Д.Д.

The track list available at the Decca website: http://www.deccaclassics.com/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4782826

Thank you, Д.Д. Just ordered. This is a fantastic set at fantastic value. Any one of these disks if purchased separately would normally cost you more. Just got my copy, looking forward to listening to it. The packaging is minimal - just the track list. Listened to the Rameu (solo harpsichord) CD - it's outstanding. The works are beautiful, and the performance is fantastic, and I think I never heard harpsichord sounding this good on record.

I have L'Incoranzione di Poppea on Brilliant (it's 4-CDs). I liked it, but I have nothing to compare with. The recording quality is excellent, the instrumentalists I liked a lot (this is a small chamber group on period instruments), but some of the vocalists are merely mediocre. Please note that the whole thing is very very slow. My assumption is this is not the best performance out there. There is a budget 7-CD Monteverdi madrigals box just released on EMI (Consort of Musickle / Anthony Rooley, originallly on Virgin): http://www.amazon.de/Madrigali-Rooley/dp/B005AAVFH2/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1317029549&sr=1-2 Lorin Maazel - Great Recordings (30 CDs) - EMI - €50 at amazon.de

Thank you, Д.Д. Just ordered. This is a fantastic set at fantastic value. Any one of these disks if purchased separately would normally cost you more. Just got my copy, looking forward to listening to it. The packaging is minimal - just the track list.

You mean Russian Legends: Legendary Russian Soloists, I guess: http://www.amazon.fr/L%C3%A9gendaires-Solistes-Russes-Si%C3%A8cle-Coffret/dp/B000T2ONOI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316676204&sr=8-1 It's a good box. I mean, I didn't care for 1/3 of what I heard in it (Shafran, Rostropovich, big part of Kremer), but other stuff is fantastic (Tretiakov, Gilels, Richter) so I found it still a good value. And I am only 1/2 through. What is worht mentionning is htat the sound quality is surprisingly good, although no-noised perhaps.

Not a super-mega bargain, but a good deal nonetheless as long as you like the late Renaissance vocal music: Tomas Luis de Victoria - Sacred Works (10CDs) (Archiv) - £31 at amazon.co.uk

Got this one and it is absolutely fantastic! The sound is beautiful - very warm (well, for a harpsichord) and with good surprisingly full bass. My old Leonhardt Goldbergs will not get much action anymore, I guess.

Zig Zag label 5CD set (Mozart, Bononcini, Rebel, Monteverdi, Rameau) for £10 at amazon.co.uk

I have one CD from this set - Utopia Triumphans - and I found it nearly unlistenable due to muddy recording quality (recorded in a church in a very "distant" manner - and these are large choirs), with hissing sounds that vocalists make when they hit the consonants overpowering the music (but this is a common problem I have with early choral music, in live settings in particular - I would rather have them singing in vowels only ).

Early Music 10CD compilation on Harmonia Mundi - €30 at amazon.it I have a couple of individual CDs (now OOP) from this collection - great stuff.

More upcoming mammoth box sets: The Decca Sound (50 CDs): http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4782826 The Music of Enlightenment (harmonia Mundi) (30 CDs): http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=612333&album_group=1

EMI Icons Series website Normally, the best price for this set is at amazon.co.uk I have two sets from the series - Patricia De Larrocha and Stokowski, both highly recommended.

Got this one based on your recommendation. You;re not kidding - a lot of panache in his playing! Enjoyed it a lot.

Bl!ndman Saxophone Quartet plays Bach: http://www.blindman.be/en/productions/show/13

Il Giardino Armonico 11-CD set at amazon.com for $35

Any opinions on the String Quartet (1979) released on Naxos? This is actually a reissue of the Koch recording from early 90s. And yes, "Neither" on Hat Hut is good, go for it!

Any organ works recommendations? I have the complete (or nearly complete, whatever) set by Lionel Rogg on Harmonia Mundi, which I like, but would be interested in exploring other performers. I am not looking for another complete set.

I'm not a Naxos enthusiast (so shoot me... ), but Konstantin Scherbakov's Naxos recording of Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues was excellent, so I'd expect his volume to merit hearing. Listened to samples, and liked Vol. 3 (Jeno Jando) and Vol. 5 (Benjamin Frith). These should do for now, as far a piano is concerned. Now, to harpsichord! Got these two and can highly recommend both. The piano is played more on the dry, aggressive side here (Jando in particular). Still need to get some harpsichord versions.

How about harp transcriptions? I just got this CD - 13 Sonatas, transcribed for harp and plaied by Susan Miron (on Centaur). Very mellow, very sweet.

I listened to a couple of discs from it (Stravinsky and Prokofiev), and man, I really am not sure if I can recommend it. These are some super fast-paced, aggressive, caffeinated versions. This might be a valid take on these works, but probably not to my liking. Will have to listen further.

Listened to Masaaki Suzuki's harpsichord version of Golgbergs on BIS website ( http://bis.se/naxos.php?aID=BIS-CD-819 ) - I think it's excellent. Will get the CD now.

Antal Dorati Conducts ... (Mercury) - 5 CD set - $21 at amazon.com

Any opinion on Gavrilov's Goldberg's? The samples sound quite Gouldian: http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Goldberg-Variationen-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B000025I53/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1311460920&sr=1-1

Thanks for pointing this one out. I thought I should wait awhile before buying another cello suite set, but the videos got me and since she's playing viola it doesn't count regarding my cello moratorium. And now that Spotify is in the US, it's on there too if one can't wait for a CD copy in the mail. Like you said, wow. Gotta get these too, sound great.

Thanks Д.Д. but pay attention: according to Brilliat Classic website, these are CDR's. You mean the reference to "CD-ROM Wallet clamshell"? I don't think this means these would be CDRs. I placed my order, should be here by the end of the week - we'll see.