Classical music bargains

[king ubu]

I've got the Vivaldi on four separate discs, but there's also this 4CD set (less than 16€ currently at amazon.it)

I quite love this band ... but I overspend that much lately, damn ...

[king ubu]

hm, also got disc 2 ... it's fabulous:

[J.A.W.]

another big sucker announced:

http://www.amazon.it/Solo-Recordings-33-Richter-Sviatoslav/dp/B00GYHSYW4/

not sure I'll need it ... got his EMI box and am about to order the Brilliant Concertos box (in prestoclassical's box-set sale) ... also have had the DG box on the wishlist for a while ... too much stuff around, too much overlap, me losing overview ...

The Sviatoslav Richter box is now available from Amazon Germany for 57 euros plus change: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00GYHSYW4/ref=ox_ya_os_product That's quite cheap for 33 CDs.

[J.A.W.]

Decca will release a Vladimir Ashkenazy box on February 3 with most of his Rachmaninov piano recordings for Decca - quickly checked the tracklisting and it seems the piano concerti with André Previn are not included; instead, the box has the concerti with Bernard Haitink: http://www.deccaclassics.com/en/cat/4786348?

The box has 11 CDs and the current price on Amazon U.K. is £29.56

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GU3Q3M0/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Edited January 16, 2014 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

That could be great! The concertos with Previn are the ones I've already got (plus the 2CD set with the 24 Preludes and the Piano Sonata No. 2, as well as the one with the Concertgebouw under Ashkenazy playing the three Symphonies - that, too, won't be included, of course).

I never felt like going for the huge Ashkenazy Decca box, but this one is tempting indeed!

[J.A.W.]

That could be great! The concertos with Previn are the ones I've already got (plus the 2CD set with the 24 Preludes and the Piano Sonata No. 2, as well as the one with the Concertgebouw under Ashkenazy playing the three Symphonies - that, too, won't be included, of course).

I never felt like going for the huge Ashkenazy Decca box, but this one is tempting indeed!

Yep, that big Ashkenazy Decca box is a mishmash of great, not-so-great and so-so recordings, all in the order they were released on LP, with a few bonus tracks. I prefer his sets-by-composer, they're much more accessible.

Edited January 16, 2014 by J.A.W.

[J.A.W.]

Just saw that the Ashkenazy Rachmaninov box also includes the piano pieces for 4 and 6 hands and Rachmaninov's arrangements of other composers' works. I'm not keen on those.

Then there's the question which versions of the piano concerti are preferable (excluding Ashkenazy's early Russian versions), the earlier ones with Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra or the later ones with Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra (the ones in the box). I've never been able to compare them, but many people seem to prefer the earlier concerti with Previn, which I have.

Edited January 17, 2014 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

Hm, I guess I'll just stick with the three or four Double Deccas I've already got, as far as Ashkenazy goes (one is the Scriabin, and one as mentioned him conducting the Rach symphonies). Any particular recommendations of his as a pianist beyond that? I don't feel like I'm missing out on much (like, I don't feel like more Chopin and Beethoven), but is there anything that's generally accepted (whatever that means) as a classic?

[J.A.W.]

Hm, I guess I'll just stick with the three or four Double Deccas I've already got, as far as Ashkenazy goes (one is the Scriabin, and one as mentioned him conducting the Rach symphonies). Any particular recommendations of his as a pianist beyond that? I don't feel like I'm missing out on much (like, I don't feel like more Chopin and Beethoven), but is there anything that's generally accepted (whatever that means) as a classic?

His Rachmaninov solo piano work is excellent in my view, and so is his Chopin. I also like his Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin with Itzhak Perlman and his Beethoven sonatas for piano and cello with Lynn Harrell, his Brahms sonatas for violin and piano, also with Itzhak Perlman, his "Russian Sonatas" set with Lynn Harrell, his Sibelius symphonies with the Philharmonia Orchestra and his Prokofiev piano concerti with Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Edited January 17, 2014 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

Many thanks! Will see if I can sample some of this in a local store some day!

[bogdan101]

another big sucker announced:

http://www.amazon.it/Solo-Recordings-33-Richter-Sviatoslav/dp/B00GYHSYW4/

not sure I'll need it ... got his EMI box and am about to order the Brilliant Concertos box (in prestoclassical's box-set sale) ... also have had the DG box on the wishlist for a while ... too much stuff around, too much overlap, me losing overview ...

The Sviatoslav Richter box is now available from Amazon Germany for 57 euros plus change: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00GYHSYW4/ref=ox_ya_os_product That's quite cheap for 33 CDs.

That disappeared pretty quickly!

[J.A.W.]

another big sucker announced:

http://www.amazon.it/Solo-Recordings-33-Richter-Sviatoslav/dp/B00GYHSYW4/

not sure I'll need it ... got his EMI box and am about to order the Brilliant Concertos box (in prestoclassical's box-set sale) ... also have had the DG box on the wishlist for a while ... too much stuff around, too much overlap, me losing overview ...

The Sviatoslav Richter box is now available from Amazon Germany for 57 euros plus change: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00GYHSYW4/ref=ox_ya_os_product That's quite cheap for 33 CDs.

That disappeared pretty quickly!

I immediately ordered it at that price; the order hasn't been cancelled (yet) even though the box is now indeed listed as unavailable.

[king ubu]

Weird ... but then the Ansermet box (which I got a few weeks ago) went to "unavailable" again and then got a later release date (Jan 14, I think) ... guess the same might happen here.

Still not sure if I really want this, the amazon.de price was a few cents too much so the custom n*zis would have cashed in another 20€ ... if it comes back and goes down a euro or two, I'll have to reconsider.

[Stefan Wood]

Picked up the Ansermet box for 39 pounds (with shipping to the US, total $69).

[ejp626]

I think this is one where I will pass (on the Richter). I just tend to prefer his non-solo work, as well as tending to think that his earlier work with Russian orchestras (on the Russian Classics series) is preferable.

Edited February 10, 2014 by ejp626

[J.A.W.]

Weird ... but then the Ansermet box (which I got a few weeks ago) went to "unavailable" again and then got a later release date (Jan 14, I think) ... guess the same might happen here.

Still not sure if I really want this, the amazon.de price was a few cents too much so the custom n*zis would have cashed in another 20€ ... if it comes back and goes down a euro or two, I'll have to reconsider.

I think this is one where I will pass. I just tend to prefer his non-solo work, as well as tending to think that his earlier work with Russian orchestras (on the Russian Classics series) is preferable.

That's funny, I tend to prefer Richter's later recordings, especially his post-Bach solo work. Besides, I can't stand the generally poor sonics of the Russian recordings and the rough playing of many Russian orchestras of the time.

Edited January 18, 2014 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

Regarding Richter, I'm really not sure ... I'm in awe many times, I love some of the stuff ... but often he doesn't touch me all that much in the end. Not sure in which direction this will go. The Decca box might just be too much of a good thing for me, I've got the ICON and I also am interested in the DG box - maybe that's a better choice. (Oh, and his Bach is horrible, I find.)

Picked up the Ansermet box for 39 pounds (with shipping to the US, total $69).

I got it for around 50€ (shipping included) when the price took a short dive at amazon.it - worth watching these sets.

[J.A.W.]

Regarding Richter, I'm really not sure ... I'm in awe many times, I love some of the stuff ... but often he doesn't touch me all that much in the end. Not sure in which direction this will go. The Decca box might just be too much of a good thing for me, I've got the ICON and I also am interested in the DG box - maybe that's a better choice. (Oh, and his Bach is horrible, I find.)

The only Bach interpretations I can stand these days are HIP, and secular only

Edited January 18, 2014 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

I can cope with non-HIP (and sacred), but give me Gould or Tureck or Fischer (Edwin, that is). Though actually the most horrible is Richter's famous Händel.

[J.A.W.]

I can cope with non-HIP (and sacred), but give me Gould or Tureck or Fischer (Edwin, that is). Though actually the most horrible is Richter's famous Händel.

Well, if there's a pianist whose work I absolutely detest, it's the late Mr Gould. Horrendous. As for Richter, in my view he's best heard in post-Mozart works, though I don't think his Haydn and Mozart are that bad. His pre-Haydn stuff is best avoided like the plague

[ejp626]

Weird ... but then the Ansermet box (which I got a few weeks ago) went to "unavailable" again and then got a later release date (Jan 14, I think) ... guess the same might happen here.

Do you mean you "got" a physical copy, or you got in on the pre-order price? I almost pre-ordered a copy and am kicking myself a bit. On the other hand, sometimes Amazon just cancels pre-orders in these cases where the price and availability change radically. But not always...

[Stefan Wood]

I received notice that an Ansermet French Music box was processed and shipped. I looked at the amazon.uk site and it is already out of stock (!?!). Some seller is already charging 300 pounds for a copy.

[ejp626]

I received notice that an Ansermet French Music box was processed and shipped. I looked at the amazon.uk site and it is already out of stock (!?!). Some seller is already charging 300 pounds for a copy.

Yeah, I saw that. I figure it will probably come back in stock (at a higher price), but I am a little peeved today.

[king ubu]

Weird ... but then the Ansermet box (which I got a few weeks ago) went to "unavailable" again and then got a later release date (Jan 14, I think) ... guess the same might happen here.

Do you mean you "got" a physical copy, or you got in on the pre-order price? I almost pre-ordered a copy and am kicking myself a bit. On the other hand, sometimes Amazon just cancels pre-orders in these cases where the price and availability change radically. But not always...

I bought one from amazon.it when the price dropped in mid December (paid € 48.43 on Dec. 17 and had it delivered a few days after x-mas).

amazon.it says it will ship in between 10 and 13 days from now ... not sure what that means, but it used to say "not available" unti recently, so I assume it will be back:

http://www.amazon.it/French-Music-Ansermet/dp/B00DT2322E/

prestoclassical has a highter price but has it in stock right now:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4807898

[ejp626]

In terms of price/CD, this is quite a bargain, but I haven't decided if I am going to bite or not: 51 CDs for under 50 pounds (Sir Colin Davis: RCA Legacy)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GWE4NQU/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0JK1H0WYA20PB61583NV&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

Looks like quite a lot of Mozart, Brahms, Schubert and Sibelius, mostly symphonies and a few concertos. Vocal pieces, such as arias, requiems and Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, round out the set.