# Nimbus Records



## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Any thoughts on this (now defunct? or are they still around?) English classical label...? It seems some of their recordings have been re-released by Brilliant Classics. I have a couple CDs of their Haydn conducted by Ádám Fischer. Moreover, I've just ordered this box set:










It was a damn steal at $3.89 for 12 CDs (used). I bought it on the strength of this amazing performance from Marta Deyanova:






Talk about _himmlische Länge_. A Richterian, glacial interpretation, yet it really works. It made me realize that D894 is one of Schubert's greatest piano sonatas.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this box set, or any other releases from this somewhat obscure independent label? They seem to record in great sound.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/labels/1019--nimbus
Here you can find a lot of information
Other websites available of course .


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Nimbus has a lot of good stuff. I have some Vaughan Williams and Michael Tippett recordings. The label is owned by Wyastone which owns several other labels including Lyrita.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I have a few recordings on Nimbus - one of the nicer ones is a four-disc set of piano works by Rachmaninov (played by John Lill). 

I think Nimbus were mentioned as being one of those labels whose older discs were susceptible to bronzing, but as far as I can recall I haven't experienced any playback problems with any of the ones I have.


----------



## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

flamencosketches said:


> Any thoughts on this (now defunct? or are they still around?) English classical label...?
> ......
> *Does anyone have any thoughts on this* box set, or any other releases from this somewhat obscure *independent label*? *They seem to record in great sound.*


Nimbus has been around since the early days of the CD. Their current home page on the web is:

https://www.wyastone.co.uk/

I became a fan of their label through their recordings of The English String Orchestra lead by William Boughton, which were all recorded *in great sound.* I've read, in the past, that the Nimbus engineers were very much into using the minimal number of mics necessary to capture the performance. Listening to some of the English String Orchestra recordings with eyes closed, you can pick up a lot of sonic information which makes you feel you are at the location of the recording, almost being able to tell the dimensions of the recording venue, material of the floor, etc. Some of my old Newport Classic CD's are in this same category.

I have a few recordings which were recorded at Nimbus Wyastone's concert hall, and the sound of these is amazing. It would seem that the acoustics of their concert hall are dead flat.....no room effects can be heard. This particular recording on the Lyrita label,








sounds as if it were recorded in an anechoic chamber. Talk about your 'black backgrounds'!


----------



## Rangstrom (Sep 24, 2010)

elgars ghost said:


> I have a few recordings on Nimbus - one of the nicer ones is a four-disc set of piano works by Rachmaninov (played by John Lill).
> 
> I think Nimbus were mentioned as being one of those labels whose older discs were susceptible to bronzing, but as far as I can recall I haven't experienced any playback problems with any of the ones I have.


From the summaries I've read on bronzing, Nimbus was not one of the labels involved.


----------



## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

elgars ghost said:


> I think Nimbus were mentioned as being one of those labels whose older discs were susceptible to bronzing, but as far as I can recall I haven't experienced any playback problems with any of the ones I have.


Yeah. I have had a number of Nimbus CDs for many years and none have bronzed.

But you know what? Bronzing for me is not a scary thing. I have at least 6 CDs that bronzed years ago and all of them play fine still.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Vasks said:


> Yeah. I have had a number of Nimbus CDs for many years and none have bronzed.
> 
> But you know what? Bronzing for me is not a scary thing. I have at least 6 CDs that bronzed years ago and all of them play fine still.


Same here, mainly with aging Unicorn-Kanchana discs. They still sound fine to me.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Rangstrom said:


> From the summaries I've read on bronzing, Nimbus was not one of the labels involved.


Thanks for the correction - in that case, I can't recall who I am confusing them with.


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

flamencosketches said:


> Any thoughts on this (now defunct? or are they still around?) English classical label...? It seems some of their recordings have been re-released by Brilliant Classics. I have a couple CDs of their Haydn conducted by Ádám Fischer. Moreover, I've just ordered this box set:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yep, I have that set and apart from the lieder (I never want to hear 'Gehrman' again) it's all quality stuff. I paid £2.50 for the same set years ago. What a steal. As far as other Nimbus releases go I like those below....


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I have dozens of Nimbus cd's highlighted by Deyanova's recordings of Russian composers; her interpretation of Scriabin's op. 11 preludes is the best I've ever heard. Her Schubert I find way too slow (only Richter can handle such a slow tempo).


----------



## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

They appear to have released a complete set of Händel's Chandos Anthems at some stage. I'm not sure if anybody else has done that. I'd love to track them down.


----------



## Rmathuln (Mar 21, 2018)

I have many treasured Nimbus recordings.

Some sets include:

The Fischer Haydn Symphonies, though in Brilliant Classics licensed edition.
The J.S. Bach Organ Works by Kevin Bowyer.
A Korean box of their Hanover Band recordings.
The Richard Lester set of Domenico Scarlatti's 555 keyboard sonatas.


----------



## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

The price of your new Nimbus Schubert set was worth it for the Chilingirian Quartet's late Schubert String Quartets nos. 13-15 alone, which are among my favorite recordings of these works. Be sure to listen to Schubert's final String Quartet, no. 15, which is one of his most profound utterances, & a favorite quartet of mine: 




I'd also recommend the following Nimbus recordings:

--Beethoven, Haydn, & Mozart Piano Trios, played by the Vienna Piano Trio (on Nimbus, but not as much on MDG, which is later incarnation of the group. As I tend to prefer the earlier group when they were signed to Nimbus.):

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pi...+trio+beethoven&qid=1578189628&s=music&sr=1-7
https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-Piano-...ano+trio+nimbus&qid=1578189706&s=music&sr=1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano...ano+trio+nimbus&qid=1578189706&s=music&sr=1-3
If you do a more extensive search, you might be able to find this at a better price: https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pi...+nimbus&qid=1578189706&s=music&sr=1-7-catcorr

--Vlado Perlemuter playing a selection of piano music by Gabriel Faure: https://www.amazon.com/Fauré-Piano-...erlemuter+faure&qid=1578190048&s=music&sr=1-2

(Some people like Perlemuter's solo Ravel too: https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Works-...erlemuter+ravel&qid=1578189884&s=music&sr=1-9)

--Vladimir Feltsman's solo Bach recordings, especially his 6 Partitas; although I'm not sure if these are the same Partita recordings that Feltsman made for Camerata, which is the set that I know and like by him, or brand new recordings, which still may be very good...): https://www.amazon.com/Partitas-825...partitas+nimbus&qid=1578190126&s=music&sr=1-1. I've also heard good things about Feltsman's Schumann on Nimbus, but haven't gotten to it. Nor have I heard his Chopin or Schubert, etc.

I agree that Adam Fischer's Haydn Symphony cycle is worthwhile, but maybe a bit inconsistent (on Nimbus & later reissued by Brilliant).

Finally, the following Hanover Band period Mozart release once received rave reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Symphony-40-...d+nimbus+mozart&qid=1578190211&s=music&sr=1-4, but I haven't heard it in decades, so I'm hesitant to recommend it, but it may be very good.


----------



## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

Often forgottten fact: The violinist *Daniel Hope (born 1974)* recorded modern/postmodern music for Nimbus in his younger years:

I have this one released in the year 2000:









I don't have this one:


----------



## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Awesome, thanks, everyone. @Josquin, these Vienna Trio recordings look excellent, I may get that Haydn. I'm very much looking forward to spending time with this Schubert box set whenever it arrives.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

You got a great deal on that Schubert box. They have a number of 4 CD composer portrait sets I've seen used for a few bucks.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I'm pretty sure Nimbus are still going, no evidence they've folded or anything.

I've got a few Nimbus CDs and sets, Beethoven sets (Hannover Band, Medici Qt, Bernard Roberts), a very good Bartók set under Adam Fischer, and of course his Haydn symphonies. There's a double CD of the Mehul symphonies I like as well.

I don't have any bronzing issues with any from this label. Hyperion have been a problem, and so have ASV, not Nimbus though...

This CD is rather special, including as it does the beautiful, intricate, and thought-provoking Life Studies by Nicholas Maw:


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

elgars ghost said:


> Thanks for the correction - in that case, I can't recall who I am confusing them with.


Possibly Hyperion. They definitely had a short period of bronzing problems. A few of mine were affected to the extent that they could no longer be played. Hyperion immediately replaced them after I informed them.


----------



## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I forgot about the Adam Fischer Bartok box set that Cnc Bartok mentions. I agree that it's an excellent Nimbus set, and a good way to acquire a substantial collection of Bartok's most essential orchestral music at a decent price. In fact, it was CnCb that similarly recommended it to me on the old Amazon forum (thanks, again):

https://www.amazon.com/Bartok-Works...+fischer+a dam&qid=1578245556&s=music&sr=1-3
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7961021--bartok-for-orchestra

I also forgot to mention that Nimbus used to be an excellent label for recording older neglected pianists (at the time). I've already mentioned Vlado Perlemuter, who had studied the solo piano music of Gabriel Faure directly with the composer himself at the Paris Conservatoire, and knew and worked with Maurice Ravel, as well. But there was also Shura Cherkassky--who was well regarded for his playing of the Romantic repertory, Bernard Roberts--who recorded Bach and Beethoven's music extensively for Nimbus, and Youra Guller--who was had survived the Nazis in France only to later become an almost completely forgotten pianist, before Nimbus made a series of recordings with her (when she was in her 80s!); as well as a Nimbus series called "Grand Piano", which issued valuable old piano roll recordings by the great historical pianists, such as Harold Bauer, Ignaz Friedman, Percy Grainger, Josef Hofmann, Ignaz Jan Paderewski, etc..

https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Piano-...nd+piano+nimbus&qid=1578245979&s=music&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Piano-...nd+piano+nimbus&qid=1578245979&s=music&sr=1-6
https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Piano-...nd+piano+nimbus&qid=1578245979&s=music&sr=1-9
https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Piano-...nd+piano+nimbus&qid=1578245979&s=music&sr=1-2
etc.

There was also an excellent Nimbus series called "Prima Voce" that did the same for historical singers, such as their popular release of Robert Merrill and Jussi Björling singing duets from Bizet, Verdi, Mascagni, Puccini, etc., and operatic arias: https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...t-merrill-jussi-bjorling-operatic-arias-duets.

But if I could take only one Nimbus recording with me to my desert island, I would unhesitatingly choose pianist Youra Guller's recording of Beethoven's Late Piano Sonatas nos. 31 & 32, Op. 110 & 111, which I treasure. No collection of Beethoven's late sonatas should be without Guller's recording, in my opinion. I'd place her late Beethoven on the same exalted level as Rudolf Serkin's "unreleased" Sony recordings of Op. 109 & 110, which is really saying something. Guller was that rare kind of pianist that makes many pianists today sound like they are merely playing the notes, or in need of an interpretation:

Guller's Op. 109:





https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pi...uller+beethoven&qid=1578247306&s=music&sr=1-2

Guller's other CD for Nimbus is worthwhile too, but probably less essential. Her advanced age at the time shows a bit more on this CD than on her Beethoven disc. One can only imagine how incredible Guller must have been in her prime, but sadly there are no recordings from that period of her life: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Youra-Gu...uller+beethoven&qid=1578247306&s=music&sr=1-1

https://www.forte-piano-pianissimo.com/youraguller.html

As Cnc Bartok also points out, Nimbus has been a champion of contemporary composers, too. He mentions a Nimbus recording of music by Nicholas Maw, which is a disc I'd like to hear. Most recently, Nimbus has been promoting the music of the American composer Augusta Read Thomas, who was a student of Alan Stout's at Northwestern University and Oliver Knussen's at Tanglewood, and two British composers: David Matthews' 9th Symphony, and the music of Philip Sawyers:





https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Aug...d+thomas+nimbus&qid=1578251404&s=music&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Selected-Wor...3K20MRVJXAE&psc=1&refRID=B3KCG5F0N3K20MRVJXAE
https://www.amazon.com/Augusta-Read...d+thomas+nimbus&qid=1578251404&s=music&sr=1-3
https://www.amazon.com/Chamber-Pian...d+thomas+nimbus&qid=1578251404&s=music&sr=1-5









https://www.amazon.com/Symphony-ENG...matthews+nimbus&qid=1578251584&s=music&sr=1-1


----------



## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

I have the Ádám Fischer Bartók set and I agree that it's great, though I have the later Brilliant licensed issue. My only complaint is that the sound throughout is mixed far too quietly. I'll check out that Youra Geller Beethoven, I've never heard of her before!


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

*This looks interesting*:


----------



## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

The Mehul symphony set is a gem.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

flamencosketches said:


> I have the Ádám Fischer Bartók set and I agree that it's great, though I have the later Brilliant licensed issue. My only complaint is that the sound throughout is mixed far too quietly. I'll check out that Youra Geller Beethoven, I've never heard of her before!


If you want big, bold Bartok in great sound I recommend Solti on Decca.


----------



## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

elgars ghost said:


> Same here, mainly with aging Unicorn-Kanchana discs. They still sound fine to me.


Yeah, a lot of my old Pearl discs have bronzing but still seem to play fine. With reference to Nimbus, I'm pretty sure they were the first company in the UK to produce CDs. I have quite a few of their releases, generally very high quality. Almost all of their releases use Ambisonic encoding but I believe one requires a specific Ambisonic decoder and the appropriate surround sound speaker set up to appreciate this. I don't have that equipment, although all their releases play fine on standard equipment.


----------

