Which of these Brilliant Classics recordings are worth buying?

[Henk]

[Henk]

[imperfection]

Of the above I only have the Jochum/Staatskapelle Dresden Bruckner cycle, and I don't really like it. Sure some might like their Bruckner fierce and angular, but I don't. I prefer broad, smooth and refined approaches the likes of Karajan/BPO and Celibidache/MPO. Very good value, though, as with almost all Brilliant Classics releases.

[The new erato]

Before Harry recommends them all, let me just say that the Magnard is mandatory.

I thought this was a thread about really old (BC) recordings.  A more illuminative title would be nice.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I like the SHostakovich (I don't have THAT big box in the picture, only the 11 cd symphonies set). The Corelli, Magnard, Poulenc and Mahler are excellent as well. The Martucci and Dvorak are pretty much snoozers. I just don't like Martucci, you may think otherwise. The others I have not heard. I bet Inbal's Berlioz is pretty decent as well.

[Brian]

I thought this was a thread about really old (BC) recordings.  A more illuminative title would be nice.

Ditto. 

I've heard some of the Alfven in the original BIS incarnation - pretty darn good, especially given I don't usually like Jarvi.
The Smetana features fun, fantastical performances of the Bartered Bride snippets and various festival marches. The "Ma Vlast" may not be the best, but the other pieces are extremely enjoyable (and Kuchar knows how to whip up a metaphorical storm).
For Berwald I have Bjorlin (EMI; also under $20) but Sixten Ehrling's BIS recordings are still the best ever made, and worth the extra dough. The Bjorlin comes with some bonus tone poems and a concerto.
You've got Dvorak's chamber music listed twice ... if you order two of 'em by mistake, send one my way 

[Henk]

What's wrong with the title? These are new and old recordings. I just want to know which BC recordings are worth buying. I changed the subject title however.

Thanks for the reactions. I think I'll get the Magnard in each case.

Henk

[The new erato]

What's wrong with the title? These are new and old recordings. I just want to know which BC recordings are worth buying.

Just that it's not obvious to most of us that BC = Brilliant Classics. Maybe you would attract posters with knowledge about Brilliant issues if they had a clue that that was what the thread was about. I stumbled into it accidentally (well, I tend to read most threads that are not off-topic).

[mn dave]

"BC" is not yet an accepted GMG acronym.

[Henk]

Just that it's not obvious to most of us that BC = Brilliant Classics. Maybe you would attract posters with knowledge about Brilliant issues if they had a clue that that was what the thread was about. I stumbled into it accidentally (well, I tend to read most threads that are not off-topic).

Ok, I understand, I thought BC would be a wellknown abbrevation.

[Kullervo]

"BC" is not yet an accepted GMG acronym.

It should be. Balcony Collapse is a very serious problem.

[bhodges]

It should be. Balcony Collapse is a very serious problem.

--Bruce

[mn dave]

My bad. I thought it stood for "Bassoon Curmudgeons."

[Todd]

I haven't heard all of the boxes, or even all of the ones that seem interesting to me.  I'd consider the Bruckner, Magnard, Mahler, Alfven, and Sofronitsky boxes.  The Scarlatti piques my interest as well, though I don't know if I need two complete cycles of the sonatas.  And though I've not heard it, I say stay away from the Berg box; the Schoenberg Quartet are not worth even the Brilliant price.

[Lethevich]

These are stunning sets:

Bruckner/Jochum
Shostakovich/Barshai
Smetana orch. works

The Berlioz is very solid throughout, depends whether you are willing to spend a lot more on slightly better seperate performances. The Purcell is essential if you like the music, but there isn't much competition in this field to judge whether the performances are as good as possible. They sound excellent to me, though. I can't see a clunker in any of the ones you have linked and have read excellent reviews for most of them, so if you are interested in the repertoire (such as the Korngold or Martucci) you can buy without concern.

[Daverz]

I like the Sammartini SACD.  Not great masterpieces, perhaps, but quite enjoyable proto-classical works. 

I also like the Corelli box.  American Record Guide found the playing too plain, but I hear it as pleasantly rustic.

Martucci is dull.

I've only listened to #4 in the Magnard set.  Wonderful.

The Bruckner set is a classic.

I do intend to get the Smetana set, but if your interest is primary Ma Vlast, I would direct your attention first to the beautiful Berglund recording with the Staatskapelle Dresden on a cheap EMI CD. 

Similarly, there's a wonderful Borodin Symphony 2 with Kubelik and the VPO on another cheap EMI CD.

The Scarlatti has gotten good reviews, but, wow, that's a lot of Scarlatti.  But so cheap!

I haven't heard the Ravel piano music.  I like sec playing in this music.   Abbey Simon, Robert Casadesus, and Anne Queffelec are my favorite sets.  The last has excellent digital sound and is in a cheap Virgin box with some Satie.

[Daverz]

Of the above I only have the Jochum/Staatskapelle Dresden Bruckner cycle, and I don't really like it. Sure some might like their Bruckner fierce and angular, but I don't. I prefer broad, smooth and refined approaches the likes of Karajan/BPO and Celibidache/MPO. Very good value, though, as with almost all Brilliant Classics releases.

A couple other relatively inexpensive sets to consider:

Not Brilliant Classics cheap, but still cheap, MDT has the Bruckner Linz Orchestra set for under $60.  JPC has the Skrowaczewski set for 49 Euro.  Both beautifully recorded and consistently excellent performances.

http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/pages/product/product.asp?ctgry=&prod=CMSE431-442

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/3679360?rk=home&rsk=hitlist

[Brian]

Similarly, there's a wonderful Borodin Symphony 2 with Kubelik and the VPO on another cheap EMI CD.

Hold the phones. If we're recommending cheap Borodin 2s, I think Tjeknavorian needs to be mentioned here, especially if you can get the incarnation coupled with a half-hour of Prince Igor extracts.

[Maciek]

Note that all of the contents of the small Messiaen box are included inside the large Messiaen box. I think.

(And I agree that you should edit the subject of the first post to contain the word "Brilliant", otherwise most people will have no idea what you're talking about - until they enter the thread, that is.)

[FredT]

Too many choices!