good press.

Anyway..... I didn't do the math on the price per disc, but here is another bargain brick - 40 euro at jpc



Q

I got that Beethoven a few years ago for 19,99 euros

[HIPster]

BRO seems to be open for business again!   

https://broinc.com/

[Que]

BRO seems to be open for business again!   

https://broinc.com/

Their site seems to be down right now, but that would be great news!

Q

[Que]

I got that Beethoven a few years ago for 19,99 euros

WOW, that is super cheap...

And.....have you listened to the whole thing yet?

Q

[Wakefield]

The chamber music recordings from the CRD label have generally had good press.

Actually, the performances by L'Ecole d'Orphée are worth of the asking price. After 30 years are still unsurpassed. IMHO. 

[Harry]

WOW, that is super cheap...

And.....have you listened to the whole thing yet?

Q

Yes Que, actually I did, twice over

[Harry]

Actually, the performances by L'Ecole d'Orphée are worth of the asking price. After 30 years are still unsurpassed. IMHO. 

+!

[Jo498]

Actually, the performances by L'Ecole d'Orphée are worth of the asking price. After 30 years are still unsurpassed. IMHO. 

I disagree. They are serviceable and even pretty good (and there is probably not a better "complete" recording from one single source), it was my introduction to the music and I played them a lot when I first got them about 12 or more years ago in their first Brilliant Classics incarnation but overall fairly dry and not very imaginative. One can already do better with the early 70s Bruggen and friends for the wind sonatas fairly cheap on Seon/Sony, the trio sonatas with London baroque and the violin sonatas with Manze/Egarr or Christie/Japanese guy. Even better are some single discs e.g. Rampe with Stravaganza in op.5 on Intercord or Oberlinger in the recorder sonatas (joined by Steck in two trio sonatas). Those newer recordings are in a different class as far as I am concerned.

In any case, one can probably find the earlier Brilliant Box with chamber music only.

[Harry]

I disagree. They are serviceable and even pretty good (and there is probably not a better "complete" recording from one single source), it was my introduction to the music and I played them a lot when I first got them about 12 or more years ago in their first Brilliant Classics incarnation but overall fairly dry and not very imaginative. One can already do better with the early 70s Bruggen and friends for the wind sonatas fairly cheap on Seon/Sony, the trio sonatas with London baroque and the violin sonatas with Manze/Egarr or Christie/Japanese guy. Even better are some single discs e.g. Rampe with Stravaganza in op.5 on Intercord or Oberlinger in the recorder sonatas (joined by Steck in two trio sonatas). Those newer recordings are in a different class as far as I am concerned.

In any case, one can probably find the earlier Brilliant Box with chamber music only.

What a fine thing that we may disagree with each other, I am with Gordo in this. Fairly dry or unimaginative is something which I do not hear in these performances. Better with Bruggen? Not to my ears they are not!
Manze/Egarr is an acquired taste, not to my liking, rather dry and academic, Rampe does not appeal to me either, and neither does Oberlinger.

[Karl Henning]

Yes Que, actually I did, twice over

I do admire your diligence!

[Wakefield]

I disagree. They are serviceable and even pretty good (and there is probably not a better "complete" recording from one single source), it was my introduction to the music and I played them a lot when I first got them about 12 or more years ago in their first Brilliant Classics incarnation but overall fairly dry and not very imaginative. One can already do better with the early 70s Bruggen and friends for the wind sonatas fairly cheap on Seon/Sony, the trio sonatas with London baroque and the violin sonatas with Manze/Egarr or Christie/Japanese guy. Even better are some single discs e.g. Rampe with Stravaganza in op.5 on Intercord or Oberlinger in the recorder sonatas (joined by Steck in two trio sonatas). Those newer recordings are in a different class as far as I am concerned.

In any case, one can probably find the earlier Brilliant Box with chamber music only.

Of course, there is a matter of taste involved here, and clearly I deeply disagree on your evaluation of L'École D'Orphée as being dry or unimaginative.

Not to mention that behind the name L'École D'Orphée there is a fair amount of important names to the HIP movement, like Susan Sheppard, Stephen Preston, John Toll, Lucy Carolan, Robert Woolley, Philip Pickett, Alison Bury, John Holloway, Micaela Comberti et cetera.

In addition, even considering how much I love Brüggens' musicianship, for instance, I wouldn't take your recommendation here or regarding his set devoted to Bach's flute music, both of them quite boring.

[Jo498]

I don't have the Bach Brüggen and I kept only two discs of L'ecole d'orphée series (op.2 and the non-opus trio sonatas, I thought I had another one still here, but apparently got rid of the others to save space because I found my alternative recordings much more satisfying), so I am mostly relying on memory (but as I said, this was my only set of most of this music for many years and very probably still the one I listened to the most) and while I did not say they are bad I am admittedly surprised that anyone who has heard alternative recordings (as many buyers of the Brilliant issue probably will not have) still finds them extraordinarily good. I grant they are usually a good bargain and give a good impression of the music but I am not impressed by the interpretations.

I recently listened to one of those trio sonatas and even the recorded sound is thin and dry in my ears. Overall, I'd say they are fairly typical mid-80s (or is it early 90s?) British HIP efforts in rather thin and dry/direct sound. Especially the violins do not sound very pleasant. Compared to newer recordings they are rather "spartan" in the continuo department; one or two of the violin sonatas even leave out the harpsichord and only a cello plays the bass (which is kind of interesting, I admit, but I have never encountered this anywhere else). They also play very straight, not much room for rhetorical gestures or improvisational embellishments. If one likes this style, they are certainly quite good, I can readily concede that.

[Wakefield]

For those who do not know these interpretations, I think this is a representative sample of what we are talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/v/bxlEBnDWT-8

Trio sonata No.1 for transverse flute, violin & continuo in B minor (HWV 386b), by George Frideric Handel.
I. Andante - 0:10
II. Allegro - 3:42
III. Largo - 6:32
IV. Allegro - 8:58

Performed by L'Ecole d'Orphee
John Holloway (violin)
Stephen Preston (baroque flute)
Susan Sheppard (violoncello)
John Toll (harpsichord)