GMG Classical Music Forum

Help me select a box set!  Tell me your favorite.  I tried to make a complete list, but I know that I probably failed.  Write in whatever doesn't appear here.  I can look over posts and count up whatever is not on the poll.  If there is more than one IN-PRINT cycle by an ensemble, please disambiguate for me.  If there is something that I thought was in-print but is actually oop let me know.

Other than that you are allowed up to 3 choices so no need to pull hair trying to choose one. :)

Italiano and Takacs.

Takacs has the best Op. 135 I've heard.

I love my Italiano set.  Most listened to box set ever since I started getting into classical music.  :)

Can't believe the Vegh are out of print.  Anyway, the Prazak definitely for me.  And the Budapest, twice.  The mono set on United Archives and the stereo on Sony.

OTHER just might end up leading, so you'd better ask them to specify....

Talich in my case (as other). My other voted went to Amadeus and Alban Berg.

Suske, Leipzig Gewandhaus and....damn, hard to choose between my old favorites, Italiano or Budapest.

Sarge

Quote from: springrite on September 07, 2012, 05:50:43 AMTalich in my case (as other).

It's not in print, just like the Vegh.  I checked both before answering.  What kind of crazy world are we living in?

Quote from: springrite on September 07, 2012, 05:50:43 AM
Alban Berg.

Which one?

Quote from: Opus106 on September 07, 2012, 06:51:07 AM
Which one?

I don't think that the live one is in print.

Quote from: DavidW on September 07, 2012, 08:00:14 AM
I don't think that the live one is in print.

Oh. I did not know that.

Well of course if anyone sees it for sale, let me know! ;D

btw the new reissue is for the stereo set, it's just different packaging.

Quote from: DavidW on September 07, 2012, 08:29:04 AM
Well of course if anyone sees it for sale, let me know! ;D

Bits and pieces are reasonably priced.

Quote
btw the new reissue is for the stereo set, it's just different packaging.

??? There was a mono set?

Quote from: Opus106 on September 07, 2012, 08:40:21 AM
Bits and pieces are reasonably priced.

??? There was a mono set?

I meant the studio set, sorry being hungry made my brain squishy.

Vermeer. I downloaded the MP3s from Amazon for something like $22, and love it. Big romantic interpretations with plushy sound, so don't expect it to be HIPpie. If I win the lotto, I'm buying the Prazak first thing.

Quote from: Brian on September 07, 2012, 09:38:09 AM
If I win the lotto, I'm buying the Prazak first thing.

It's only $80 (bargain priced)!  This poll would push me towards the Italians but I think I might go for Prazak anyway.  I just kind of assumed that Budapest would be the winner, but it's not.

We will see, I expect like the last poll to see more voters on another parts of the world vote in overnight.

Quote from: DavidW on September 07, 2012, 04:30:17 PM
It's only $80 (bargain priced)!  This poll would push me towards the Italians but I think I might go for Prazak anyway.

You could go for both; based on my understanding, they're stylistically opposites. The Vermeer are apparently very close to the Italians, according to Scarpia.

And I have three LvB quartet cycles... all cost me under $30 a pop. I'm an hourly temp, $80 is full price for me  :(

I'm sorry to hear that Brian.

Considering that I've not heard many of the performances in your poll,  I'll just say I have the Artemis, the Berg,  some of the Emerson and some of the Takacs, and the Italiano.  The Endellion is literally in the mail to me now.

But there's also the Guarnieri, which I have in a Brilliant re-issue from not too long ago.  Isn't that still in print?

At any rate, I like Artemis, and I "learned" the quartets with Quartetto Italiano.  But what I've heard of the Takacs,  I like very much.  So those are the three I'll vote for.

Woops!  Good catch Jeffrey.  If Guarneri were in the poll, would it replace any of the three you voted for?  I'll count it if so (and mentally reduce one from whatever you knock off).

Quote from: DavidW on September 07, 2012, 06:01:01 PM
Woops!  Good catch Jeffrey.  If Guarneri were in the poll, would it replace any of the three you voted for?  I'll count it if so (and mentally reduce one from whatever you knock off).

Probably would not.  They're a cheaper alternative to the Italianos, perhaps.  And I emphasize the word perhaps.

I also forgot I have the Hungarian recordings as part of a larger set that I have not yet played a note of.

And I think the Tokyo's Harmonia Mundi cycle is in print,  even if not boxed into a discrete set, and not just the older set now available in a Sony budget set.  I have one installment of the HM cycle, and did not feel compelled to get more.

I didn't know that the HM Tokyo cycle has been completed, woops.  Nobody seems to like Tokyo in Beethoven anyway though...

I remembered that I did extensive youtube listening to Artemis Q in Beethoven, and really liked them.  More than I like the Italians in general that is for sure.  And even more than the fast, modernist stylings of the czech/hungarian ensembles... so...

I'm going to buy the Artemis Q set, and down the road I'm going to upgrade my Leipzig Gewandhaus set from mp3 to cd.  In the meantime I'm going to listen to Gewandhaus in the office (on my mp3 player).  Perfect music for test making! >:D

Takács....I have a third (early) and would be interested in the rest....Vegh is my go to (I believe you helped me with choosing that one, but OOP) and I love the Smeteana smattering that I have and would like to fill in this one as well.  Not sure if they cycled.

Quote from: DavidW on September 08, 2012, 09:00:09 AM
I didn't know that the HM Tokyo cycle has been completed, woops.  Nobody seems to like Tokyo in Beethoven anyway though...

Not true. This is fantastic. In fact, it's so good I've never felt a need for others (although I have other early sets, of course).

(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/sep2012/beethovenSQtokyo.jpg)


Sarge

DavidW - so you have no LvB SQ? Is that possible?

I voted Italiano and Alban Berg. Vegh stereo would be my third but it's OOP.

Quote from: George on September 08, 2012, 01:23:04 PM
DavidW - so you have no LvB SQ? Is that possible?

Well I do just not lossless.  I have on mp3: Takacs, Vegh (stereo), Gewandhaus.

Quote from: DavidW on September 08, 2012, 02:07:50 PM
Well I do just not lossless.  I have on mp3: Takacs, Vegh (stereo), Gewandhaus.

Ah, I say go Italiano.  8)

Quote from: Brian on September 07, 2012, 09:38:09 AM
Vermeer. I downloaded the MP3s from Amazon for something like $22, and love it. Big romantic interpretations with plushy sound, so don't expect it to be HIPpie. If I win the lotto, I'm buying the Prazak first thing.

More love for the Vermeers!

To turn this thread on it's head: what box set are you sad (for the sake of future listeners) to see go oop?

Quote from: DavidW on September 08, 2012, 02:24:46 PM
To turn this thread on it's head: what box set are you sad (for the sake of future listeners) to see go oop?

Vegh, stereo.

Quote from: George on September 08, 2012, 02:27:31 PM
Vegh, stereo.

Truth.

(http://www.shugarecords.com/images/products/large/a8233df3-980b-47f3-99d6-cd30733aa23f-0.JPG)

I am listening to this vinyl gem right now and I have to say, it has me considering the Budapest run.  Did they only cycle once?

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5184UnDSmzL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)

My lp is mono....is the above the same performances?

Quote from: Todd on September 07, 2012, 05:45:08 AM
Can't believe the Vegh are out of print.  Anyway, the Prazak definitely for me.  And the Budapest, twice.  The mono set on United Archives and the stereo on Sony.

Ah. Got it!  Thanks, Todd.  get the mono if you can David.

Quote from: Bogey on September 08, 2012, 08:08:35 PM
My lp is mono....is the above the same performances?

No, these are the ones you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-String-Quartets-Opp-127/dp/B0000029VC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347177355&sr=8-2&keywords=Budapest+Beethoven+Sony

and

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Quartets-Razmovsky-Serioso-Quintet/dp/B0000029VB/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1347177355&sr=8-4&keywords=Budapest+Beethoven+Sony

Great transfers of the mono set!

I guess that's the same as these?

[asin]B005HO1W7O[/asin]

for those who use mp3 - complete vegh mono at arkivmusic


http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=10131

Quote from: The new erato on September 09, 2012, 12:24:53 AM
I guess that's the same as these?

[asin]B005HO1W7O[/asin]

No, the ones I posted are from 1940-45.

Quote from: George on September 09, 2012, 06:10:07 AM
No, the ones I posted are from 1940-45.

Oh.  Well, I believe my vinyl is from '52? or so.  So there are two mono sets?

Quote from: Bogey on September 09, 2012, 07:42:51 AM
Oh.  Well, I believe my vinyl is from '52? or so.  So there are two mono sets?

I am not sure, but when I was going LvB QT mad a number of years ago, those Budapests I posted were the ones that I was told (by a few members) to get. The used prices now are cheaper than I've ever seen them and the Masterworks Heritage Series, which they are on, is awesome! Superb mastering, liners, original LP replicas, etc.

Quote from: George on September 09, 2012, 07:55:07 AM
I am not sure, but when I was going LvB QT mad a number of years ago, those Budapests I posted were the ones that I was told (by a few members) to get. The used prices now are cheaper than I've ever seen them and the Masterworks Heritage Series, which they are on, is awesome! Superb mastering, liners, original LP replicas, etc.

Thanks, as always, for the footwork here, George.

Quote from: Todd on September 07, 2012, 06:35:52 AM


It's not in print, just like the Vegh.  I checked both before answering.  What kind of crazy world are we living in?

it will be in print, soon  :P
http://www.amazon.fr/Quatuors-Cordes-Int%C3%A9grale-Ludwig-Beethoven/dp/B0090OPC2S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347300674&sr=8-1

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on September 08, 2012, 01:08:06 PM
Not true. This is fantastic. In fact, it's so good I've never felt a need for others (although I have other early sets, of course).

(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/sep2012/beethovenSQtokyo.jpg)

Sarge

Yeah, I like the Tokyo at lot ... not the least because the sound is the best I've heard of the Beethoven quartets.