It's currently only 48 euros plus change (including tax) plus shipping on Amazon Italy: Decca Recordings: Pirre Monteux, Johann Sebastian Bach: Amazon.it: Musica » On most Amazon sites Pierre Monteux's first name is incorrectly spelt.
Looks like I already have Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1, 3 6 & 8 plus Tchaikovsky Swan Lake in my collection. But 3 duplicates is not that bad and the entire Beethoven Symphonies cycle is in this box ...
I think the Feinberg WTC is better than the following S Richter box ... which was the first WTC box I added to my collection.
Do any of you think the following box is a must-have for a semi-pianophile? Looks like the price has now become a bit more reasonable on Amazon US than a while back ...
@George P I understand you ploughed your way through the Horowitz Complete Original Jacket 70CD-box recently. I'm still on the fence about that one. What's your overall impression? Any striking duds (like for instance some of his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin) and/or jewels (Scriabin)? As I've said here before I'm not too fond of his sometimes flashy playing. Thanks.
I trust the contents are better than that cover -- which is one of worst I've seen. It looks like someone used a J.S. Bach score to line their cat box... then it fell apart when they went to dump it. Awful way to present Bach and Richter.
Now playing CD4 - Schubert Symphony No. 9, Beethoven Die Ruinen von Athen, Strauss Radetzky March and Suppe Poet and Peasant from the following box for a first listen ...
Speaking of Haitink and the Concertgebouw... Philips issued this sampler LP back in the early '70s, during Haitink's heyday with the orchestra. (Not sure the exact issue date; I got my copy in '71.) The program is a light fare of overtures and such, but played with great precision by this well-honed orchestra under Haitink's baton. And the icing on the cake: Philips legendary first-rate sonics never sounded better.
I actually think much of his earlier Chopin is quite good, quite unique. However, when his Chopin is bad, it's bad. And much of his Beethoven is some of the best recordings he made. So maybe our tastes here are too different for me to be of use to you. Having said that, I'd say that the set has not made me any bigger (or smaller) a fan. So perhaps it wouldn't change whatever opinion you have of him. Considering how many great pianist and pianist recordings there are out there, I'd say the Horowitz set is not essential. I only bought it because it was $70 and I am pianophile. As with to the Rubinstein, I'd say pick and choose CDs from the earlier recordings - Rubinstein's Mono (the earlier the better, IMO) and Horowitz's RCA and shellac recordings (out on APR or Pearl.) Because both sets sold so well, it should be relatively inexpensive to pick up earlier issues of their CDs.
Now playing CD1 from the following box for a second listen, though the box has been in my collection for quite a few years ...
Thanks, that's helpful and I think you're right about our tastes being very different. The Rubinstein is the only big RCA (Sony) set I have, and that's because it was relatively cheap when I got it. Looks like the Horowitz box would be too big a gamble for me, especially since it has become more expensive than it was a while ago.
Horowitz used to be my early-day favorite pianist, i.e. back in the mid to late 70's. I certainly would not spend the money on his big box ...
Interesting. And this may explain why another album I pulled from my mother's collection sounds so overly-bright. This Brahms symphony on the Plymouth label sounds even brighter than that Remington LP (and less surface noise, as I suspect she liked the Tchaikovsky concerto over the Brahms 2nd symphony). Was there some association between Plymouth and Remington? Both had NY addresses in the 500 block of Fifth Avenue, and each has cover art signed by a Curt Witt. What surprises me is that the credits for the Brahms Symphony No. 2 only lists the orchestra (Vienna Tonkuenstler Symphony Orchestra) and no conductor. I can't imagine they played something as involved as a Brahms symphony without a conductor. Anyone have a clue who the uncredited conductor is? The performance is a mixed bag. They give a rather pedestrian account of this symphony until the last movement, then they really open up and find an energy they lacked at the beginning. It's almost as if they were microphone-shy at the beginning (afraid to hit wrong notes) and by the end they had gained confidence. Still, I enjoy exploring old recordings/performances like this.
Now on the turntable, record 1 from "The Heifetz-Piatigorsky Concerts with Primrose, Pennario and Guests" on RCA Victor. Mendelssohn - Octette Op. 20. Mozart - Quintette In G Minor, K. 516 Heifetz marches down to Fennario With Piatigorsky, Primrose and Pennario - just made it up, my apologies to all.
Don't do it! You'll always regret it later - cutting your CD collection, I mean . Unbox them, store them on spindles - rent space, use your grandmother's attic. One day you'll get more room and then you can rediscover all the discs that you've had in hiding all those (insert #) years.
Now playing the following LP from my Beethoven collection ... The recording had to be made in the 1960's based on the catalog number.
Now on the turntable, record 3 from "Mozart - The Symphonies Vol. 6" performed by The Academy Of Ancient Music led by Jaap Schroder on L'Oiseau-Lyre. Symphonies 31 & 40