Classical music bargains

[Tom 1960]

Living Stereo has already been "adjusted" ...

Too bad. Of all these mega sets, I think Living Stereo #1 and 2 are my favs. I really ought to buckle down and rip them, as I am sure I would play the material a bit more often.

Probably the perfect project for these cold Canadian winters...

I really enjoy Living Stereo Volume 1 and have thought many times of purchasing Vol. 2. I just can't seem to catch it at a decent selling price. If folks here become aware of a price break, please let me know?

Heads up: Decca Sound The Mono Years box, 53 CDs.

Damn, that looks good!

[mjzee]

I really enjoy Living Stereo Volume 1 and have thought many times of purchasing Vol. 2. I just can't seem to catch it at a decent selling price. If folks here become aware of a price break, please let me know?

Check out Amazon Canada. They have it @ CDN $64.82, which is US $52.05:

http://www.amazon.ca/RCA-Living-Stereo-Collection-Volume/dp/B00GP8YHAU/ref=pd_sim_m_33?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Y5AWQ4Y15DK7RQEC8KY

Also, they have the Toscanini box @ CDN $56.70, which is US $45.53:

http://www.amazon.ca/Toscanini-Collection-Arturo/dp/B006VKKAWQ/ref=pd_cp_m_3

Anyone have thoughts on the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi box? CDN $68.06, which is US $54.65:

[Tom 1960]

I really enjoy Living Stereo Volume 1 and have thought many times of purchasing Vol. 2. I just can't seem to catch it at a decent selling price. If folks here become aware of a price break, please let me know?

Check out Amazon Canada. They have it @ CDN $64.82, which is US $52.05:

http://www.amazon.ca/RCA-Living-Stereo-Collection-Volume/dp/B00GP8YHAU/ref=pd_sim_m_33?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Y5AWQ4Y15DK7RQEC8KY

Thanks!!!

[Д.Д.]

Anyone have thoughts on the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi box? CDN $68.06, which is US $54.65:

See above:

[Van Basten II]

Pretty sure Moms/Clem will say to jump on the mofo , Marriner 28 cd set for 45 Pounds.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IERAFUQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00IERAFUQ&linkCode=as2&tag=bonsplansclas-21&linkId=VP5BY22D5VFII6Z7

[HaroldPlengeave]

Those classical box sets are real bargains Fabulous music - the Decca box set, the Living Stereo set end up at less than 3 a CD. HPs readers must not be vinyl collectors. The Wilma Cozart set in six 180gm vinyl is still available for less than 200 even though far less of those were produced than the CD version.

[king ubu]

I'm not in the market for this, but some might be interested:

€ 34 at amazon.de (pre VAT deduction)

[Van Basten II]

Vaughn Williams Collector 's edition can be found on Amazon Italia for 5 Euros , there is also a seller on Amazon Canada who offers it for around 20 $, which in my case is cheaper (thanks to the ridiculous international shipping fees )

[Д.Д.]

€5! Crazy!

[mjzee]

I've got the Archiv ... have played prob. 80% of it (have a few duplications there). I found the All-Baroque box quite a bit better, but the Archiv box offers some most fascinating glimpses at the times of early (on-the-way-to-)HIP performing, and some of those remain indeed very good, I'd say - I'm stil far from an expert, but it boils down to: I can still listen to those recordings and get plenty of enjoyment out of them, no matter if I'm familiar with later, more "correct" performances. Also of course it does contain a few things of more recent vintage, but for that, I'd say get the All-Baroque if you don't have it yet (these two, in most cases, omit duplication pretty well - meaning some works are in both, of course, but in different recordings).

These are others that never quite took enough of a price plunge to spare me from being ripped off by post/customs, and I was even crazy enough to get the Baroque one in a local store ... but I've certainly not regretted buying either of them (with the Baroque as well, I guess I've still got about 20% that I've never yet listened, while other things I've played several times and love very much ... i.e. still my favourite of Monteverdi's "Orfeo" ...)

Ubu, thanks to your recommendation, I've finally decided to buy the Archiv Baroque Box (@ $77.31). I also went for the Seon box (@ $117.65) since I'm so enjoying the Vivarte box.

[king ubu]

Don't plan to get the Seon ... but maybe that's a mistake? Also not sure about the upcoming Tafelmusik box (plenty of duplication between it and the Vivarte plus the small Haydn symphonies box).

As for the Archiv, I guess in the meantime it grew some in appreciation. Have played almost all of it by now, back when I wrote those sentences you quote, I had for instance not yet heard the great early Richter St Matthew.

[crisp]

The Phase 4 set is £47.37 (40 discs) at Amazon UK.

[Bigshot]

11 Stoki recordings in the Phase 4 box? SOLD

[crisp]

And it's £45.74 now.

[Stefan Wood]

Aren't the Stoki recordings in another box?

[ejp626]

Aren't the Stoki recordings in another box?

I believe if you have the 2 Decca sets this covers all the Phase 4 recordings, but I don't really have the patience to check:

http://www.amazon.com/Leopold-Stokowski-Recordings-1965-1972-Original/dp/B0000B0A0P

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Masters-Stokowski-Recordings-1964-1975/dp/B00067R3BQ/ref=pd_sim_15_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WM0P44JGTTK3557HV3Z

(The second one has gotten kind of pricey, so if you don't already have it, the Phase 4 box may be the better deal anyway.)

The new box has new and probably better mastering, but I thought these were fine.

I'm not sure if there is a single box just covering his Phase 4 recordings.

[Bigshot]

Hmm... I'm not sure either. I don't see either a Dutchman overture or a New World Symphony in there, but I'm remembering back to the early 70s when my parents had these records. Perhaps they were a different conductor. In any case, the Phase 4 box looks like a lot of fun.

[mjzee]

I notice that Amazon has the Vladimir Horowitz box for $78.25 and the Toscanini box for $80.09, both Prime.

[Van Basten II]

The Columbia Pierre Boulez set goes around 62 pounds shipping included for Canucks on Amazon.co.UK,, bit of a shame that our Looney has taken a beating, for the Yanks around here, it's a fine deal if they get the same cheap shipping fees.

[ejp626]

Probably already discussed above, but if you don't have to have everything, here are a few focused Boulez bargain sets (especially through secondary market):

(Bartok) http://www.amazon.com/Conducts-Bartok-Pierre-Boulez/dp/B00GZHRFDC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1432649441&sr=8-2&keywords=boulez+Bartok

(Webern) http://www.amazon.com/Anton-Webern-Complete-Works-1-Op/dp/B00EC0VW3S/ref=pd_sim_15_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0AZ9HEK6V50CFCFPK1P6

(Schoenberg) http://www.amazon.com/Pierre-Boulez-conducts-Schoenberg-Arnold/dp/B00AK3X3U6/ref=pd_sim_15_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1APP6ZH2QN0X6QW8ZT2H

I believe that quite a few of the Columbia albums can now be released under the Sony budget imprint, though I may be wrong. (I saw a number of Bartok titles in the Columbia box, for instance, but he could have recorded them twice for instance.)

[Stefan Wood]

Boulez box now $98 shipped from Amazon UK.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Stefan Wood

[Stefan Wood]

Some EMI box sets on sale.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Oistrakh-Complete-EMI-Recordings/dp/B001ASVXSE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1434715727&sr=1-1&keywords=emi+box+set

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Messiaen-100th-Anniversary-Box-Set/dp/B001DCQJUO/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1434715727&sr=1-2&keywords=emi+box+set

[ejp626]

Some EMI box sets on sale.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Oistrakh-Complete-EMI-Recordings/dp/B001ASVXSE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1434715727&sr=1-1&keywords=emi+box+set

I'm kind of bummed about this, as I had purchased the set at a rock-bottom price ages ago, but the seller didn't have it in stock after all. After waiting for a long time, I bought a different copy. It was still a good deal, but somewhat more than this price from Amazon.co.uk. Sometimes timing is everything.

[Stefan Wood]

Hop on this, Shostakovich fans:

http://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B001GZ011Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1642&creative=19458&creativeASIN=B001GZ011Q&linkCode=as2&tag=bpclass-21&linkId=YTLESOSYRAL6EJHE

[Van Basten II]

Hop on this, Shostakovich fans:

http://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B001GZ011Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1642&creative=19458&creativeASIN=B001GZ011Q&linkCode=as2&tag=bpclass-21&linkId=YTLESOSYRAL6EJHE

Does it play on regular CD units ?