Sorry. Completely disagree. It's a great cover, a well-made visual reference to the Russian Avant-Garde in graphic art of the early 20th Century, like the work of Alexandr Rodchenko. Shostakovich started his career during that time, so it's certainly a meaningful combination.
Nor would it make sense to have these boxes available on Spotify. Imagine having to scroll through thousands of entries, and no info at all. At least the cover art of individual albums give you some sort of idea what era it is from.
Of course, that doesn't mean sense always wins: Fritz Reiner - The Complete Chicago Symphony Recordings on RCA
Seiji Ozawa - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon (50CD) https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/seiji-ozawa-complete-recordings-on-deutsche-grammophon/hnum/8795039 +Tschaikowsky: Symphonien Nr. 4 & 5 (Nr. 5 in zwei Einspielungen); Schwanensee; Capriccio italien; 1812-Ouvertüre; Romeo & Julia; Der Nussknacker; Dornröschen-Suite +Prokofieff: Symphonien Nr. 1-7; Romeo et Juliette; Romeo et Juliette-Suite; Leutnant Kijie-Suite; Klavierkonzert +Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique; La Damnation de Faust; Romeo et Juliette-Ouvertüre; Romeo et Juliet +Russo: 3 Pieces for Blues Band; Street Music +Bernstein: Symphonische Tänze aus West Side Story +Beethoven: Klavierkonzert Nr. 5 +Bartok: Der wunderbare Mandarin; Musik für Saiteninstrumente, Schlagzeug, Celesta; Violinkonzert +Ives: Symphonie Nr. 4 +Ravel: Bolero; Pavane pour une infante defunte; La Valse; Le Tombeau de Couperin; Ma mere l'oye; Rapsodie espagnole: Daphnis et Chloe; Valses nobles et sentimentales; Klavierkonzert +Brahms: Symphonien Nr. 1 & 2 +Gershwin: An American in Paris +Glasunow: Chant du Menestrel +Schostakowitsch: Cellokonzert Nr. 2; Violinkonzert +Falla: Der Dreispitz +Rimsky-Korssakoff: Scheherazade +Rossini: Semimaride-Ouvertüre +Paganini: Moto perpetuo +Mozart: Klarinettenkonzert KV 622; Fagottkonzert KV 191 +Takemitsu: Quatrain; A Flock descends into the Pentagonal Garden +Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 1 +Respighi: Pini di Roma; Feste romane; Fontane di Roma; Antiche Danze ed Arie per Liuto +Berg: Violinkonzert +Strawinsky: Violinkonzert +Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann; Gaite Parisienne +Faure: Pelleas et Melisande; Dolly-Suite +Chabrier: Espana +Gounod: Faust-Ballettmusik +Thomas: Mignon-Ouvertüre +Liszt: Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1 & 2; Totentanz für Klavier & Orchester +Poulenc: Gloria; Stabat Mater +Honegger: Jeanne d'Arc au boucher +Szymanowski: Symphonie Nr. 3 "Lied der Nacht" +Moret: Violinkonzert +Franck: Symphonie d-moll +Poulenc: Konzert für Orgel, Streicher, Pauken; Concert champetre +Schumann: Violinkonzert +Mendelssohn: Ein Sommernachtstraum +Rachmaninoff: Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1 & 2 Label: DGG, ADD/DDD Release date: 8.2.2019 (Feb 8, 2019)
Depends on the box and the listener’s listening preference, I suppose. I prefer listening to the Decca Vivaldi Masterworks collection on Spotify. I like to set it on random so I can listen to different types of Vivaldi’s music for an extended period of time without changing CDs. Or I can pick a particular area of a box and just let it play from there. That would be the equivalent of starting with (say) CD 5 of a box and playing each CD from that point. I’ve never had too much trouble locating a CD or area I’m interested in listening to.
jpc.de is also listing an upcoming Casals Complete RCA box set 22 CDs for release 12/28/2018 from SONY Classical Complete.. -Box Set- (22 CDs) – jpc
I must have missed this post, and my box arrived yesterday with zero packaging, just tape holding it closed and holding the address label on. Naturally my idiot condo office further marked it up with permanent marker, which I have to see if I can erase. Now to yell at Amazon. CHOOSE AMAZON PACKAGING.
Cellophane? I wish. They stuck stuff directly on the box. They gave me a full refund, no need to return. My tolerance for packaging varies in inverse percentage to how much I paid, and I think I'm going to patiently remove the tape and try to remove the marker and be satisfied with the messed up corners. (they offered a replacement as well, but I'm cheap, and I'm sure it's fine on the inside)
Double ouch! Sounds like you got an opened return. Still, hard to argue with free, even if things aren't 100% perfect.
I'm getting the impression that the big Szell box is a relatively big seller. A good thing - doesn't happen too often with classical boxes.
I think in the US a lot of people grew up on his interpretations, and he's maintained his international stature as well and is popular in asia as well, which I think is somewhat unique. There's Bernstein as well, but his recordings are very widely circulated.
Szell Megabox almost-off-topic question My only personal experience with Szell is with his Beethoven symphony cycle from previous remasterings. In this megabox, what are the strongest Szell recordings, I mean, what is the repertoire where he stands above competition (I´m trying to avoid saying "definitive interpretation" ). For this classical music enthusiast that somehow has failed with getting acquainted with Szell and has almost no experience with Szell (myself), what would be the top listening recomendations in this box-set, for sampling purpose? Thank you, kindest regards, DB
Sometimes my local library surprises me with a major acquisition. I'm number two in line for this when it arrives (though I'm sure it will be split up into at least 7-8 CD chunks):
His Tchaikovsky 5th is 1st rate, as is his Mozart & Haydn. He also did well with modern music, especially of the Hungarian school he came from himself. And Beethoven, of course. Basically, he was at his strength in the classical and early romantic repertoire, and selected other material. His Mahler & Bruckner are much more divisive.
I have lots and lots of Bruckner and Mahler, but Szell's interpretations of Bruckner 3 and 8 and Mahler 4 and 6 are among my favourites.
