I've been looking for a complete Mahler set - can anyone recommend a version? There's several out there.
If you visit the classical music corner thread(s) you will see a lot of love for Mahler and respectful disagreement over the best cycle. Overall, Bernstein on Sony may be the consensus choice. Make sure you do get the most recently remastered set. http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-The-Co...=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331301296&sr=1-3
I recommend the Tilson Thomas SFO Mahler set. The Bernstein may be more classic, but these are excellent interpretations very well recorded. You get your choice of enjoying them in multichannel or two-channel SACD or CD. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...6DO&ref_=sr_1_1&s=music&qid=1331318529&sr=1-1 Of course the Bernstein is much cheaper. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...9BP&ref_=sr_1_1&s=music&qid=1331318679&sr=1-1
this set is exellent: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Operas-Verdi/dp/B0032CJ37E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331320944&sr=8-1 also have this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maria-Calla...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331321028&sr=1-1 I've managed to get those from the french amazon about year ago, for some crazy prices - the Verdi box - EUR 55.- and the Callad - EUR 29.- ... just luck
Some really love Bernstein's Mahler renditions, others not so much. He has his onw take on the music (maybe more dynamic/bombastic, for lack of better words). I personally find other conductors more satisfying for Mahler. Usually, it would be best to create your own Mahler collection with different conductors, but for one cycle with mostly very good renditions, I can recommen the Riccardo Chailly cycle. There is a CD box set available at quite a fair price. Or you could get one of the box sets which were released for his 150th anniversary which contain all (most) of his music. These compile different conductors. I think the EMI set is not bad: http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Comple...ZNWY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331411044&sr=8-1 There is also a DG set but it is out of print now (more or less): http://www.amazon.com/Gustav-Mahler...=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331411092&sr=1-3
Not much of a Mahler fan, but I got this Walter/Columbia set. These are definitive recordings and everyone should have them, 7 discs for 25 bucks.
Good question. The more recently remastered version using equipment similar to that originally used in the '60's sounds much better than the original CBS/Sony CD's, and has been pretty pricey before now.
FYI: Yo-Yo Ma's "30 Years Outside the Box" boxed set has been discounted just about everywhere to around €150 (down from formerly €400 and more). I ordered mine from German jpc.de the other day and the whole shebang came down to €1,66 per CD (not counting the box and hardcover book). I got #484/7500. Splendid box. I posted about it quickly on one one of my smaller websites today with a few quick'n' dirty "unboxing" photos: http://volkher-remembers.com/629/all-good-things/
Have to add a few to my original post: Elgar -Collector's Edition (EMI) Glenn Gould Complete Bach Edition Murray Perahia - The First 40 Years Mozart 111 Karajan 1960s Philips Original Jacket Collection Wagner - The Complete Operas (DG) The Decca Sound Magnificat - 500 Years of Choral Masterpieces 20th Century Masterpieces (EMI)
Well, it started when I bought the Mercury Living Presence set for an obscenely low price on Amazon. Then I preordered the Philips Original Jackets Collection, which arrived yesterday. At around the same time, I got EMI's 20th Century Masterpieces 16- CD set. I'd missed out on the original 111 DG set at a decent price despite turning the Internet (and a few record shops) upside down and shaking it, so I turned my attention to the Decca Sound and RCA Living Stereo boxes instead. Just ordered the former from Amazon.co.uk for $132 shipped, the cheapest price I could find anywhere. It seems that the latter has just been reissued (or at least repressed) so I'm holding off on that one till after the holidays. Tons of great music, but so far I've only managed to get to 15 of the Mercury discs and 1 of the EMIs. That leaves 160 after the Decca set arrives next week or so. Or 220 CDs after I order the RCA set in a few weeks. I've also bought around 5 or so other classical CDs and perhaps 50 classical LPs in the past few weeks. It's nice to have an instant collection like this, especially at such low per-disc prices, but it's also hugely overwhelming. Still, it's the only way to lock in the savings. It boggles the mind how much certain used Classical CDs (box sets or individual discs) can go for. Puts most rock, soul, and jazz fans to shame!
Updated to note that I just ordered the RCA Living Stereo from Amazon.co.uk for $105 shipped, cheaper than I could find it anywhere else. Quite. Anyway, I have a huge amount of listening to do the next few months, and this will (hopefully) bring to a close my limited-edition-classical-box-buying frenzy. I will, however, reserve the right to buy one-offs, either single discs or smaller multi-disc sets in the interim. Today, for example, the following caught my eye and I picked them up cheap: I also picked up vinyl versions of: Mahler - Symphony No. 10 and Das Lied Von Der Erde - Ormandy - Columbia Mahler - Symphony No. 3 - Haitink - Philip
Just ordered the Vivarte and Mercury Living Presence Vol. 2 boxes. Got the Mozart 111 set some time back, but am still working through the Decca box (with the Living Stereo, and Philips boxes still on deck), so I haven't gotten to it. I'm starting to understand what the term "an embarrassment of riches" means.
Not familiar with the Vivarte Box set. Can anyone comment further on the quality of the recordings and performances? Gregg
Not an expert my any means, but I've been enjoying this fine set lately and everybody reviewing it on Amazon recommends it. Eg; this one Out of the classical box sets now available, this may be the cheapest; there are copies on Amazon UK marketplace selling for about £53 excluding shipping. These last few days, I've been especially enjoying the celestial performances by Paul Van Nevel/Huelgas Ensemble. This is a sample from one of the discs included in the box
Saw a bunch of classical mega-box sets on Amazon that look good. Bruno Walter: the Edition (Sony, 39 CDs) http://amzn.com/B00BNZN27E "new, specially priced LP-sized box set, features recordings from the maestro's later years. Included in the 39-CD set are the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Brahms, the later symphonies of Mozart, symphonies of Mahler and Bruckner, rehearsal recordings and much more." Vladimir Horowitz Live At Carnegie Hall (Sony, 42 CDs) http://amzn.com/B00BT70J6S DISC 1 April 25, 1943, Carnegie Hall, (live) DISC 2/3 January 17, 1949, Carnegie Hall, (live) includes 11 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 4/5 February 21, 1949, Carnegie Hall, (live) previously unreleased except for 1 work DISC 6/7 March 20, 1950, Carnegie Hall, (live) includes 13 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 8/9 March 5, 1951, Carnegie Hall, (live) DISC 10/11 April 23, 1951, Carnegie Hall, (live) - includes 4 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 12 January 12, 1953, Carnegie Hall, (live) previously unreleased DISC 13/14 February 25, 1953, Carnegie Hall, (live) includes 3 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 15/16 May 9, 1965, Carnegie Hall, (live) DISC 17/18 April 17, 1966, Carnegie Hall, (live) includes 6 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 19/20 November 27, 1966, Carnegie Hall, (live) includes 8 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 21/22 December 10, 1966, Carnegie Hall, (live) includes 8 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 23/24 November 26, 1967, Carnegie Hall, (live) includes 14 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 25 January 2, 1968, Carnegie Hall, (live, invited audience) - previously unreleased DISC 26 February 1, 1968, Carnegie Hall, (live, invited audience) DISC 27/28 November 24, 1968, Carnegie Hall, (live) - previously unreleased DISC 29/30 December 15, 1968, Carnegie Hall, (live) - includes 5 previously unreleased recorded works DISC 31/32 November 16, 1975, Carnegie Hall, (live) DISC 33/34 November 23, 1975, Carnegie Hall, (live) - previously unreleased except for 1 work DISC 35/36 May 18, 1976, Carnegie Hall, (live) DISC 37 January 8, 1978, Carnegie Hall, (live) DISC 38 Horowitz' "Private Collection" of Carnegie Hall live recordings 1945-1946 Compilation DISC 39 Horowitz' "Private Collection" 1947 Compilation DISC 40 Horowit' "Private Collection" 1948 Compilation DISC 41 Horowitz' "Private Collection" 1949-1960 Compilation Bonus-DVD January 2 and February 1, 1968: Horowitz on Television previously unreleased Ashkenazy: 50 Years on Decca (Decca, 50 CDs) http://amzn.com/B00AMUONT2 Fritz Reiner: The Complete RCA Recordings (Sony, 63 CDs) http://amzn.com/B00BT70J0Y I also see a number of "complete collections" sets from Sony on a variety of artists (Byron Janis, Van Cliburn, Leon Fleisher and more).
I have been enjoying the Bruno Walter set (as well as the Claudio Abbado set). Hoping that the Geoge Szell set, released in Korea, finds its way to these shores.