Classical music bargains

[king ubu]

... that's the word it seems ...

[Stefan Wood]

If it were cheaper, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I love his interpretations. They have character and passion, which I find lacking in a lot of other conductors efforts.

[Kyo]

Here's a crazy bargain - 28 CDs of Vivaldi recordings from Decca Records:

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004I7MCHA

I paid something like 26 Euro *SHIPPED* from Canada!


Full track listing here:
http://www.deccaclassics.com/de/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4782747

[Leeway]

Saw this on Arkiv Music. Bargain? Any good? BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS. Quatuor Vegh, 8 CDs. $39.99

http://www.arkivmusic.com/albumpage/29857-E1205

Edited November 23, 2013 by Leeway

[J.A.W.]

Saw this on Arkiv Music. Bargain? Any good? BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS. Quatuor Vegh, 8 CDs. $39.99

It's a great set, one of the reference recordings of the Beethoven string quartets. It's been OOP for ages; this one could be either a reissue or one of those CD-R reprints. I'd check with the seller before buying.

Edited November 23, 2013 by J.A.W.

[Д.Д.]

Saw this on Arkiv Music. Bargain? Any good? BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS. Quatuor Vegh, 8 CDs. $39.99

It's a great set, one of the reference recordings of the Beethoven string quartets. It's been OOP for ages; this one could be either a reissue or one of those CD-R reprints. I'd check with the seller before buying.

I guess this is a new naive reissue box set, part of their low-price series. It's available at European amazons pretty cheap as well: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Complete-String-Quartets-set/dp/B0000DET84/

Edited November 23, 2013 by Д.Д.

[Leeway]

Saw this on Arkiv Music. Bargain? Any good? BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS. Quatuor Vegh, 8 CDs. $39.99

It's a great set, one of the reference recordings of the Beethoven string quartets. It's been OOP for ages; this one could be either a reissue or one of those CD-R reprints. I'd check with the seller before buying.

I guess this is a new naive reissue box set, part of their low-price series. It's available at European amazons pretty cheap as well: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Complete-String-Quartets-set/dp/B0000DET84/

Apparently this set was selling for big prices on the 2nd hand market until this reissue, which appears to be standard CD. Interestingly, Amazon US does not appear to carry it, so maybe Arkiv has a scoop. In terms of dollars to discs, it is not an amazing bargain, but compared to reseller prices, it looks pretty good. Right now I have the complete Beethoven String Quartets only in 3 LP box sets issued years ago by Quartetto Italiano, which I think has been well-regarded. On CD I have the Middle Quartets (only) by The Fine Arts Quartet on Everest, and some of the Quartets performed by the Budapest String Quartet on Columbia, reissues of 1940s mono recordings. I could probably use one or two reference sets.

[JSngry]

That Quartets set that Paul Secor keeps showing is a great set at a great price from Berkshire.

[JSngry]

As fro the Vegh, the above-mentioned set appears to be reissues of their 1972-74 recordings, but - Music and Arts released a set of an earlier cycle, recorded in 1952, and if this reviewer has tastes/ears like mine, this is the set I would really want to hear: http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-7667/

Unfortunately, the M&A set has long come and gone, and look at these prices today!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005NG65/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&qid=1385227197&s=music&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005NG65/sr=1-20/qid=1385227114/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1385227114&seller=&sr=1-20

[T.D.]

I bought the Vegh set on Valois years ago, when I was heavily influenced by the Penguin Guide and similar sources. It's pretty good, but not the ultimate IMO - the consistent gripe (which I pretty much agree with) is that Sandor Vegh on violin often has poor intonation. The sound quality and instrumental balance are also not optimal, but not to the extent of being deal-breakers for me. I recommend that set at reasonable price levels, but wouldn't pay up. I agree that earlier Vegh recordings would be worth hearing (though I haven't heard them), because intonation problems would be much less.

I concur that the Budapest recordings at Berkshire are very tempting! The Takacs also seem to get excellent reviews, but I haven't heard so can't comment.

Edited November 23, 2013 by T.D.

[J.A.W.]

I bought the Vegh set on Valois years ago, when I was heavily influenced by the Penguin Guide and similar sources. It's pretty good, but not the ultimate IMO - the consistent gripe (which I pretty much agree with) is that Sandor Vegh on violin often has poor intonation. The sound quality and instrumental balance are also not optimal, but not to the extent of being deal-breakers for me. I recommend that set at reasonable price levels, but wouldn't pay up. I agree that earlier Vegh recordings would be worth hearing (though I haven't heard them), because intonation problems would be much less.

Why would any intonation problems be much less on the earlier set??

[T.D.]

I bought the Vegh set on Valois years ago, when I was heavily influenced by the Penguin Guide and similar sources. It's pretty good, but not the ultimate IMO - the consistent gripe (which I pretty much agree with) is that Sandor Vegh on violin often has poor intonation. The sound quality and instrumental balance are also not optimal, but not to the extent of being deal-breakers for me. I recommend that set at reasonable price levels, but wouldn't pay up. I agree that earlier Vegh recordings would be worth hearing (though I haven't heard them), because intonation problems would be much less.

Why would any intonation problems be much less on the earlier set??

I'm assuming the intonation problems are related to advancing age.

[J.A.W.]

I bought the Vegh set on Valois years ago, when I was heavily influenced by the Penguin Guide and similar sources. It's pretty good, but not the ultimate IMO - the consistent gripe (which I pretty much agree with) is that Sandor Vegh on violin often has poor intonation. The sound quality and instrumental balance are also not optimal, but not to the extent of being deal-breakers for me. I recommend that set at reasonable price levels, but wouldn't pay up. I agree that earlier Vegh recordings would be worth hearing (though I haven't heard them), because intonation problems would be much less.

Why would any intonation problems be much less on the earlier set??

I'm assuming the intonation problems are related to advancing age.

They're not necessarily age-related, I've heard young string players with intonation problems. You posted the statement in your earlier post as a fact, but it's just an assumption.

Edited November 23, 2013 by J.A.W.

[ejp626]

Saw this on Arkiv Music. Bargain? Any good? BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS. Quatuor Vegh, 8 CDs. $39.99

It's a great set, one of the reference recordings of the Beethoven string quartets. It's been OOP for ages; this one could be either a reissue or one of those CD-R reprints. I'd check with the seller before buying.

I guess this is a new naive reissue box set, part of their low-price series. It's available at European amazons pretty cheap as well: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Complete-String-Quartets-set/dp/B0000DET84/

Apparently this set was selling for big prices on the 2nd hand market until this reissue, which appears to be standard CD. Interestingly, Amazon US does not appear to carry it, so maybe Arkiv has a scoop. In terms of dollars to discs, it is not an amazing bargain, but compared to reseller prices, it looks pretty good. Right now I have the complete Beethoven String Quartets only in 3 LP box sets issued years ago by Quartetto Italiano, which I think has been well-regarded. On CD I have the Middle Quartets (only) by The Fine Arts Quartet on Everest, and some of the Quartets performed by the Budapest String Quartet on Columbia, reissues of 1940s mono recordings. I could probably use one or two reference sets.

I'd probably go with Tokyo String Quartet, esp. from an Amazon third party: http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Complete-Quartets-Tokyo-Quartet/dp/B008BOWG7C

[David Ayers]

This link to spotify might help to end the speculation: Végh Quartet – Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 1-16 (Complete) (Vegh Quartet) (1952)

[alankin]

Yo-Yo Ma - 30 Years Outside the Box is about $120 for 90 CDs at ImportCDs -- http://www.importcds.com/music/1697030/yo-yo-ma-30-years-outside-the-box. Anyone have this set?

[neveronfriday]

Yo-Yo Ma - 30 Years Outside the Box is about $120 for 90 CDs at ImportCDs -- http://www.importcds.com/music/1697030/yo-yo-ma-30-years-outside-the-box. Anyone have this set?

I do.

Any questions?

P.S.: Most of the CDs in the set, as far as I recall (I bought this many months ago) are the regular releases packaged in a positively huge boxed set.

I bought it because the separate (re)issues would have cost more than the whole set. I can't remember what I paid for it (around 90 Euro?), but I jumped on it when the set came down from three trillion to affordable.

Soundwise it's more than fine for me.

[jazzbo]

As I noted earlier about the same price at deepdiscount, and they have a photo of the set.

Whole lot of Yo Yo cheap

https://www.deepdiscount.com/cd/Yo-Yo-Ma-30-Years-Outside-The-Box-90cd?pjxsource=pepperjam&pjxaffiliate_id=43737&pjxclick_id=725962083

[Bigshot]

Yo-Yo Ma - 30 Years Outside the Box is about $120 for 90 CDs at ImportCDs -- http://www.importcds.com/music/1697030/yo-yo-ma-30-years-outside-the-box. Anyone have this set?

I do.

Any questions?

How much of it is classical music? I'm not so keen on crossover.

[Kyo]

56 CDs of Aldo Ciccolini's EMI recordings, currently just 43.99 at amazon.de:

http://www.amazon.de/Complete-EMI-Recordings-1950-91/dp/B002SV3KOM/

Edited November 25, 2013 by Kyo

[king ubu]

I've by now played almost every disc from this boy and enjoyed it a lot!

[David Ayers]

I can't tell you what OOP beauty I am currently checking on Spotify in case you go on amazon and order the one remaining copy at a bargain price. Sorry.

Aagh! Now I'm afraid you might guess!

[neveronfriday]

Yo-Yo Ma - 30 Years Outside the Box is about $120 for 90 CDs at ImportCDs -- http://www.importcds.com/music/1697030/yo-yo-ma-30-years-outside-the-box. Anyone have this set?

I do.

Any questions?

How much of it is classical music? I'm not so keen on crossover.

More details here:

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=239239

Well, here's a lsiting of what's in the box (from an Amazon.com review):

01-Robert-White-Sings-Beethoven

02-Saint-Saens-Carnival-of-the-Animals-Variations-on-a-Theme-of-Beethoven,-Op.-35-Polonaise,-Op.-77

03-Saint-Saens-and-Lalo-Cello-Concertos

04-Haydn-Cello-Concertos

05-Beethoven-Complete-Sonatas-for-Cello-and-Piano,-Vol.-1

06-Kreisler,-Paganini

07-Bach-Sonatas-for-Viola-da-Gamba-and-Harpsichord

08-Bach-The-Six-Unaccompanied-Cello-Suites

09-Bach-The-Six-Unaccompanied-Cello-Suites

10-Shostakovich-and-Kabalevsky-Cello-Concertos

11-Bolling-Suite-for-Cello-and-Jazz-Piano-Trio

12-Beethoven-Complete-Sonatas-for-Cello-and-Piano,-Vol.-2

13-Schubert-String-Quintet

14-Japanese-Melodies

15-Elgar-and-Walton-Cello-Concertos

16-Mozart-Divertimento,-K.-563

17-Brahms-Sonatas-for-Cello-and-Piano

18-Strauss-Don-Quixote-Schoenberg-Concerto

19-Beethoven-Complete-Sonatas-for-Cello-and-Piano,-Vol.-3

20-Dvorak-Cello-Concerto

21-Boccherini-Concerto-J.-C.-Bach-Sinfonia-Concertante-and-Grand-Overture

22-Mozart-Adagio-and-Fugue-in-C-Minor-Schubert-String-Quartet-No.-15

23-Schumann-Cello-Concerto-Fantasiestucke

24-Dvorak-Piano-Trios

25-Brahms-Double-Concerto,-Piano-Quartet

26-Shostakovich-Piano-Trio,-Cello-Sonata

27-Barber-and-Britten-Cello-Concertos

28-Strauss-and-Britten-Cello-Sonatas

29-Shostakovich-Quartet-No.-15Gubaidulina-Rejoice!

30-Anything-Goes-Stephane-Grappelli-and-Yo-Yo-Ma-Play-(Mostly)-Cole-Porter

31-Mozart-Serenade-No.-10,-Gran-Partita

32-Brahms-The-Piano-Quartets

33-Brahms-The-Piano-Quartets

34-Prokofiev-and-Rachmaninoff-Cello-Sonatas

35-Tchaikovsky-Gala-in-Leningrad

36-Hush

37-Prokofiev-Sinfonia-Concertante,-Tchaikovsky-Variations

38-Brahms-String-Sextets

39-Brahms-String-Sextets

40-Brahms-Sonatas-for-Cello-and-Piano

41-Schoenberg-Verklarte-Nacht,-String-Trio

42-Faure-Piano-Quartets

43-Made-in-America

44-Dvorak-in-Prague

45-Beethoven-and-Schumann-Piano-Quartets

46-Chopin-Piano-Trio,-Polonaise-brillante,-Cello-Sonata

47-The-New-York-Album

48-Immortal-Beloved

49-Brahms,-Beethoven,-and-Mozart-Clarinet-Trios

50-Dvorak-and-Herbert-Concertos-from-the-New-World

51-Schubert-Trout-Quintet,-Arpeggione-Sonata

52-Goldenthal-Fire-Water-Paper-A-Vietnam-Oratorio

53-Appalachia-Waltz

54-Lieberson-King-Gesar

55-Schubert-and-Boccherini-String-Quintets

56-Yo-Yo-Ma-Premieres

57-Mozart-The-Piano-Quartets

58-From-Ordinary-Things

59-Tan-Dun-Symphony-1997

60-Seven-Years-in-Tibet-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack

61-Mark-OConnor-Liberty

62-Soul-of-the-Tango-The-Music-of-Astor-Piazzolla

63-The-Cello-Suites--Inspired-by-Bach

64-The-Cello-Suites--Inspired-by-Bach

65-Korngold-and-Schmidt-Music-for-Strings-and-Piano-Left-Hand

66-Tavener-The-Protecting-Veil

67-Simply-Baroque

68-Brahms-Piano-Concerto-No.-2,-Cello-Sonata

69-Yo-Yo-Ma-Solo

70-Appalachian-Journey

71-Dvorak-Piano-Quartet,-Romantic-Pieces,-Sonatina

72-Simply-Baroque-II

73-John-Corigliano's-Phantasmagoria

74-Crouching-Tiger,-Hidden-Dragon-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack

75-Yo-Yo-Ma-Plays-the-Music-of-John-Williams

76-Silk-Road-Journeys-When-Strangers-Meet

77-Meyer-and-Bottesini-Concertos

78-Naqoyatsi-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack

79-Paris-La-Belle-Epoque

80-Obrigado-Brazil

81-Obrigado-Brazil-Live

82-Vivaldi-Cello

83-Isaac-Stern-Schubert,-Brahms,-Bach,-Mozart

84-Yo-Yo-Ma-Plays-Ennio-Morricone

85-Silk-Road-Journeys-Beyond-the-Horizon

86-Memoirs-of-a-Geisha-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack

87-New-Impossibilities

88-Yo-Yo-Ma-and-Friends-Songs-of-Joy-and-Peace

89-The-Bonus-Disc-1

90-The-Bonus-Disc-2

Quite a bit of both, classical, crossover ...

Edited November 27, 2013 by neveronfriday

[king ubu]

definitely not for me ... though I'm sure there'd be some good music to discover there

[J.A.W.]

Not for me either - apart from the fact that I'm not a Yo-Yo Ma fan, on the contrary