Purchases Today

[Harry]

Well I just ordered this box....

A very good choice, and so think all of us.....
I have most of what is in the box, and I am still content with it. A monumental undertaking by Masaaki Suzuki.

[DavidW]

To be honest I am starting to doubt which performance of the Bach Cantatas I will ultimately choose. Initially I thought I would choose the Gardiner box but the gnawing monster of doubt makes me uncertain about my choice. Maybe I should choose the Suzuki set with the worldly cantatas and other works.

Well, I certainly didn't mean to create uncertainty! I really like the Gardiner set, and the more I think about it, you have an ideal conclusion to your collection since it contrasts with the rest of your recordings.

[DavidW]

The classic GMG approach is to get them all and cull later. 

I think in 2024 we need a modern approach of getting them and never culling because we'll probably never see them in print again (for CD purchasers, I mean who cares if you buy digital downloads since they remain in print in the shop, and don't take up any room).

[hopefullytrusting]

I think in 2024 we need a modern approach of getting them and never culling because we'll probably never see them in print again (for CD purchasers, I mean who cares if you buy digital downloads since they remain in print in the shop, and don't take up any room).

For sure, as these sets, if not bought immediately, become ghastly expensive if you wait too long (see Ayler's Holy Ghost - cheapest I've seen for the set is over $300).

[Traverso]

For sure, as these sets, if not bought immediately, become ghastly expensive if you wait too long (see Ayler's Holy Ghost - cheapest I've seen for the set is over $300).

Mine was 290 €

[hopefullytrusting]

Mine was 290 €

It is a great set - I have it digitally, but I am always on the lookout for the physical set ("reasonably priced").

[Traverso]

A very good choice, and so think all of us.....
I have most of what is in the box, and I am still content with it. A monumental undertaking by Masaaki Suzuki.

I have only the motets and the Hohe Messe.I am very curious about the secular cantatas too.Next thursday they will be delivered.I will listen to one recording a day with the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt recordings ,later on the day   one with the forces of Suzuki.In other words ,a lot of Bach the coming months wich is certainly reason enough to keep on breathing.

[Traverso]

It is a great set - I have it digitally, but I am always on the lookout for the physical set ("reasonably priced").

I fear it will become more expensive rather than cheaper. I do not know the edition size but if they become scarce the price will shoot up.
If you like Bach and in particular his cantatas it is advisable not to wait too long. The previous edition (less extensive) was also very expensive when it was sold out because a number of handymen had bought several sets as an investment.
Presto is asking 385€ at the moment so I feel very lucky.

To make it more difficult for you....

[hopefullytrusting]

I fear it will become more expensive rather than cheaper. I do not know the edition size but if they become scarce the price will shoot up.
If you like Bach and in particular his cantatas it is advisable not to wait too long. The previous edition (less extensive) was also very expensive when it was sold out because a number of handymen had bought several sets as an investment.
Presto is asking 385€ at the moment so I feel very lucky.

To make it more difficult for you....

Lol, I am currently resisting the itch, but you are making it difficult.

I will fully admit that if I lived in a condo, rather than an apartment, I would have already bought the set. One reason I love living in an apartment is that is very conducive to living minimalistically - if I had a condo, an entire room would be dedicated to my boxsets.  

[Madiel]

I think in 2024 we need a modern approach of getting them and never culling because we'll probably never see them in print again (for CD purchasers, I mean who cares if you buy digital downloads since they remain in print in the shop, and don't take up any room).

There is no guarantee that digital downloads will in fact "stay in print", and there are still cases where what you can get depends on where you live.

These are some of the factors that encourage me to still go for CDs where possible when adding to my personal collection. In some respects the situation has actually improved a bit over the years, but I'm still scarred by a couple of experiences where I could buy a CD more readily from the other side of the world than I could get the music as a download. Record companies in their "wisdom" and their licensing rights sometimes just don't think that all countries need access to something.

[EDIT: I've literally just encountered an example of this today, not half an hour after posting, where I can see there's a recent digital re-release of an old Hispavox album, but I can't listen to it unless I try to trick sites into believing I'm not in Australia. But some Japanese guy has put it on YouTube...]

Then you just get weird things like the Mosaiques Quartet's Haydn, where 1 of the 10 discs is mysteriously missing from online versions of the box set (or was when I was looking). I still wonder whether this is just a stuff-up by some low level employee that nobody has ever been able to get corrected - both because for listeners it's a colossal challenge to contact most record companies, and because nobody internal to a record company is likely to give a damn.

[Traverso]

Bach Suzuki

This one seems to be missing in the Vocal works,I just purchased it...in the box is the newer recording,I want to be co complete as possible

[Harry]

Bach Suzuki

This one seems to be missing in the Vocal works,I just purchased it...in the box is the newer recording,I want to be co complete as possible

A good and wise choice. I like this particular performance very much.

[Florestan]

Hat tip to @Iota for the Savall.

[André]

I received this box today from JPC:



This is MASSIVE, by far the biggest box I've ever had. The good news is that since I bought it JPC has increased the price by 100€, so yay. Also, I'll be able to cull a good number of single issues plus the Symphony Edition box.

 The bad news is that I had to pay 30€ in import fees upon receipt of the box. Another bad piece of news is that the thing is so big that it doesn't fit anywhere on my Ikea-type shelves. I'll have to think of something. Time to be creative...🧐

[Brian]

I received this box today from JPC:



This is MASSIVE, by far the biggest box I've ever had. The good news is that since I bought it JPC has increased the price by 100€, so yay. Also, I'll be able to cull a good number of single issues plus the Symphony Edition box.

 The bad news is that I had to pay 30€ in import fees upon receipt of the box. Another bad piece of news is that the thing is so big that it doesn't fit anywhere on my Ikea-type shelves. I'll have to think of something. Time to be creative...🧐

Use it as a footrest in the living room? 

[Mookalafalas]

I got this 2nd hand for a very nice price. These days I'm selling a lot more than I'm buying, but this is guaranteed to be a gem (at least for a Vivaldi lover like me...)

[DavidW]

For sure, as these sets, if not bought immediately, become ghastly expensive if you wait too long (see Ayler's Holy Ghost - cheapest I've seen for the set is over $300).

Case in point that very Suzuki Bach set Traverso bought! The big box was originally a limited release and then when it went OOP, you could only find it for high prices from scalpers. The new reissue has a good price again, but I bet it will go out of print eventually.

[DavidW]

A good and wise choice. I like this particular performance very much.

Yes, I have it in the box set of the Suzuki Bach sacred masterpieces, which are all the original recordings!

[hopefullytrusting]

Case in point that very Suzuki Bach set Traverso bought! The big box was originally a limited release and then when it went OOP, you could only find it for high prices from scalpers. The new reissue has a good price again, but I bet it will go out of print eventually.

Yeah, I'm still about a year away from being comfortable at buying a permanent place (as you may recall, the lovely life of an academic without tenure - I go up for tenure this year, I believe, but until then - I rent, which means I cannot accumulate the ridiculous boxsets I desire).

[Traverso]

Case in point that very Suzuki Bach set Traverso bought! The big box was originally a limited release and then when it went OOP, you could only find it for high prices from scalpers. The new reissue has a good price again, but I bet it will go out of print eventually.
[/quote

Do you mean that the red box that I recently ordered has been released earlier and has been re-issued? I thought that as far as the complete cantatas were concerned, there was only the orange box and now the complete vocal works.