# Recommended Boxsets for Major Works by Popular Composers



## Centropolis

I am very new at listening to classical music but I love symphonies, sonatas and strings but not so much stuff with voice in it. Without too much thinking, I went into a place that sells used stuff (clothing mainly) and bought every classical CD they had for $3 each. I came home with about 25 CDs of various stuff. I didn't even cared what they were, I just bought all of them available because they were relatively cheap at $3 each case (many of which included 2-CDs in each). I was even able to snag a 10-CD set of Beethoven piano sonatas Vladimir Ashkenazy for only $3 for the set!

I came home and really thought about this approach. I didn't realize it at the time but now think that this approach seems meaningless and stupid really. 

As a newbie, I way I want to approach buying classical stuff is by boxsets. It seems there are so many good deals where you can pay $15 for 2 symphonies but for $30 you can get a set that includes all. Before I turn this into a this VS that, I just want to say that I do understand there are differences in the sound quality and performances even for the same piece.

My question is, to start my collection, can you recommend me some boxsets that are not too expensive and rare but are must haves for a newbie? Because I am still new at this, I want to stick to major works by the more popular composers for now. Again, the stuff I like are symphonies, strings and piano and not so much anything with vocals/voice in them.

I am looking for complete works in a specific type so a complete boxset for synmphonies by Mozart or a complete boxset of piano sonatas by Chopin for example.....and not a specific piece only.

And if possible, without debating the merits or older vs newer, I prefer the newer stereo recordings.

Thanks!


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## bigshot

The Living Stereo box is the best for core repetoire. Decca Sound is great too. They're quite different, so get both and you'll have a really good start on a classical collection.

I would advise against getting complete symphony or concerto box sets of specific composers. When you are just starting out, it's best to cast your net wide and sample a lot of different things. Then after you listen to all of it, you can go in and get complete boxes of things that appeal to you.

Also, consider the bargain Amazon MP3 collections in the Rise of the Masters series. They are consistently good performances and recordings and have a massive bang to the buck ratio.


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## brotagonist

Your approach may not be as "meaningless and stupid" as you think. That Ashkenazy gem for $3 was worth your trip! Use discretion in choosing good albums worth keeping and steer clear of cheesy 'greatest hits' and 'best of' albums that you will want to get rid of later on.

You said, "I want to stick to major works by the more popular composers for now." I think this is a good way to proceed. Wikipedia is good for listing and researching a composer's works, so that you can choose the ones you might want to own.

Double or multiple disc sets give you exposure to a lot of music at low cost. Stick to famous directors, orchestras and performers until you know who your favourites are. There are excellent reissue series available on the big labels, such as Decca/Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Sony and others. Some labels have one or more sets by the major composers, with different orchestras and directors, so it would be impossible to suggest a preferred set. Pick the orchestra you like best, get some different ones so they're not all the same... you can collect alternate performances later on. How can you go wrong?


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## Centropolis

Thanks for the replies with suggestions and comments so far. I might try to do that a couple of more times and see what I can find at used CD places. The store I went to was not a used CD place but rather a Salvation Army type of donatioons store. If I go to a dedicated used CD store, I am sure they will be more expensive.

Here is a picture of what I got for $3 each.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I am now looking online for used classical CDs.


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## brotagonist

Wow! You got great music. No junky or cheesy albums there. Those albums are all keepers, even if you want to have additional versions of your favourite pieces, and it's a nice assortment of symphonies, concertos, string quartets, piano duos and piano solos. Some baroque, some classical, some romantic... what a great start to a great collection. Nice!

I'd say you go back to that store and buy every last one of their better albums, instead of wasting your time on mail-order


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## Centropolis

brotagonist said:


> I'd say you go back to that store and buy every last one of their better albums, instead of wasting your time on mail-order


I already did went to a different store (same store but different location) tonight but only found non-classical CDs that I wanted.  No classical stuff. I think I lucked out that one time.


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## david johnson

please check out: 1) the amazon mp3 offerings in the 'big box' category, 2) the naxos boxes, 3) the brilliant classics boxes.


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## PetrB

Debussy ~ Complete orchestral works; Philharmonia Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conducting. Boulez recorded them twice, the later set (fine, but different) with the Clevenland Orchestra. The earlier recordings are certainly budget by now.

Mahler ~ Complete Symphonies; Utah Orchestra, Maurice Abravanel. From decades ago, sound still great, performances more than fine.

Ravel ~ Complete piano works; Samson Francois, piano.


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## KenOC

PetrB said:


> Mahler ~ Complete Symphonies; Utah Orchestra, Maurice Abravanel. From decades ago, sound still great, performances more than fine.


Just a note that the whole set of Abravanel symphonies plus a good hunk of Mahler's songs are available as a download for $2.99.

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Mahler-Bo..._shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375892987&sr=301-1


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## schuberkovich

To be honest - just start listening to what you already have (there's a lot of variety) before getting a box set. I would start with the Schubert quartets - they are great and all very accessible.


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## Centropolis

KenOC said:


> Just a note that the whole set of Abravanel symphonies plus a good hunk of Mahler's songs are available as a download for $2.99.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Big-Mahler-Bo..._shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375892987&sr=301-1


That looks like an amazing deal! Even better than my $3 Beethoven Piano Sonatas Set. But I have a feeling that it won't let me buy it from Canada.

Any idea what bitrates are Amazon MP3s?


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## realdealblues

If you want some basic building blocks that aren't too expensive I would personally recommend (Amazon.com Canada Links Included):

Mozart: The Complete Symphonies with Charles Mackerras & Prague Chamber Orchestra

Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies with Herbert Von Karajan & The Berlin Philharmonic

Schubert: The Complete Symphonies with Riccardo Muti & The Vienna Philharmonic

Tchaikovsky: The Complete Symphonies with Igor Markevitch & The London Symphony Orchestra

Mahler: The Complete Symphonies with Leonard Bernstein & The New York Philharmonic

I started out much like you and I like to have the complete Symphonies from some of the bigger composers in history. I believe these to all be "Quality" sets. People may nitpick but they've all been reviewed over the years and have been held in high esteem by many Classical Music critics and listeners. You could do far worse than these sets and most of them you can get "New" on the Amazon Marketplace for sometimes $10 less than Amazon is asking and all of them are what I consider budget price compared to many other sets.


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## KenOC

Centropolis said:


> Any idea what bitrates are Amazon MP3s?


They seem to be 256K VBR.


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## Centropolis

Wow, just searched Big Box on Amazon.com and it came up with all these big collections for only $2.99 each set. Although I prefer having physical CDs, maybe for $3 and get that much music is a way to build a collection.


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## Ukko

Centropolis said:


> That looks like an amazing deal! Even better than my $3 Beethoven Piano Sonatas Set. But I have a feeling that it won't let me buy it from Canada.
> 
> Any idea what bitrates are Amazon MP3s?


The bitrates are usually 256. Does amazon.ca have those sets?


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## Centropolis

realdealblues said:


> I started out much like you and I like to have the complete Symphonies from some of the bigger composers in history. I believe these to all be "Quality" sets. People may nitpick but they've all been reviewed over the years and have been held in high esteem by many Classical Music critics and listeners. You could do far worse than these sets and most of them you can get "New" on the Amazon Marketplace for sometimes $10 less than Amazon is asking and all of them are what I consider budget price compared to many other sets.


Thanks for those suggestions. I enjoy symphonies very much as it provides a good range of emotions and energy. Piano sonatas are good but I feel I am way too relaxed listening to them.

I will see if I can find these boxsets in a used CD shop first and then go to Amazon.


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## Centropolis

Hilltroll72 said:


> The bitrates are usually 256. Does amazon.ca have those sets?


No, it doesn't look like Amazon Canada has them.


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## DavidA

Mozart piano concertos try Perahia. Now very reasonable.


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## DavidA

One to avoid in my book - Chailly's Beethoven symphonies. Tempi so fast the music alwAys seems rushed. A disappointment for me, despite the re or ding quality.


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## Centropolis

DavidA said:


> One to avoid in my book - Chailly's Beethoven symphonies. Tempi so fast the music alwAys seems rushed. A disappointment for me, despite the re or ding quality.


Thanks DavidA.

Since I have not read enough materials to determine what's popular, can you give me some general consensus on what's considered to be good for the general public in the way of composer and type other than symphonies? What I mean is something like, in general people find "Beethoven's violin concertos" and "Haydn's piano concertos" to be recommended.

I am just trying to expand my search but still want to stick to the general basic stuff.


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## realdealblues

If you being looking for specific recordings of specific works. There are several reviewers at www.classicstoday.com where you can search reviews for specific works by specific composers or soloists, etc and they give a rating on performance as well as sound quality, 10/10 meaning great performance and great sound.

MusicWeb International is another site with lots of reviews although their search engine is a little chaotic.

You can also go to www.arkivmusic.com and click on a composer and it will tell you their most popular works on the side of the webpage and when you click on them you can see all recordings or you can see recommended recordings for those works, etc.

As an example here is the Beethoven page from ArkivMusic.

Hopefully you may find some of that helpful.

You can also ask about recordings on the forum of course but be prepared to receive a wide variety of recommendations...lol.


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## brotagonist

I understood that you are new to classical music listening and that you want to have a generous sampling of the great symphonies by the major composers performed by quality orchestras in order to get to know the music without spending a whole lot. So...

Do you need all of the symphonies by everyone? Schubert left a lot of unfinished works and fragments. Do you need those? Mahler wrote 9 symphonies and Tchaikovsky 6 symphonies. Would 3-4 of each do? Are you sure you want 10 discs of Mozart's symphonies? At $3 from the thrift store, of course! But for $25 or more? Haydn wrote over 100 symphonies. I think you see where this is heading. Brahms only wrote 4 symphonies, so they are worth getting. Beethoven is Beethoven, so you probably should just get them all 

I might suggest getting this Beethoven set:

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B007NCP86E/

The orchestra and conductor are well respected and you can get a 'used like new' copy for CDN$ 12.50 including shipping. The seller is Marvelio and I have made a lot of purchases from them through Amazon.ca's Marketplace.

There is also this one, but it will set you back CDN$ 28.00 for a new one (I bought it used a couple of days ago, but haven't listened to it yet):

http://www.amazon.ca/Beethoven-Symphonies-1-9-1963-recordings/dp/B000001GBQ/

I suggest digging up the best deals you can find at a used CD store, as you will likely be able to save a lot of money and not have to pay for shipping. Expect to pay about $5-$10 per disc.

If you cannot find sets of the complete symphonies by the composers you are after, just pick a few symphonies by each composer. Use Wikipedia or another resource to figure out which symphonies would interest you the most. Just reading an article about a work will often help you weed out some excess... that you can always fill in later on, once you have become more knowledgeable.


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## RJMJR

david johnson said:


> please check out: 1) the amazon mp3 offerings in the 'big box' category, 2) the naxos boxes, 3) the brilliant classics boxes.


I have purchased the Haydn, Bach, Beethoven and Vivaldi Big Boxes. The are hours of music there - mostly fitting the description of what you are looking for. I hit a sale and got these for $0.99 each!


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## bigshot

At Amazon's MP3 section, anything in the "Rise of the Masters" series or the Bach Guild "Big Box" series is recommendable.


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## KenOC

bigshot said:


> At Amazon's MP3 section, anything in the "Rise of the Masters" series or the Bach Guild "Big Box" series is recommendable.


Agree, and would add the "99 most essential" MP3 sets from the X5 Music Group. The composer-specific sets generally have complete pieces in (mostly) very fine performances and recordings.


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## brotagonist

Shopping for a collection is an art. A collection composed exclusively of choice albums, hand-chosen and/or accidentally discovered, that you have acquired shrewdly at a good price, will give more pleasure than that to be gained from the music alone.

It all comes down to what your collection means to you and its intended lifespan.


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## Centropolis

I will definitely try and see if Amazon.com will sell MP3s to Canada. I doubt it but I will try later tonight.

Meanwhile, I came back with a few boxes tonight. No $3 deals as I went to a proper used CD store. Came home with these babies:

$19 used
http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Sonatas...sr=8-9&keywords=schubert+piano+sonatas+planes

$19 used The DECCA version of this:
http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Concert...mozart+piano+concertos+perahia+vladimir+10+cd

$8 used The Tchaikovsky Box 5 CDs EMI Classics (Can't find on internet to link)

And finally $17 used Beethoven 9 Symphonies Karajan 1963 (No need to link this one everyone knows it)


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## brotagonist

Centropolis said:


> I came back with a few boxes tonight.


I'd like to know where that store is


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## Centropolis

brotagonist said:


> I'd like to know where that store is


It's a store called Sonic Boom near midtown Toronto.


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## brotagonist

Centropolis said:


> It's a store called Sonic Boom near midtown Toronto.


I'll definitely keep it in mind, if you haven't bought all the good stuff before I ever make it out there again ;-)

I am having fun vicariously sharing in your enjoyment.


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## bigshot

KenOC said:


> Agree, and would add the "99 most essential" MP3 sets from the X5 Music Group. The composer-specific sets generally have complete pieces in (mostly) very fine performances and recordings.


You have to be careful with the 99 Essentials series. A lot of them include segments or single movements of works rather than complete ones.


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## realdealblues

Centropolis said:


> I will definitely try and see if Amazon.com will sell MP3s to Canada. I doubt it but I will try later tonight.
> 
> Meanwhile, I came back with a few boxes tonight. No $3 deals as I went to a proper used CD store. Came home with these babies:
> 
> $19 used
> http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Sonatas...sr=8-9&keywords=schubert+piano+sonatas+planes
> 
> $19 used The DECCA version of this:
> http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Concert...mozart+piano+concertos+perahia+vladimir+10+cd
> 
> $8 used The Tchaikovsky Box 5 CDs EMI Classics (Can't find on internet to link)
> 
> And finally $17 used Beethoven 9 Symphonies Karajan 1963 (No need to link this one everyone knows it)


Out of curiosity, who's conducting the Tchaikovsky symphonies?

With those recordings and the ones you bought previously I would say you have a good start. Spend some times with those recordings and see what you like. I spent months exploring Mozart's Piano Concertos when I got my first box set of those. Same with the Beethoven Piano Sonatas (the Ashkenazy set you got the other day was my first one too).


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## Vesteralen

I really recommend this one. Unfortunately, it's out of print and will run you into the hundreds of dollars on Amazon. (Could I sell mine for that much? Would I want to?)

You can still get most of the performances on single discs. It's worth it.


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## Centropolis

realdealblues said:


> Out of curiosity, who's conducting the Tchaikovsky symphonies?
> 
> With those recordings and the ones you bought previously I would say you have a good start. Spend some times with those recordings and see what you like. I spent months exploring Mozart's Piano Concertos when I got my first box set of those. Same with the Beethoven Piano Sonatas (the Ashkenazy set you got the other day was my first one too).


For the Tchaikovsky, it's not just symphonies, it's like an essentials collection type. Here is a pic of the back of the box.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


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## realdealblues

Lots of good stuff in that Tchaikovsky set, lots of good conductors and orchestras. Nicely done.


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## Centropolis

realdealblues said:


> Lots of good stuff in that Tchaikovsky set, lots of good conductors and orchestras. Nicely done.


Thanks!

There was also a box of Beethoven complete symphonies and piano concertos from Naxos (white box) there but my first thought was that it was too expensive for $30 used. Then, I thought about that if I was to get the complete piano concertos and Karajan's symphonies separately, it'll probably be about the same price or more expensive. In the end, I didn't buy the Naxos set because the conductor's name wasn't familiar for me.


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## brotagonist

Centropolis said:


> I didn't buy the Naxos set because the conductor's name wasn't familiar for me.


I never bought Naxos for the same reason. I am only recently beginning to open up to their recordings and now have 2-3 albums of works that I could not have afforded on any other label (Elliott Carter's _String Quartets_, Shostakovich's _24 Preludes and Fugues_).


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## realdealblues

Yeah, some of the Naxos stuff is really good. The Bruckner set is a good example, but there is just too much competition out there for the big names. Where Naxos excels is the stuff there aren't many recordings of. Lesser known composers that wrote good stuff but no one of any consequence has bothered to record it yet kind of thing. I don't look to Naxos for Beethoven symphonies but for Joseph Martin Kraus Symphonies whom I just discovered, I bought all 4 of Naxos' CD's containing his symphonies.


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## brotagonist

realdealblues said:


> Where Naxos excels is the stuff there aren't many recordings of. Lesser known composers that wrote good stuff but no one of any consequence has bothered to record it yet kind of thing.


I don't want to hijack this thread, but... just that just happened to me today: I got a Rautavaara _Symphony 7_ album, on Naxos, of course


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## Centropolis

Want to see what I got today?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Other than the Schumann Symphonies ($10) and Chopin Experience Box ($15) everything else was $1.00 each. That's correct $1 each. Actually it's less than $1.00 each since I bought 28 cases for $25. I understand a lot of these are no name and probably crappy but with this price it gives me the oppurtunity to listen to a lot of stuff for a very cheap price.

Notable CDs for less than $1 are:

http://www.amazon.com/Most-Relaxing...most+relaxing+classical+music+in+the+universe

http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Classica...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0002Z9ZCM

http://www.amazon.com/Overtures-Elo...6012&sr=1-1&keywords=rossini+overtures+dutoit

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Verdi-Ve...76006083&sr=1-16&keywords=verdi+greatest+hits

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sibelius...d=1376006121&sr=1-1&keywords=best+of+sibelius

http://www.amazon.com/Romantic-Adag...d=1376006164&sr=1-1&keywords=romantic+adagios

http://www.amazon.com/Romantic-Adag...d=1376006206&sr=1-2&keywords=romantic+adagios

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Mozart-1...r=1-6&keywords=Best+of+Mozart+golden+classics

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Mozart-2...r=1-7&keywords=Best+of+Mozart+golden+classics

http://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Guita...r=1-1&keywords=Spanish+guitar+golden+classics

Are you getting sick of me tell you what I bought everyday yet?


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## Centropolis

Sorry, double posted for some reason. Removed.


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## bigshot

Gunter Wand: The Great Recordings (28 CDs) $45 through a 3rd party Amazon seller
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Recordings-Gunter-Wand/dp/B0069EOZT8/

All great recordings of core repertoire. Super bargain.


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## bigshot

Centropolis said:


> Want to see what I got today?


You ended up with a few duds this time, but it all evens out.


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## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> You ended up with a few duds this time, but it all evens out.


Yeah I know. It was a Craigslist posting. $1 for a CD. I went overboard. But they do have music on them. I can listen to see what they are like and then resell them for a $1 each.  Or just give them to someone who wants to listen to classical music but don't want to spend money.

But come on man, less than $1, can you blame me? 

Many of them are meant for casual listeners who wants a 2 CD set just to have some classical music. I understand.


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## bigshot

I've been collecting classical music for about thirty years now. One of the truths I've found is that a bad performance can make it seem like I just don't like the music. Then I hear a good performance and I suddenly realize, it isn't the music I don't like, it's that lousy performance.

I don't waste a second on bad performances any more. I just up my budget to $2 a CD and I find more great recordings than I can buy. Like that Gunter Wand set I linked to above.

To be honest, the only CDs in that batch I would consider would be Dutoit's Rossini and the best of Verdi. But Dutoit isn't really a good conductor for Italian opera and I suspect that the Verdi CD contains bleeding chunks edits.


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## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> I've been collecting classical music for about thirty years now. One of the truths I've found is that a bad performance can make it seem like I just don't like the music. Then I hear a good performance and I suddenly realize, it isn't the music I don't like, it's that lousy performance.
> 
> I don't waste a second on bad performances any more. I just up my budget to $2 a CD and I find more great recordings than I can buy. Like that Gunter Wand set I linked to above.
> 
> To be honest, the only CDs in that batch I would consider would be Dutoit's Rossini and the best of Verdi. But Dutoit isn't really a good conductor for Italian opera and I suspect that the Verdi CD contains bleeding chunks edits.


I totally understand your point. I think I have enough of a collection now to maybe stop buying until I've continued and listened to most of them before I proceed to buy anything more unless I see something really cheap but good.

The various artists CDs will service as entry points to learning more about different styles and composers and also to throw into my laptop and stream to a Pioneer A4 wireless AirPlay/DLNA speaker for parties.  Yes, I am sure classical music are good for parties.


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## brotagonist

bigshot said:


> I've been collecting classical music for about thirty years now.


"Living Stereo" gave you away. I've been collecting since the mid-to-late '70s and those were long before my time ;-)



bigshot said:


> To be honest, the only CDs in that batch I would consider would be Dutoit's Rossini and the best of Verdi.


My picks would be the Schumann Symphonies (I have that one and really should get to know it better), Rossini Overtures, the Chopin set.

There's a lot there that will steer him in many directions


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## brotagonist

Centropolis said:


> ...unless I see something really cheap but good.


This is one of my precepts to the art of collecting. Dig up those gems for less, like the stacks from yesterday and the day before yesterday ;-) With a bit of patience (mail-order is a must out here in the west) and shopping around, you can get deals on most of the core works.


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## Cheyenne

There are no must have boxsets. For collection starting, I concur with Bigshot on Living Stereo and The Decca Sound, but want to add the following two:









The Wiener Philharmoniker: Symphony edition, which has a invariably great performances of many of the core repertoire symphonies. You could also opt for Bernstein: The Symphony Edition.

Second is this:









Meisterkonzerte: great historical recordings of almost all of the core repertoire concertos.

There are also boxsets of Bruno Walter, Gunter Wänd, Toscanini and Furtwängler that appear to have a great repertoire selection. Even the Pope has the Furtwängler one!









http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au...admits-to-predilection-for-furtw228ngler.aspx


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## apricissimus

Someone new to classical music might be disappointed by the "historical" recordings like the Furtwangler, Toscanini, or Meisterkonzerte boxes. (By this I mean the overall quality of the sound in the recordings, mono instead of stereo, etc.). Yes, Furtwangler is great and everything. But regardless of whether you think they _ought_ to be disappointed or not, many will be.


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## Cheyenne

Yes, I feared that already. The Walter and Wänd and Bernstein have fine sound at least, and the Wiener Philharmoniker Symphony Edition certainly does.


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## Centropolis

Yes, that is one of the most challenging thing for a newbie classical person is to determine which conductor, which performance and which recording for the same piece of music. (That is, once you can understand all the different types and the naming conventions etc.)

Much easier to buy a Beatles boxset than a Mozart boxset.


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## Cheyenne

Truly bad performances are rare: if you know the extend of the sound quality you can stand, and perhaps what sort of general approach you want, you'll be fine. It helps to find performances that are somewhat generally acclaimed, but going further than that would just be tiring yourself and distracting.


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## Centropolis

Cheyenne said:


> Truly bad performances are rare: if you know the extend of the sound quality you can stand, and perhaps what sort of general approach you want, you'll be fine. It helps to find performances that are somewhat generally acclaimed, but going further than that would just be tiring yourself and distracting.


Yeah, I mean I bought those $1 CDs without much expectations. Some of them are pieces of popular works by composers but just one movement instead of the full piece. I am okay with that for the price I paid for them. They also provide me with the names of the composers to the music that I may have heard many times before on TV or in movies, but never knew who wrote it.


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## bigshot

Centropolis said:


> Yes, I am sure classical music are good for parties.


Yeah, man... Chicks dig Kodaly!


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## bigshot

I would recommend that new classical music listeners work on getting over the historical recording hump earlier, rather than later. Once you become familiar with the great conductors and orchestras of the past, you become much less tolerant of bland modern performances. I found that after I started listening to the Toscanini and Furtwangler boxes I find myself skipping past a lot of Neeme Jarvi and Wolfgang Sawallisch. They sounded fine before I heard truly great conducting. Now they irritate me.


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## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> I would recommend that new classical music listeners work on getting over the historical recording hump earlier, rather than later. Once you become familiar with the great conductors and orchestras of the past, you become much less tolerant of bland modern performances. I found that after I started listening to the Toscanini and Furtwangler boxes I find myself skipping past a lot of Neeme Jarvi and Wolfgang Sawallisch. They sounded fine before I heard truly great conducting. Now they irritate me.


I think the main reason why some people will want the newer recordings is just for the sonic quality of the newer recordings. I am not talking about the quality of the performance but just the better separations and imaging of the actual music coming out.

Many people may already spent thousands of dollars on really nice audio equipment and they don't want to listen to "inferior" recordings in terms of sound quality. Newer recordings may not guarantee better enjoyment of the music but with newer equipment used in the capturing of the performances, I am sure some people will prefer newer stuff.

I bought the 1963 Karajan Beethoven symphonies solely based on recommendations and I do not expect the actual recording of them to be better to any of the modern ones. But the performance of the actual conductor and older recordings may be better.

It's not exactly the same comparison but using Beatles as an example, most people will prefer the new remastered mono boxset compared to the original CD pressings. I understand remastering and different performance recordings are different.


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## bigshot

When you've been around the block a few times, you realize that sound quality is secondary. Balance and clarity comes from the conducting, not which microphone they used.

Also, sound quality hasn't improved significantly since the introduction of stereo in the 50s. I have a pretty kick *** speaker rig and the best recording I've ever heard was recorded in 1954.

By the way, the main difference between the original release of the Beatles catalog and the new stereo box set is that the music on the new box set is slightly compressed. The original CD releases were faithful transfers. Most audiophiles prefer the original CD releases or the mono box.


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## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> When you've been around the block a few times, you realize that sound quality is secondary. Balance and clarity comes from the conducting, not which microphone they used.
> 
> Also, sound quality hasn't improved significantly since the introduction of stereo in the 50s. I have a pretty kick *** speaker rig and the best recording I've ever heard was recorded in 1954.
> 
> By the way, the main difference between the original release of the Beatles catalog and the new stereo box set is that the music on the new box set is slightly compressed. The original CD releases were faithful transfers. Most audiophiles prefer the original CD releases or the mono box.


I am in the generation that is "stuck in the middle" where I can appreciate both sides of the argument. For most music I prefer newer recordings, like remastered stuff, for jazz and classical stuff, I doesn't mind the older stuff. It brings more energy to certain recordings.

Now back to my original topic of box sets. I am wondering if more non-newbies only concentrate on single piece CDs more than sets like I do. I am guessing that once you start knowing about different conductors, even if it's more expensive to buy them as singles, people will prefer to have this version of one and the another version of another.

BTW, I have both boxsets of the remastered Beatles. I "only" paid $200 for both sets.


----------



## apricissimus

Sound quality is important. All else being equal, higher fidelity sounds is better than lower fidelity, right? I personally like the sound and the timbre of the instruments, and some of that is inevitably lost with more primitive recording methods. I do enjoy older recordings (like, pre-1950, say) if they're done well, but sometimes going to a modern recording after listening to something much older feels a bit like slipping into a warm bath. It just feels good.

Sound quality is also the main reason I attend concerts. It's just a much richer experience.

There are some recordings in that big Furtwangler box that sound awful. I'd never want to listen to them more than once, and even then only for it's historical value.


----------



## bigshot

Centropolis said:


> For most music I prefer newer recordings, like remastered stuff, for jazz and classical stuff, I doesn't mind the older stuff. It brings more energy to certain recordings.
> 
> BTW, I have both boxsets of the remastered Beatles. I "only" paid $200 for both sets.


Jazz and classical are the areas where there are certain things that just don't exist any more. If you want Caruso or Louis Armstrongs Hot 5s and 7s, you have no choice.

By the way, the Beatles boxes were widely bootlegged in China. Hard to tell from the originals. I got the Heifetz box set at a great price the other day and it appears to be a bootleg too.


----------



## bigshot

apricissimus said:


> There are some recordings in that big Furtwangler box that sound awful. I'd never want to listen to them more than once, and even then only for it's historical value.


I'm very sorry for you. But I understand what you're saying. It's like kids who don't want to watch B&W movies or silent films. I pity them. Their world is very very small.


----------



## Blancrocher

Centropolis said:


> Now back to my original topic of box sets. I am wondering if more non-newbies only concentrate on single piece CDs more than sets like I do. I am guessing that once you start knowing about different conductors, even if it's more expensive to buy them as singles, people will prefer to have this version of one and the another version of another.


If I had to do it over again, I'd spend a lot of time sampling works on spotify and youtube before buying; it's a great way to get a sense of the performers, works, and composers you like. Only after I was pretty sure I'd get a lot of listening out of a CD (or box set featuring a favorite pianist) would I splurge for the MP3 or CD. It's basically what I do now, which saves a lot of money compared to the more indiscriminate purchasing I did in the past. On the other hand, perhaps I've just gotten more judicious: a part of me thinks there's no way to be an efficient collector of classical music!

What I'm saying, anyways, is there isn't really a right way to collect, since we all have our own tastes; but keep an eye on free music services and trustworthy reviews.


----------



## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> Jazz and classical are the areas where there are certain things that just don't exist any more. If you want Caruso or Louis Armstrongs Hot 5s and 7s, you have no choice.
> 
> By the way, the Beatles boxes were widely bootlegged in China. Hard to tell from the originals. I got the Heifetz box set at a great price the other day and it appears to be a bootleg too.


With Jazz, I also run into the same problems with not knowing with ones to buy. Although Coltrane is Coltrane, it's not like I would buy someone playing Coltrane. But I do run into the same songs appear on different CDs, sets etc. and not knowing which one is the one to get. So for those I stick with the original albums and not compilations.

As for the Beatles set, I bought them at a Canadian CD/DVD chain called HMV so although nothing is certain, I doubt they were selling bootlegs. But I do hear that people were saying there are many bootlegs out there for those boxes.


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## Centropolis

Blancrocher said:


> If I had to do it over again, I'd spend a lot of time sampling works on spotify and youtube before buying; it's a great way to get a sense of the performers, works, and composers you like. Only after I was pretty sure I'd get a lot of listening out of a CD (or box set featuring a favorite pianist) would I splurge for the MP3 or CD. It's basically what I do now, which saves a lot of money compared to the more indiscriminate purchasing I did in the past. On the other hand, perhaps I've just gotten more judicious: a part of me thinks there's no way to be an efficient collector of classical music!
> 
> What I'm saying, anyways, is there isn't really a right way to collect, since we all have our own tastes; but keep an eye on free music services and trustworthy reviews.


Thanks to the Canadian legislations, Spotify, Pandora and similar services are not operating in Canada yet. (Before someone jumps on me, I do know about VPNs and all that.)


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## Blancrocher

Centropolis said:


> Thanks to the Canadian legislations, Spotify, Pandora and similar services are not operating in Canada yet. (Before someone jumps on me, I do know about VPNs and all that.)


In that case, I see they're selling a box set of Schnabel's Beethoven for $2. I gather that there are some problems with the MP3 set, including duplicated and missed tracks, but you'll get good performances of most of the sonatas for practically nothing.


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## bigshot

Centropolis said:


> But I do run into the same songs appear on different CDs, sets etc. and not knowing which one is the one to get.


With Jazz, the same song by two different artist can be completely different. I got my Beatles boot at Amazon. They've gotten into the regular supply chain somehow.


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## Cheyenne

bigshot said:


> Also, sound quality hasn't improved significantly since the introduction of stereo in the 50s. I have a pretty kick *** speaker rig and the best recording I've ever heard was recorded in 1954.


An RCA living stereo recording of the Columbia Symphony Orchestra? Those are unbelievable.



apricissimus said:


> There are some recordings in that big Furtwangler box that sound awful. I'd never want to listen to them more than once, and even then only for it's historical value.


The worst sounding is probably the premier recording of Strauss' Vier Letzte Lieder:




The testament remastering is much better, but this way anyone can judge for himself: if you can stand this, you can easily handle anything in this box, as almost all other things are vastly superior in sound. The best is great mono sound, which probably won't be bothersome to anyone. Besides, they always pick post-war recordings when available, so that most stem from 1949 - 1954.


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## bigshot

Cheyenne said:


> An RCA living stereo recording of the Columbia Symphony Orchestra? Those are unbelievable


I think you meant Chicago/Reiner, not Columbia. That's close... The best sound quality in an orchestral recording that I've ever heard is Fiedler's Offenbach / Gaeite Parisienne. Spectacularly realistic sound. I use it to tune my stereo rig. Munch's Daphnis et Chloe and Dorati's Rite of Spring are amazing as well.


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## apricissimus

bigshot said:


> I'm very sorry for you. But I understand what you're saying. It's like kids who don't want to watch B&W movies or silent films. I pity them. Their world is very very small.


But I do listen to "historical" recordings, and I think that Armstrong's Hot 5 and Hot 7 recordings (which you mentioned earlier) sound great. There's a lot of variability in that Furtwangler box, and some of them are just bad.


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## bigshot

You must be talking about the handful of 1920s recordings. Those don't even add up to a whole CD in the entire set.


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## Cheyenne

Yes, all the big pieces are rendered in late 40s to early 50s mono sound, except the Bruckner 9, which he never scheduled again after the studio recording he made during the war.


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## Centropolis

I was at a bookstore today and flipped through the book, "Penguin Guide To The 1,000 Finest Classical Recordings". I know that this is the shorten version of the big and expensive full Penguin guide. But I do find that it would be very helpful for a beginner to use as a starting point.

http://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Guide-...89&sr=1-1&keywords=penguin+guide+to+classical

I bought a used copy of the 2008 Penguin guide, http://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Guide-...88&sr=1-5&keywords=penguin+guide+to+classical

I have stopped randomly buying CDs for now and will go through the book and learn more about recordings first. Hopefully it will make every future purchase useful and worth keeping.


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## apricissimus

Centropolis said:


> I was at a bookstore today and flipped through the book, "Penguin Guide To The 1,000 Finest Classical Recordings". I know that this is the shorten version of the big and expensive full Penguin guide. But I do find that it would be very helpful for a beginner to use as a starting point.
> 
> http://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Guide-...89&sr=1-1&keywords=penguin+guide+to+classical
> 
> I bought a used copy of the 2008 Penguin guide, http://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Guide-...88&sr=1-5&keywords=penguin+guide+to+classical
> 
> I have stopped randomly buying CDs for now and will go through the book and learn more about recordings first. Hopefully it will make every future purchase useful and worth keeping.


Try not to do what I sometimes do, which is acquire CD's faster than I can listen to them.


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## Centropolis

apricissimus said:


> Try not to do what I sometimes do, which is acquire CD's faster than I can listen to them.


That's been happening in the beginning for sure. I pretty bought a whole bunch of cheap CDs, then to some used priced boxes. I have been listening to one every night. Last night it was Beethoven's 9th symphony.


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## Schumann

_Brilliant Classics editions:_ Bach / Mozart / Beethoven / Chopin / Rachmaninov / Haydn / Brahms / Mendelssohn-Handel (A Portrait) / Vivaldi (Master Works) / Schumann complete piano works / Schubert complete piano works / Alkan-Debussy-Dvorak-Grieg complete piano works

_Hyperion box sets:_ Schubert complete lieder / Liszt complete works for solo piano / Haydn piano sonatas


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## apricissimus

[deleted... posted to wrong thread.]


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## Centropolis

Keeping with the "Addicted to buying new recordings" thread, I broke my own rule of not buying any more until I listen and learn more.

I hate myself but at the same time excited. At this rate, I am going broke in 2 months.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Any thoughts on these? The Bach set and Strauss set will end up by the only things I own ever for those two composers.

Bach $50 (I know not cheap enough but I saved on shipping)
Strauss set $15 (This set is more like Strauss Family not just one Strauss)
Mozart Symphonies complete Pinnock $20


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## Conor71

^^ Good buys - you got a deal on the Bach box too!


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## bigshot

Boskovsky's J. Strauss is legendary. That is the best you could do for that repetoire. Lots of fun in that box. I have a later version of that set in paper sleeves. It's one of my favorites.


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## realdealblues

Yep, definitely some good scores. I've got all of those sets.

The Pinnock Mozart Symphonies Collection is my favorites Period Instrument set and I have both Hogwood & Pinnock for Period Instruments. Some people don't like the Period Instruments, some do. You'll have to see what you prefer.

I've also got several on Modern Instruments, Bohm for more Traditional, Marriner & Mackerras for modern. I actually have a few other Complete Mozart Symphonies sets but those are my most listened too. Each one is different.


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## Centropolis

realdealblues said:


> Yep, definitely some good scores. I've got all of those sets.
> 
> The Pinnock Mozart Symphonies Collection is my favorites Period Instrument set and I have both Hogwood & Pinnock for Period Instruments. Some people don't like the Period Instruments, some do. You'll have to see what you prefer.
> 
> I've also got several on Modern Instruments, Bohm for more Traditional, Marriner & Mackerras for modern. I actually have a few other Complete Mozart Symphonies sets but those are my most listened too. Each one is different.


There was a set of Mackerras there for $80 used! I told the person, the set is selling for $30 on Amazon. She said, this is the original pressing and it's different. Not sure what that means. Does that mean he recorded the cycle a few times and these ones are the older ones? Or does she mean like comic books, 1st editions?

BTW, where do you find the time to listen to all that stuff? It's like 41 of them and you have 4 sets!


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## realdealblues

Centropolis said:


> There was a set of Mackerras there for $80 used! I told the person, the set is selling for $30 on Amazon. She said, this is the original pressing and it's different. Not sure what that means. Does that mean he recorded the cycle a few times and these ones are the older ones? Or does she mean like comic books, 1st editions?
> 
> BTW, where do you find the time to listen to all that stuff? It's like 41 of them and you have 4 sets!


Original Pressing to me would be when it first came out on CD. Usually using old Jewel Cases where now everything is released with Cheaper Packaging and Paper Sleeves. She's welcome to want $80, but I doubt she'll ever get it. Most collectors don't collect 1st edition CD's like they do Books. They collect things that are out of print and can't be purchased in newer inexpensive sets.

As for my listening time. I listen to music all day long and all night for the most part. It's going while I'm sleeping. I listen to it on the drive into work. I listen all day at work. I listen on the drive home. I listen to it till I go to bed and it's still playing when I wake up in the morning. I don't go out much. I golf on the weekends in the summer. I go to concerts and I gig a couple weekends a month in a Classic Rock/Blues Band, but beyond that I really don't go out. Most of my hobbies are at home and I don't really watch TV much so I listen to music.

The fun for me now is listening to different interpretations. I have like 40 complete Beethoven Cycles on CD. Listen to Beethoven's 5th by Furtwangler, then listen to Toscanini, two totally different styles of interpretation. I've probably got 50 different recordings of Mozart's 40th Symphony. I'll spend a day just comparing 10-20 versions. I find things I like and things I don't like. I hear new things in different recordings that I don't hear in others. It's what I enjoy doing.

Also my tastes change. Some days I like to hear period instruments. Some days I like to hear modern instruments. Sometimes I like to hear Beethoven played by a small chamber orchestra. Some days I like to hear it played with a big, full orchestra.


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## kv466

Centropolis said:


> of which included 2-CDs in each). I was even able to snag a 10-CD set of Beethoven piano sonatas Vladimir Ashkenazy for only $3 for the set!


Sounds just about right...

I'd say the Rubinstein or the Gould complete recordings but both of those shot through the roof! And well worth it. I got the Gould for $200 and the Rubinstein for I think fifty bucks more and each are well over $1200.00 now.


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## Centropolis

realdealblues said:


> Original Pressing to me would be when it first came out on CD. Usually using old Jewel Cases where now everything is released with Cheaper Packaging and Paper Sleeves. She's welcome to want $80, but I doubt she'll ever get it. Most collectors don't collect 1st edition CD's like they do Books. They collect things that are out of print and can't be purchased in newer inexpensive sets.
> 
> As for my listening time. I listen to music all day long and all night for the most part. It's going while I'm sleeping. I listen to it on the drive into work. I listen all day at work. I listen on the drive home. I listen to it till I go to bed and it's still playing when I wake up in the morning. I don't go out much. I golf on the weekends in the summer. I go to concerts and I gig a couple weekends a month in a Classic Rock/Blues Band, but beyond that I really don't go out. Most of my hobbies are at home and I don't really watch TV much so I listen to music.
> 
> The fun for me now is listening to different interpretations. I have like 40 complete Beethoven Cycles on CD. Listen to Beethoven's 5th by Furtwangler, then listen to Toscanini, two totally different styles of interpretation. I've probably got 50 different recordings of Mozart's 40th Symphony. I'll spend a day just comparing 10-20 versions. I find things I like and things I don't like. I hear new things in different recordings that I don't hear in others. It's what I enjoy doing.
> 
> Also my tastes change. Some days I like to hear period instruments. Some days I like to hear modern instruments. Sometimes I like to hear Beethoven played by a small chamber orchestra. Some days I like to hear it played with a big, full orchestra.


Wow, 40 different cycles of Beethoven symphonies. That's like $2,000 of CDs just for Beethoven symphonies. I can't imagine doing that myself. Can't afford to do that.

I find myself balancing listening to music with my other hobbies such as photography, playing the guitar, and reading bad Dan Brown novels. And don't forget the other music to like all my Beatles, Radiohead, Beck, Clapton, Hendrix, Coldplay, Norah Jones.......


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## Centropolis

kv466 said:


> Sounds just about right...
> 
> I'd say the Rubinstein or the Gould complete recordings but both of those shot through the roof! And well worth it. I got the Gould for $200 and the Rubinstein for I think fifty bucks more and each are well over $1200.00 now.


Are you saying that the $3 for the complete sonatas are not a good deal? It's almost cheaper than buying 10 blank CDRs. 

I can't ever imagine being a collector in that sense where I am looking for a particular recording that costs thousands of dollars. But everyone has their own thing. I've spent $300 on one flashlight before. Or someone might not want to spend $2,300 on a camera lens but would on a few rare LPs.


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## Blancrocher

Centropolis said:


> Wow, 40 different cycles of Beethoven symphonies. That's like $2,000 of CDs just for Beethoven symphonies.


I haven't been here long myself, so I could be wrong--but I really think it's in bad taste to remind forum members of what they've spent on music.


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## realdealblues

Centropolis said:


> Wow, 40 different cycles of Beethoven symphonies. That's like $2,000 of CDs just for Beethoven symphonies. I can't imagine doing that myself. Can't afford to do that.
> 
> I find myself balancing listening to music with my other hobbies such as photography, playing the guitar, and reading bad Dan Brown novels. And don't forget the other music to like all my Beatles, Radiohead, Beck, Clapton, Hendrix, Coldplay, Norah Jones.......


You're also talking about 20 years worth of collecting and listening not just a couple of weeks like yourself...lol. I also usually don't pay full price for new stuff. I usually spend about $30 a week on music. Probably way more when I was a teenager and in my 20's. I've probably spent over $30,000 just on music in my life time. But I also have no kids and no wife so I only have myself to take care of.

I listen to all sorts of different music as well throughout the day. I've been playing guitar professionally for over 20 years now and I listen to wide variety of stuff because I've also had to learn hundreds of songs for different bands I've played with over the years. Everything from 50's Rockabilly to British Invasion to Classic Rock to Country to Funk to 80's Hair Bands. I've also played with Van Halen & Pink Floyd tribute bands where I had to recreate all the sounds, etc. I've spent way more on musical equipment than I've spent on music. But, I've just always been around music. My whole family plays so I always have music going even if it's just in the background. More and more I listen to classical though just because I've heard and been playing the other stuff for so long.


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## realdealblues

Centropolis said:


> Are you saying that the $3 for the complete sonatas are not a good deal? It's almost cheaper than buying 10 blank CDRs.
> 
> I can't ever imagine being a collector in that sense where I am looking for a particular recording that costs thousands of dollars. But everyone has their own thing. I've spent $300 on one flashlight before. Or someone might not want to spend $2,300 on a camera lens but would on a few rare LPs.


I believe he was making a dig at Ashkenazy's Beethoven not being worth much in general because he's not a fan...lol.


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## bigshot

You could put a good Beethoven sonata set on the blank CD-Rs.


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## Centropolis

realdealblues said:


> I believe he was making a dig at Ashkenazy's Beethoven not being worth much in general because he's not a fan...lol.


Yeah, well....I haven't listened to the sonatas from two performers yet to compare so I can't comment. I also don't play the piano so I may not be the best person to judge. But I was willing to take the chance at $3 for the box.


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## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> You could put a good Beethoven sonata set on the blank CD-Rs.


Is the set I got really that bad?

Maybe I should plan a trip to the local library.


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## realdealblues

I honestly don't think Ashkenazy's Beethoven is that bad. Ashkenazy is pretty straight forward with them. He's not overly sensitive or introverted which some people prefer.

Some people love Brendel because he takes a more intellectual approach.

Some people love Kempff because he took a more lyrical approach.

I personally love Emil Gilels (although he died before he recorded all of them) because of his ferocity.

Barenboim is more romantic I think. Arrau is more introverted. There's tons of others.

Everyone has their own preference.

It really all depends on how you like your Beethoven, but Ashakenazy has been around a long time and he's a world renowned pianist. His recordings have been reviewed and overall the critics and many listeners have found his Beethoven Sonatas favorable. If you look at Amazon the Ashkenazy set has been reviewed by 16 different people who have given it 4.5/5 stars. Are they Beethoven experts? Most probably not, but I think you could do far worse.


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## kv466

Centropolis said:


> Are you saying that the $3 for the complete sonatas are not a good deal? It's almost cheaper than buying 10 blank CDRs.
> 
> I can't ever imagine being a collector in that sense where I am looking for a particular recording that costs thousands of dollars. But everyone has their own thing. I've spent $300 on one flashlight before. Or someone might not want to spend $2,300 on a camera lens but would on a few rare LPs.


Na, Cetropolis. I was just taking a cheap shot at ol' Vladi. He's actually the performer of what I consider to be the best performances of a solo piano work. It's kinda crazy how I really don't care for him much aside from that.

You got an outstanding deal and I hope it helps to get you familiar with those magnificent pieces.


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## Centropolis

So for the past week and a half, I've spent more time listening to the music than trying to buy more CDs. However, after many hours of listening to various symphonies by different composers, I've decided to purchase 3 more sets today because I really enjoyed them. (I did have an "ethical" moment of resisting to just rip the CDs from the library.)

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00006IU7X/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002LTJ30G/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000007ODY/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thoughts on my decisions?

Also, what do you guys think of this Mahler box for a newbie like me? http://www.amazon.ca/Mahler-Complet...ie=UTF8&qid=1377546079&sr=8-1&keywords=mahler


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## joen_cph

Sibelius/Davis: OK, solid, at times very good (in the 7th, for instance).
Brahms/Karajan: OK, solid, at times impressive
Schubert/Marriner: I´d go for someone else, Kertesz to mention one (http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Symphonies-Complete-Franz/dp/B00000E4OJ), since Marriner lacks engagement here IMO. Try comparing his 9th with some other versions, for example, including the faster movements.
Mahler: more than OK, at times impressive (more details here http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Comple...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1)

But whatever you decide, enjoy!


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## realdealblues

Honestly you could do much better in my mind.

The Schubert is decent, but my choice would be this one:
http://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Symph...&qid=1377548453&sr=1-1&keywords=schubert+muti

That Sibelius Live Cycle isn't that great for me. Much prefer this one:
http://www.amazon.ca/Symphonies-1-4...1377548538&sr=1-27&keywords=sibelius+berglund
http://www.amazon.ca/Symphonies-5-7-Jean-Sibelius/dp/B000B668Y0/ref=pd_sim_m_1

That Brahms set is well known and is respected but this one is still the best Brahms set ever recorded in my mind.
http://www.amazon.ca/Klemperer-Brah...d=1377548839&sr=1-1&keywords=brahms+klemperer

The Mahler box is ok, there's a couple great ones (Klemperer) and a lot of mediocre ones at best.
I personally would start here and then fill in the gaps with a few choice recordings. Klemperer's 2nd for example.
http://www.amazon.ca/Bernstein-Mahl...d=1377548567&sr=8-1&keywords=mahler+bernstein


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## Centropolis

joen_cph said:


> Sibelius/Davis: OK, solid, at times very good (in the 7th, for instance).
> Brahms/Karajan: OK, solid, at times impressive
> Schubert/Marriner: I´d go for someone else, Kertesz to mention one (http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Symphonies-Complete-Franz/dp/B00000E4OJ), since Marriner lacks engagement here IMO. Try comparing his 9th with some other versions, for example, including the faster movements.
> Mahler: more than OK, at times impressive (more details here http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Comple...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1)
> 
> But whatever you decide, enjoy!


This is one of those times that I basically listened to the music from whatever I could get from the library, then go to the two guides (Penguin and Gramophone) and picked one that I could afford. I thought I was pretty safe.


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## Blancrocher

Centropolis said:


> This is one of those times that I basically listened to the music from whatever I could get from the library, then go to the two guides (Penguin and Gramophone) and picked one that I could afford. I thought I was pretty safe.


When it comes to classical music, everyone has a strong opinion--most of them different!--and they harden over time. I personally find most of the Davis Sibelius set almost un-listenable, but it's very highly regarded by a lot of people with better taste than my own (ex. The Penguin Classical Guide you consulted); I love the Karajan/Kamu set, but I know many others who won't touch it. Just remember, there are no right answers, but there will be right answers for you--over time you'll get a sense of the people on this site and elsewhere that you can trust more often than not.

By the way, I learned from this site that they're practically giving away an MP3 version of Vanska's "The Essential Sibelius." It's been a wonderful addition to my library.


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## joen_cph

Concerning the mentioned _Sibelius/Davis/LSO/live_, I´ll have to retract my words, since I overlooked you didn´t mean the old Davis/LSO on Philips, but the one on the LSO´s own label, which I haven´t heard. On the Philips issue, the main problem is probably the 4th Symphony, whereas the other symphonies are OK.

I actually agree with Blancrocher that the DG Karajan/Kamu is among the best. Bernstein/NYPO/Sony is good too in Sibelius.

MusicWeb is the best place for reviews, IMO, but they don´t include all recordings.


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## Centropolis

joen_cph said:


> Concerning the mentioned _Sibelius/Davis/LSO/live_, I´ll have to retract my words, since I overlooked you didn´t mean the old Davis/LSO on Philips, but the one on the LSO´s own label, which I haven´t heard. On the Philips issue, the main problem is probably the 4th Symphony, whereas the other symphonies are OK.
> 
> I actually agree with Blancrocher that the DG Karajan/Kamu is among the best. Bernstein/NYPO/Sony is good too in Sibelius.
> 
> MusicWeb is the best place for reviews, IMO, but they don´t include all recordings.


This is one of the more challenging things that newbies have to deal with. When reading reviews in the guides, it mentions the conductor and the orchestra and labels. But sometimes you cannot find the exact combination, it's the same conductor, and artists but it's from a different label. You're not sure if it's the same performance re-released under a different label or a completely different performance.


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## Blancrocher

joen_cph said:


> Bernstein/NYPO/Sony is good too in Sibelius.


It's been a long while since I gave Bernstein's Sibelius a listen. I'll remedy that tonight--thanks for the reminder.


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## Centropolis

Omg, I just clicked "Place Order" on Amazon.ca for the Mahler set. I have to stop before I am eating bread with butter only everyday for lunch for the next 3 months.


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## joen_cph

There´s a lot of legendary stuff in that set
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Aug10/Mahler_complete_6089852.htm


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## Centropolis

After listening to many more of the CDs I've bought so far and hours of YouTubing, the one piece of music that I absolutely love is Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I was thinking about getting a copy of the music but then decided to explore more of Vivaldi's stuff and maybe I will decide later that a more "masterworks" boxset would be better purchase.


----------



## Vaneyes

Centropolis said:


> Want to see what I got today?


Yes, I do like those trousers.

Hello Centropolis. Regarding the collecting, welcome to the club of CD Addiction. I go to CDA meetings weekly.

Seriously, though, take your dirty ol' time. CD collecting is not a race. You have a lifetime to nurture your collection.

Listening to online classical music is a fast and inexpensive way to get up to speed. In addition to YT, concerts and radio station programming.

And as others have suggested, read, read, and read. Enjoy. :tiphat:


----------



## Centropolis

Vaneyes said:


> Yes, I do like those trousers.
> 
> Hello Centropolis. Regarding the collecting, welcome to the club of CD Addiction. I go to CDA meetings weekly.
> 
> Seriously, though, take your dirty ol' time. CD collecting is not a race. You have a lifetime to nurture your collection.
> 
> Listening to online classical music is a fast and inexpensive way to get up to speed. In addition to YT, concerts and radio station programming.
> 
> And as others have suggested, read, read, and read. Enjoy. :tiphat:


Yes it's a nice pair for sleeping. 

Good point, it's not a race. I am listening to Handel's Water Music now. Love it. I am one of those people that jump in full force into things.

On top of classical CDs, I also looking at a lot of jazz CDs at the moment and being smart and not buying many right now. Just the essential stuff I have but no big expensive boxsets yet.


----------



## LouisMasterMusic

I own Living Stereo and the first volume of Mercury Living Presence The latter has a most moving interpretation of the Dvorak Cello Concerto performed by Janos Starker with the LSO conducted by Antal Dorati. Living Stereo also has quite a lot of good stuff in it, not least a brilliant recording of Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops and pianist Earl Wild in Gershwin's masterly Piano Concerto. The CD also includes Rhapsody In Blue, An American In Paris, the Variations on "I Got Rhythm", and the Cuban Overture. 

I don't own Decca nor EMI Eminence; does anyone think that's wrong of me?


----------



## realdealblues

LouisMasterMusic said:


> I own Living Stereo and the first volume of Mercury Living Presence The latter has a most moving interpretation of the Dvorak Cello Concerto performed by Janos Starker with the LSO conducted by Antal Dorati. Living Stereo also has quite a lot of good stuff in it, not least a brilliant recording of Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops and pianist Earl Wild in Gershwin's masterly Piano Concerto. The CD also includes Rhapsody In Blue, An American In Paris, the Variations on "I Got Rhythm", and the Cuban Overture.
> 
> I don't own Decca nor EMI Eminence; does anyone think that's wrong of me?


I wouldn't say it's wrong, but you're certainly missing out on some fantastic recordings. I have both Living Stereo and Mercury Living Presence and while nice I certainly wouldn't want to be without many of my Decca, EMI, Sony (which now owns RCA, Columbia, etc) or DG recordings. Lots of great works that weren't recorded in the Living Stereo and Mercury Presence sets.


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## bigshot

The Decca box is every bit as good as the RCA and Mercury boxes. More astounding Dorati, including his Rite of Spring.


----------



## apricissimus

For what it's worth, I think about a full third of the Mercury Living Presence 2 box is terribly boring. All that Fred Fennell and Howard Hansen stuff... Blecch.


----------



## Ondine

I love Box Sets and Complete Cycles. A complete fan of them 

Some of my beloved ones:

John Dowland, Complete Music for Solo Lute, Jakob Lindberg, Brilliant Classics, (4 CD's)

Guillaume Dufay, Complete Secular Music, The Medieval Ensemble of London, Peter Davies & Timothy Davies, L'OISEAU-LYRE (5 CD's)

Monteverdi, Madrigals, Consort of Musicke, Concerto Italiano & Ensemble Concerto, Brilliant Classics, (6 CD's)

Handel, Complete Orchestral Works, English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard, Philips, (9 CD's)

Bach, The Organ Works, Peter Hurford, London, (17 CD's).

Bach, Sacred Masterworks, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Karl Münchinger, London (10 CD's).

Bach, Deutsche Bachsolisten, Helmut Winscherman, Laserlight (5 CD's) outstanding recordings and sound.

Mozart, Die Symphonien, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon (11 CD's)

Mozart, The Piano Concertos, Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy, London, (10 CD's)

Haydn, Name Symphonies, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, Philips (10 CD's)

Haydn, Complete Piano Trios, Beaux Arts Trio, Philips, (9 CD's)

Haydn, The String Quartets, The Aeolian String Quartet, London, (22 CD's)

Haydn, The Masses, Preston, Guest & Willcocks, London, (7 CD's)

Haydn, Oratorios, Antal Dorati, London, (7 CD's)

Haydn, Piano Chamber Muisc, Haydn Trio Eisenstadt, Brilliant Classics, (2 CD's)

Haydn, Piano Sonatas, Riko Fukoda, Toshiko Kojima, Stanley Hoogland, Ursula Dütschler & Bart van Oort, Brilliant Classics (10 CD's)

Dvorak, The String Quartets, Prager Streichquartett, Deutsche Grammophon, (9 CD's)

Brahms, Complete Chamber Music, Various Artists, Philips, (11 CD's), one of my favourites Box Sets due to the excellent and outstanding performances ever.

Sibelius, Symphonies, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Paavo Berglund, Finlandia Records, (4 CD's)

Mahler, The Complete Symphonies, London Symphonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt, EMI Classics, (11 CD's)

Schostakovich String Quartets, Emerson String Quartet, Deutsche Grammophon, (5 CD's)

Kronos Quartet, 25 Years, Nonesuch Records (10 CD's)


----------



## bigshot

apricissimus said:


> For what it's worth, I think about a full third of the Mercury Living Presence 2 box is terribly boring. All that Fred Fennell and Howard Hansen stuff... Blecch.


A little of the military band music goes a long way, but I found some real treasures in the Hanson recordings. It isn't core repetoire, but it's good and underrepresented today.


----------



## Turangalîla

Just found this...should I go for it?


----------



## moody

LouisMasterMusic said:


> I own Living Stereo and the first volume of Mercury Living Presence The latter has a most moving interpretation of the Dvorak Cello Concerto performed by Janos Starker with the LSO conducted by Antal Dorati. Living Stereo also has quite a lot of good stuff in it, not least a brilliant recording of Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops and pianist Earl Wild in Gershwin's masterly Piano Concerto. The CD also includes Rhapsody In Blue, An American In Paris, the Variations on "I Got Rhythm", and the Cuban Overture.
> 
> I don't own Decca nor EMI Eminence; does anyone think that's wrong of me?


Do you consider the artists involved in a recording first,if so you need to consider all recording labels. If not carry on regardless.


----------



## JCarmel

I spent a good bit of my term Grant whilst at Teacher Training College on this one & I loved it at the time. But the resulting penury during the latter part of the Term, meant I was reliant on friends to treat me to the Necessities of life....like bags of chips and Walls 'Rum & Raisin' choc ices!


----------



## bigshot

CarterJohnsonPiano said:


> Just found this...should I go for it?


If you like Sutherland and Pavarotti, definitely. Decca was a strong label when it came to opera.


----------



## Itullian

CarterJohnsonPiano said:


> Just found this...should I go for it?


Anything Gardelli did was wonderful.
This is a good set if you're just starting with Verdi.
But I'm not sure if it has the librettos.
Is that important to you?


----------



## Centropolis

Bought this last night:

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000088DSQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Looking at Beethoven string quartets set next. Budapest String Quartet one is the cheapest, then followed by Toyko and then Quartetto Italiano being significantly more expensive.


----------



## brotagonist

Of the 3, I'd say the QI are the best bet, by far. I'm prejudiced, since I've loved some of their great albums for decades


----------



## Centropolis

brotagonist said:


> The Quartetto Italiano are only about $20ish and the others are a few bucks less. Of the 3, I'd say the QI are the best bet, by far. I'm prejudiced, since I've loved some of their great albums for decades


I've checked all 3 Amazon sites (CA, US, UK) and the QI set is more than double even from the marketplace. Where do you find this set for $20ish? Between the other two sets, I am leaning more towards the Tokyo because it has a couple more pieces....quintet and etc.


----------



## KenOC

Centropolis said:


> I've checked all 3 Amazon sites (CA, US, UK) and the QI set is more than double even from the marketplace. Where do you find this set for $20ish? Between the other two sets, I am leaning more towards the Tokyo because it has a couple more pieces....quintet and etc.


Tokyo for sure. The Budapest stereo was way past their prime, and the QI are far too polite.


----------



## Centropolis

brotagonist said:


> the quartetto italiano are only about $20ish and the others are a few bucks less. Of the 3, i'd say the qi are the best bet, by far. I'm prejudiced, since i've loved some of their great albums for decades


double posted by mistake..........removed.


----------



## brotagonist

Centropolis said:


> Where do you find this set for $20ish?


My mistake (I edited my post later). I noticed that the QI pair is only the late quartets and their full set is very expensive.


----------



## realdealblues

The Alban Berg Quartet set is considered "Thee Reference Recordings" by many folks and is being reissued by EMI in a new budget box set. You might look at that one as an option. In the US I can pick it up for $20.


----------



## KenOC

realdealblues said:


> The Alban Berg Quartet set is considered "Thee Reference Recordings" by many folks and is being reissued by EMI in a new budget box set. You might look at that one as an option. In the US I can pick it up for $20.


The Alban Berg at $20 is a smashing deal! Best of all IMO is the Takacs, but rather dear last time I checked.


----------



## bigshot

Aren't there two Alban Berg sets?


----------



## Centropolis

Okay I need to revive this thread because I need to ask a related question.

I have been looking for a multiple CD set for works by Berlioz. The only one I can find is this one:

http://www.amazon.ca/Berlioz-Master...TF8&colid=170P8I408FV5S&coliid=I3847TC8TUPE3S

Or this,

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Berl...ks_all_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385085727&sr=8-1#disc_1

There are these 5 CD Ultimate <COMPOSER> box from Decca, are they only excerpts? They seem pretty cheap.

Is there something similar but maybe more "concentrated" set with less CDs but with only the "essentials"?


----------



## Vaneyes

Centropolis said:


> Okay I need to revive this thread because I need to ask a related question.
> 
> I have been looking for a multiple CD set for works by Berlioz. The only one I can find is this one:
> 
> http://www.amazon.ca/Berlioz-Master...TF8&colid=170P8I408FV5S&coliid=I3847TC8TUPE3S
> 
> Or this,
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Berl...ks_all_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385085727&sr=8-1#disc_1
> 
> There are these 5 CD Ultimate <COMPOSER> box from Decca, are they only excerpts? They seem pretty cheap.
> 
> Is there something similar but maybe more "concentrated" set with less CDs but with only the "essentials"?


I think you're on the right track with multi-CD boxes. Colin Davis and Chas. Dutoit being the two main events. :tiphat:

View attachment 28928


----------



## Mahlerian

Centropolis said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Berl...ks_all_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385085727&sr=8-1#disc_1
> 
> There are these 5 CD Ultimate <COMPOSER> box from Decca, are they only excerpts? They seem pretty cheap.


Looks like the included works are complete, but it's missing Romeo and Juliet among his major non-operatic works.


----------



## Centropolis

Mahlerian said:


> Looks like the included works are complete, but it's missing Romeo and Juliet among his major non-operatic works.


So it looks like these "Ultimate" sets are not a bad place for newbies to start learning about composers like Schubert and Berlioz.


----------



## Mahlerian

Centropolis said:


> So it looks like these "Ultimate" sets are not a bad place for newbies to start learning about composers like Schubert and Berlioz.


I don't know about any of the others in the series, but just from the description of that one, it looks like a good starter set.


----------



## Centropolis

Need opinions on 2 Brilliant Classics boxsets. Both sets (like many Brilliant Classics boxes) lot of music for not so much money. Just wondering any comments on them.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weber-Symph...&qid=1385430236&sr=1-1&keywords=5028421946986

and

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Cham...&qid=1385430699&sr=1-1&keywords=5028421943701


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## bigshot

I'd give that Weber box a big thumbs up.


----------



## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> I'd give that Weber box a big thumbs up.


I listened to the Clarinet concertos on Naxos online and I liked them very much. So I pulled the trigger on this one! Still waiting for some feedback on the Mozart box though.


----------



## bigshot

I have the Mozart box and like everything I've heard from it. Especially the piano concertos. The only things I can think of that are significantly better are in the wind and horn concertos, and that's only a couple of the CDs. But be aware, most copies of this set have a defective disk in them. Derek Han's piano concerto no 21 is unplayable. It's been released separately though so you can replace it if you are OCD.


----------



## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> I have the Mozart box and like everything I've heard from it. Especially the piano concertos. The only things I can think of that are significantly better are in the wind and horn concertos, and that's only a couple of the CDs. But be aware, most copies of this set have a defective disk in them. Derek Han's piano concerto no 21 is unplayable. It's been released separately though so you can replace it if you are OCD.


I don't think your boxset is the same one I linked? The one I linked it's just his string stuff (Quartets and Quintets). But it is still concerning that they make defective CDs in batches. I hope I don't come across any.


----------



## Itullian

Centropolis said:


> I don't think your boxset is the same one I linked? The one I linked it's just his string stuff (Quartets and Quintets). But it is still concerning that they make defective CDs in batches. I hope I don't come across any.


That's always my concern with huge box sets.
And having time to check all the discs right away is a problem.


----------



## Weston

Does anyone have thoughts on this Haydn symphony boxed set? The price is unbelievable. And it's Sony, not some fly-by-night 101 Greatest Relaxing Disco Hits of Wolfgang type of thing.









I already have several decent Haydn symphonies, but not the earlier ones. So it looks appealing.

(Edit: Oh well, they're out of stock anyway.)


----------



## KenOC

Weston said:


> Does anyone have thoughts on this Haydn symphony boxed set? The price is unbelievable. And it's Sony, not some fly-by-night 101 Greatest Relaxing Disco Hits of Wolfgang type of thing.


A Tremendous bargain. This Davies set has been much discussed around here. It is probably the second best complete set after the Dorati. An irritation is the excessive applause after every symphony. Anyway, it's not going out of print to my knowledge, so you may want to order it. You won't be charged until it ships.

Or just buy it from a 3rd-party seller -- same price new plus the four bucks shipping.


----------



## bigshot

I have all three complete Haydn sets, and they are all good. The Davies is a little lighter overall with harpsichord. Well worth the price. It isn't sold out at Amazon or importcds.com I don't think. Grab it while you can. The same goes for the spectacular deals on the Perahia and Rubinstein boxes.


----------



## samurai

Weston said:


> Does anyone have thoughts on this Haydn symphony boxed set? The price is unbelievable. And it's Sony, not some fly-by-night 101 Greatest Relaxing Disco Hits of Wolfgang type of thing.
> 
> View attachment 29397
> 
> 
> I already have several decent Haydn symphonies, but not the earlier ones. So it looks appealing.
> 
> (Edit: Oh well, they're out of stock anyway.)


I just acquired this set, and I am finding it very enjoyable, despite the somewhat annoying audience applause {and frequent shouting of "Bravo" at the end of each symphony} as mentioned by KenOC. As I am basically a newcomer to both classical music in general--and Haydn in particular--I would not venture to say how this stacks up against other Haydn Sets. Sorry to see that they are currently out of stock, though; as you so aptly note, the price is unbeatable, which might well explain their being out of stock at this time. :scold:


----------



## bigshot

In stock $18! http://www.importcds.com/music/1682581/dennis-russell-davies-joseph-haydn-the-complete-symphonies


----------



## KenOC

bigshot said:


> In stock $18! http://www.importcds.com/music/1682581/dennis-russell-davies-joseph-haydn-the-complete-symphonies


And cheap shipping. Buy it! Heck, buy ten!


----------



## Centropolis

Weston said:


> Does anyone have thoughts on this Haydn symphony boxed set? The price is unbelievable. And it's Sony, not some fly-by-night 101 Greatest Relaxing Disco Hits of Wolfgang type of thing.
> 
> View attachment 29397
> 
> 
> I already have several decent Haydn symphonies, but not the earlier ones. So it looks appealing.
> 
> (Edit: Oh well, they're out of stock anyway.)


Wow...$18 for 33 CDs. Even if it's not the best or second best, I am guessing there is no better way to listen to all of his symphonies.

I think there was a thread that talked about this boxset specifically. I remember the general consensus was not as good as the other two complete sets Dorati and Fischer. Someone mentioned that the applause at the end of each piece were annoying. But I believe people still bought it as a way to listen to all of the earlier ones. Considering the price, I've been thinking about this for a long time. Fischer set is about CDN$75 right now which is as low as I've seen it.


----------



## Weston

Wow! Thanks everyone. 

The applause bit give me pause though. Well, I'll bookmark it at least.


----------



## bigshot

The applause is no problem unless you sit down and listen to three or four CDs in a row.


----------



## KenOC

bigshot said:


> The applause is no problem unless you sit down and listen to three or four CDs in a row.


In fact, if Weston is unwilling to drop $20 for a good set of the complete Haydn symphonies, then he doesn't really care. He is anathema!


----------



## Centropolis

I am a bad person. I didn't buy it. I am patiently waiting for the Dorati set to go on sale.


----------



## samurai

Centropolis said:


> I am a bad person. I didn't buy it. I am patiently waiting for the Dorati set to go on sale.


Stick by your guns, brother! However, if you do ultimately decide to pull the trigger on the 37 CD Davies Set, you won't regret it, really.:cheers: Also, there's really no guarantee as to how long this set will remain at such a reasonable price.:devil:


----------



## KenOC

Centropolis said:


> I am a bad person. I didn't buy it. I am patiently waiting for the Dorati set to go on sale.


Uh...wait a moment. Twenty bucks? Half the price of a tank of gas? A rapturous feast with your girlfriend at MacDonald's? Your logic escapes me!


----------



## Centropolis

KenOC said:


> Uh...wait a moment. Twenty bucks? Half the price of a tank of gas? A rapturous feast with your girlfriend at MacDonald's? Your logic escapes me!


I don't know. I've spent so much money on CDs for the past 4 months and want to start really picking and choosing the best to get. I know I won't buy 3 full cycles of Haydn symphonies so if I can only afford to buy one, I would want the Dorati since it's the one to get from what I read. If I buy the Davies set now, I will want to have the Dorati at some point, so I am thinking of saving the $25 towards the Dorati. Stupid logic?

Or get the $25 Davies because I can wait forever for the Dorati to drop below $100?


----------



## bigshot

There is no such thing as "best". There is only good and bad. Davies is good.


----------



## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> There is no such thing as "best". There is only good and bad. Davies is good.


Indeed, and there's no such thing as grey ... life will be far easier for reviewers now with no need for star, or numerical, ratings as anything not getting the highest rating is obviously bad SO I hope they're reading this as there's no need to dwell to much on the quality as it's either good or bad, pure and simple.

For Haydn symphonies ... Dorati is, unreservedly, the best with Goodman slightly behind and Hogwood the choice for 'Original instruments'. It's not always a case of 'you get what you pay for' as many a Naxos disc shows including Ward's own Haydn series albeit though that isn't a complete set yet, as far as I'm aware, BUT Ward's rendition is more satisfying and better recorded than the Davies set though likely still more expensive and less pretty on a shelf.


----------



## Svelte Silhouette

KenOC said:


> Uh...wait a moment. Twenty bucks? Half the price of a tank of gas? A rapturous feast with your girlfriend at MacDonald's? Your logic escapes me!


I hate you ... a full tank here cost me more than £75 yesterday ie. about $125. Actually, maybe I hate it here as the US West Coast has some lovely National Parks, lovely cities and lovely weather where we just have dark days ahead (and for the next couple of months) with sunrise as late as 08:45 and sunset as early as 15:36 at the moment (though worsening over the next 3 weeks to about 9am and 3.15pm before slowing improving) ... 6 hours or so of grey daylignt compared to about 10 of sunshine in Frisco according to a one-time colleague (and 15 in Sydney where I'd meant to be).


----------



## bigshot

The Davies isn't sitting on my shelf. I'm enjoying it, along with my Fisher and Dorati sets. The Davies is lighter and more toward the baroque end of classical. Not comparable to Dorati who is at the other end of the spectrum. Think how many complete Beethoven symphony sets you have. Would you be satisfied with just ONE approach?

Today in Hollywood it's 75 degrees and sunny. I have oranges almost ripe on the tree in my yard. My stereo sounds fantastic and I've got a full tank of gas and a few nice new bargain CD boxes to listen to. Life is good.

By the way, San Franciscans never use the abbreviation "Frisco". It's always "SanFran".


----------



## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> The Davies isn't sitting on my shelf. I'm enjoying it, along with my Fisher and Dorati sets. The Davies is lighter and more toward the baroque end of classical. Not comparable to Dorati who is at the other end of the spectrum. Think how many complete Beethoven symphony sets you have. Would you be satisfied with just ONE approach?


Currently I have 3 Beethoven symphony cycles, Furtwängler, Karajan 60s, and Barenboim Staatskapelle Berlin. I appreciate the differences between them. But Beethoven symphony cycles are so much cheaper than a Hadyn complete cycle! 

I know, in the end, all it means is that I am cheap and I am too careful with my money.


----------



## bigshot

The Davies Haydn symphonies box is only $18. 50 cents a CD. Honestly, I don't know why anyone would not get a good set when they're that cheap.


----------



## Weston

If you think I dither over music, you should see me shopping for books. I have friends who have 25 cent paperback sales at some of the events I attend, and I will merrily dither for ages over each one. 

For the Haydn box set there is more than the price to consider. Will I ever get around to listening to the whole thing? What about shelf space? Will I want to rip it to mp3? ??? 

I do love Haydn, but my goodness!


----------



## brotagonist

bigshot said:


> The Davies Haydn symphonies box is only $18. 50 cents a CD. Honestly, I don't know why anyone would not get a good set when they're that cheap.


It's an enticing argument. However, I find that I need to hear a piece many, many times over years, decades even, to really know it. My true favourites and I go back a long way. There is only so much time, and there is already so very much on my shelves


----------



## bigshot

Haydn is as important as Beethoven and Mozart. I wish there were ten more complete Haydn symphony cycles. I wish Bernstein and Bohm had done them all too.


----------



## Centropolis

brotagonist said:


> It's an enticing argument. However, I find that I need to hear a piece many, many times over years, decades even, to really know it. My true favourites and I go back a long way. There is only so much time, and there is already so very much on my shelves


I already feel that way already with only 5 months of buying CDs. I need more time to listen and less time to look and buy them. Just got the Debussy Edition box tonight and haven't opened it yet. Just started the Vaughan Williams symphonies a couple of nights ago. Didn't even start the Dvorak complete orchestral work on Naxos yet (had it for 3 weeks now).


----------



## Itullian

I heard some of the Davies and didn't care for it. So I'm staying with my Dorati and supplements.
Bernstein, Jochum,Karajan,Davis, Klemperer, etc.


----------



## bigshot

One of the best ways to listen to classical music is to make it convenient to listen to it. I rip everything into my server and keep it on random shuffle 24/7. I hear amazing things every day!


----------



## realdealblues

I thought about picking up the Davies Haydn box set. It's a ridiculously cheap price and at that price the good far out weighs any bad. But I already have the Dorati set and did own the Fischer set for a few years. Eventually I just sold the Fischer set and just decided to just keep Dorati as my base and supplement with Bernstein, Jochum, Davis, etc. for a little variety here and there.

For someone who doesn't have a complete set of Haydn recordings and will probably never shell out 100 bucks or more for the Dorati, I would recommend at it's current price, picking up the Davies set. If will give you a lifetime of music to explore and you could get to learn all of Haydn's symphonies over many years letting them all sink in. $20 is a small price to pay for a lifetime of enjoyment.

For those who already have the Dorati cycle though, I don't see the need as I don't think Davies surpasses Dorati. If you're a die hard Haydn-ite or a collector then by all means go for it. But I myself don't feel the need look for a complete set beyond the Dorati.


----------



## bigshot

There isn't a lot of difference in approach between Fisher and Dorati, and Dorati is better. Davies is different than both of them.


----------



## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> One of the best ways to listen to classical music is to make it convenient to listen to it. I rip everything into my server and keep it on random shuffle 24/7. I hear amazing things every day!


I can just imagine Barber's Adagio followed by Bach's toccata and fugue in D segueing in2 Beethoven's 5th 2nd Mvt then Nyman's Piano Concerto 3rd Mvt with maybe a snatch of Purcell's Dido then Stravinsky's Happy Birthday and an aria from Aida whilst finally closing with a Strauss Waltz yep that'd be a listenable randomized whole world of confusion aka 45 mins of surprisingly sheer hell.

A music server is for ease of access not random play of random bits as that's wallpaper music and I may not know much but do like to know wot I'm listening 2 and then hear it all unrandomized e2e.

Random shuffle of tracks is not even ok with pop music albums as the only way 2listen is e2e and Beethoven would turn in his grave at the thought of such disrespect.

This idea certainly is amazing.

PS. Do u neva holiday as u might miss something surprising 24/7 if u do and do ur family neva sleep


----------



## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> There isn't a lot of difference in approach between Fisher and Dorati, and Dorati is better. Davies is different than both of them.


I'm not surprised there seem 2b no differences as when all is randomized on ur server 24/7 who'd know which was which or even wot was wot :lol:


----------



## bigshot

My music server displays what's playing on my computer, iPhone and iPad. I can control upcoming playlists, search for specific recordings easily and adjust the volume anywhere in my house from the phone in my pocket. I can even quickly jump back and forth between versions of a piece to compare performances. It's a lot easier than squinting at spines on LPs or CDs on a shelf and putting them in the player one by one.


----------



## bigshot

ruaskin said:


> I can just imagine Barber's Adagio followed by Bach's toccata and fugue in D segueing in2 Beethoven's 5th 2nd Mvt then Nyman's Piano Concerto 3rd Mvt with maybe a snatch of Purcell's Dido then Stravinsky's Happy Birthday and an aria from Aida whilst finally closing with a Strauss Waltz yep that'd be a listenable randomized whole world of confusion aka 45 mins of surprisingly sheer hell.


I don't have it set up like that. When I rip from CD, I join all the tracks into a complete work. Individual movements don't come up separately. I can also do smart playlists, where I specify a particular time period, type of work or performer. So if I want to spend the afternoon listening to baroque music, or violin music, or works conducted by Beecham, I can easily do that. A music server is a million times more flexible than stacks of CDs alphabetized on shelves.

It's really opened up my ability to listen to music. There's no way I would even be able to find individual recordings quickly with the size of my library. Between classical, opera, jazz, country, popular, blues, r&b and rock, my iTunes library has about a year and a half's worth of music. On CD shelves, that would fill a whole wall easily. Keeping it all organized and accessible would be a lot of work. This way, I rip it and tag it once and it's instantly accessible forever.

I have a nighttime playlist that I put on when I go to sleep. Quiet baroque music mostly. It plays at low volume through the house. Very restful. No Mahler or Bruckner!


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## DavidA

Centropolis said:


> I already feel that way already with only 5 months of buying CDs. I need more time to listen and less time to look and buy them. Just got the Debussy Edition box tonight and haven't opened it yet. Just started the Vaughan Williams symphonies a couple of nights ago. Didn't even start the Dvorak complete orchestral work on Naxos yet (had it for 3 weeks now).


Quite right! It's easier to accumulate CDs than to find time to listen to them!


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## bigshot

Too much is never enough!


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## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> My music server displays what's playing on my computer, iPhone and iPad. I can control upcoming playlists, search for specific recordings easily and adjust the volume anywhere in my house from the phone in my pocket. I can even quickly jump back and forth between versions of a piece to compare performances. My music server displays what's playing on my computer, iPhone and iPad. I can control upcoming playlists, search for specific recordings easily and adjust the volume anywhere in my house from the phone in my pocket. I can even quickly jump back and forth between versions of a piece to compare performances.
> 
> I have a nighttime playlist that I put on when I go to sleep. Quiet baroque music mostly. It plays at low volume through the house. Very restful. No Mahler or Bruckner!


As I said that's "wallpaper music" whereas I listen to mine in one room rather than wandering around a house which actually means I give it pretty much my undivided attention which may just've been what the composer had in mind when penning it.

The size of a collection is irrelevant in it's treatment in this instance but having music on 24/7 and jumping back and forth between versions is irreverent and undermines the listening experience.

If one has several versions of something one should listen to the whole of one then the whole of another by all means comparing when first purchased for preferences but after that this'd just be a disjointed hifi test exercise rather than an enjoyable experience since I'd know the differences upfront ahead of playing and the idea of following a movement of a concerto with another version of that same movement would undermine the idea of enjoying the whole of one or other version.

I like music not hifi _per se _and see the latter as merely a means to an end rather than an end in itself but we're all different I guess so maybe this is the wrong place4me.


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## Centropolis

bigshot said:


> My music server displays what's playing on my computer, iPhone and iPad. I can control upcoming playlists, search for specific recordings easily and adjust the volume anywhere in my house from the phone in my pocket. I can even quickly jump back and forth between versions of a piece to compare performances. It's a lot easier than squinting at spines on LPs or CDs on a shelf and putting them in the player one by one.


Once I move, I would like to setup something like that. I don't have the technical know-how to do this though. And also, I would have to spend a lot of time with EAC and my CDs.


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## bigshot

Just get a Mac Mini and an Airport Centropolis. It's all set up for it. It makes everything in your library instantly accessible. The only trick is ripping.


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## bigshot

ruaskin said:


> The size of a collection is irrelevant in it's treatment in this instance but having music on 24/7 and jumping back and forth between versions is irreverent and undermines the listening experience.


I don't walk around the house when I listen. I sit and listen. I have a desk in the library I work at, and a computer desk in the family room, a comfortable couch in the living room, and my main stereo in the theater, and a small stereo in my bedroom that I listen to at night. These are all places in the house that I spend time, and they're all fed by the same music server . I can play any piece from my music library in any room at any time I want. It's incredibly flexible. The more convenient it is to listen to music, the more time you have to listen to music.

The point of being able to compare versions is simple... Imagine you want to compare tenors singing a particular aria from La Traviata. One quick search and you have Bjorling, Caruso, Pavarotti, Domingo and a half dozen others stacked up ready to compare. I can't imagine how that wouldn't be fascinating if you take the time to think about the performers and their individual styles.



ruaskin said:


> maybe this is the wrong place4me.


I really want you to be happy.


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## Centropolis

To help get this thread back on topic, can you guys provide some comments on this Boulez Bartok box compared to the Solti box?

http://www.amazon.ca/Boulez-Conduct...UTF8&colid=170P8I408FV5S&coliid=INJ2Z5JIVH2Y5


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## Centropolis

I think I have a problem. I seem to start threads that somehow turn into something else.

I really appreciate all the people who has contributed to answer and comment on the posts related to the topic. But can we just can back to my question? I did ask relevant questions about composers' boxsets here but no one seems to be interested in that but rather snapping back-and-forth at each other.


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## bigshot

It's hard to remain on topic when I am being constantly dogged like this. I apologize. I have contributed some suggestions for good box sets earlier in the thread. (i.e.: Gunther Wand Box, Bruno Walter Box, Fritz Reiner Box, Murray Perahia Box, Rubinstein, Heifetz, Mercury Living Presence, Living Stereo, etc.)


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## Svelte Silhouette

Centropolis said:


> I think I have a problem. I seem to start threads that somehow turn into something else.
> 
> I really appreciate all the people who has contributed to answer and comment on the posts related to the topic. But can we just can back to my question? I did ask relevant questions about composers' boxsets here but no one seems to be interested in that but rather snapping back-and-forth at each other.


Yes, lets get back to that as it doesn't matter how big our collections are or how small and we shouldn't need to crow about the size of what we have to validate our opinions and please don't misconstrue that 

I like Karajan's Beethoven set but my only reference point is the big book recommending it. It's quite old but someone somewhere else cited Sony's Stravinsky Stravinsky set so I guess age doesn't matter but don't quote me 

Hopefully we can stay on track now and avoid forays into bitrates and compression or fileservers etc

Love 2u all but it's almost last orders so I have 2 scoot.


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## Bulldog

bigshot said:


> We aren't supposed to say anything about him unless it's something nice. He wants me to take photographs to prove that I own a stereo and record collection.


And I'd like a DNA sample to validate that you're really The Bigshot - just kidding.

You can take all the photographs you want, but you'll never get the skeptics to believe in the quantity of your collection.

I have over 10,000 cds and stopped buying extensively a few years ago when I retired. If not for that, my current numbers could have been "off the charts".

One other thing - quantity does count.


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## bigshot

you go dawg! .


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## DavidA

Getting back on topic - I'm looking at the 41 CD Horowitz at Carnegie Hall recently released. Anyone got it? Your thoughts?


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## bigshot

I really want that, but I want it at $80 or less. I've heard it's great.


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## brotagonist

This is one of the most essential boxed sets I have ever purchased:









So is this one (there is now a newer recording, also by Pierre Boulez):









A collection without these would be unthinkable.


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## mmsbls

Several posts in this thread have veered off-topic and included negative comments aimed at other posters. Please refrain from such comments and focus on boxsets.


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## DavidA

Some of the Brilliant boxed sets are good. I got some very good recordings of Richter, Janis and Anda from that source.


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## bigshot

Membran's 100 CDMeisterkonzerte box set is a spectacular bargain. Perfectly selected performances and excellent sound.
Contents: http://www.membran-online.de/product_info.php?products_id=818


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## brotagonist

I recently acquired these two boxed sets, which I recommend most highly.


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## ShropshireMoose

DavidA said:


> Getting back on topic - I'm looking at the 41 CD Horowitz at Carnegie Hall recently released. Anyone got it? Your thoughts?


I've got it and it really is superb. The re-mastering of the earlier recordings is extremely good, and it is a real joy to be able to hear the recitals as Horowitz programmed them. He was a real master at putting together an interesting and well contrasted programme, would that some latter pianists would follow his example. It is also very illuminating to hear the way he varies how he plays from performance to performance, I'd recommend this box thoroughly to anyone interested in the piano, or music, or life!!!! I was lucky enough to see him twice in London (1982 and 1986) and they remain two of the most memorable of all the many recitals/concerts I have ever attended.


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## Centropolis

brotagonist said:


> View attachment 29878
> View attachment 29879
> 
> 
> I recently acquired these two boxed sets, which I recommend most highly.


These two have been on the Wish List for a few months now and I am just waiting for the right price. I fall into the trap sometimes of waiting for something to drop so much that I am starting to feel that I am being unreasonable to only buy things when it's less than $4 or $5 per disc.


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## brotagonist

Centropolis said:


> I fall into the trap sometimes of waiting for something to drop so much that I am starting to feel that I am being unreasonable to only buy things when it's less than $4 or $5 per disc.


It's called being a savvy shopper  There's no harm in looking around for the best deal, but I don't think there is much point in waiting for prices to drop, except with new releases, out of print albums and small labels that eventually get reissued at more reasonable prices.

As it turned out, these weren't much more expensive. I paid $36.22, new and delivered for the Shostakovich set on amazon.ca, or a little over $6 per disc. The 7CD Haydn set is a bit more difficult to price, as there was a return and a credit involved, but I estimate that I paid close to $5 per disc, very good used and delivered.

When I look at my online purchases of the last 2-3 years, my average price per disc, delivered, is somewhere between $10-$11, for mostly new, but a fair number of like new and very good used albums. I consider this to be a fair price, considering the price of the same albums as downloads. I don't keep track of digital file offers, but I think they tend to go for about $8-$9 an album. It's only fair that the price to your house be roughly the same for both delivery modes. In the one instance you have instant gratification, but you must store the files; in the other, you have a long wait, but you have a durable hard copy.


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## bigshot

Ha! My aim is $2 or below a disk. I'll buy a 50 cd set for $100 before I'll buy a 4 cd set for $20.


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## brotagonist

^ I am not a completionist. I shop for specific works or types of works by composers of interest. I absorb them and then decide whether and what I would like to add. It is costlier, slow and somewhat painstaking, but I feel that I have been richly rewarded for my labours. I have very little duplication, as I am still working on just getting an initial recording of the pieces I want. The marvellous string quartet sets by Haydn and Shostakovich, totalling 13 discs, nearly overwhelmed me. I spent over a week on each set, just to begin to feel that some of the pieces were becoming familiar to me. I think I reached the limits of my ability to take it all in in those two sets. Honestly, I couldn't deal with a 50CD set. It would likely take me 4 months of dedicated listening to feel that I was just scratching the surface. With a set like that, I'd feel like there was nothing left to get.


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## bigshot

I'm used to digesting large amounts of art. I'm a glutton for greatness!


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## Svelte Silhouette

brotagonist said:


> ^ I am not a completionist. I shop for specific works or types of works by composers of interest. I absorb them and then decide whether and what I would like to add. It is costlier, slow and somewhat painstaking, but I feel that I have been richly rewarded for my labours. I have very little duplication, as I am still working on just getting an initial recording of the pieces I want. The marvellous string quartet sets by Haydn and Shostakovich, totalling 13 discs, nearly overwhelmed me. I spent over a week on each set, just to begin to feel that some of the pieces were becoming familiar to me. I think I reached the limits of my ability to take it all in in those two sets. Honestly, I couldn't deal with a 50CD set. It would likely take me 4 months of dedicated listening to feel that I was just scratching the surface. With a set like that, I'd feel like there was nothing left to get.


Totally agreed. Dad got mum the Philips Mozart edition when I was born as she loved M. I suspect some of that vastness taking up perhaps 2m shelfspace hasn't been listened to at all and must've cost a bundle. Just doing 3 CDs a night would've taken 60 days afta which ud b "well Mozarted-off" I think. The fact that there are no gaps in a collection kind of destroys ambition as there's nothing more to hunt for so oft "less is more" except4 completionists and the indiscriminate who bargain-hunt to bolster collections imo. It's better2 let good stuff sink in rather than collect a bundle u might neva listen 2all of or if u do then it's just as another part of the completionist thing.

I enjoyed my Ligetti hunt the other week even tho unsuccessful and am enjoying recently acquired my Dowland on Oiseau Lyre and on a mere 12 discs is all the guy ever did squidged in2 a box a mere inch wide. I whole-heartedly recommend this set.

At this point in time I want the best of whoever without that being a "best of" collection selection ie. I want Die Zauberflote and Don Giovanni but maybe not L'oca del Cairo or Lo sposo deluso if u c wot I mean as I can't have everything so want

I'm not sure I'll eva want absolutely everything by ne1 including the divine M ever but that will come my way in time even tho I'd rather it didn't in the way it likely will 1 day


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## bigshot

ruaskin said:


> The fact that there are no gaps in a collection kind of destroys ambition as there's nothing more to hunt for


There is never a lack of music to track down and listen to. If you reach the bottom of your list, your tastes need expanding before your collection can.


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## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> There is never a lack of music to track down and listen to. If you reach the bottom of your list, your tastes need expanding before your collection can.


If u have a complete works eg. of Mozart then there is no more to track down unless ur a musicologist with access to unpublished and/or unrecorded manuscripts but even then ud only be able to listen2 the notes in ur head until sum1 actually recorded such?

Tastes in a particular composer cannot expand without something new coming2light or an exhumation/resurrection or cloning.

Sure there may be better or different performances ie. modern v original instruments eg. Beethoven symphonies or edits ie. Sussmayr v Maunder for M's Req or somesuch or piano v. orchestral eg. for Mussorgsky's Pics BUT these are a diff hunting ground.


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## bigshot

There are always different performers, different composers, different styles of music. It's an endless ocean. The only limitation is a person's frame of reference and tastes.


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## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> There are always different performers, different composers, different styles of music. It's an endless ocean. The only limitation is a person's frame of reference and tastes.


Ur kinda missing the point in that a "complete works" only has one composer and each piece one style of music really so all that might differ 4that composer would be versions ie. performances.

Irrespective of that Brotagonist's point I'd commented in agreement on was "I am not a completionist. I shop for specific works or types of works by composers of interest. I absorb them and then decide whether and what I would like to add. It is costlier, slow and somewhat painstaking, but I feel that I have been richly rewarded for my labours. Honestly, I couldn't deal with a 50CD set. It would likely take me 4 months of dedicated listening to feel that I was just scratching the surface. With a set like that, I'd feel like there was nothing left to get"

This is also a point ur kinda missing insomuch that however gluttonous one is or however voracious one's appetite the digestion of huge amounts of art in a short time is like me scoffing a 10 course dinner in as many minutes ie. sampling followed by devouring rather than tasting followed by savouring. Brotagonist savours and enjoys which is my preferred method with art as simply digesting loads is far removed from enjoying the experience and I'd rather eat just enough to bring me pleasure then come back another day for more of the same or an entirely different menu. I hate "eat as much as you can" offers as gluttony is the second of the 7 deadly sins.


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## bigshot

I was replying to the concept of "no gaps in a collection". There are always gaps in a collection. You just branch outwards. The more experience you have, the easier it is to process larger quantities.

There is no such thing as a glutton of art. In art, that's called an "aesthete".


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## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> The more experience you have, the easier it is to process larger quantities. There is no such thing as a glutton of art. In art, that's called an "aesthete".


In post 195 of this thread u said "I'm used to digesting large amounts of art. I'm a glutton"?

Aesthetes felt that life should copy art or nature and that appreciation of beauty was of the essence hence an aesthete can never be a glutton as the two are diametrically opposed so this newer st8ment doesn't make sense but really derailed the thread at post 195 as happened within most of 169-182.

However much experience u have processing large amounts rapidly "maps" the above earlier st8ment of urs but I now recall y I'd thought about abandoning TC as incessant pedantic semantics are rearing their ugly head again in a thread about boxsets rather than how much we own or how much of that we can eat so let's see if we can get it back on track shall we?

This morning I got the Decca Penguin Guide recommended Haydn masses by Willcox on 7 CDs mainly4 a 1st lappy listen on the way2 Obertauern then on the way back as I figured they'd be relaxing. I am casually listening to CD1 now to 'get a feel' tho my Latin helps in not having read the libretto from the associated booklet. I feel this is gonna b fab tho 2bfair that opinion's backed by sum1else's recommendation. The recording is gr8 tho on dad's stereo and the performance of Rorate coeli desuper charged and full of emotion so I'm really looking 4ward 2 listenning with eyes closed and total focus L8r 2dy. I'm sure it'll sound equally gr8 when I get back to college in a month but will still be savouring rather than devouring.

U'll likely c little of me 4 a bit afta this afty :wave: as I'm not just away the usual extended w/e skiing this time but likely until just a couple of days b4 Crimbo afta which dad and I'll be somewhere warm and sunny until New Year's eve when we visit relations in Scotland and don't wake up until 3rd January. Only in Scotland do they need another Bank Holiday to get over New Year's Eve but wicked eh. :cheers: 

Joyeux Noel et bonne annee mes amis


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## bigshot

When I say gluttony, you can read that as aestheticism.


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## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> When I say gluttony, you can read that as aestheticism.


I'd never misread gluttony as aesthetism since I know the difference BUT am about to listen to my Archiv Produktion 'Gregorian Chant' set (4 CDs dating from 1969-78 and 'only' ADD). I love this set (which is 'Boxed' but not exactly counting as 'Major Works by Popular Composers', I suppose, even though fairly popular then thru' now) and yet it's been years since I've heard it as a by-product of having a large collection to choose from without 'catching it by chance' in randomising that 24/7 or suchlike.

Anyway, Disc 1 is calling so I'm outta here then Sunday lunch and Discs 2-4 ahead of dinner.

Enjoy always all ways.

x


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## bigshot

Svelte Silhouette said:


> am about to listen to my Archiv Produktion 'Gregorian Chant' set. I love this set and yet it's been years since I've heard it as a by-product of having a large collection


I'm very sorry that you don't have the opportunity to appreciate the music you love on a regular basis. Being without something that wonderful for years, would be very sad. I truly feel sorry for you.


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## Svelte Silhouette

bigshot said:


> I'm very sorry that you don't have the opportunity to appreciate the music you love on a regular basis. Being without something that wonderful for years, would be very sad. I truly feel sorry for you.


I said 'I love this set and yet it's been years since I've heard it as a by-product of having a large collection to choose from' ie. I hadn't listened to the full set 'end to end' in years though had always listened to one or two of it's discs every Christmas ... hopefully that's cleared this misunderstanding up for you and I hope you've not fretted too much for me.

Anyway, dinner now and I enjoyed the set BUT will again listen to a customary couple of discs on Christmas Day as is tradition with the aptly named 'Tradition of Gregorian Chant' set.

Avoid the 7 deadly sins and also sadness whenever there is nothing to be sad for ... life's too short.

x


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## bigshot

Svelte Silhouette said:


> I said 'I love this set and yet it's been years since I've heard it as a by-product of having a large collection to choose from' ie. I hadn't listened to the full set 'end to end' in years though had always listened to one or two of it's discs every Christmas ... hopefully that's cleared this misunderstanding up for you and I hope you've not fretted too much for me.


Yes, that's very sad, because every one of those recordings is worth loving and appreciating, not just one or two disks. I have the latest Archiv box set.

http://www.amazon.com/Archiv-Produktion-1947-2013-Celebration-Excellence/dp/B00BCSBU4E/

One of the Amazon reviewers describes it as "Old friends and new friends". Music is like that. You can't visit with friends too much or too often. If I saw a good friend only once a year, I would be very sad. That's why I feel so sorry that you don't have the time to listen to your collection. I'm sure it's full of treasures that deserve listening to more often than you get a chance to.


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## Centropolis

I was going to start a new thread but then thought that it's related to this old one I started. So I am reviving it.

I have been looking for boxsets of Schumann's piano works. I was going to get this but the reviews on Amazon not that great.

http://www.amazon.com/Schumann-Pian...qid=1400787637&sr=1-3&keywords=schumann+piano

So is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Schumann-Work...qid=1400787637&sr=1-7&keywords=schumann+piano

Anything that are comparable to these two but more generally have better reviews?


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## Wood

This is a good starter:

http://www.amazon.com/Schumann-Comp...qid=1400788814&sr=1-6&keywords=schumann+piano

You could get this complete set and have money left over to purchase alternative versions of key favourite works.

I'm not too sure how reliable the reviews are in general.


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## DavidA

Wood said:


> This is a good starter:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Schumann-Comp...qid=1400788814&sr=1-6&keywords=schumann+piano
> 
> You could get this complete set and have money left over to purchase alternative versions of key favourite works.
> 
> I'm not too sure how reliable the reviews are in general.


I've got this set. The performances are good but not outstanding. You'd be better off getting discs off the second hand Amazon by the great interpreters of Schumann - Anda, Richter, Cherkassky, Argerich, Horowitz, Lupu, etcetera..


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## Cosmos

The ones that come to mind are all 20th century Russian :lol: GET EXCITED!!!

I've heard some mixed reviews for the two following, but I think they're both great:
*Prokofiev*, Complete Piano Concertos [Ashkenazy and Previn], IMO, some of the best performances of these great works. Prokofiev's piano concertos are my favorites, except for the 4th








More Ashkenazy and Previn; *Rachmaninov* Piano Concertos (plus Paganini Variations, Corelli Variations, and second piano sonata). Great performances here too, although the piano has a LOT of vibrato that can be distracting when you notice it








Then, more *Prokofiev*: Complete Symphonies (and the Suite from Lieutenant Kije), [Ozawa and Berlin Philharmonic], flawless interpretations if you ask me








*Shostakovich* Complete String Quartets [Fitzwilliam Quartet]. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this recording was the first complete set of the quartets published. Anyway, wonderful and intimate Shostakovich right here








Finally, *Medtner* Complete Piano Sonatas (and Forgotten Melodies, books 1 and 2), [Hamelin]. Beautiful playing of beautiful music, if you've never heard Medtner, you'll love him if you love late-Romantic/post-Romantic piano music








A couple others that come to mind that I won't post more album pics of (cuz it'll be too much space):
*Albaniz* Iberia and *Granados* Goyescas Suites [Alicia de Larrocha]
*Bach* Complete Cello Suites [Starker]
*Beethoven* Complete Symphonies [Barenboim]
*Mendelssohn* Complete Symphonies (and orchestral overtures) [Abbado]
*Mozart* Complete String Quintets (and the String Trio in E-flat) [Grumiaux Trio and Max Lesueur and Arpad Gerecz]
*Poulenc* Piano Concerto, Organ Concerto, Concerto for Two Pianos, Sonata for Two Pianos, Sextet, Concert Champetre, and Gloria [Dutoit, Roge, Philharmonia Orchestra, and others]
Richter plays *Bach* (Sonatas, Duets, Italian Concerto, English and French Suites, miscellaneous keyboard works)
And finally, *Richard Strauss* Tone Poems (Till Egunspiegal, Don Juan, Ein Heldenleben, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Alpine Symphony [Solti]


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## SimonNZ

For Russian music - and particularly for Stravinsky - its worth having a look at this _thirty-three_ cd set:










http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4820377


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## SixFootScowl

This one looks interesting. Released last fall.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016IQIHWC/


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## joen_cph

^^

If there´s a particular genre that interests you, it´s often possible to buy the individual box sets (say of the piano music or the concertos) individually, and cheaper. The sound quality is mono, sometimes rather poor. Personally I prefer modern Nielsen recordings, the concertos and symphonies here have some interesting features, but after all there is a good selection of more recent versions too.


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## SixFootScowl

joen_cph said:


> ^^
> 
> If there´s a particular genre that interests you, it´s often possible to buy the individual box sets (say of the piano music or the concertos) individually, and cheaper. The sound quality is mono, sometimes rather poor. Personally I prefer modern Nielsen recordings, the concertos and symphonies here have some interesting features, but after all there is a good selection of more recent versions too.


I just bought a modern set of Neilson's symphonies. Yes, that box set would have some sound quality issues. Surprised they would not put out a more modern set than the one I posted above.


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## joen_cph

^^^
Danacord has good access to old and often rare Danish radio and LP sources, probably including foundation financing. Recording all this again would be very costly, and there is a market for the Nielsen tradition abroad too.


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## SixFootScowl

joen_cph said:


> ^^^
> Danacord has good access to old and often rare Danish radio and LP sources, probably including foundation financing. Recording all this again would be very costly, and there is a market for the Nielsen tradition abroad too.


A fine set for the right person.


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## starthrower

That's a lotta Nielsen. I bought the no frills Membran set (10 CDs) for 20 bucks. It's very good for a cheapo label.


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## SixFootScowl

starthrower said:


> That's a lotta Nielsen. I bought the no frills Membran set (10 CDs) for 20 bucks. It's very good for a cheapo label.


I thought about that one but settled for a symphony set for about 6 bucks.


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## starthrower

Presto classical has their annual box set sale going on now throughout January. I'm picking up some Schubert for my wife, and a few things for myself.


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## starthrower

That membran label has a nice Buxtehude organ set I wanna pick up.


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