EMI: The Collector's Editions

[Don Giovanni]

For the past couple of years I have been going down the route of buying the best recordings of each work. I don't think I'd have to go back and replace works in the Beethoven set as someone said.

I'm just wondering whether this is a really good opportunity to cover a lot of Beethoven's work as opposed to wading slowly through it by buying expensive but excellent recordings each time.

I've decided to wait a bit and look elsewhere to see what I can get for my money. Thank you all for your help.

[Anne]

I don't find anything deficient with the Alexander Quartet's performances.  I gave the 9-cd set to my son as a gift, and we both have enjoyed it.

I bought The Teaching Co.'s "The Chamber Music of Mozart" course which focuses on the 6 SQ dedicated to Haydn.  The teacher has recommended the Alexander Quartet's CD's (only 3 cd's).  They (K.387 in G major, K.421 in D minor, K. 428 in E-flat Major, K.458 B-flat Major [Hunt], K. 464 in A Major, K. 465 in C Major [Dissonant]) sounded fine to me but it is good to hear another's opinion.

May I ask what additional music the 9-cd set includes?

[The new erato]

What about this?

http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product/NR_June07/88697075082.htm

10 CDs more, half price and a very convincing roster of artists as far as I can tell!

[Harry]

What about this?

http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product/NR_June07/88697075082.htm

10 CDs more, half price and a very convincing roster of artists as far as I can tell!

All in all that's a fine box!

[Don]

I bought The Teaching Co.'s "The Chamber Music of Mozart" course which focuses on the 6 SQ dedicated to Haydn.  The teacher has recommended the Alexander Quartet's CD's (only 3 cd's).  They (K.387 in G major, K.421 in D minor, K. 428 in E-flat Major, K.458 B-flat Major [Hunt], K. 464 in A Major, K. 465 in C Major [Dissonant]) sounded fine to me but it is good to hear another's opinion.

May I ask what additional music the 9-cd set includes?

The 9-cd set has the Beethoven String Quartets - no Mozart.

[Don Giovanni]

I've decided to leave the box set for a while. I'm planning on covering a wider range of composers, buying the best recordings of each of the works. I'd rather digest a couple of works slowly and really understand them; I don't think I could stomach most of Beethoven all at once. Although I am familiar with most of the works, I don't think I'd enjoy listening to them all at once as much as listening to them on superior recordings over a longer length on time.

Thank you all for your help, though.

[knight66]

That seems like a wise decision. When I used to buy big boxes, I never got right through them.

Mike

[Bunny]

I posted this a while ago, and from what I remember the line up was most of it good to very good.
For the money its a steal in my opinion, but lately there have been more collectors items around for less and better.

Harry, the set I recall you having posted was from Sony, although you may have also posted this set from EMI.  In any event, after considering the contents, I think the Sony set you posted is a much better value; and cheaper too.  This one really has some gems including recordings by L'Archibudelli and Mozzafiato as well as the complete symphonies by David Zinman and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra as well as the piano concertos by Yefim Bronfman.  Piano sonatas are by Yokojama and Casadesus.

Here's the link to JPC for anyone interested in comparing the various sets.

[Harry Collier]

That seems like a wise decision. When I used to buy big boxes, I never got right through them.

Mike

I find the same thing; buy a 10-CD box, and something always intervenes after CD #5 and I never get any further, since something else arrives, or something else wants to be listened to. Apart from the well-known phenomenon of collector's mania, I can never understand those who want, in one stroke of the credit card, to buy "all the Bach cantatas" or "all the Scarlatti piano sonatas".

[The new erato]

I agree. But: If you want to listen to all Couperins music for harpsichord, you will have to buy, and listen to, approx. 10 CDs however you choose to aquire them.

As for boxes like these Beethoven collections, I lack about 4-6 CDs worth of significant Beethoven works. If a box contains decent versions of these works, I buy the box (this Sony box is hardly more expensive than 5 regular midprice CDs), listen to those and consider the rest as duplicates to other cycles. If they are good, I might even listen to them.

That is the only way to handle collections like these!

[bigshot]

50 CDs for $30. Look that gift horse in the mouth!
http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Collectors-Including-Symphonies-Zauberflote/dp/B000NA2PD2/

[knight66]

That is almost unreal, if I did not have so much of the repertoire, I would jump at it and on it. Though, I can imagine lots of the discs gathering dust. They look so tempting, but I never get through these big boxes.

Mike

[kishnevi]

I have the EMI France 50CD Beethoven version.  While the recordings included are all topnotch, and have no duplicate performances compared to what I already have,  there is a serious defect.

These sets are not "Boxes" in the usual sense.

They are paper cubes containing a booklet with track listings and 50CDs in paper sleeves.  Nothing more.

The 30 CD Elgar and RVW boxes which EMI put out under the title "Collector's Edition" (and I presume the Britten box in that series, although I don't have that one) are similar, but at least come as a real cardboard box.

That is almost unreal, if I did not have so much of the repertoire, I would jump at it and on it. Though, I can imagine lots of the discs gathering dust. They look so tempting, but I never get through these big boxes.

Mike

True for me and the Beethoven "box".  I've had it for almost two years, and only started going through it a few weeks ago; at the moment I'm halfway through the piano sonatas,  having listened to the symphonies and concertos; the Diabellis and other solo piano works, all the chamber music, the choral works, and Fidelio remain to be heard before that set gets a complete first listen.