# Wife gave me Complete Mozart Editiion on CD (x 170)



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Yes - best birthday present I ever had by the looks of it - also gave me Jane Glover's book "Mozart's Women) plus two other books on Mozart which I don't have. It all beats the shirts and socks I normally get.

The set is not something I would have bought myself - and when I saw it my initial thoughts were - OMG what have you done!

It's the edition by Brilliant Classics - does anyone on this board have it? 

My impressions so far are good - of course you can find better performances for the material in this set but so far everything seems to be good. The symphonies are done in period performances which is fantastic - saves me buying the Pinnock set - though I guess the Pinnock would be better. 

It is incredibly well organised - a great reference set at the very least ad fabulous for getting through material not previously heard.

I recall when the Philips edition came out - I think it was about £1250 - and this set is a fraction of that. 

So who else has a compete Mozart and how do you get on with it?


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

I don't own complete sets of any recordings -- just chiming in I hope you thanked that wife


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

From my experience, the Brilliant Mozart set is pretty good, especially for the lesser known pieces, but not as strong for the operas. 

However I would definitely reccomend the Brilliant Bach and Beethoven sets. These sets are far more consistant and some of the performances (e.g. Gulda playing Beethoven's piano works or Pieter-Jan Belder playing Bach on harpsichord) are among my favourites available.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I own both the old Philips Complete Mozart Edition and The Brilliant Classics set you have.

Obviously the Philips was way more expensive than the Brilliant Classics but it was also the only option way back when I got it. It's comparing apples and oranges because many of the Philips recordings are considered top of the heap, but the Brilliant Classics set gets an A for value.

The Symphonies are well recorded and are nicely done by Jaap Ter Linden. They don't beat Marriner, or Bohm or Pinnock (if you want period instruments) in my opinion but they are very listenable.

The Piano Concertos are also well recorded and nicely done, and again in my opinion they don't beat Perahia or Brendel, but Han is no slouch. He's obviously a talented musician and I wouldn't discourage someone from listening to him.

The String Quartets from the Vienna Quartet are nice, but not as good as the Italiano Quartet.

Basically what I am getting at is yes, there are better performances for everything in the box, but nothing does disservice to Mozart. Some people don't like Fortepiano for the Piano Sonatas and would rather hear a standard piano but those are pretty minor things which can easily be rectified by purchasing a separate set of recordings you might like.

You can always upgrade a few things here and there but many things in that set you probably don't need multiple copies of. I like to have lots of different recordings of the major works but I don't need multiple works of his music for Glass Harmonica for example because it's not something I listen to all that frequently.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

So the piano sonatas are done on fortepiano? Great - that's shrewd of them.
I listen to K388 (wind serenade yesterday) which I had no complaints about at all.
I am currently listening to a disc of early minuets - dozens of them K104, K105, K61H, K176.

Can't wait to get going on the operas - I am no stickler for big names - I often find top quality musicians on minor labels - virtually unknown heroes and heroines of music.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

From what I remember there are some bigger name conductors on the "Major" Operas. 

They are all ok from what I remember, but for me I like Samuel Ramey's voice in particular for Figaro, so for The Marriage Of Figaro, Solti is my go to recording. If you don't necessarily have favorites like that then there is no reason you shouldn't enjoy the Brilliant Box. I just have a ridiculous number of Mozart recordings to choose from so while I might not listen to the Brilliant box all that frequently, it's still a very good deal and for someone who just wants to work their way through the majority of his works and maybe then expand into some different interpretations, there's probably no better starting block for the price.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Check piano concerto number 21. That was defective in every copy of the box I found. I eventually gave up and got Han's 21 from another Brilliant box.

That Mozart box is excellent.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

realdealblues said:


> From what I remember there are some bigger name conductors on the "Major" Operas.
> 
> They are all ok from what I remember, but for me I like Samuel Ramey's voice in particular for Figaro, so for The Marriage Of Figaro, Solti is my go to recording. If you don't necessarily have favorites like that then there is no reason you shouldn't enjoy the Brilliant Box. I just have a ridiculous number of Mozart recordings to choose from so while I might not listen to the Brilliant box all that frequently, it's still a very good deal and for someone who just wants to work their way through the majority of his works and maybe then expand into some different interpretations, there's probably no better starting block for the price.


I would have thought it would be bewildering for a starter - you might just pick up a disc with nothing but 1 and 2 minute canons on it and after a dozen of those think - what the hell! Where's my Beethoven best of.
Did you find any little gems there which you did not know before?


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

stomanek said:


> I would have thought it would be bewildering for a starter - you might just pick up a disc with nothing but 1 and 2 minute canons on it and after a dozen of those think - what the hell! Where's my Beethoven best of.
> Did you find any little gems there which you did not know before?


Well, I would think most people would start with the Symphonies and listen through all of them and then move onto his Piano Concertos or Serenades, etc. Working through the his "larger well known works" first. That's how I've always done it. I would never just pick a disc at random.

Symphonies are my favorite medium so with any composer I always start with them. Then (for Mozart anyway) the Serenades and Divertimenti. Then Piano Concertos and Sonatas or other Piano Works. Then String Quartets & Quintets. Then Violin Concertos and Sonatas. Then Masses, Operas, followed by everything else. I always work in that order through most every composer that I've ever listen too. Obviously Wagner or Verdi or someone like that is different because it's primarily opera and Bach and Vivialdi didn't really have "symphonies" but I always start with Orchestral works, move into solo instrument works, sacred works, etc.

As far as finding little gems, I'd heard everything long before I got that Brilliant Box Set. Back when I discovered Mozart and went through everything of his I honestly didn't find anything I didn't like. I am a huge fan of his Piano Sonatas (even more so than Beethoven's), they are ALL gems to me.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Just thought I would update my impressions on this set.
I listened to the CD of Mozart's canons - for choir and also for small ensembles - not very rewarding listening though there are some nice pieces. I tried next - disc 89 - which has some variations for piano - of the 7 pieces - I found K179 really very good and I would recommend it - never heard it before and a pleasing find. Next - ?


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## Kleinzeit (May 15, 2013)

I'm very contented with the Brilliant Bach & Haydn boxes. Go Brill!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Your wife is obviously a very thoughtful lady with taste! I got a pair of slippers today for my birthday from my own wonderful lady! She does think that with around 1000 CDs I have more than enough already. However she has just bought me John Eliot Gardiner's complete Purcell choral works set which I look forward to getting from Amazon. 
Just to say that Glover's book is a really good read. Enjoy!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

DavidA said:


> Your wife is obviously a very thoughtful lady with taste! I got a pair of slippers today for my birthday from my own wonderful lady! She does think that with around 1000 CDs I have more than enough already. However she has just bought me John Eliot Gardiner's complete Purcell choral works set which I look forward to getting from Amazon.
> Just to say that Glover's book is a really good read. Enjoy!


Just started Glover's book - fantastic so far.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

I always enjoyed her conducting......


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Just listened to K205 - divertimento - very very good piece - amazing slow intro in frst movement sound like mature Mozart.
the set is looking good so far


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

My wife bought this for me too, a long time ago.... I've almost never listened to it.... But I mean to someday!


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

This boxed set is currently in my car-commute rotation (one disc out of 13). I listen to each disc three times before replacing it with the next.

I'm a chronological nut, but this set makes it hard by mashing together a lot of pieces from low K numbers to high K numbers on the same disc. So, I just reordered the set by the lowest K number on each disc. I'm up to the eighth disc now (Concert Arias for soprano).

My favorites so far have been the very first one (CD90)- keyboard pieces (including several using a very delightlful instrument called a tangentenflugel); and CD94 - Keyboard pieces for four hands.

The only time I went out of order on this set was to listen to the "Jupiter" symphony when TC was doing its weekend review of that piece. It's my favorite "Jupiter" ever. I've never been too keen on this one, but the Jaap Ter Linden performance managed to float my boat.


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

You know, I flirted with buying this same box set a few times and balked. The only reason I didn't get it is because I'm incrementally building up my set and stalk a piece a while before purchase. So I go by performers too. But I have some Brilliant Classics discs and they're great. I still think I'll get this some day, to be completist, you know?

How's the book, by the way?

Your missus has great taste! :tiphat:


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Kieran said:


> You know, I flirted with buying this same box set a few times and balked. The only reason I didn't get it is because I'm incrementally building up my set and stalk a piece a while before purchase. So I go by performers too. But I have some Brilliant Classics discs and they're great. I still think I'll get this some day, to be completist, you know?
> 
> How's the book, by the way?
> 
> Your missus has great taste! :tiphat:


My wife doesn't like Mozart.

Fantastic book.

I think if you had a look inside the set and started to explore - you would buy it. what does 100 quid buy? 4 opera sets


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

You said she bought you other books. Do you mind me to ask which ones?

Musta been a special birthday, by the way. 50? 100? 150?


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

49 actually - maybe she thinks I will copit before my 5oth and wanted to give me this now.

TBH the next best presnt I could have got would be an esoteric LP player - so this was pretty good.

I'll let you know what other books soon as i'm out now


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

The other two books are:

Mozart: Extraordinary Life by Julian Rushton
Mozart: The Man and the artist; as revealed in his own words by echo library

Listened to a disc containing the fantasies k397, 396 etc - also a 3 movement suite on harpsichord - very ineteresting


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

I have another Rushton book, in the Master Musicians series, edited by Stanley sadie, it's very good, a bit technical for my cloth ears, but I enjoy it.

Those fantasies are very good, a little experimentation maybe, or they're the product of his own improvisations...


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Have just discovered the remarkable prelude and fugure k394 in this set - but the recording is a bit harsh and to my way of taste - the pianist is a bit heavy handed. Can anyone recommend a great perf of this work. I listened to a few bars of the Gould and hated it (far too slow)


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I think I have those on a Philips Duo. Can't remember who though. I'll check for you.


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