# Do You Own Multiple Symphony Cycles and for which Composers



## SixFootScowl

I have 6 Beethoven symphony cycles but only one Mendelssohn cycle, and no others. I was tempted yesterday to add a second Mendelssohn cycle, but backed off because I have been overriding my personal cash budget severely already in purchasing many CD sets. But also, I just don't listen to Mendelssohn as much. 

I am curious what symphony cycles TC members collect multiple cycles of and how many cycles you have of each composer you do this for.

To some degree this is limited by the number of cycles available (e.g., dozens and dozens for Beethoven, but only a handfull for Mendelssohn).


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## merlinus

2 complete (Bernstein/VPO, Barenboim/SB) and 2 or so partial sets (Fricsay, Bernstein/NYPO) of Beethoven; 1 complete (Jochum/DG) and 1 partial (Celibidache/MPO) of Bruckner; 1 complete (Bertini) and 1 partial (Bernstein/DG) of Mahler.


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## SixFootScowl

merlinus said:


> partial sets (Fricsay, Bernstein/NYPO) of Beethoven


For partial Beethoven sets I have:

Fricsay 1,3,5,7,8,& 9, 
Monteux 1,3,6,8,&9, and 
Furtwangler WWII recordings 3,4,5,6,7,& 9.

Sadly, there is no complete set by Fricsay. Monteux has a complete cycle but mixed between two orchestras, one of which he was guest conductor for.


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## DiesIraeCX

I forgot I bought the Rene Leibowitz Beethoven cycle on Amazon for 2 bucks a while back, so that actually makes four complete cycles rather than three.

Herbert von Karajan/Berlin (1963)
John Eliot Gardiner/ORR (1994)
Jos van Immerseel/Anima Eterna (2005-2007)
Rene Leibowitz/Royal Philharmonic


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## Manxfeeder

I have Beethoven cycles by Toscanini, Furtwangler (well, most of them), Szell, Gardiner, Norrington, Immerseel, and two Karajans. It seems like so far, everyone has more than one Beethoven cycle.

For Bruckner, I have Tintner, Jochum (Bayreuth and Dresden), Furtwangler (those that he recorded), and Klemperer (those that he recorded). 

I have Schumann's symphonies by the Hanover Band, Karajan, Klemperer, and Zinman. 

Then there's Shostakovich by Slovak on Naxos and Kondrashin.

I have three of the four Sibelius cycles from Naxos and the one by Vanska.

So far, for everyone else, I seem to be either happy with one cycle or too cheap to add another.


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## Art Rock

I have a number of Mahler cycles (Kubelik, Boulez, Haitink, Bernstein) in addition to assorted isolated discs with various conductors.

I have bought a complete Shostakovich cycle (Barshai) in addition to a complete symphonies collection on various discs with various conductors.

For the rest, I have the symphonies of a few dozen composers complete, usually on various discs with various conductors.

I have no inclination to get other versions of these.


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## GreenMamba

None for me. I don't think I even own multiple recordings of the same symphony.


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## DiesIraeCX

For Mahler, I have a custom cycle, but I'm still considering a single conductor cycle; either Boulez, Kubelik, or one of the Bernstein cycles. I think I'll resist, though, and just supplement with single recordings as I continue to find them.

What I have so far. *M1* (Kubelik) *M2* (Klemperer) *M3* (Abbado) *M4* (Szell, Tennstedt) *M5* (Abbado, Boulez) *M6 *(Boulez, Bernstein/NYP, Bernstein/Vienna) *M7* (Abbado) *M8* (Solti) *M9* (Abbado/Berlin, Karajan/Live, Bernstein/Concertgebouw, Zander) *Das Lied Von Der Erde* (Klemperer, Reiner)


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## elgar's ghost

Beethoven: Karajan (60s), Norrington, Barenboim, Liszt's piano transcriptions plus two other recordings for symphonies 1-8 and three for symphony no. 9

Schubert: Harnoncourt plus various other recordings, mainly for symphonies 5, 6, 8 & 9

Mahler: Kubelik plus seven other recordings of each symphony with an additional DLvdE for piano. I do have a Mahler cycle of sorts by Bernstein - a combination of DG and Sony

Shostakovich: Haitink plus a mix of Russian/Soviet recordings

Bruckner: no bespoke cycles but I have three recordings of '00' plus six or seven recordings of symphonies 0-9

For other composers including Mozart, K.A. Hartmann, Dvorak, Schnittke and Simpson I have one actual cycle for each but haven't added to them because I'm either content with leaving it at that or because there are few, if any, other recordings available.


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## merlinus

Forgot to mention the Furtwangler wartime Beethovens, and his 7, 8, and 9 of Bruckner.

Also Shostakovich -- Petrenko/RLSO (4,6,8,10,11,12) and Kurt Sanderling (1,5,6,8,10,15).


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## Radames

When I see something in the $1 bin I am usually tempted to check it out. That's the way I end up with multiple cycles. I was just looking today and see I have several Rimsky-Korsakovs - Svetlanov, Kitajenko, and Tjeknavorian. I have the 1963 Karajan Beethoven cycle - got it for $6. I saw the Walter set for $10 and figured I would try it too. But then I have several partial Beethoven sets - Szell, Monteaux, and Kleiber classic recordings.


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## Manxfeeder

GreenMamba said:


> None for me. I don't think I even own multiple recordings of the same symphony.


Wow. For me, hearing different interpretations is where the fun is. But as they say, ars longa, vita brevis; with your way, you can cover more ground than I can.


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## joen_cph

Several, 2-6 complete & one-conductor of 

- late Mozart 35,36,38-41
- Beethoven
- Schubert 1-9
- Brahms
- Bruckner 1-9
- Mahler 
- Sibelius 1-7
- Scriabin
- Nielsen
- Rachmaninov 1-3
- Stravinsky 1-3
- V-Williams

maybe a couple more.


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## omega

DiesIraeCX said:


> *M1* (Kubelik) *M2* (Klemperer) *M3* (Abbado) *M4* (Szell, Tennstedt) *M5* (Abbado, Boulez) *M6 *(Boulez, Bernstein/NYP, Bernstein/Vienna) *M7* (Abbado) *M8* (Solti) *M9* (Abbado/Berlin, Karajan/Live, Bernstein/Concertgebouw, Zander) *Das Lied Von Der Erde* (Klemperer, Reiner)


This cycle is very close to the one I dream of!
:wave:


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## GreenMamba

Manxfeeder said:


> Wow. For me, hearing different interpretations is where the fun is. But as they say, ars longa, vita brevis; with your way, you can cover more ground than I can.


I still listen to different conductors, I just don't own the CDs. I'll listen online (Pandora, whatever). It can be rewarding, as you say. But when push comes to shove, I always find myself buying something I don't own.


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## omega

I have two Mahler cycles: Sinopoli (I bought it at the time because it was... one of the cheapest. I should have spent more fore a more homogeneous one) and Abbado/Berlin, along with several other performances
and two Beethoven cycles (Abbado/Berlin and Gardiner/ORR), but I am so satsfied with the latter that I hardly ever play Abbado.


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## CMonteverdi

Beethoven: Krivine, Walter, Kubelik, Immerseel, Gardiner, Szell, Blomstedt.
Brahms: Chailly, Haitink, Walter, Manze.

That's it.

LK


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## Eramirez156

well for*Beethoven*

toscanini
bruno Walter
Mengelberg
Gardiner
Rattle-Vienna
Abbado - Berlin

*Brahms*

Kempe
Furtwangler
Gunter Wand
Bychkov
Klemperer
Toscanini - Philharmonia

*Bruckner*

Gunter Wand
Tintner
Barenboim - Berlin
Jochum- both cycles
Furtwangler - those he recorded
van Beinum - those he recorded

*Sibelius*

Sixten Ehrling 
Barborolli
Kurt Sanderling
Pavvo Berglund

*Nielsen*

Blomstad both SF and Danish Radio
Schnwandt CD and DVD
Neeme Jarvi

*Mahler*

Bernstein NY Phil
Bertini
Kubelik
Boulez
Hornestein- those he recorded
Bruno Walter - those he recorded
Edo de Waart

as an aside I have 20 recordings of Das lied von der Erde

*Shostakovich*

Haitink
Barshi
Kondrashin
Slovak


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## sdtom

I don't quite know where to begin with this but we'll see. Miaskovsky (2), Rimsky Korsakov complete orchestral works (4), Tchaikovsky complete works on Brilliant 55CD set, complete symphonies (8), Shostakovich (4), Prokofiev (3), Glazunov (3) which includes all his orchestral works, Sibelius (6), Nielsen (2), Gliere (1), Borodin (3), Bruckner (3), Brahms (3), Beethoven (1), Vaughan Williams (1), Arnold (1), Mahler (2), Raff (1), Rachmaninoff (1) complete set which includes the youth symphony, Saint-Saens (1), Mozart (1), Scriabin (1), Schumann (1), Mendelssohn (1), Bax (1), Dvorak (2). I'm sure I'll think of more later. I've been going pretty strong on the CD's for 31 years. Before that it was lp's and 78's since about 1953.


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## joen_cph

Are there two sets of the complete Myaskovsky symphonies, or do you have Svetlanov´s as both LPs and CDs?


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## Becca

DiesIraeCX said:


> What I have so far. *M1* (Kubelik) *M2* (Klemperer) *M3* (Abbado) *M4* (Szell, Tennstedt) *M5* (Abbado, Boulez) *M6 *(Boulez, Bernstein/NYP, Bernstein/Vienna) *M7* (Abbado) *M8* (Solti) *M9* (Abbado/Berlin, Karajan/Live, Bernstein/Concertgebouw, Zander) *Das Lied Von Der Erde* (Klemperer, Reiner)


What ... no *M10*???


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## sdtom

joen_cph said:


> Are there two sets of the complete Myaskovsky symphonies, or do you have Svetlanov´s as both LPs and CDs?


My other set is a combination of Marco Polo, Naxos, and others. Other than the Silence on Marco Polo I listen to the Svetlanov's on CD not LP.


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## sdtom

Somewhere I do have a 10. I use to live in San Diego. My house was on 33rd St. in North Park.


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## DiesIraeCX

Becca said:


> What ... no *M10*???


Well, the "completed symphonies" cycle is complete. 

For M10, I already know which one I want. Boulez/Cleveland.


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## Mahlerian

DiesIraeCX said:


> Well, the "completed symphonies" cycle is complete.
> 
> For M10, I already know which one I want. Boulez/Cleveland.


You aren't getting every movement Mahler wrote unless you get a five-movement version. It's an amazing work and fully worth hearing in its entirety.


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## hapiper

I envy you people who have SO MANY recordings. I regret not keeping all the records I have bought over all the years. If so I would not only have nearly as many recordings but I would still have some of, what has become, those precious vinyl recordings. 
However as it stands right now I have just one cycle of the following composers. Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler. That is it for me so far.


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## DiesIraeCX

Mahlerian said:


> You aren't getting every movement Mahler wrote unless you get a five-movement version. It's an amazing work and fully worth hearing in its entirety.


Consider it done! Half-Price has the Rattle completed 10th recording, but I passed on it because you seem to be fairly lukewarm about Rattle's Mahler. If it's still there, you'll see it in the Latest Purchases tomorrow.


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## Lord Lance

Ten cycles of Beethoven; Eight of Mahler; Six of Bruckner; 7 of Mozart; etc, etc.


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## techniquest

Hmm, looking at my collection I have rather more than I'd thought:

*Beethoven* - Wyn Morris (Musica Concepts), Barenboim (Warner Classics), Norrington (Virgin), HvK (DG)
*Mahler* - Bertini (EMI), Bernstein (both cycles), Tennstedt (EMI), Chailly (Decca), various (Movieplay SA - see my avatar)
*Nielsen* - Schmidt (Regis), Kuchar (Brilliant Classics)
*Prokofiev* - Weller (Brilliant Classics), Kitajenko (Phoenix Edition)
*Shostakovich* - Barshai (Brilliant Classics), Kitajenko (Capriccio)
*Tchaikovsky* - Litton (Virgin), Muti (Brilliant Classics)
*Vaughan Williams* - Handley (EMI), Davis (Teldec)

I also have various 'partial' cycles such as Beethoven / Blomstedt (1,3,5,6,9); Shostakovich / Petrenko (2,4,5,7,8,9,11,13,15)


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## DebussyDoesDallas

Pretty sure I have every available complete Haydn symphony set. Every. Single. One. Even Maerzendorfer on LP. And pretty much all the incomplete but big cycles. (In terms of expense, you'd be surprised how cheap you can find these boxes if you check eBay and obscure distros on a regular bases, say during your daily constitutional)

It's silly because I'll never listen to them all. But I love dipping into different ones for different versions over the months, years.

I have a few Beethoven symphony cycles but tons of string of quartet boxes. 

But apart from my obsessions from the last few years (Haydn and Beethoven mainly, to a lesser extent Mozart and Schubert), I'm generally content with 1 or 2 boxes and try to spend on new composers and works.


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## EDaddy

Nope. But I'm working on it!


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## sdtom

keep us posted on what you get


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## SixFootScowl

Yeah, or if you want any recommendations.


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## AnotherSpin

I think I have more complete cycles that I really need.


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## SixFootScowl

AnotherSpin said:


> I think I have more complete cycles that I really need.


This is probably true of many of us. But better to have more than you need than not enough. So always error on the side of too many. :lol:


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## Triplets

I have about 8 Beethoven, 5 Brahms, 3 Bruckner,1 Haydn, 6 Mahler,2 Mozart, 3 Sibelius, 4 Schumann,2 Schubert, 3 Tchaikovsky, 3 Ralph Vaugh n Williams complete cycles, and assorted singles of each Composer.
Typing the above makes me feel like candidate for treatment with drugs for OCD.


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## sdtom

don't feel bad I'm in the same boat


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## techniquest

Thought I'd add some vinyl complete sets too to add to the CD sets back on page 2...
*Prokofiev* - Martinon (Turnabout)
*Beethoven* - Bohm (DG); Various (Concert Hall Record Club)
*Tchaikovsky* - HvK (DG); Svetlanov (HMV/Melodiya)
*Mahler* - Haitink (Philips)

If you add CD sets and vinyl sets then I have these too:
*Brahms* - Sawallisch (EMI - CD); Boult (EMI - vinyl)
*Scriabin* - Muti (EMI - CD); Inbal (Philips - vinyl)
*Rachmaninov* - Ashkenazy (Decca - CD); Svetlanov (HMV/Melodiya - vinyl)


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## gardibolt

Upwards of 20 Beethoven cycles at last count, with around 35 Ninths.
Probably a dozen Brahms that I've got tagging along with other things---I'm not particularly a fan of the Brahms symphonies but there you are. Apparently he's convenient filler.
About 4 Bruckners and 5 Mahlers (though one of the Mahlers I think is incomplete). I still don't understand either one, but not for lack of trying.


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## SixFootScowl

Sometimes is is just a matter of surfing Amazon and Ebay just because they are there, and you happen to find a symphony cycle for a nice price and give it a shot. It is always fun to have a CD set coming your way in the mail.


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## arpeggio

Considering the size of my collection, not that many.

The only multiples I have are four for the Beethoven Symphonies, including one HIP, and two for Bruckner.

I have many single complete sets of this guy's symphonies or that guy's string quartets.

If there is a particular work I am fond of I might supplement the set with some individual recordings.


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## PeterF

BRAHMS
Walter
Klemperer
Jochum

BEETHOVEN
Bernstein
Jochum

Many Beethoven symphonies by a broad variety of conductors, but no other complete cycles by one conductor

MOZART
Marriner
Late symphonies by
Walter
Mackerras
Glover
Szell

HAYDN
Dorati

Not complete cycles, but sets of many symphonies by
Jochum
Szell
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Colin Davis

SCHUMANN
Swallisch
Szell
Foster
Schuman


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## Tristan

The only composers for whom I have complete multiple symphony sets:

Shostakovich
Mahler
Beethoven
Brahms

It makes sense as these are my four favorite symphonic composers.


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## DTut

Yes, Bruckner and Mahler


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## GraemeG

Multiple full sets it's just Beethoven & Brahms.
Beethoven is Karajan '77, Bernstein/VPO, although I do have Celididache's 2-9 EMI box.
Brahms is Furtwangler/EMI '48-51, Boult, Celididache.

Full sets (apart from the vK77, which I bought as LPs on release) tend to be just bargain acquisitions. There's nearly always a better recording of individual works elsewhere.
For Beethoven, Klemperer's 3, Kleiber's 5, Schmitt-Isserstedt's 9, for instance
For Brahms, Walter's 3, Kleiber's 4.
And I'm miffed at Celi for not taking repeats. Who else skips the 1st movt repeat in Beethoven 5, for instance?
cheers,
GG


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## Steatopygous

An easy way to acquire sets of symphonies cheaply is the big reissue boxes by conductors. Some that have come my way recently are Haitink, Kubelik, Karajan, Abbado, Fricsay, Blomstedt.
I'm not going to go through my catalogue for all symphony composers. But Beethoven, I have 14 complete sets:
Karl Bohm
Bernard Haitink
Claudio Abbado (2000)
Claudio Abbado (2008)
Leonard Bernstein
Ferenc Fricsay
Georg Solti
Herbert Blomstedt
Herbert von Karajan (Philharmonia, early 50s)
Herbert von Karajan (1963)
Herbert von Karajan (1977)
Otto Klemperer
Rafael Kubelik
Daniel Barenboim


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## SixFootScowl

Steatopygous said:


> But Beethoven, I have 14 complete sets:
> ...
> Ferenc Fricsay
> ...


How did you do that? I tried and could only get six Beethoven symphonies from Fricsay. I am missing #2, #4, and #6.


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## Steatopygous

Florestan said:


> How did you do that? I tried and could only get six Beethoven symphonies from Fricsay. I am missing #2, #4, and #6.


Oh dear. Very sloppy and lazy of me, sorry. I too am missing those three. I went through all my Beethoven 1s and noted those that said in the catalogue complete set. The Fricsay does not say that; I was going by (false) memory. So sorry if I raised hopes about performances that may not exist. But there are 271 entries under Beethoven symphonies in my catalogue, so you can understand that I didn't go through one by one.


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## starthrower

Florestan said:


> It is always fun to have a CD set coming your way in the mail.


But once it arrives the blood rush fades, and the futile desire for satisfaction continues by placing more chages on one's plastic card for more plastic discs we'll never have time to listen to.


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## SixFootScowl

Steatopygous said:


> Oh dear. Very sloppy and lazy of me, sorry. I too am missing those three. I went through all my Beethoven 1s and noted those that said in the catalogue complete set. The Fricsay does not say that; I was going by (false) memory. So sorry if I raised hopes about performances that may not exist. But there are 271 entries under Beethoven symphonies in my catalogue, so you can understand that I didn't go through one by one.


No problem, I kind of figured it wasn't true. Nice that you have the six Fricsay Beethoven symphonies that are out there. It is no simple feat to gather those, and I imagine few of us on this site have collected those six.


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## SixFootScowl

starthrower said:


> But once it arrives the blood rush fades, and the futile desire for satisfaction continues by placing more chages on one's plastic card for more plastic discs we'll never have time to listen to.


But it's only money, and insofar it doesn't impact my household budget, better in plastic discs than in the bank the day I die. Really there are many exciting phases:
1) The initial impulse to get a CD of a work,
2) The search for the best version,
3) The search for a good price,
4) Pulling the trigger to order it,
5) Anticipating it's arrival in the mail,
6) Ripping the discs,
7) The first listen,
8) Reading the booklet,
9) Lovingly placing the ripped discs into a suitable storage location
followed by the final phase, the letdown, when you realize all the fun phases are over and you need to do it again with another work.

Right now I have a mystery CD in the mail that should arrive in the next day or so. It is L'amico Fritz, but I have no idea what performance. The listing did not say but I took a shot since it was $4.35 with free shipping I figured I have little to lose and it came up in the search for the one I really want with Roberto Alagna which is going for $20 and up used. I can hope, and am not likely to be disappointed. Even if it is the one I already have (Freni and Pavarotti) I can find it a home.


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## starthrower

I can't read the booklets anymore unless I'm seated under a halogen lamp. Does everybody now rip everything they buy? I don't have one CD ripped to a hard drive.


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## Steatopygous

starthrower said:


> I can't read the booklets anymore unless I'm seated under a halogen lamp. Does everybody now rip everything they buy? I don't have one CD ripped to a hard drive.


No, I use the little disc. I may have to change, but not yet. And I struggle to keep up with catalogueing, let alone the time required if I now started copying to a hard-drive.


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## SixFootScowl

starthrower said:


> I can't read the booklets anymore unless I'm seated under a halogen lamp. Does everybody now rip everything they buy? I don't have one CD ripped to a hard drive.


I rip every CD the day I get it. Maybe this is the topic for a new poll?


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## BartokPizz

BRAHMS
Klemperer: Philharmonia
Eschenbach: Houston
Sawallisch: Vienna Symphony
Haitink: RCO
Muti: Phila.
Mackerras: SCO
Abravanel: Utah Symphony
Marturet: Berlin Symphony

BEETHOVEN
Szell: CO
Gardiner: ORR
Hogwood: AAM
Zinman: Tonhalle
Jansug Kakhidze: Tbilisi Symphony

SCHUMANN
Gardiner: ORR
Bernstein: VPO
Dausgaard: Swedish Chamber Orch

SIBELIUS
Maazel: CSO
Vanska: Lahti SO
Berglund: Helsinki (missing #7)

TCHAIKOVSKY
Abbado: CSO
Neeme Jarvi: Gothenberg
Karajan: VPO (4-6 only)

Single integral cycles: Schubert (Bohm), Dvorak (Neumann), Bruckner (Barenboim: Berlin), Mendelssohn (Abbado), Mahler (Abravanel), Haydn (DR Davies), etc.


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## realdealblues

Actual complete cycles for Symphonies:

BEETHOVEN (Had over 60 complete cycles, the ones I decided to keep):
Bernstein/New York
Bernstein/Vienna
Blomstedt/Dresden
Bohm/Vienna
Chailly/Gewandhaus
Furtwangler/Various
Jochum/London
Karajan/Berlin (50's, 60's, 70's & 80's)
Kempe/Munich
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Kletzki/Czech
Kubelik/Various
Szell/Cleveland
Toscanini/NBC
Walter/Columbia
Wand/NDR

BRAHMS: (Had over 30 complete cycles, the ones I decided to keep):
Abbado/Berlin
Bernstein/New York
Bernstein/Vienna
Bohm/Vienna
Dohnanyi/Cleveland
Jochum/Berlin
Jochum/London
Karajan/Berlin (60's, 70's & 80's)
Kempe/Munich
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Levine/Chicago
Levine/Vienna
Sanderling/Dresden
Solti/Chicago
Szell/Cleveland
Toscanini/NBC
Walter/Columbia
Wand/NDR

BRUCKNER:
Chailly/RCO & German Symphony
Haitink/RCO
Karajan/Berlin
Jochum/Berlin & BRSO
Jochum/Dresden
Solti/Chicago
Tintner/Various
Wand/Cologne

DVORAK:
Kertesz/London
Kubelik/Berlin
Neumann/Czech (Analog & Digital Cycles)
Rowicki/London

MAHLER:
Abbado/Various
Abravanel/Utah
Bernstein (Sony & DG Cycles as well as Live DVD cycle)
Bertini/Cologne
Boulez/Various
Chailly/RCO & RSO Berlin
Gielen/SWR
Haitink/RCO
Inbal/RSOF
Kubelik/BRSO
Maazel/Vienna
Neumann/Czech
Rattle/Various
Sinopoli/Philharmonia
Solti/Chicago
Tennstedt/LPO

MENDELSSOHN:
Abbado/London
Dohnanyi/Vienna
Karajan/Berlin
Masur/Gewandhaus (Analog & Digital Cycles)
Sawallisch/New Philharmonia

SCHUBERT:
Blomstedt/Dresden
Bohm/Berlin
Harnoncourt/RCO
Muti/Vienna
Sawallisch/Dresden

SCHUMANN:
Bernstein/New York
Bernstein/Vienna
Chailly/Gewandhaus
Karajan/Berlin
Kubelik/Berlin
Szell/Cleveland

SHOSTAKOVICH:
Barshai/WDR
Haitink/London & Concertgebouw
Jansons/Various
Kondrashin/Moscow
Rostropovich/Various

SIBELIUS:
Barbirolli/Halle
Berglund/Helsinki
Berglund/Bournemouth
Bernstein/New York
Davis/Boston
Jarvi/Gothenburg
Maazel/Vienna
Segerstam/Helsinki
Vanska/Lahti

TCHAIKOVSKY:
Bernstein/New York
Haitink/RCO
Jansons/Oslo
Karajan/Berlin
Markevitch/London
Muti/Philharmonia
Ormandy/Philhadelphia


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## BartokPizz

realdealblues wins this thread.


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## realdealblues

BartokPizz said:


> realdealblues wins this thread.


Ha! I'm sure there are plenty of folks on here with more than me.


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## senza sordino

I own only 

Beethoven: Karajan (1963) and John Elliot Gardiner (1984)

and

Sibelius: Colin Davis with Boston (1970's) and Paavo Berglund with Bournemouth (early 70's)

I'd like to acquire another set of Brahms and Mahler. But space is an issue here.


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## AClockworkOrange

I'll list a couple for the time being as time is against me at the moment.

*Beethoven:*
Furtwängler/Various
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Kempe/Munich
Bernstein/Vienna (CD & DVD)
Karajan/Philharmonia
Szell/CO
Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin
Chailly/Gewandhaus
Zinman/Zurich
Jochum/LSO
Harnoncourt/COE
Immerseel/AE
Bruggen/Orch of 18th Cent.
Thielemann/Vienna (Blu Ray)
Near Complete Cycles by Celibidache/Munich, Tennstedt/LPO and Fricsay/Various

*Brahms:*
Furtwängler/Various
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Karajan/Berlin
Cleibidache/Munich
Celibidache/Milan
Chailly/Gewandhaus
Bernstein/Vienna (CD & DVD)
Zinman/Zurich
Walter/New York
Abbado/Berlin
Barenboim/Chicago
Jochum/EMI

*Schumann:*
Sawallisch/Dresden
Zinman/Zurich
Klemperer/Philharmonia
JEG/ORR
Szell/CO
Harnoncourt/COE
Bernstein/Vienna (DVD only)
Chailly (Mahler Orchestrations)

*Schubert:*
Abbado/COE
Immerseel/AE
Harnoncourt/RCO
Zinman/Zurich
Karajan/Berlin

*Sibelius:*
Berglund/COE
Berglund/Helsinki
Barbirolli/Halle
Jaavi/Gothenburg

*Mendelssohn*:
Dohnanyi/Vienna
Gardner/Birmingham
Abbado/LSO
Karajan/Berlin (Ripped - Physical Copy donated to Charity Shop to be re-homed

*Mahler*:
Tennstedt/LPO
Bernstein/New York
Bernstein/DG
Kubelick/DG

*Bruckner:**
Jochum/EMI
Barenboim/Berlin
Karajan/Berlin
Simone Young**
Abbado/Various***

*I have many, many recordings but only 3 full sets which Can confidently list at present.
** Just awaiting the release of the Final disc to complete the series 
*** If memory serves - I cannot remember if Abbado recorded all of the Symphonies or just most.


----------



## Brouken Air

BEETHOVEN
Abbado/Berliner
Bernstein/New York
Blomstedt/Dresden
Bohm/Vienna
Chailly/Gewandhaus
Gardiner/ORR
Haitink/LSO
Harnoncourt/COE
Hogwood/AAM
Jochum/RCO
Karajan/Berlin (60's, 70's & 80's)
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Norrington/LCP
Schuricht/OSCC
Szell/Cleveland
Toscanini/NBC
Walter/Columbia
Wand/NDR

BRAHMS
Abbado/Berlin
Bernstein/New York
Celibidache/Münchner
Dorati/MO
Giulini/Wiener/LAPO/CSO
Jansons/SBR
Jochum/London
Karajan/Berlin (70's & 80's)
Kempe/Munich
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Sanderling/Dresden
Sawallisch/LPO
Szell/Cleveland
Wand/NDR

BRUCKNER
Chailly/RCO & SOB
Karajan/Berliner
Jochum/Berliner/Dresdner
Skrowaczewski/Saarbrücker
Solti/Chicago
Tintner/Various
Wand/Kölner

DVORAK:
Kertesz/LSO
Kubelik/Berliner
Neumann/Czech
Rowicki/LSO

HAYDN
Fischer/Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Dorati/Philarmonia Ungarica

MAHLER:
Abbado/Various
Bernstein NYPO/Wiener
Boulez/Various
Chailly/RCO & RSO Berlin
Haitink/RCO
Kubelik/BRSO
Neumann/Czech
Sinopoli/Philharmonia
Solti/Chicago
Tennstedt/LPO

MENDELSSOHN:
Abbado/LSO
Karajan/Berlin
Masur/Gewandhaus

NIELSEN
Bernstein/NYPO
Blomstedt/DRSO
Gilbert/NYPO
Oramo/RSPO

SCHUBERT:
Abbado/COE
Bohm/Berliner
Harnoncourt/Berliner
Wand/Kölner

RACHMANINOV
Jansons/St Petersbourg
Previn/LSO
Svetlanov/USSR
Petrenko/Liverpool

SCHUMANN:
Bernstein/New York
Chailly/Gewandhaus
Harnoncourt/COE
Karajan/Berlin
Klemperer/Philarmonia
Szell/Cleveland
Sawallisch/Dresden

SHOSTAKOVICH:

Haitink/London & RCO
Jansons/Various
Kondrashin/Moscow
Mravinsky/Various
Petrenko/Bournemouth

SIBELIUS:
Barbirolli/Halle
Berglund/Bournemouth
Bernstein/NYPO
Blomstedt/SFS
Davis/BSO
Karajan/Berliner/Wiener
Rozhdestvensky/MRSO
Sanderling/BSO
Segerstam/Helsinki
Vanska/Lahti

SCRIABIN
Kitajenko/RSOF
Muti/PO
Svetlanov/USSR

TCHAIKOVSKY:
Bernstein/New York
Karajan/Berlin
Muti/Philharmonia
Svetlanov/USSR

:tiphat:


----------



## Steatopygous

Well, you've got some pretty good listening there. Do you ever do explicit comparisons of any symphonies?


----------



## Brouken Air

I do some comparisons, but on a limited set. After 3 times the same symphony, I generally stop... All the cycles are not regularly listened to. Example, Beethoven is mostly limited to Szell, Klemperer, Gardiner, Karajan 60s and Wand (+ a lot of single records like Kleiber, Furtwängler...). I think there's no perfect cycle, nor permanent best ones, it's mood depending, it's evolving and each worthy cycle bring its own inner pleasures... With some rare exceptions like Scriabin/Svetlanov, Borodin/Svetlanov (oh! I forgot this one...:devil.

:tiphat:


----------



## joen_cph

Not much general interest in early eccentric conductors like Mengelberg (Beethoven, Brahms) or Scherchen (Beethoven, most of Mahler), it seems; Leibowitz neither (Beethoven), or Weingartner (Beethoven, Brahms).

Concerning the listings, Mravinsky only recorded a handful of Shosty symphonies, and Bernstein not all the Nielsen, but Ormandy did the rest for CBS (= nos.1 & 6).


----------



## BartokPizz

Brouken Air said:


> I think there's no perfect cycle, nor permanent best ones, it's mood depending, it's evolving and each worthy cycle bring its own inner pleasures...


Yes. I think if I had to name what I consider to be an ideal Beethoven cycle, it would probably be either Gardiner or Hogwood, both of which are in glorious sound, are historically informed, favor fast tempi, generate excitement, get the pulse going, etc. But there are times when Szell, in beautifully detailed but not state-of-the-art sound and with tempi somewhat more relaxed, is what I want. Similarly, the choice between Gardiner's and Bernstein's Schumann depends upon how plush I want my Schumann at the moment. And so on. There really are reasons to own multiple cycles of music you care about. Or at least so I tell myself.


----------



## Brouken Air

joen_cph said:


> Not much general interest in early eccentric conductors like Mengelberg (Beethoven, Brahms) or Scherchen (Beethoven, most of Mahler), it seems; Leibowitz neither (Beethoven), or Weingartner (Beethoven, Brahms).
> 
> Concerning the listings, Mravinsky only recorded a handful of Shosty symphonies, and Bernstein not all the Nielsen, but Ormandy did the rest for CBS (= nos.1 & 6).


The Mravinsky cycle is not complete, but I cannot bypass it as he premiered most symphonies from 5 to 12 . Concerning Bernstein it's a reference for Nielsen's 3rd & 5th ...:devil: (I haven't heard the Ormandy complement, is it worth?)

:tiphat:


----------



## Centropolis

Mahlerian said:


> You aren't getting every movement Mahler wrote unless you get a five-movement version. It's an amazing work and fully worth hearing in its entirety.


Which version of the completed M10 would you say closest represents a "definitive" or commonly agreed on as the final version?


----------



## Mahlerian

Centropolis said:


> Which version of the completed M10 would you say closest represents a "definitive" or commonly agreed on as the final version?


They're all recognizably the same work, but most people prefer Cooke's versions, which are the most frequently recorded. I like Harding's recording on DG. I'm also fond of Lopez-Cobos's recording of Mazetti's second version on Telarc.

The one that I'd say is certainly far from Mahler's intent and spirit is the Carpenter completion, which has been recorded by Litton and Zinman.


----------



## KirbyH

I own five Brahms cycles, not to mention about ten individual recordings of the symphonies.

One Beethoven cycles (Karajan '63) and 3 or so Mahler cycles, along with individual recordings to make up at least another two. One Brucker cycle, and one whole collection of Strauss's orchestral music. (Karajan/BPO and Kempe/Staatskapelle Dresden, respectively.)

Between Rowicki, Giulini, and a couple others I have a complete set of Dvorak symphonies. 

One Bax cycle (which is really all one needs) and I think those are the only complete cycles I have so far as symphonies go - the next closest would be the 3 and 3/4s Ring Cycles I have collected. (Seem to have conveniently lost Karajan's cut of Siegfried....)


----------



## elgar's ghost

Brouken Air said:


> BEETHOVEN
> Abbado/Berliner
> Bernstein/New York
> Blomstedt/Dresden
> Bohm/Vienna
> Chailly/Gewandhaus
> Gardiner/ORR
> Haitink/LSO
> Harnoncourt/COE
> Hogwood/AAM
> Jochum/RCO
> Karajan/Berlin (60's, 70's & 80's)
> Klemperer/Philharmonia
> Norrington/LCP
> Schuricht/OSCC
> Szell/Cleveland
> Toscanini/NBC
> Walter/Columbia
> Wand/NDR
> 
> BRAHMS
> Abbado/Berlin
> Bernstein/New York
> Celibidache/Münchner
> Dorati/MO
> Giulini/Wiener/LAPO/CSO
> Jansons/SBR
> Jochum/London
> Karajan/Berlin (70's & 80's)
> Kempe/Munich
> Klemperer/Philharmonia
> Sanderling/Dresden
> Sawallisch/LPO
> Szell/Cleveland
> Wand/NDR
> 
> BRUCKNER
> Chailly/RCO & SOB
> Karajan/Berliner
> Jochum/Berliner/Dresdner
> Skrowaczewski/Saarbrücker
> Solti/Chicago
> Tintner/Various
> Wand/Kölner
> 
> DVORAK:
> Kertesz/LSO
> Kubelik/Berliner
> Neumann/Czech
> Rowicki/LSO
> 
> HAYDN
> Fischer/Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
> Dorati/Philarmonia Ungarica
> 
> MAHLER:
> Abbado/Various
> Bernstein NYPO/Wiener
> Boulez/Various
> Chailly/RCO & RSO Berlin
> Haitink/RCO
> Kubelik/BRSO
> Neumann/Czech
> Sinopoli/Philharmonia
> Solti/Chicago
> Tennstedt/LPO
> 
> MENDELSSOHN:
> Abbado/LSO
> Karajan/Berlin
> Masur/Gewandhaus
> 
> NIELSEN
> Bernstein/NYPO
> Blomstedt/DRSO
> Gilbert/NYPO
> Oramo/RSPO
> 
> SCHUBERT:
> Abbado/COE
> Bohm/Berliner
> Harnoncourt/Berliner
> Wand/Kölner
> 
> RACHMANINOV
> Jansons/St Petersbourg
> Previn/LSO
> Svetlanov/USSR
> Petrenko/Liverpool
> 
> SCHUMANN:
> Bernstein/New York
> Chailly/Gewandhaus
> Harnoncourt/COE
> Karajan/Berlin
> Klemperer/Philarmonia
> Szell/Cleveland
> Sawallisch/Dresden
> 
> SHOSTAKOVICH:
> 
> Haitink/London & RCO
> Jansons/Various
> Kondrashin/Moscow
> Mravinsky/Various
> Petrenko/Bournemouth
> 
> SIBELIUS:
> Barbirolli/Halle
> Berglund/Bournemouth
> Bernstein/NYPO
> Blomstedt/SFS
> Davis/BSO
> Karajan/Berliner/Wiener
> Rozhdestvensky/MRSO
> Sanderling/BSO
> Segerstam/Helsinki
> Vanska/Lahti
> 
> SCRIABIN
> Kitajenko/RSOF
> Muti/PO
> Svetlanov/USSR
> 
> TCHAIKOVSKY:
> Bernstein/New York
> Karajan/Berlin
> Muti/Philharmonia
> Svetlanov/USSR
> 
> :tiphat:


As us English would say - 'bloody hell...'


----------



## billeames

BAX
Thomson
Handley

BEETHOVEN Not too far from Elgars' Ghost. 
Abbado/Berliner OK but not great. I thought about disposing of it. 
Bernstein/New York, Vienna
Blomstedt/Dresden Better than expected. 
Bohm/Vienna straightforward
Chailly/Gewandhaus 
Muti/Philadelphia May get rid of
Harnoncourt/COE Love and hate. 
Jochum/LPO
Karajan/Berlin (60's, 70's & 80's)
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Schuricht/OSCC
Szell/Cleveland Very good. 
Toscanini/NBC 1999
Walter/Columbia
Furtwangler/Wiener Philharmoniker, Stockholm PO Some bad sound here. Love performances. 
Isserstedt/VPO
Vansska/Minnesota. Just now appreciating. 

BRAHMS
Abbado/Berlin+Dresden/LSO/BPO/VPO cycle
Bernstein/New York/VPO A little off (VPO)
Celibidache/Münchner
Haitink/CG
Levine CSO/VPO Powerful!
Giulini/Wiener/LAPO/CSO/PO #2 very good. 4 powerful/slow in VPO
Jochum/BPO/London PO BPO is like wow. 
Karajan/Berlin (60's,70's & 80's)
Kempe/Munich love it
Klemperer/Philharmonia
Raiskin/SRP
Kertesz/VPO All around superb I like Kempe batter. 
Sanderling/Dresden
Sawallisch/LPO/VSO Good effort. 
Szell/Cleveland
Wand/NDR
Solti/CSO good all around bet. 
Chailly Gwendhaus 
Walter/Columbia/NYP

BRUCKNER

Karajan/Berliner
Jochum/Berliner/Dresdner
Haitink Concertgebouw
Solti/Chicago
Wand/Kölner

DVORAK:
Kertesz/LSO
Kubelik/Berliner
Rowicki/LSO

HAYDN
Fischer/Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Dorati/Philarmonia Hungarica

MAHLER:
Abbado/Various 
Bernstein NYPO/Wiener best
Bertini/Cologne Rundfunk
Haitink/RCO
Levine/Various BMG very good. 
Sinopoli/Philharmonia very good. Inner harmonies. 
Solti/Chicago very good. 
Tennstedt/LPO

MENDELSSOHN:
Abbado/LSO
Karajan/Berlin
Gardner/Liverpool quite good. 
Dohnanyi/VPO
Sawallisch/LPO

NIELSEN
Bernstein/NYPO
Blomstedt/SFO


SCHUBERT:
Abbado/COE
Bohm/Berliner
Marriner/ASFM


RACHMANINOV

Previn/LSO
Ashkenazy/CG
Maazel Berlin
De Wart/Rotterdam

SCHUMANN:
Bernstein/New York/VPO
Beerman/CPO label quite good. 
Chailly/Gewandhaus
Harnoncourt/COE
Karajan/Berlin
Klemperer/Philarmonia
Kubelik/BPO
Szell/Cleveland
Sawallisch/Dresden

SHOSTAKOVICH:

Haitink/London & RCO
Jansons/Various
Kondrashin/Moscow Yes totally
Rozhdestvensky/Various Yes. 
Barshai/Cologne

SIBELIUS:
Barbirolli/Halle
Berglund/Bournemouth
Bernstein/NYPO
Oramo/RSPO quite good. 
Karajan/+Okku/Berliner/Wiener



TCHAIKOVSKY:
Bernstein/New York
Pletnev/RNO
Haitink/CG
Markevitch/LSO
Muti/Philharmonia

VAUGHN WILLIAMS
Haitink/LPO
Boult/LPO
Thomson/LSO


----------



## rustypegz

I am brand new here and own the Kubrick, Bernstein, von Karajan and Toscanini Beethoven Symphony Cycles. I am listening now to the Furtwangler set. To me Furtwangler's tempos are slower than I'm used to, but have read that some consider him the best. The Kubrick and Bernstein (VPO) strike me as "plain vanilla" with the possible exception, of LB's 3rd. I like von Karajan and Toscanini's energy. Can anyone offer a new perspective or maybe steer me to other recordings I love comparing the different conductors. Thanks


----------



## starthrower

elgars ghost said:


> As us English would say - 'bloody hell...'


That's where I'll be before I have time to listen to all of those recordings! I only have two complete sets by two composers. Beethoven, and Karl Hartmann. Hartmann is becoming a favorite for many works. He was a bloody great composer, imo!


----------



## SixFootScowl

rustypegz said:


> I am brand new here and own the Kubrick, Bernstein, von Karajan and Toscanini Beethoven Symphony Cycles. I am listening now to the Furtwangler set. To me Furtwangler's tempos are slower than I'm used to, but have read that some consider him the best. The Kubrick and Bernstein (VPO) strike me as "plain vanilla" with the possible exception, of LB's 3rd. I like von Karajan and Toscanini's energy. Can anyone offer a new perspective or maybe steer me to other recordings I love comparing the different conductors. Thanks


I am not qualified to advise you on what you are looking for but some of the knowledgeable folks on TC have posted their preferences on these threads. You may get a better idea what you are looking for in these threads:

This thread is probably just what you are looking for:http://www.talkclassical.com/20478-best-beethoven-symphony-recordings.html

May glean additional ideas here:
http://www.talkclassical.com/32927-beethoven-symphonies-set-recommendation.html

One that I hold dear is Monteux' cycle that was just released in a new cover and has some extras such as a recorded rehearsal session. It is comprised of recordings of his with two different orchestras. I have it. Alas mine is in three different sets. 
The new set is listed here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013HFUAHC


----------



## Jeffrey Smith

elgars ghost said:


> As us English would say - 'bloody hell...'


Good thing you can't see my CD shelves. I have about 40 Beethoven* and 20 Mahler ** sets.... And of course not nearly all available: plenty of sets I don't have have been mentioned.

I do have multiples of other composers, especially Shostakovich, Sibelius, Bruckner, and Brahms, but I did not go overboard with them.

And to be honest, Bach dwarfs everyone else in my collection.

*Chailly is my favorite recent set, Gardiner my favorite HIP, Karajan 80s among earlier recordings. I don't go in for much stuff recorded before the advent of stereo.

**Inbal is best overall. Not necessarily the best performance of any symphony, but every symphony is done well.


----------



## Mal

DiesIraeCX said:


> Herbert von Karajan/Berlin (1963)...


How do the other sets you have compare to this set? I had Zinman's set but gave most of it to charity, the only two I could bear to listen to after Karajan's (mostly) majestic efforts were #2 and #7.


----------



## Reichstag aus LICHT

Brouken Air said:


> SHOSTAKOVICH:
> Petrenko/Bournemouth


Petrenko/Liverpool, surely?

PS: Impressive collection!


----------



## Reichstag aus LICHT

Jeffrey Smith said:


> I have about 40 Beethoven* and 20 Mahler ** sets...


I'm about the same on Mahler, but I have slightly fewer Beethoven cycles, with 33 at the last count. It's actually 34, if I include Cyprien Katsaris' brilliant recording of the Liszt piano arrangements which, oddly enough, I tend to listen to more frequently than the "full-fat" orchestral versions these days.

I'm glad you like Inbal's Mahler. I'm a big fan of that cycle, although I'd have to go with Chailly if I had to make just one recommendation.


----------



## Reichstag aus LICHT

DiesIraeCX said:


> For Mahler, I have a custom cycle


No M10 yet... is that out of choice?


----------



## jegreenwood

With these megaboxes, I have more than I might otherwise have

Beethoven
Mozart 35-41 (I have 2 integral sets, but one is a real disappointment that keep promising myself I will dispose of)
Brahms
Schumann
Schubert
Dvorak (7-9)
Mahler
Sibelius
Tchaikovsky (4-6)
Bruckner (2 in an attempt to figure out what is so appealing - worked marginally)


----------



## Becca

I am generally not a believer in cycles because not even my favourite conductors are always consistent across a series of works and so many of the so-called cycles were recorded over a considerable span of years rather than representing a one-time viewpoint. I believe that I only have two complete cycles on CD and those are the Blomstedt/SFSO/Nielsen and Sawallish/Dresden/Schumann. I do have most of the Klemperer Beethoven although that is a perfect example of why I don't get cycles, some of the performances are great, some aren't!


----------



## Classical Music Fan

Beethoven: Karajan (70's), Bernstein (60's), Norrington with many individual others
Mozart: Karajan (late symphonies)
Haydn: Karajan (Paris and London Symphonies)
Schubert: Blomstedt (Dresden), Marriner (with #7, 10 and fragments)
Mendelssohn: Karajan (70's)
Schumann: Karajan (70's), Muti (Philly)
Brahms: Karajan (70's), Swallisch (Vienna)
Tchaikovsky: Karajan (late 70's with another 4-6 from the early 70's), Ormandy (with E-Flat and Manfred)
Bruckner: Karajan (no 0 or 00)
Dvorak: Kertesz
Mahler: Various (Mahler Complete Works from EMI/Warner Classics)
Sibelius: Colin Davis (LSO)
Stravinsky: Himself (Works of Stravinsky)


----------



## brotagonist

I have 2 Beethoven Symphony cycles:

Norrington/London Classical Players (bought new on CD in about 1990)
Karajan/Berliner Philharmoniker 1963 (bought used on CD about 2 years ago)

I like both. I still don't quite get why Norrington is almost as bad a word as Schoenberg is


----------



## techniquest

techniquest said:


> Hmm, looking at my collection I have rather more than I'd thought:
> 
> *Beethoven* - Wyn Morris (Musica Concepts), Barenboim (Warner Classics), Norrington (Virgin), HvK (DG)
> *Mahler* - Bertini (EMI), Bernstein (both cycles), Tennstedt (EMI), Chailly (Decca), various (Movieplay SA - see my avatar)
> *Nielsen* - Schmidt (Regis), Kuchar (Brilliant Classics)
> *Prokofiev* - Weller (Brilliant Classics), Kitajenko (Phoenix Edition)
> *Shostakovich* - Barshai (Brilliant Classics), Kitajenko (Capriccio)
> *Tchaikovsky* - Litton (Virgin), Muti (Brilliant Classics)
> *Vaughan Williams* - Handley (EMI), Davis (Teldec)
> 
> I also have various 'partial' cycles such as Beethoven / Blomstedt (1,3,5,6,9); Shostakovich / Petrenko (2,4,5,7,8,9,11,13,15)


I can now add Haitink (London) to the Shostakovich sets, and I can include: 
*Sibelius* - Berglund (EMI), Bernstein (Sony), Storgards (Chandos)
*Scriabin* - Muti (EMI). Svetlanov (Melodiya 'Anthology of Russian Music')


----------



## kartikeys

I had started with a BBC cycle of Mozart and Beethoven. I found it loud and screechy at times, but it drew me into the world of classical for which I am glad. 

I have listened to the Karajan cycle of the symphonies and a few others cycles I do not recall currently.


----------



## Jeffrey Smith

Becca said:


> I am generally not a believer in cycles because not even my favourite conductors are always consistent across a series of works and so many of the so-called cycles were recorded over a considerable span of years rather than representing a one-time viewpoint. I believe that I only have two complete cycles on CD and those are the Blomstedt/SFSO/Nielsen and Sawallish/Dresden/Schumann. I do have most of the Klemperer Beethoven although that is a perfect example of why I don't get cycles, some of the performances are great, some aren't!


Yes, that is why I picked Inbal, as he produced an even level of goodness...although in some cases it is easier to get the cycle than individual CDs!
Despite the number of Mahler sets I have, I have to say some of my favorite Mahler recordings are not part of cycles:Karajan's recordings, Levine with the Munich Philharmonic for the Ninth, Wunderlich/Fischer Dieskau w/ Vienna Symphony under Krips for Das Lied von der Erde, the Hampson Bernstein recording of the song cycles (actually, that is included in some Bernstein sets and the DG Complete Mahler, but may be easier to find on its own).


----------



## Eramirez156

Eramirez156 said:


> well for*Beethoven*
> 
> toscanini
> bruno Walter
> Mengelberg
> Gardiner
> Rattle-Vienna
> Abbado - Berlin
> 
> *Brahms*
> 
> Kempe
> Furtwangler
> Gunter Wand
> Bychkov
> Klemperer
> Toscanini - Philharmonia
> 
> *Bruckner*
> 
> Gunter Wand
> Tintner
> Barenboim - Berlin
> Jochum- both cycles
> Furtwangler - those he recorded
> van Beinum - those he recorded
> 
> *Sibelius*
> 
> Sixten Ehrling
> Barborolli
> Kurt Sanderling
> Pavvo Berglund
> 
> *Nielsen*
> 
> Blomstad both SF and Danish Radio
> Schnwandt CD and DVD
> Neeme Jarvi
> 
> *Mahler*
> 
> Bernstein NY Phil
> Bertini
> Kubelik
> Boulez
> Hornestein- those he recorded
> Bruno Walter - those he recorded
> Edo de Waart
> 
> as an aside I have 20 recordings of Das lied von der Erde
> 
> *Shostakovich*
> 
> Haitink
> Barshi
> Kondrashin
> Slovak


Since making the above list I have added a couple of cycles

*Nielsen*

Thomas Jensen
Tor Mann

*Sibelius*

Anthony Collins
Robert Kajanus those he recorded

*Beethoven*

I am closing in on a Fritz Reiner CSO cycle with a mix of studio and live recordings.


----------



## dsphipps100

Beethoven Syms (1-9) - Vänskä-Minnesota, Abbado-Vienna (my favorite), Abbado-Berlin, Solti-Chicago (both ADD and DDD), Hogwood-Academy of Ancient Music, Karajan-Berlin (DDD), Bernstein-Vienna, Bernstein-New York, and Szell-Cleveland

Brahms Syms (1-4) - Abbado-Berlin, Karajan-Berlin (DDD), Barenboim-Chicago (waste of money), Szell-Cleveland, Bernstein-Vienna, Muti-Philadelphia, Solti-Chicago (my favorite), and Rattle-Berlin

Bruckner Syms (0-9) - Karajan-Berlin, Haitink-Amsterdam, Solti-Chicago, plus Rattle-Berlin's "completed" 9th (for what it's worth)

Mahler (1-10 incl DLVDE) - Haitink-Amsterdam, Abbado-Berlin/Chicago/etc, Inbal-Frankfurt, Sinopoli-Philharmonia, Bernstein (ADD on Sony), Bernstein (DDD on DG), Maazel-Vienna (for some strange reason), Thomas-San Francisco, Boulez on DGG, Chailly-Amsterdam, Solti-Chicago, Rattle-Berlin/Birmingham, Kubelik-Bavarian RSO, Neumann-Czech Phil

Schumann - Solti-Vienna, Chailly-Leipzig Gewandhausorchester (Mahler Edition)

Scriabin - Muti-Philadelphia, Segerstam-Stockholm

Shostakovich - Haitink, Ashkenazy, Kitajenko/Cologne

Sibelius - Davis-Boston, Berglund-Bournemouth, Berglund-Helsinki, Vänskä-Lahti, Ashkenazy-Philhamonia

Tchaikovsky - Karajan-Berlin, Jansons-Oslo, Abbado-Chicago, Pletnev-Russian Nat'l

Vaughan Williams - Haitink-London Phil, Slatkin-Philharmonia


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## dsphipps100

I have to agree about the five-movement Mahler 10th. Mahler left his 10th Symphony (actually his 11th if we're honest about DLVDE being his true 9th) in a sufficient state of composition that it's surely worthwhile to at least allow ourselves a vague idea of what he would have done if he had lived longer, even if the finer details of filled-out textures and instrumentation would obviously have been different. People from all over the world visit Barcelona's "Sagrada Família" Cathedral every year (even including the Pope!) even though it's been a work-in-progress since 1882 and the architect died in 1926, meaning that it'll never be finished the way he originally envisioned. So the same should apply to Mahler 10.

Obviously, the most commonly-known and accepted is Deryck Cooke's version, of which the best recording is usually considered to be the Rattle-Berlin version. The Cooke is probably the most conservative and (dare I say, ahem) scholarly? If you want the one that will offend the fewest musicologists, the Cooke is definitely the way to go.

On the other hand, if you're a d**n-the-torpedoes kind of listener (like me) and to-thatplacedownunder-with-everybody-else's-opinion, and you would like to get truly daring, then there was a guy named Clinton Carpenter who was actually audacious enough to believe he could actually "complete" the thing. So in addition to the Cooke "performing version", we also have the Carpenter "Completion", which does all kinds of things that has every musicologist in the audience clapping a hand over their hearts while they asphyxiate and fall out of their chair into the aisle. The most representative recording of this version is probably the Andrew Litton-Dallas Symphony recording on Delos. I think it's actually fun to listen to simply because it's so obnoxiously shocking compared to the Cooke (and because I also like to imagine Alma's horrified reaction to it after what she did to Mahler and her other husbands.)


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## AClockworkOrange

A couple of additions/omissions since/from my previous post:

*Beethoven:*
Gardiner/ORR
Haitink/LSO
Hogwood/AofAM
Jochum/EMI
Karajan/Berlin (1960's)
Ketzki/Czech
Skrowaczewski/SWR 
Wand/NDR

*Brahms:*
Skrowaczewski/SWR 
*
Bruckner:*
Skrowaczewski/SWR 
Wand/Cologne

*Mendelssohn:
*Abbado/LSO
Dohnanyi/Vienna
Gardner/CBSO*

Prokofiev:
*Weller/LSO/LPO
Jarvi/SNO*

Schubert:*
Bruggen/Orch. of 18th Century

*Schumann:*
Bernstein/Vienna (CD)
Karajan/Berlin
Skrowaczewski/SWR

*Sibelius:*
Rattle/Berlin


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## Howling Moon

I have a number - Mahler, Bruckner, Glazunov, Brahms - but rarely do I find it rewarding to listen to another version. Most often I love the first approach. I'm not a musician so perhaps I'm missing something. I do have a preference for older works.


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## rustypegz

Thanks--Much appreciated


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## Classical Music Fan

I can now add
Brahms: Boult
Schubert: Sawallisch
Schumann: Gardiner


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## StlukesguildOhio

I have multiple recordings of many symphonic cycles (Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Dvorak, etc...) as well as multiple recordings of many other favorite works including operas, concertos, choral works, solo instrumental work etc... In most instances I seek out a second (or third, or forth, etc...) interpretation that I feels offers something suitably different from the recording(s) I already have. I'm not interested in buying just to have as many different recordings as possible by a given work as possible. Those I have the most recordings of tend to be among my most favorite and most played works with which I can best appreciate alternative interpretations/performances.


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## bz3

I've got a number of Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler. A smaller number (3-5) for Schubert, Schumann, Sibelius, Mozart, and Dvorak. I'm pretty happy with the 3 Schumann cycles I've got but for everyone else I could always use more!


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## hpowders

Multiple Beethoven Symphony sets: Vänskä, Toscanini, Abbado, Mackerras, etc.

Multiple Mozart Keyboard Concertos: von Immerseel, Bilson.

Multiple Beethoven Keyboard Sonatas: Fischer, Brautigam.

Multiple Bach Keyboard Partitas: Kipnis, Pinnock, Alard, Weiss.

Multiple Bach Well Tempered Clavier both books: Schiff, Leonhardt, Weiss, Beauséjour.

Multiple Bach Cello Suites: Wispelway, Ma (both performances), Gaillard, Queyras, Wu.

Multiple Sibelius Symphonies: Davis/Boston Symphony, Gibson/Scottish National Symphony.

Multiple Bruckner Symphonies: Jochum (both sets) (Berlin Philharmonic and Staatskapelle Dresden).

Off the top of my head. My apologies to any multiple sets that I possess, that I most probably left out.


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## hpowders

I knew it! I forgot the multiple Haydn Paris and London Symphonies that I possess. My apologies to those fine boxes-Bernstein, C. Davis, etc.


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## Adair

Multiple Beethoven complete or semi-complete quartets: Quartetto Italiano (perhaps my favorite)/ Vegh/ Hungarian Quartet/ Busch

Beethoven symphonies: Furtwangler/Karajan/ Mengelberg/ Walter/ Klemperer

Brahms symphonies: Furtwangler/ Karajan/ Walter/ Abbado/ Steinberg/ Klemperer/ Weingartner/ and the incomplete but stirring Knappertsbusch recordings or broadcasts


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## KenOC

Adair said:


> Multiple Beethoven complete or semi-complete quartets:


Are there semi-complete Beethoven quartets? The man was no Schubert!


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## Adair

KenOC said:


> Are there semi-complete Beethoven quartets? The man was no Schubert!


I meant semi-complete _collections_. The Busch Quartet did not record the complete quartets.


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## KenOC

Ah... Well, indeed they did not. The Italianos seem quite popular around here, though I find them maybe a bit too smooth and fluent.


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## arpeggio

I have more than I thought.

It is going to take me awhile to put the list together if anyone is interested.

I know I have CPO set of the complete orchestral music of Hindemith.

I have three sets on the complete symphonies of Beethoven. One is HIP.

I have Liszt: The Complete Piano Music / Leslie Howard. Would that count?


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## TxllxT

*Prokofiev; Complete symphonies*









The best








OK, but not as exhilarating as Rozhdestvensky








No good


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## dieter

merlinus said:


> Forgot to mention the Furtwangler wartime Beethovens, and his 7, 8, and 9 of Bruckner.
> 
> Also Shostakovich -- Petrenko/RLSO (4,6,8,10,11,12) and Kurt Sanderling (1,5,6,8,10,15).


The Sanderling are fantastic, aren't they?


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## dieter

DiesIraeCX said:


> Well, the "completed symphonies" cycle is complete.
> 
> For M10, I already know which one I want. Boulez/Cleveland.


He didn't record the complete symphony.


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## dieter

I am a classic 'Tragic'. I have 26 Beethoven cycles, 36 Brahms, 11 Bruckner and 54 recordings of the 8th, 7 Mahler, 4 Shostakovich, 14 Schumann, and guess what, I love aspects of all of them apart from the Paternoster Bruckner where the orchestra just isn't up to it. Then there are the multiple versions of Bach Cantatas, Passions, Masses, including the 4 Lutheran Masses.
Friends ask, Do you have time to play them all? The answer, of course is no. I also have about 15 recordings of Smetana's Ma Vlast and I find it hard to stop crying when I hear any of it. Not bad for a German, especially in the light of the horrific Czech atrocities committed by the Czechs towards ethnic Germans at the end of the 2nd World War.


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## joen_cph

dieter said:


> .... the Paternoster Bruckner where the orchestra just isn't up to it.


............... and that´s even putting it mildly. No. 5 was the most reasonable in the set, IMO ;-)


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## kanishknishar

Beethoven
Mozart
Haydn
Mahler
Bruckner
Sibelius
Shostakovich
Schubert
Brahms
Tchaikovsky
Schumann
Vaughan Williams


This pretty much covers major composers. Interesting to venture out of these landmark composers and see which not-so-popular composers' symphonies been recorded multiple times.

Berwald?
Glazunov?


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## CDs

dieter said:


> I also have about 15 recordings of Smetana's Ma Vlast and I find it hard to stop crying when I hear any of it.


Which recording of Ma Vlast is your favorite? Mine would probably have to be Susskind on the MoFi label.


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## dieter

CDs said:


> Which recording of Ma Vlast is your favorite? Mine would probably have to be Susskind on the MoFi label.


Probably the Czech Kubelik. I also really like the Dresden Berglund - according to Berglund his best recording - the Inbal and the Ancerl, the...I like just about all of them!


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## Polyphemus

Beethoven
Mozart
Haydn
Mahler
Bruckner
Penderecki
Sibelius
Shostakovich
Schubert
Tchaikovsky
Schumann
Vaughan William

Unfortunately only one cycle of Robert Simpson (Thanks Hyperion)


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## Pugg

Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Mahler, Bruckner, Sibelius, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Schumann


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## Animal the Drummer

dieter said:


> Probably the Czech Kubelik. I also really like the Dresden Berglund - according to Berglund his best recording - the Inbal and the Ancerl, the...I like just about all of them!


The one he recorded live in Prague after the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union followed? Tremendous recording. I also have a soft spot for the crystalline polish of his earlier one with the Boston Symphony.


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## CDs

dieter said:


> Probably the Czech Kubelik. I also really like the Dresden Berglund - according to Berglund his best recording - the Inbal and the Ancerl, the...I like just about all of them!


Thanks! I'll have to check out the Dresden Berglund recording.


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## dieter

Animal the Drummer said:


> The one he recorded live in Prague after the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union followed? Tremendous recording. I also have a soft spot for the crystalline polish of his earlier one with the Boston Symphony.


Yes, I like that too. The Czech recording has 'History' on its side though...


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## dieter

CDs said:


> Thanks! I'll have to check out the Dresden Berglund recording.


Please do - I'm sure you'll see why it's a great recording. I just love this work. It really moves me, not quite sure why because I'm German to the core...


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## Oldhoosierdude

I just counted my beethoven symphony cycles. This is a collection amassed over several decades, many of them given to me or free or low cost finds: 22 right now. And I can think of 4 or 5 that I have divested myself of. 

I have 4 renditions of Bach cello concertos. At leat a dozen Vivaldi 4 seasons. 5 Brandenburg concertos.


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## dieter

I have 57 recordings of Bruckner 4, 54 of the 8th. Sad but true.


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## joen_cph

dieter said:


> I have 57 recordings of Bruckner 4, 54 of the 8th. Sad but true.


Well, it could be worse. 
And they are some of the best symphonies ever.

I don´t think there are any works where I have more than ~25 recordings (a handful such works). 
Lots between 10-20 though.


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## dieter

joen_cph said:


> Well, it could be worse.
> And they are some of the best symphonies ever.
> 
> I don´t think there are any works where I have more than ~25 recordings (a handful such works).
> Lots between 10-20 though.


I love the music though. So when I see a recording and it's affordable I buy it. A lot of my cd's are bought at sales, via the internet from Presto, Amazon, Berkshire and MDT. Many are second hand as well...


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## Pugg

dieter said:


> I have 57 recordings of Bruckner 4, 54 of the 8th. Sad but true.


As long as you are happy, no problem whatsoever.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

I don't actually own many cycles - maybe about 15 complete cycles of Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Bruckner, Sibelius and one Mozart. But I own many different recordings of favorite individual symphonies. I do prefer to buy individual CDs than sets as sets are often a mixed bag but sometimes great deals or a very highly regarded set make my decision for me.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

dieter said:


> I have 57 recordings of Bruckner 4, 54 of the 8th. Sad but true.


Admirable dedication! So which are your favorite 4th and 8th?


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## dieter

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> Admirable dedication! So which are your favorite 4th and 8th?


4: Celibidach, Munich, Sanderling, Jochum Dresden, Bohm.
8: Furtwangler, 44 and both 49's. Wand,NDR, Skrowazcewski, Jochum Dresden - it attuned me to the work.
Least favourite is the Mravinsky 8, it's brutal.


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## Johnnie Burgess

I own multiples for Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Schumann.


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## Pugg

I like boxes very much .


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## Johnnie Burgess

Pugg said:


> I like boxes very much .


Haydn is the hard one to own multiple sets for.


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## Merl

The first number is cycles on CD. The 2nd number, in brackets, is the number of lossless cycles on my hard drive. These are just estimates. Can't be bothered counting them.

6 x Brahms cycles (+2)
1 x Bruckner (+6)
4 x Tchaikovsky (+2)
15+ x Beethoven (+ at least 20) and many almost complete sets that I'm in the middle of completing
2 x Mahler (+10) and lots of individual performances (about 15 firsts)
1 x Bruckner (+9)
4 x Dvorak (+5)
1 x Haydn


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## Pugg

Merl said:


> The first number is cycles on CD. The 2nd number, in brackets, is the number of lossless cycles on my hard drive. These are just estimates. Can't be bothered counting them.
> 
> 6 x Brahms cycles (+2)
> 1 x Bruckner (+6)
> 4 x Tchaikovsky (+2)
> 15+ x Beethoven (+ at least 20) and many almost complete sets that I'm in the middle of completing
> 2 x Mahler (+10) and lots of individual performances (about 15 firsts)
> 1 x Bruckner (+9)
> 4 x Dvorak (+5)
> 1 x Haydn


Good choice and great taste .


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## Johnnie Burgess

Merl said:


> The first number is cycles on CD. The 2nd number, in brackets, is the number of lossless cycles on my hard drive. These are just estimates. Can't be bothered counting them.
> 
> 6 x Brahms cycles (+2)
> 1 x Bruckner (+6)
> 4 x Tchaikovsky (+2)
> 15+ x Beethoven (+ at least 20) and many almost complete sets that I'm in the middle of completing
> 2 x Mahler (+10) and lots of individual performances (about 15 firsts)
> 1 x Bruckner (+9)
> 4 x Dvorak (+5)
> 1 x Haydn


That is a lot of Beethoven cycle. But there a lot of them.


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## Merl

Johnnie Burgess said:


> That is a lot of Beethoven cycle. But there a lot of them.


There's gotta be at least 50+ full (or nearly complete) Beethoven cycles out there. I have most of the ones I want and still havent even listened to about a quarter of those on my HD. I did have more but I deleted some I never liked, a while back (Klemperer, Walter, Bernstein, Kripps spring to mind). One of the few I'm keen to hear (not a full cycle AFAIK) are Casals readings. They're often raved about.


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## Johnnie Burgess

Merl said:


> There's gotta be at least 50+ full (or nearly complete) Beethoven cycles out there. I have most of the ones I want and still havent even listened to about a quarter of those on my HD. I did have more but I deleted some I never liked, a while back (Klemperer, Walter, Bernstein, Kripps spring to mind). One of the few I'm keen to hear (not a full cycle AFAIK) are Casals readings. They're often raved about.


And the record companies love bring back new remastering of the old cycles.


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## Pugg

Merl said:


> There's gotta be at least 50+ full (or nearly complete) Beethoven cycles out there. I have most of the ones I want and still havent even listened to about a quarter of those on my HD. I did have more but I deleted some I never liked, a while back (Klemperer, Walter, Bernstein, Kripps spring to mind). One of the few I'm keen to hear (not a full cycle AFAIK) are Casals readings. They're often raved about.


What's your verdict about Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra recording?


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## Merl

Tbh, I've only heard his 7th from that set and it was decent but not glorious. I prefer his live 7th with the LSO and his live 9th is very good too. The live LSO cycle is a good solid set - not earth-shattering but solid. I couldn't really comment on the Concertgeouw set from just hearing one performance. I'm sure I'll get round to it. I like the Leibowitz cycle but the strings sounds sinewy and the whole recording sounds a bit odd and dated to my ears. It's a shame it hadn't been recorded digitally as I'm sure it would have been a cracker. I like his tempos. Of older recordings Szell and HvK 63 are two of my go to cycles. They still sound good to this day.


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## SixFootScowl

Merl said:


> I like the Leibowitz cycle but the strings sounds sinewy and the whole recording sounds a bit odd and dated to my ears.


I feel the same way about it, so for me the Zinman cycle is quick tempo like Leibowitz but with nice modern sound quality.


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## Merl

I heard a pretty awful Beethoven set the other day (and immediately put it into the recycle bin on the PC) - Fedoseyev and the Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio. Live but so boring!!! Turgid speeds, terrible playing (even my knackered ears picked out at least 3 or 4 bum notes alone), a really tired and dated sound and some of the worst coughing I've heard in a live recording. It must have been recorded during a flu epidemic in the middle of the worst Russian winter in 100 years. The worst symphony I sampled being an absolutely horrendous rendition of the 9th. If you ever see it on budget avoid it like the plague. There's a really terrible children's choir on it....and I mean REALLY terrible!!!!!


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## Mahlerian

Merl said:


> I heard a pretty awful Beethoven set the other day (and immediately put it into the recycle bin on the PC) - Fedoseyev and the Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio. Live but so boring!!! Turgid speeds, terrible playing (even my knackered ears picked out at least 3 or 4 bum notes alone), a really tired and dated sound and some of the worst coughing I've heard in a live recording. It must have been recorded during a flu epidemic in the middle of the worst Russian winter in 100 years. The worst symphony I sampled being an absolutely horrendous rendition of the 9th. If you ever see it on budget avoid it like the plague. There's a really terrible children's choir on it....and I mean REALLY terrible!!!!!


I'm waiting to hear the justification for using a children's choir in Beethoven's Ninth _at all_, even a good one.


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## Merl

Mahlerian said:


> I'm waiting to hear the justification for using a children's choir in Beethoven's Ninth _at all_, even a good one.


Funnily enough I edited that precise comment out at the end of the piece as I didn't want to seem too disparaging to children's voices. I know it's wrong in the 9th but maybe it might work for some people and as a novelty, well at least he tried summat different. Honestly, it isn't the fact that they're a children's choir that is so hard to take. It's the fact that they sound bloody awful! I really wasn't prepared for something that sounded worse than the most horrific Britain's Got Talent kid's choir you've ever heard. I think I actually said "What the f***", out loud.


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## Johnnie Burgess

Merl said:


> Funnily enough I edited that precise comment out at the end of the piece as I didn't want to seem too disparaging to children's voices. I know it's wrong in the 9th but maybe it might work for some people and as a novelty, well at least he tried summat different. Honestly, it isn't the fact that they're a children's choir that is so hard to take. It's the fact that they sound bloody awful! I really wasn't prepared for something that sounded worse than the most horrific Britain's Got Talent kid's choir you've ever heard. I think I actually said "What the f***", out loud.


So you found another one for the bad Beethoven symphony cycle.


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## joen_cph

Merl said:


> I heard a pretty awful Beethoven set the other day (and immediately put it into the recycle bin on the PC) - Fedoseyev and the Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio. Live but so boring!!! Turgid speeds, terrible playing (even my knackered ears picked out at least 3 or 4 bum notes alone), a really tired and dated sound and some of the worst coughing I've heard in a live recording. It must have been recorded during a flu epidemic in the middle of the worst Russian winter in 100 years. The worst symphony I sampled being an absolutely horrendous rendition of the 9th. If you ever see it on budget avoid it like the plague. There's a really terrible children's choir on it....and I mean REALLY terrible!!!!!


If so, a sad state of things, since Fedoseyev has made a good deal of fine/OK-ish recordings of Russian music in the past.

The MusicWeb review isn´t favourable:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Dec08/Beethoven_syms.htm


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## Merl

joen_cph said:


> If so, a sad state of thing since Fedoseyev has made a good deal of fine/OK-ish recordings of Russian music in the past.
> 
> The MusicWeb review isn´t favourable:
> http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Dec08/Beethoven_syms.htm


I'm sure it was just a glitch for Mr Fedoseyez. You cant get it right every time! Lol, the reviewer has picked up on most of the stuff that I did but tbh once you listen these are all glaringly obvious bad points. I probably exaggerated a bit in my own review but it is a very leaden performance. The background noise (particularly from the orchestra) though is not exaggerated. They make a terrible racket when not playing. As far as the reviewers summation of the 7th symphony is concerned I didn't find it at all convincing. It was dreary to the extreme. The 9th is one of the the worst ive ever heard. It's so ungainly and unco-ordinated. Just a bad day at the office. Nice that I'm not alone in my poor review, tho.


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## Brahmsian Colors

Yes. Mozart---Klemperer, Bohm
Haydn---Beecham, Scherchen, Davis
Beethoven---Weingartner, Klemperer, Walter, Karajan
Schubert---Kertesz, Mehta
Brahms---Klemperer, Walter, Kertesz, Jochum Berlin Phil and London Symphony, Karajan (60s
and 70s), Van Beinum 
Schumann---Sawallisch, Szell, Bernstein N.Y. Phil
Sibelius---Collins, Maazel
Vaughan Williams---Boult, Previn
Bruckner---Jochum Berlin and Bavarian Radio, Celibidache
Mahler---Bernstein N.Y. Phil, Kubelik Bavarian Radio, Tennstedt London Phl.


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## Merl

Merl said:


> The first number is cycles on CD. The 2nd number, in brackets, is the number of lossless cycles on my hard drive. These are just estimates. Can't be bothered counting them.
> 
> 6 x Brahms cycles (+2)
> 4 x Tchaikovsky (+2)
> 15+ x Beethoven (+ at least 20) and many almost complete sets that I'm in the middle of completing
> 2 x Mahler (+10) and lots of individual performances (about 15 firsts)
> 1 x Bruckner (+9)
> 4 x Dvorak (+5)
> 1 x Haydn


Just been having a look through the CDs and HD and it seems my estimates are total crap. You can practically double all of my original estimates, except the Haydn and the Brahms (they are spot-on). There are numerous sets of Bruckner symphonies on my HD and at least 30 Beethoven symphony cycles on there. There's definitely more than 20 Beethoven sets in the CD racks too.


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## Barbebleu

Glad to see that I'm not the only psycho collector of multiple versions of things out there!


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## Merl

Barbebleu said:


> Glad to see that I'm not the only psycho collector of multiple versions of things out there!


What's even worse is it never stops. Symphony cycles that were out of my price range 15 years ago are being re-released on budget labels or appearing secondhand for little money. Add to this an acquaintance that works in a large charity shop (and knows what I collect) and you have a recipe for disaster.


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## Barbebleu

Merl said:


> What's even worse is it never stops. Symphony cycles that were out of my price range 15 years ago are being re-released on budget labels or appearing secondhand for little money. Add to this an acquaintance that works in a large charity shop (and knows what I collect) and you have a recipe for disaster.


Yes, I also have a friend who gave me, and I know I'll never get through it or possibly forgive him, a download of the Phillips release of the complete Mozart box that they did. Every blessed note of every blessed thing that he ever wrote. I'm working my way through the Quartetto Italiano's string quartets at the moment.


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## joen_cph

Haydn67 said:


> Yes. Mozart---Klemperer, Bohm
> Haydn---Beecham, Scherchen, Davis
> Beethoven---Weingartner, Klemperer, Walter, Karajan
> Schubert---Kertesz, Mehta
> Brahms---Klemperer, Walter, Kertesz, Jochum Berlin Phil and London Symphony, Karajan (60s
> and 70s), Van Beinum
> Schumann---Sawallisch, Szell, Bernstein N.Y. Phil
> Sibelius---Collins, Maazel
> Vaughan Williams---Boult, Previn
> Bruckner---Jochum Berlin and Bavarian Radio, Celibidache
> Mahler---Bernstein N.Y. Phil, Kubelik Bavarian Radio, Tennstedt London Phl.


Nice to see a collection with such _contrasting _multiple recordings. 
Some of my favourites there too ...


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## JACE

I'll play.

BEETHOVEN
Bohm - VPO
Jochum - LSO 
Karajan - BPO (60s)

BRAHMS
Jochum - LPO 
Karajan - BPO (60s)
Walter - Columbia SO

IVES 
Farberman - New Philharmonia O
Litton - Dallas SO
Tilson Thomas - CSO & RCOA

RACHMANINOV
Ashkenazy - RCOA
Jansons - St. Petersburg PO

SCHUMANN
Levine - Philadelphia O
Szell - Cleveland O

SHOSTAKOVICH
Barshai - WDR SO
Rozhdestvensky - USSR SO

SIBELIUS
Ashkenazy - Philharmonia O
Barbirolli - Halle O

Obviously, most of my purchases aren't sets. One example: I think I have a fairly large collection Mahler recordings. (It's all relative, of course!!!) Over the years, I've collected several versions of each Mahler symphony -- maybe 6 or 7 recordings per work -- but I only have _one_ complete set, Kubelik/BRSO on DG. And I bought that set because Kubelik was the only conductor who struck me as consistently remarkable across the entire cycle.


----------

