# Rattle, BPO and more $$$ boxsets



## 13hm13 (Oct 31, 2016)

Some of you may know about Rattle/BPO's prev. 2015 Brahms set on LP. It was a direct-to-disc recording.

Got another $300 in your vinyl budget? Check out:

https://www.analogplanet.com/conten...microphone-simon-rattle-vinyl-beethoven-cycle

I ain't no audiophile so I won't comment on these various BPO releases' sound quality.

What I can opine on is that I really haven't been impressed with any Rattle/BPO performances.

YMMV!


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

I've heard pieces of several Rattle Beethoven symphony performances on the car radio and can't say the parts I've heard seem to have much to do with what Beethoven wrote or would have wanted.


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## 13hm13 (Oct 31, 2016)

Not sure why this maestro gets so much attention. Looking at my CD library, I count only one Rattle CD (Mahler 10).

Oh, BTW, it's *SIR *Simon Rattle!

Did he achieve knighthood because of his conduction abilities, and/or because of his willingness for outreach (documentaries, interview, small talk) ???

Maybe an image thing -- appeal to general audience.


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## Biffo (Mar 7, 2016)

I can't say I have been impressed with Rattle since he went to the BPO. I have bought little of his output - his inaugural Mahler 5, Brahms symphonies (not bad but nothing special) and German Requiem (ditto). The only disc (a DVD) I have enjoyed is a live Magic Flute and that was mainly for the contribution of the singers.

The cost of discs from the BPO website is exorbitant. Who buys them?


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

The price of the BPO stuff is ridiculous. Rattle's Brahms and Beethoven cycles with the orchestra were very good but worth the money? No.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Biffo said:


> The cost of discs from the BPO website is exorbitant. Who buys them?


I'm guessing that it's die-hard Rattle and Berlin PO fans, and the BPO figures that those folks will pay megabucks for these recordings. Since the rest of us aren't likely to buy them at all, they don't see much point in selling them cheaply.


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## 13hm13 (Oct 31, 2016)

wkasimer said:


> I'm guessing that it's die-hard Rattle and Berlin PO fans, and the BPO figures that those folks will pay megabucks for these recordings. Since the rest of us aren't likely to buy them at all, they don't see much point in selling them cheaply.


Either that and/or vinyl fanatics that are an*l about "ultimate" fidelity over music.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Merl said:


> The price of the BPO stuff is ridiculous. Rattle's Brahms and Beethoven cycles with the orchestra were very good but worth the money? No.


Not even at half price.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Tbf to Rattle he's an easy target. Although he recorded a few duffers with the BPO there's also some excellent ones (Dvorak Tone Poems, Carmina Burana). I'm looking forward to seeing what he does back in London. I'm hardly a fanboy but I'll cut him some slack. Not his fault thst the BPO releases were so bloody expensive.


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## Biffo (Mar 7, 2016)

I should add that the Brahms recordings I bought were those Rattle made for EMI and I bought them at a sensible price from Amazon; in the case of the symphonies at a bargain price. Most of Rattle's BPO recordings are available from MDT, Amazon etc at reasonable prices.

Recordings by Abbado and Harnoncourt are also overpriced in the BPO online shop and if you go for one of the super deluxe editions they prices are eye-wateringly expensive.


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## 13hm13 (Oct 31, 2016)

One _my_ pet peeves with Rattle --and it's very much a _personal _issue -- is that I find his demeanor (conducting "style" , personality, "image") ....ummm .... ummm... trying to choose the right word....shallow .... cartoonlike .... fluff ... _irritating_. It's all those words ... and more 

Certainly, the _whole_ image a maestro projects is picked up by the orchestra players. And they react accordingly.

Watching a performance on YouTube or live is one thing ... but (as Obi-Wan noted) "your eyes can deceive you -- don't trust them". So, how does simply audio-only listening convey Rattle? Did_ watching_ him perform ruin the _music_?Well, _I've tried_ ...and while I've admittedly only heard a small sample of his works, I'm convinced that guy is overrated. YMMV.


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