Classical music bargains

[J.A.W.]

Well, the real deluge seems to be the one from Sony ...

But what about Warner/Universal? Thought I got a mail from EMI telling me they'll hand over my data to Universal now ... so it's not SonyTimeWarner but EMIWarnerUniversal? Or do they maintain some kind of separation (still doing seperate Decca boxes at least at this time)?

The Warner Music Group is one of the (now) 3 major record companies. It was formerly owned by Time/Warner, but it was sold to Access Industries a few years ago. Warner acquired Parlophone, Virgin Classics and EMI Classics from Universal this year.

There are now 3 majors, Sony Music Entertainment (including RCA and Columbia-owned labels), Universal Music Group (including Decca, Capitol Music Group, EMI Records - the non-classical division minus Parlophone - and many other labels) and Warner Music Group.

Here's a list of labels owned by Universal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Universal_Music_Group_labels

The story of EMI Classics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMI_Classics

Edited September 5, 2013 by J.A.W.

[David Ayers]

Hey, I might actually go for VW / Haiting / LPO.

Do, though it might be one of those box-sets that has usurped the market of the semi-interested but doesn't do the composer full justice. Good, though, don't get me wrong. It's just that...well, you know...

[king ubu]

Thanks Hans! Was too tired to look it up last night ... had EMI mixed up, somehow (and thought Warner ended up w/Universal, which would have meant only two remaining ...)

Of all those many new boxes, I might actually be in for this one:

[David Ayers]

Teldec The Ligeti Project 5-CD set is back to €18 at amazon.de and amazon.es.

Also, amazon.de sells Henze Hybrid SACD of Symphony 8 on Capriccio label for less than €5: http://www.amazon.de/Sinfonie-8-Nachtst%C3%BCcke-Adagio-Barainsky/dp/B000W4E3QQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1377958866&sr=1-3

Looks like a couple of Capricio SACD are discounted at amazon.de:

Cocertos Francais: http://www.amazon.de/Concertos-Francais-Various/dp/B0009RRRJG/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1377959096&sr=1-1&keywords=capriccio+naxos+sacd

Max Reger: http://www.amazon.de/B%C3%B6cklin-Suite-Mozart-Variations-Weigle/dp/B000S6ENEK/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1377959133&sr=1-5&keywords=capriccio+naxos+sacd

French string quartets: http://www.amazon.de/Streichquartette-Chanson-perp%C3%A9tuelle-Petersen-Quartett/dp/B0000DGDL6/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1377959168&sr=1-7&keywords=capriccio+naxos+sacd

The Henze disc is very worthwhile, very involving, even if the 8th is lighter than the 7th or 9th (!) and, being based on Midsummer Night's Dream, has some unfortunate mimetic donkey-braying which apparently counted for humor in Henze's mind. My copy which I bought a couple of years ago came without any liner notes, only blot on what is now a bargain. Henze's music is often very richly layered - some think he overdoes it - and this is a case where SACD helps to sort out the morass.

[Д.Д.]

Courtesy of bons plans classique blog - complete Haydn Symphonies (D.R. Davies / Stutgart CO) on Sony for $27 at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NBS5NE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001NBS5NE&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl06-20

[Д.Д.]

From Bons Plans Calssique again: DG Gardiner 30-CD box for €24 at amazon.fr: http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00B1952R0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3370&creative=24114&creativeASIN=B00B1952R0&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl0c-21

Edited September 23, 2013 by Д.Д.

[B. Goren.]

Courtesy of bons plans classique blog - complete Haydn Symphonies (D.R. Davies / Stutgart CO) on Sony for $27 at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NBS5NE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001NBS5NE&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl06-20

Now $45

[king ubu]

Courtesy of bons plans classique blog - complete Haydn Symphonies (D.R. Davies / Stutgart CO) on Sony for $27 at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NBS5NE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001NBS5NE&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl06-20

Now $45

Not sure how that works for you (with VAT and shipping), but 42 € at amazon.de might be a rather good offer?

[B. Goren.]

Courtesy of bons plans classique blog - complete Haydn Symphonies (D.R. Davies / Stutgart CO) on Sony for $27 at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NBS5NE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001NBS5NE&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl06-20

Now $45

Not sure how that works for you (with VAT and shipping), but 42 € at amazon.de might be a rather good offer?

42 Eur is more expensive than $45.

[king ubu]

Courtesy of bons plans classique blog - complete Haydn Symphonies (D.R. Davies / Stutgart CO) on Sony for $27 at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NBS5NE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001NBS5NE&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl06-20

Now $45

Not sure how that works for you (with VAT and shipping), but 42 € at amazon.de might be a rather good offer?

42 Eur is more expensive than $45.

Yeah, I know, that's why I was asking about VAT and shipping - to me, it would end up cheaper for sure, but I woulnd't know about delivery to Israel.

[ejp626]

some upcoming stuff:

ICONs (now w/Warner logo):

http://www.amazon.de/Icon-Paavo-Berglund/dp/B00DKAH74Y/

After some consideration, I decided to go for the Paavo Berglund set. No question some reviewers are unhappy that it is not a complete Bournemouth set (missing essentially all of the Sibelius symphonies -- available in a different box that then has a lot of overlap with CDs 12/13 here -- and Shostakovich's chamber music). However, I thought that having the Shostakovich symphonies as well as some slightly off-the-beaten track repetoire (CDs 7 & 9-11) made it worth it for me. I found an Amazon reseller offering it at a pretty good price. Should have it next week.

Actually, the overlap with this set of the symphonies (http://www.amazon.ca/Sibelius-Symphonies-Paavo-Berglund/dp/B0091JQH2Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1380213268&sr=1-1&keywords=berglund+sibelius) is confined to CD12 (of this set). Kullervo is included in this EMI set, but not the Sibelius symphony set. That actually makes it a bit easier to swallow. If I like what I hear, I probably will get the Sibelius symphony set next.

Edited September 26, 2013 by ejp626

[ejp626]

I'll be waiting for more details ... and paying some more attention to Reiner where I have him. Not sure I'll need this one, really. And I definitely don't need the Horowitz.

The one monstrous box I regret not having is probably the Heifetz ... but then I've got plenty of what's in it by now, so I'm good.

So I have done a bit more investigation into the Reiner set. There are 17 CDs largely dedicated to him in the RCA Living Stereo box that duplicate the material in the new 63 CD box set. Another 5 or 6 CDs were fairly easy to track down. Someone has indicated that about 20 CDs worth of material was remastered in the new box, but it was available previously in one form or another. I would guess I have 35-45% of the material in the box, mostly depending on how they spread it out. Given that it is essentially an original jacket collection, many of these 63 CDs will be awfully short.

At the moment, Amazon.ca has it for about $30-35 less than Amazon.com, though that is without shipping to U.S. Probably is still a good deal for Americans (compared to the Amazon.com pre-order), with shipping but without tax and the US dollar up just a bit against $Can. Definitely worth considering if one is north of the border.

[Д.Д.]

Kodaly 2-CD EMI set is available for under £5 at amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/20th-Century-Classics-Various-Artists/dp/B004ZARY64?SubscriptionId=AKIAIVGTH525N57WM2NQ&tag=galenicom-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B004ZARY64

[Bigshot]

Complete Rubinstein box under $100

http://www.importcds.com/music/2358603/arthur-rubinstein-the-complete-album-collection

[jazzbo]

Wow. This is a great box set.

[Van Basten II]

From les Bons plans classiques a few sets from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at around 20 Euros each

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B001JYDLMU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1638&creative=19454&creativeASIN=B001JYDLMU&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplanscl00-21

[Bigshot]

The RCO boxes are up to 73 to over 100 euro now. Those who got in on that window got a real bargain.

[king ubu]

The RCO boxes are up to 73 to over 100 euro now. Those who got in on that window got a real bargain.

That window was closed a few hours after the above post. Not that I'd have been in, but I clicked the link and prices were up to the range you're mentioning already.

[king ubu]

prolly but a glitch, so act fast:

8.23 € on amazon.de

I've got the Szeryng on vinyl and it's great! Too bad the Sinfonia concertante in the above box seems not to be his ...

[jazzbo]

Thanks for the heads up. Dad will enjoy this!

[alankin]

It's a nice set. I got it this Spring at a bargain price from amazon.co.uk.

[ejp626]

prolly but a glitch, so act fast:

8.23 € on amazon.de

I've got the Szeryng on vinyl and it's great! Too bad the Sinfonia concertante in the above box seems not to be his ...

Not sure about that. If you go through Amazon, they report that it is a repacking of this set (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Mozart-Edition-Vol-Violin-Concertos/dp/B00004YSBF/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk) and if you poke around long enough you get a back cover that indicates the Sinfonia concertante (KV 364) is Szeryng, Iona Brown and Nobuko Imai. I imagine this is the one you mean. Generally, these sets go for $25-30 used, so this is a good but not jaw-dropping deal. Something I will consider seriously, nonetheless.

Actually, that doesn't make much sense -- the cover is very confusing, perhaps even deliberately misleading, but it is true it is unlikely there would be two violins on KV 364. Oh well.

Edited October 11, 2013 by ejp626

[David Ayers]

Thanks Flurin. That's Xmas taken care of...

[TedR]

prolly but a glitch, so act fast: 8.23 on amazon.de I've got the Szeryng on vinyl and it's great! Too bad the Sinfonia concertante in the above box seems not to be his ...

Not sure about that. If you go through Amazon, they report that it is a repacking of this set (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Mozart-Edition-Vol-Violin-Concertos/dp/B00004YSBF/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk) and if you poke around long enough you get a back cover that indicates the Sinfonia concertante (KV 364) is Szeryng, Iona Brown and Nobuko Imai. I imagine this is the one you mean. Generally, these sets go for $25-30 used, so this is a good but not jaw-dropping deal. Something I will consider seriously, nonetheless.Actually, that doesn't make much sense -- the cover is very confusing, perhaps even deliberately misleading, but it is true it is unlikely there would be two violins on KV 364. Oh well. It appears, though, that once new berry comics sells out it's $26 set, it jumps in price to $214. ($150 used Like New). Edited October 11, 2013 by TedR

[king ubu]

Details can be found here:

http://www.deccaclassics.com/en/cat/4784271

Szeryng recorded K 364 with Gibson and the New Philharmonia Orchestra as well, with Bruno Giuranna on viola.

Anyway, with free shipping and VAT deducted, this is an offer I can't let go.