# Spend my voucher!!!!



## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

I have £30 to spend on Amazon.

What CD/s should I buy?

Max of 2 suggestions per poster.

I'm a brave/foolish* fellow so go for it!

(To be spent by the end of March 2015.)

:tiphat:

*none of that opera stuff though!


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

How about this...










Berg, Schoenberg, Webern - Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden (8 CDs)

£31.20 - amazon link

This is on my "to get" list.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

or









(with this one you'll have some money left)


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

JACE said:


> How about this...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


OK you don't have to believe me but here goes...

Before I posted this thread I was casting around on Amazon, looking for ideas. I ended up reading a review of a complete works set by Webern. The reviewer recommended Sinopoli... 

Thanks for the (scary) suggestion!

At the end of March what I get WILL be as a result of the suggestions made on this thread. So come on folks, it's not often you get to spend other people's money!!


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

elgars ghost said:


> or
> 
> 
> 
> ...


OOOOoooo I was looking at Schnittke too. Am I that transparent!!??


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

dogen said:


> I have £30 to spend on Amazon.
> 
> *none of that opera stuff though!


A man of impeccable taste.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Brilliant Classics - about £15










Naxos £12.50


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

dogen said:


> OK you don't have to believe me but here goes...
> 
> Before I posted this thread I was casting around on Amazon, looking for ideas. I ended up reading a review of a complete works set by Webern. The reviewer recommended Sinopoli...
> 
> Thanks for the (scary) suggestion!


Synchronicity?!?!


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

JACE said:


> Synchronicity?!?!


Very definitely!!


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

JACE said:


> Synchronicity?!?!


The Ghost of T C walks again, beware ye non believers.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

I don't know how I'll choose...I've not thought about it...

Maybe call upon the I Ching!


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

dogen said:


> (To be spent by the end of March 2015.)


Wishful thinking, I suspect--I'll be surprised if it lasts longer than 5 minutes.


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

dogen said:


> I don't know how I'll choose...I've not thought about it...
> 
> Maybe call upon the I Ching!


Be a devil give your ears and mind a thrill and go for the Schnittke. :devil: :devil: :tiphat: :lol:


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

This will go nicely with that nuclear submarine you got last Christmas.

http://www.amazon.com/Images-SI-Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

Taggart said:


> Brilliant Classics - about £15
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestions Taggart! I have a Tallis album and really enjoy it, especially when "resting" my eyes"


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

Couac Addict said:


> This will go nicely with that nuclear submarine you got last Christmas.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Images-SI-Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM


well...it is CD-shaped!


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

dogen said:


> I have £30 to spend on Amazon.
> 
> What CD/s should I buy?
> 
> ...


I'd love to help, but I don't want to suggest anything you already have.

Please post the contents of your entire collection. :tiphat:


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

Blancrocher said:


> Wishful thinking, I suspect--I'll be surprised if it lasts longer than 5 minutes.


I shall be strong, I'll make my order at the end of the month (when I'm on holiday) after final perusal of this thread.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

Kivimees said:


> I'd love to help, but I don't want to suggest anything you already have.
> Please post the contents of your entire collection. :tiphat:


That might take a little while!

I've not got much, probably less than a 100 albums. As it was a new field for me I tried (with a good book) to get a taste of all the usual suspects. So I endeavoured to get 1 album (some box sets) of these (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart etc etc). Once I got to the end of the book (the 20th Century) I found I particularly liked this era somewhat more. So I have a few more of my favoured names from more recent times, such as Penderecki and Kurtag (but not loads). My only real no-no is opera because I don't like this style of singing (although I adore Gorecki's 3rd Symphony).

Does that help?


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Okay, I'll recommend this:









It's five CDs, but it costs $35 - I hope this doesn't disqualify me.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

Kivimees said:


> Okay, I'll recommend this:
> 
> View attachment 66640
> 
> ...


I've got wiggle room.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Steve Reich's Different Trains on Nonesuch.


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

I will recommend Luciano Berio -- Folk Songs/Formazioni/Sinfonia









If you change your mind on _that opera stuff_, Béla Bartók -- Bluebeard's Castle (this is highly recommended)


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

Taggart said:


> Brilliant Classics - about £15
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That particular Dowland/North doesn't seem currently on Amazon UK? Care to suggest alternative? Cheers!


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Busoni - Late Piano Music - Hamelin (3 CDs)










Here's the link

Just £ 1.00 more than your voucher


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I will also recommend getting Simone Dinnerstein's latest album because her version of Gershwin and Ravel are incredible. This is definitely coming from a normally Bach specialist to do something that not her typical fare. And the album cover looks rather smashing indeed.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

dogen said:


> That particular Dowland/North doesn't seem currently on Amazon UK? Care to suggest alternative? Cheers!


Umm http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dowland-Com...im_m_h__4?ie=UTF8&refRID=02AGENT13KHBG4CJ2GBJ

Only 7 left in stock (more on the way).
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.

Oh, and HMV have it for £6 (but not in stock!)


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

The EMI "20th Century Masterpieces" 16 cds £29.68

http://www.amazon.co.uk/20th-Centur...26887949&sr=1-1&keywords=emi+20th+century+box

contents:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/EMI/2175002

edit: second suggestion curveball:

grab the 0.80p. "like new" copy of this stunning Takemitsu recording

one day it won't be so readily available and might be / should be praised and collectable










http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walton-Symp...26889502&sr=8-1&keywords=takemitsu+walton+bbc


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Telemann--Tablemusic--Musica Antiqua Koln/Goebbel
Shostakovich-First VC and Cello Concertos-- Oistrakh/Mitropolous/NYP and philadelphia/Ormandy


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Dogen, I spent all afternoon mulling over CD recommendations for you, then I noticed your sneaky little edit- 'none of that opera stuff' indeed! :scold: :lol: Take opera (and other vocal music which I suspect you might lump in with it) out of classical music and you're just left with the miserable boring stuff that all sounds the same.  If you're OK with non-operatic vocal music, then I would recommend the Pearl CD of John McCormack called 'Lieder and Art Songs' which I also recommended on Brotagonist's 'favourite lieder albums' thread. John is the opera singer for people who think they don't like opera singers: a brilliant communicator with the emotional immediacy of the best pop singers, every word he sang was crystal clear without compromising the musical line. He had probably the best phrasing of any singer- in the top handful anyway- and combined psychological insight with an ethereal, angelic sound that, in his prime at least, was almost too perfect to be human. As his voice dried out and lost the beautiful top notes, he continued to grow as an artist and added even more depth and nuance to his interpretations, so that many of the recordings made after his vocal prime are among his best. Nimbus, on their Prima Voce label, also brought out a very nice McCormack CD, all songs, which doesn't duplicate the Pearl one. I think Sid James has also recommended the Nimbus one on the Current Listening thread. Please don't write off 'opera singers' until you have heard John, if you haven't already: many elderly people who remember him from their youth know him only as a singer of Irish folk songs and are unaware that he ever sang opera or lieder- that's how free he was of 'operatic' mannerisms or condescension towards the lighter material such as that on the Nimbus CD.

I wish you happy listening, whatever you decide to buy! :tiphat:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...d-keywords=john mccormack lieder and art song
http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Mccorm...8-1&keywords=john+mccormack+mccormack+in+song

'McCormack in Song' is 49p plus shipping for a used copy, for goodness' sake! My teenage self paid £8.99 for that, which was a lot of money in those days.  Just order it already!!!


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

dogen said:


> That might take a little while!
> 
> I've not got much, probably less than a 100 albums. As it was a new field for me I tried (with a good book) to get a taste of all the usual suspects. So I endeavoured to get 1 album (some box sets) of these (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart etc etc). Once I got to the end of the book (the 20th Century) I found I particularly liked this era somewhat more. So I have a few more of my favoured names from more recent times, such as Penderecki and Kurtag (but not loads). My only real no-no is opera because I don't like this style of singing (although I adore Gorecki's 3rd Symphony).
> 
> Does that help?


Sounds like you need 20th century chamber. I don't know the exchange rates but Amazon has the complete set of Bartok string quartets by Takacs for about $22.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

dogen said:


> I have £30 to spend on Amazon.
> 
> What CD/s should I buy?
> 
> ...


Not sure what you might prefer/looking for though, here you get all sixty plus symphonies.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I don't know if you have any chamber music in your collection but if not, this would be a good start:










£29.98 at Amazon Sellers + £1.26 p&p

Or:










£ 31.25 at Amazon

(This, despite the cryptic cover, is also the complete Beethoven string quartets)


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

I'm a chamber monster.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

aajj said:


> Sounds like you need 20th century chamber. I don't know the exchange rates but Amazon has the complete set of Bartok string quartets by Takacs for about $22.


Excellent. So excellent in fact I already have them. Feel free to have another punt!


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

I WILL use my voucher from this thread but I'm beginning to think it may have to constitute more of an online shopping list!


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

Does the self-proclaimed chamber monster have this set of Schubert's final quartets by Quartetto Italiano? Two CDs of gut-wrenching brilliance and such a bargain on Amazon you'll have money enough for two copies, the second a gift for someone special! O happy day!










Or...
Janacek's solo piano & chamber music. 
Rudolf Firkusny! Rafael Kubelik! Members of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra!
Two CDs for about 17 American dollars!










That's my final punt.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

No he doesn't! Cheers.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Can I second the staggering 1968 QI set of the last four Schubert Quartets, dogen? I would have included them if I hadn't wanted to stick to your £30 budget.

Their 'Death and the Maiden' was what first got me into chamber music beyond my beloved Beethoven. The intensity of the playing in the Andante con moto and the Presto finale has to be heard to be believed. (I once left my record collection in the care of a die-hard rock fan mate, and this was the only classical disc that impressed him!). 

The final Quartet in G, D. 887 has an immense ethereal beauty. I am so sorry they didn't record the Quintet (but I gather that the QI did very few collaborations).


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

My first recommendation for anyone would be Karajan's 1963 Beethoven symphonies, and my second would be Kempff's stereo cycle of Beethoven's sonatas. I guess you probably already have those, so I'll just make some stuff up. 

- Savina Yannatou Sings Manos Hadjidakis. 

- Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz; etc. - Pollini. 

Ignore all those other recommendations, these are the two you want.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I highly recommend Salonen's _Wing on Wing_. The title work does have two sopranos, but they're used more like wordless musical instruments than any kind opera style singing. The contrast between their soaring up into the stratosphere, when the music then suddenly plummets you into a deep monotone of a scientist giving a lecture about a fish, is like a wild roller coaster ride. It sounds lot better than I'm describing it. It never fails to give me goose bumps. (But you should of course sample these things first.)










[Edit: No - the voice samples were of the architect to whom the piece is dedicated, not a scientist lecturing on a fish, although it does contain sounds made by a school of fish. I had misremembered that.]


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

Figleaf said:


> Dogen, I spent all afternoon mulling over CD recommendations for you, then I noticed your sneaky little edit- 'none of that opera stuff' indeed! :scold: :lol:


Now I feel so guilty!! 

I promise to listen to all the recommendations people are making. I've started already. 

Thanks again to you and everyone else. :tiphat:


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

aajj said:


> Does the self-proclaimed chamber monster have this set of Schubert's final quartets by Quartetto Italiano? Two CDs of gut-wrenching brilliance and such a bargain on Amazon you'll have money enough for two copies, the second a gift for someone special! O happy day!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He doesn't, but he does have Death and the Maiden + String Quintet in C Major performed by The Pavel Haas Quartet. Quite snorting.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

science said:


> My first recommendation for anyone would be Karajan's 1963 Beethoven symphonies, and my second would be Kempff's stereo cycle of Beethoven's sonatas. I guess you probably already have those, so I'll just make some stuff up.
> 
> - Savina Yannatou Sings Manos Hadjidakis.
> 
> ...


I've got the LSO/Haitink box set of Beethoven's symphonies; nothing else currently.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

And I've just noticed I need my bifocals adjusted - that your voucher is 30 POUNDS, not dollars. The Sibelius collection on amazon.co.uk costs 14 POUNDS, so I have another recommendation still to come. :lol:


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

dogen said:


> Now I feel so guilty!!
> 
> I promise to listen to all the recommendations people are making. I've started already.
> 
> Thanks again to you and everyone else. :tiphat:


No need to feel guilty. I spent a very pleasant afternoon in some local woodlands, listening to Tony Poncet on my headphones and watching the kids exploring and climbing trees- all while thinking of now surplus-to-requirements recommendations for you! How's that for productive multitasking?


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

Taggart said:


> Umm http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dowland-Com...im_m_h__4?ie=UTF8&refRID=02AGENT13KHBG4CJ2GBJ
> 
> Only 7 left in stock (more on the way).
> Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
> ...


OK so I'm rubbish at shopping!


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

Figleaf said:


> surplus-to-requirements recommendations for you!


That's it, twist the knife!


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

Kivimees said:


> And I've just noticed I need my bifocals adjusted - that your voucher is 30 POUNDS, not dollars. The Sibelius collection on amazon.co.uk costs 14 POUNDS, so I have another recommendation still to come. :lol:


Triff! I've got his Symphonies 4 and 5...(Iceland Symphony / Sakari)

Quite like them...


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

Figleaf said:


> Please don't write off 'opera singers' until you have heard John


OK I have now...

er...

Sorry...

Not my cuppa. 

I'm not totally averse to vocals; Gorecki's 3rd is one of my favourite works, in part due to the amazing vocal.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

dogen said:


> OK I have now...
> 
> er...
> 
> ...


Oh well, I thought it was worth a try at least.  I just googled Gorecki's 3rd, and it seems that you may like soprano voices and contemporary music, so I'm probably not your best source of recommendations. This doesn't mean that I'm giving up, though!


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

I like a tryer! I do seem to be acquiring more contemporary albums but have albums from across the eras I think, back to Tallis and Allegri.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2015)

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I've just ordered the complete string quartets of LvB (albeit the Tokyo / RCA). Still got money in my voucher piggy bank but that should suffice for a wee while I think!

Thanks again; please feel free to offer suggestions at the sister thread to this: Pimp My Skoda.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

So how enjoyable was the recording you bought?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Get this:


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## Guest (Jul 9, 2015)

ArtMusic said:


> So how enjoyable was the recording you bought?


I like it a lot. And plenty of music for my voucher pennies. I think the later quartets have more to them, personally.


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## Guest (Jul 9, 2015)

Florestan said:


> Get this:


Thanks I may but my voucher is long spent! I recommended Harry+16 only yesterday. Exquisite group of singers.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

I second that Handel anthem set. It is superb. I don't own it but I have listened to it (borrowed).


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