# Collector's Corner



## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

We all love classical music. That's a very obvious statement, but how many of us are collectors and enjoy this aspect of the music?

This thread is for all of you who are, like me, not only interested in the music, but the collecting of the music as well.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Well, I'm buying far more than I can keep up with listening if that's what you mean. I constantly tell myself to slow it down but I guess it's stronger than myself.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> Well, I'm buying far more than I can keep up with listening if that's what you mean. I constantly tell myself to slow it down but I guess it's stronger than myself.


I guess what I'm referring to is people who enjoy collecting with the notion of knowing they'll never hear it all.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Mirror Image said:


> I guess what I'm referring to is people who enjoy collecting with the notion of knowing they'll never hear it all.


Well, I have the ambition of hearing it all, but whether I'll ever make it is another matter.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> Well, I have the ambition of hearing it all, but whether I'll ever make it is another matter.


 I think we're all in that boat together.

Getting back on topic, do you own any rare recordings?


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Mirror Image said:


> I think we're all in that boat together.
> 
> Getting back on topic, do you own any rare recordings?


I don't know mate. There are probably some that are out of print by now, but collectors items, I don't know.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2009)

Mirror Image said:


> I guess what I'm referring to is people who enjoy collecting with the notion of knowing they'll never hear it all.


To be quite honest I just don't see the point, its like collecting paintings and not looking at them, still if that turns you on go for it


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Andante said:


> To be quite honest I just don't see the point, its like collecting paintings and not looking at them, still if that turns you on go for it


Well, the thing is that I'm in sort of a panic by everyone downloading and not buying cd's anymore. I'm trying to get my hands on as many cd's as I can before they are no longer available.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Andante said:


> To be quite honest I just don't see the point, its like collecting paintings and not looking at them, still if that turns you on go for it


What I'm saying here, Andante is that there's no way you're going to hear everything. It's humanily impossible. None of us have superhuman attention spans nor do we have superhuman lifespans.

I love collecting CDs, especially classical and jazz, but you must also realize I want to hear them, that's why we buy them in the first place, BUT if one those CDs you buy just happens to be a collector's item, then I'm even happier.

Different strokes for different folks.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> Well, the thing is that I'm in sort of a panic by everyone downloading and not buying cd's anymore. I'm trying to get my hands on as many cd's as I can before they are no longer available.


I honestly don't see the CD going anywhere for awhile. Perhaps it might? I don't really know, but there's still plenty of people buying them even as we speak.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I'd rather have a few cd's of music by the same composer which I listen to regularly rather than bucketloads full that I'd rarely get to hear. I suppose I'm a minimalist in that way. I like to know the cd's I have intimately, if you know what I mean.

But I agree with Jhar's comments/concerns regarding the availability of cd's in the long term. I heard that big chain stores are phasing out selling/stocking singles cd's (in pop music, obviously) here in Oz. Will the normal cd go the same way some day? Will the cd become a jurassic technology with all this downloading going on? As a person who is not really into computers, this worries me a bit...


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Andre said:


> I'd rather have a few cd's of music by the same composer which I listen to regularly rather than bucketloads full that I'd rarely get to hear. I suppose I'm a minimalist in that way. I like to know the cd's I have intimately, if you know what I mean.


Well this is your prerogative, people have different ways of getting into music and this is one of mine. I love collecting. Always have, always will.



Andre said:


> But I agree with Jhar's comments/concerns regarding the availability of cd's in the long term. I heard that big chain stores are phasing out selling/stocking singles cd's (in pop music, obviously) here in Oz. Will the normal cd go the same way some day? Will the cd become a jurassic technology with all this downloading going on? As a person who is not really into computers, this worries me a bit...


I wouldn't worry about it too much, Andre. The CD isn't going anywhere for some time. It's still one of the most versatile mediums on the market. Nah...it'll be around for a while.

By the way, why are you so scared of computers? I mean what do you have against them? I honestly don't know where I'd be without a computer.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2009)

Mirror Image said:


> I honestly don't see the CD going anywhere for awhile. Perhaps it might? I don't really know, but there's still plenty of people buying them even as we speak.


IMHO, the software available now enables you to d/l in lossless form so it is as [practically] good as a CD that you get from a store, plus you have have a larger selection and much cheaper, it is also very easy to do, it has to be for me, but I do agree that there will always be a market for pre recorded CDs but they should be a lot cheaper.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Oh, I'm somewhat of a collector, yes. I suppose I'll end up indulging in that once I actually get into a paid job or something that involves me getting more money to indulge with... but hey, gotta start somewhere.

I've got some rare Sibelius: I've begun compiling Jukka-Pekka Saraste's long out of print Sibelius cycle with the Finnish Radio Symphony on RCA. Some gorgeous playing in the one release I do have. The most daunting one to collect at the moment is the CD featuring the 7th symphony (each CD in the individual releases contains one symphony and some "fillers," i.e. Lemminkainen, Pohjola's Daughter, etc.)--a shocking $70 on Amazon Marketplace! Regardless, I plan on someday collecting the whole cycle; the release I have (the 4th) is truly great.

Also, for Mahler, I've got an LP set of Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra playing Mahler's 2nd symphony on RCA. One of my favorite recordings of this particular symphony I've ever heard (seriously!). And I've never yet seen a CD rerelease of it. It's truly strange. There's another recording Ormandy made with the Minnesota Orchestra some 40 years before, but still, I doubt it could possibly beat this one. And THAT'S the one that has about a zillion CD releases to its name! Really an enigma if I ever knew one...

As for others... I dunno. I'm positive I've got several rare recordings; I've been known to buy several out-of print CDs via Amazon, plus I've got quite the extensive LP and 45 collection. Must be something in there...

I'll get back to this.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Andante said:


> IMHO, the software available now enables you to d/l in lossless form so it is as [practically] good as a CD that you get from a store, plus you have have a larger selection and much cheaper, it is also very easy to do, it has to be for me, but I do agree that there will always be a market for pre recorded CDs but they should be a lot cheaper.


Perhaps in New Zealand you'll pay a good bit for a CD, but not in the United States and I've got hundreds of good deals via Amazon marketplace sellers. Deals that you would never get in a store. Online shopping is the way to go.

I think the biggest deal I'm the most proud of is my Gunter Wand RCA Bruckner cycle, which lists for $120+ that I got for $36!

I was looking up a Scriabin I got last month with Riccardo Muti/Philadelphia Orch. on EMI and it's the original pressing, I got it for $8 and I checked to see what the price of it was the other day and it's up to $100! I only paid $8 for it.

I mean I can't tell you how many great deals I've been able to get, but I've been very fortunate to have stumbled upon and been able to afford so many of these bargains.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

CD's are my passion and I collect them still, even after having 3500+ right now. I have a wall dedicated to them and am slowly converting them to mp3 and AAC. I still have not cataloged them and need to find a good classical CD database. I found one but the price of $100 was a bit much. So I still am searching.

I used to collect sheet music but that had to stop as I was running out of room. I also like classical autographs and biographies/autobiographies of classical personalities,composers,artists,etc.

Jim


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## kg4fxg (May 24, 2009)

*Mi*

Sorry, but I have to ask as it is killing me. MI - have you come into some money?

This can be an expensive hobby, I have CD's and I have not yet heard everything too!


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

kg4fxg said:


> Sorry, but I have to ask as it is killing me. MI - have you come into some money?


I'll be happy to address this in a private message, but not out in the public forum.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

handlebar said:


> CD's are my passion and I collect them still, even after having 3500+ right now.


I've probably got close to that amount now, but I'm not quite sure I'll need some help counting them.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

Mirror Image said:


> I've probably got close to that amount now, but I'm not quite sure I'll need some help counting them.


I stopped counting a year ago. I'm not THAT obsessive about counting but am about collecting. Still have not scratched the surface of classical music as far as that goes. 
I adore my collection and have it insured through my renters insurance.

Speaking of CD's, i see that the Haydn Symphony collection with Dorati is now dropping in price .Just saw it for $69.

Might have to add that even though I have the Fisher and Hogwood sets.

Jim


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

handlebar said:


> I stopped counting a year ago. I'm not THAT obsessive about counting but am about collecting. Still have not scratched the surface of classical music as far as that goes.
> I adore my collection and have it insured through my renters insurance.
> 
> Speaking of CD's, i see that the Haydn Symphony collection with Dorati is now dropping in price .Just saw it for $69.
> ...


It's good to meet a like-minded collector on here. There's no telling how many rare recordings I have now. It's crazy, because one minute I can buy say a set of Rachmaninov piano concertos and then the next minute it's gone, out-of-print almost in the blink-of-an-eye.

Jazz recordings are the same way. They're here one minute, gone the next. I'm very fortunate to have been able to collect all that I own now.


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

I believe that all are collectors here, more or less. I've an average collection of about 1600, but is a very speciali one. No opera, no lirics, no more than 60 symphonics. All the rest is chamber instrumental,
string with orchestra, piano and a few concertos for other instruments. My stronger items are string quartets, which I've about 300.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Taneyev said:


> I believe that all are collectors here, more or less. I've an average collection of about 1600, but is a very speciali one. No opera, no lirics, no more than 60 symphonics. All the rest is chamber instrumental,
> string with orchestra, piano and a few concertos for other instruments. My stronger items are string quartets, which I've about 300.


Do you prefer the chamber genre to the orchestral genre?


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

My latest obsession is Malcolm Arnold, so I've been trying to collect a lot of his music and so far I have the following:

-Concerto for 28 Players, Little Suites 1-3, etc.
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Richard Hickox
Label: Chandos

-Overtures
Orch: London Philharmonic
Cond: Malcolm Arnold
Label: Reference Recordings

-Overtures
Orch: BBC Philharmonic
Cond: Rumon Gamba
Label: Chandos

-Symphonies 1 & 2
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Richard Hickox
Label: Chandos

-Symphonies 3 & 4
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Richard Hickox
Label: Chandos

-Symphonies 5 & 6
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Richard Hickox
Label: Chandos

-Dances
Orch: The Philharmonia
Cond: Bryden Thomson
Label: Chandos

-Film Music, Vol. 1
Orch: London Symphony
Cond: Richard Hickox
Label: Chandos

-Symphonies 1 & 2
Orch: National Symphony Orch. Of Ireland
Cond: Andrew Penny
Label: Naxos

-Symphonies 3 & 4
Orch: National Symphony Orch. Of Ireland
Cond: Andrew Penny
Label: Naxos

-Symphonies 5 & 6
Orch: National Symphony Orch. Of Ireland
Cond: Andrew Penny
Label: Naxos

-Symphonies 7 & 8
Orch: National Symphony Orch. Of Ireland
Cond: Andrew Penny
Label: Naxos

-Symphony No. 9
Orch: National Symphony Orch. Of Ireland
Cond: Andrew Penny
Label: Naxos

-The Malcolm Arnold Edition: Seventeen Concertos (4-CD set)
Orch: Royal Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, English Chamber Orch.
Cond: Vernon Handley, Okko Kamu
Label: Decca


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

Yes, I don't like symphonics very much, except Russians and Frenchs composers. Like I've said, I've about 1300 of chamber instrumental works. I believe I've one of the best chamber collections in my city. And a lot of violin and historical recordings.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Taneyev said:


> Yes, I don't like symphonics very much, except Russians and Frenchs composers. Like I've said, I've about 1300 of chamber instrumental works. I believe I've one of the best chamber collections in my city. And a lot of violin and historical recordings.


What do you dislike about orchestral music?


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

I don't dislike symphonics. Simply I prefer small ensambles and less noise.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Taneyev said:


> I don't dislike symphonics. Simply I prefer small ensambles and less noise.


I'm not sure why you would consider a large orchestra more noisy. I think it's a beautiful sound that is unlike anything else.


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

Look, each one with his preferences. I'm perfectly happy with my string quartets. But I admit that to get my collection has been hard, because for each chamber recording there are a hundred symphonic.


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## kg4fxg (May 24, 2009)

*Taneyev*

String Quartets,

I love string quartets and chamber music too. It is nice that there are many groups out there. I heard during an interview that it was mentioned nice to see young blood taking to string quartets.

Maybe you don't feel that way and I am no expert, but it would be sad to fewer and fewer groups.

Thanks for your coments...


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## Rachovsky (Jan 5, 2008)

kg4fxg said:


> Sorry, but I have to ask as it is killing me. MI - have you come into some money?





> I'll be happy to address this in a private message, but not out in the public forum.


He was much nicer to you about it


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

I like all except Opera. Mozart operas are about the only ones I own and enjoy.

I ADORE symphonies and orchestral ensembles.

Jim


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

kg4fxg said:


> String Quartets,
> 
> I love string quartets and chamber music too. It is nice that there are many groups out there. I heard during an interview that it was mentioned nice to see young blood taking to string quartets.
> 
> ...


I've never really been a fan of string quartets. I just feel deprived somehow. I just love woodwinds and the brass section too much to abandon their sounds.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2009)

Chamber Music is a more refined type of music, and the String Quartet is the epitome of all ensembles in that genre, it is musically so efficient each instrument has to do its share of work and can not slack expecting someone to cover, there was a great debate upon this very subject in the early 90s given by the NZSQ "the members of which are American" it was on Radio NZ, I will search the RNZ archives for it and if successful post a link.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Rachovsky said:


> He was much nicer to you about it


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## Rachovsky (Jan 5, 2008)

Mirror Image said:


>


Oh nothing, old annoyances, sorry.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Rachovsky said:


> Oh nothing, old annoyances, sorry.


You're forgiven.


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## Somnifer (Jul 23, 2009)

I habitually brag about my 655 CDs, which I've been acquiring since 2002.


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2009)

Somnifer said:


> I habitually brag about my 655 CDs, which I've been acquiring since 2002.


Have you heard all of them?


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

I really need to count my classical collection. I know my jazz collection is somewhere around 5,000.


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## shsherm (Jan 24, 2008)

I recently sold my collection of LPs which I started buying in the late 50s and hadn't played since the late 80s. I was happy to get 150$ for them and I had about 200 mostly classical but with many jazz and a few pop albums as well. A decent turntable is pretty expensive and my last one broke years ago. I still have one LP left which is a recording performed and signed by Itchak Perlman.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I think a great thing now is that you can collect and discover (or re-discover) classic LP recordings which are now on CD. For example, the EMI 'Great recordings of the century' is a treasure trove of such reissues. I just bought one with Lutoslawski conducting his own music, and another on the EMI Gemini series which has Penderecki. It's great that there's a certain amount of historical continuity, these recordings which were made decades ago (& often award winning) are available again to people like me who have never heard them. They also sound better than ever, with the excellent digital remastering. It's great!


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2009)

Not only LPs, I have recently seen re issue CDs @ NZ$4.95 and I have the originals purchased about 20 yrs ago @ NZ$36.95, you can't win.


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## Somnifer (Jul 23, 2009)

Andante said:


> Have you heard all of them?


Many times, actually. I listen to at least a few CDs a day


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2009)

That's what I hoped you would say, can I ask what criteria you use when purchasing a CD?


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