# The Bach Guild mega box kaput? Get them while you can!



## Oldhoosierdude

The Bach Guild mega box cheap download people had a very busy last few years. Then after announcing many upcoming plans, they went silent and have been so for several months. They have missed promised deadlines. And ceased communications with customers, judging from customer comments. They still maintain a facebook page but stopped posting there some months back. Downloads still are offered on Amazon and at Classics Select. The Classics Select downloads have varied in price recently for as low as $.39. Right now they are at $.60.

Company defunct? Who knows. I would suggest grabbing up anything you may be interested in soon as who knows what they may do. My guess, if the company is no more, that they would leave downloads available but who knows.

As a side note, the Classics Select people also offer a lot of other downloads besides Bach Guild. They have a number of the VoxBox mega sets also. This month everything seems to be $.60. I recommend the Romantic Piano Concerto sets and the Rachmaninoff solo piano works, but there are so many others. Even if only one piece of music in the set appeals to you, it is worth the price. Classic Select also has CD's and I have purchased these also at times.

https://www.classicselect.com/collections/digital-downloads-99-cents-each


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## KenOC

Good advice. This is essentially free music.


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## Larkenfield

Good reminder! Don't forget The Big Mahler box--13 hours of music for .99¢! The Vox boxes also sound excellent and would be bargains at even twice the price.  One could stock a library on a shoestring budget. I found the performances and sound quality to be excellent overall even if not always played by big-name performers. The Baroque boxes are also quite excellent. I have most of the Bach Guild releases.


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## Merl

The Haydn Symphonies box is excellent too.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Someone could spend under $50 US and have most major classical works.


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## Larkenfield

The Schubert Big Box was perfect tonight for its uplifting cheerfulness while sending out Seasons Greetings to family and friends. It's given me a greater appreciation of his wide emotional range and interests, a bargain at .99¢  The notes just pour out of him like a waterful and he can't get them down on paper fast enough. He never reminds me of anyone other than himself, which I consider one of the hallmarks of a remarkable composer-(Sorry, Mr. Wright.)-with instant recognizability and harmonic modulations that can be sudden and take the music in an entirely unexpected direction-also a wonderful composer of chamber music with his refined sensitivity, spiritually and sincerity of heart... Horowitz sometimes commented on Schubert's spirituality, some of which can be heard in his Impromptus, and Horowitz regretted that more listeners didn't pick up on that.

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Schubert-Box-Various-artists/dp/B00D3FGIMS

Anyone who thinks the Gb Major Impromptu is easy to play has probably never tried it... For some, the steadiness of control needed in the left hand for over 7 minutes with barely a break is enough to break anyone into a cold sweat and possibly cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  He makes sure the audience is quiet before he begins so they can feel it... soulful and rhapsodic Schubert that couldn't be mistaken for anyone else:


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## smithson

Thanks for making this thread. It inspired me to get some of these sets, and there's really a lot of good stuff in them -- good recordings of works I already know and lots of works I haven't encountered before as well. Extremely worthwhile for $0.99 each.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Just to name a few, I recommend these. But all of them have works that are great and certainly worth yhe price. The Brahms box has Hungarian Dances that are hands down my favorite and the four symphonies by the Utah SO which are as good as you get. The Vivaldi box has a wonderful 4 seasons. The Italian box has a different and wonderful 4 seasons plus a fantastic Rossini sonatas set and a great Respighi Pina, etc. The Mahler set has been mentioned a number of times on TC for its symphonies by the Utah SO.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Bach guild people posted this on the Facebook:

_"It's been a very long time...but believe it or not, your patience will be rewarded. Bach Guild is owned by a large music company that does take its time making decisions - but we believe we will soon be back and operating again."_

Who knows what that means.


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## Oldhoosierdude

No news from the Bach Guild people as yet. I did notice that the Classics Select site that carried all of their sets for less than Amazon prices (plus Classical and Jazz CD's at lower prices) has been down for quite a few weeks. With this on the front page, however their offerings are still listed, the entire site was down for several weeks.








I am suspecting that Bach Guild and Classics Select are somehow related. Over the years the communications people for Bach Guild have mentioned that this is part of a much larger company. If so, I would suspect that CM is not a big money maker for them. The CM offerings may return at some time in one form or another or they may decide it is not worth the expenditures. Hard to say.

Mind you, I complain not. Even if Bach Guild never returns, I have a number of downloads that I quite like. They have been a great resource for me and I suspect others. If they never return then I thank them nonetheless.


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## JB Henson

I'd try buying something from Zombie ClassicSelect but I'm not sure there's anything they have left that I might be interested in. Hell I don't even know if they will send the download link like they used to.


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## gardibolt

They have reopened as ClassicSelectWorld classicselectworld.com , but if they still offer Bach Guild downloads, I can't find them.


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## JB Henson

They're back...a-gain...

https://www.facebook.com/bachguilddigital/photos/a.317809061964943/639912129754633/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/bachguilddigital/photos/a.317809061964943/639913386421174/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/bachguilddigital/photos/a.317809061964943/639913976421115/?type=3&theater


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## Oldhoosierdude

JB Henson said:


> They're back...a-gain...
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/bachguilddigital/photos/a.317809061964943/639912129754633/?type=3&theater
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/bachguilddigital/photos/a.317809061964943/639913386421174/?type=3&theater
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/bachguilddigital/photos/a.317809061964943/639913976421115/?type=3&theater


I saw that. They are saying release in early May. But they have said these things before. It could be may it could be many months from then. We will see.

Pictures for us visuals


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## Oldhoosierdude

They have done a pre release for the Bach set. They also have track listing for that set and the baroque box listed on the Facebook page.

Most likely they are not dead then, although....... 

It has been at least a year since their last release. Not sure where they go from this point. Most of this is from the Vanguard catalog they purchased. Eventually that will run out.


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## apricissimus

I notice that there are at least two works by J.C. Bach and C.P.E. Bach in that new Big Bach Set Vol. 3. Sure, what the heck, why not.


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## Oldhoosierdude

apricissimus said:


> I notice that there are at least two works by J.C. Bach and C.P.E. Bach in that new Big Bach Set Vol. 3. Sure, what the heck, why not.


And nothing by Barbara Bach!


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## JB Henson

Their new website is up. Knowing how badly their last attempted relaunch went I'm not holding my breath, but at least New Bach Guild 3.0 is off to a good start.


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## JLoganAnderson

The Bach set is live to purchase on Amazon and is currently among Amazon’s top sellers. The Baroque and KLR Trio sets are to go live for purchase on May 10 and May 17, respectively.


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## Merl

Looks like there's been some amendments to those sets, some for the better and some for the worse. Good that they've swapped out that distinctly characterless Brahms symphony cycle in the Brahms Box for Abravanel's much more enigmatic and enjoyable readings. On the minus side they've removed Morris' consistently good Beethoven symphony cycle and replaced it with Boult's boring half set (sorry to those that like Boult's Eroica but I find it tedious and that 7th makes me fall asleep) and bits and pieces of the '(Barry) Wordsworth' cycle. At least you get a superb 7th (it really is a muscular, joyful account that is full of life) and a decent 9th (Leppard's well-known reading) from that Wordsworth set.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Merl said:


> Looks like there's been some amendments to those sets, some for the better and some for the worse. Good that they've swapped out that distinctly characterless Brahms symphony cycle in the Brahms Box for Abravanel's much more enigmatic and enjoyable readings. On the minus side they've removed Morris' consistently good Beethoven symphony cycle and replaced it with Boult's boring half set (sorry to those that like Boult's Eroica but I find it tedious and that 7th makes me fall asleep) and bits and pieces of the '(Barry) Wordsworth' cycle. At least you get a superb 7th (it really is a muscular, joyful account that is full of life) and a decent 9th (Leppard's well-known reading) from that Wordsworth set.


That Brahms box is one of their best offerings. I bought it some time back and it had Abravanel and the Utah symphony accounts as well as the best Hungarian Dances I have ever heard by the VSOO.

I agree about Boult's Beethoven symphonies. And the fact that Wordsworth and Leppard are a far sight better. The Boult things I couldn't finish listening to.


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## JB Henson

Merl said:


> Looks like there's been some amendments to those sets, some for the better and some for the worse.


All the "changes" you claim were made were present when I bought these sets five years ago. Furthermore, the Wyn Morris cycle is on Musical Concepts, NOT Bach Guild.


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## Merl

JB Henson said:


> All the "changes" you claim were made were present when I bought these sets five years ago. Furthermore, the Wyn Morris cycle is on Musical Concepts, NOT Bach Guild.


Ah, I see. I'm getting mixed up with these sets. Apologies if I misled anyone.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Bach Guild is at it, or not at it again. Most recent release end of last year. Last Facebook update in February when they promised a release of some sort.

I'm sure there are virus delays and all that. I suppose they will return eventually, they've had longer hiatus.


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## Oldhoosierdude

We may be able to declare The Bach Guild dead. No release for over a year. No update on social media or their website for over a year. 

Most likely kaput. They had been sputtering for some time anyway. They were part of a larger company and I haven't looked to see their status in the business world.

That said, I would expect their catalogue will resurface elsewhere once it relocates. I would think they will sell or reorganize. My understanding is they have a lot of untapped recordings. These recordings must have come to them on the cheap for it to be offered at a low price point. Certainly something will happen with it


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## JB Henson

Oldhoosierdude said:


> We may be able to declare The Bach Guild dead. No release for over a year. No update on social media or their website for over a year.
> 
> Most likely kaput. They had been sputtering for some time anyway. They were part of a larger company and I haven't looked to see their status in the business world.
> 
> That said, I would expect their catalogue will resurface elsewhere once it relocates. I would think they will sell or reorganize. My understanding is they have a lot of untapped recordings. These recordings must have come to them on the cheap for it to be offered at a low price point. Certainly something will happen with it


Entertainment One (the aforementioned "larger company") basically ran them into the ground three times now although Coronavirus was the main factor this go around.


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## Mark Dee

classicselectworld.com has Bach Guild box sets for download.


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