I was not thinking about this Chandos box until I came accross to the comment posted by a purchase-verified reviewer on Amazon, which reads: "Have other similar collections by Archive, Harmonia Mundi, and Vivarte and this one bests them all in terms of variety and quality" Then I thought, well given the highest praise I give to these 3 mentioned boxes then I need to get further informed about Chandos recordings and about this Chandos collection. I´ll sample some recordings in the next days, I just hope this price holds.
Little need to worry about the price going up. It's been the same since September and is not part of any seasonal deal even if competetive. The box can be had from Amazon.us for about the same cost, but the other European Amazons charge more.
I picked up that Chandos box a few weeks ago based on this thread - I had two duplicates, so it was 38 discs of new material for me. Lots of great stuff. No liner notes (the booklet was useless), but all the booklets are always on the company's website in PDF form. I also picked up the Vivarte Collection vol. 2 as Walmart had it at an amazing price, still working through that one. This thread could become an expensive one.
I've been working for the last few weeks on an in-depth comparison of the DG and Naxos Beethoven boxes for our website, The Unheard Beethoven. A full detailed comparison of the contents of the two is at the end of this blog post: Complete Beethoven Editions Galore! [Disclaimer: we provided both Naxos and DG with scores of lesser-known works as requested by them.] Suffice it to say that if you want the very most complete Beethoven, down to the littlest niggly things, you want the Naxos 90-CD Beethoven box. Nevertheless, DG has a couple dozen things not in the Naxos box, so to completely cover the waterfront you need both. I don't have the most recent iteration of the Brilliant 85-CD box, but I have the one before it (previously the gold standard for Beethoven completeness), and I'm hard-pressed to find anything in it that isn't in the Naxos box. In fact, in some areas Naxos licensed Brilliant's recordings (the folksongs are a good example), and then added more new recordings of missing items. As a long-time collector of Beethoven rarities and oddities, I have to say I'm impressed at the depth and determination Naxos has shown in going deep, deep into the Beethoven catalogues. While the performers may not be big names, the performances are often first rate. I particularly like the Kodály Quartet's approach to the string quartets, and their cycle in this box has rocketed to the top of my estimation of these works. The DG set will appeal to those who want a multifaceted and well-rounded approach to Beethoven, and isn't satisfied with just one recording of a piece; if you want to hear different performers' takes on a particular composition, DG has that for you in spades. I counted over half a dozen Symphony No. 5 recordings, for instance. There are big band outings, HIP, acoustic recordings from before the dawn of time, you name it. Want a piano quintet arrangement (by Beethoven) of the Piano Concerto #4? It's here. DG is notably also the only publisher tackling the counterpoint fugue exercises written for Albrechtsberger during Beethoven's first years in Vienna. They're by no means complete, but a CD full of these is probably enough for most people to get a sense of their character. The box and accompanying books are excellent, with substantial texts (Naxos does not offer libretti in the box, but some are available on their website --but unfortunately that doesn't include the lieder). As was the case with DG's 1997 Complete Beethoven Edition, Mozart 225 and Bach 333, the New Complete Beethoven Edition is a statement piece that will please all but the most obsessive-compulsive Beethoven collectors. My Warner box is still on the way, and they've been rather tight-lipped about the exact contents, but at only 80 CDs it will be hard to beat Naxos for completeness. Still, the Warner box does include many big name artists, so if you want that approach at half the cost (or less) of the DG box, this should certainly fit the bill for the more casual classical music lover who is not necessarily a Beethoven devotee. I find it hard to believe that the Legendary Recordings box is the only thing we will get from Sony to recognize Beethoven's 250th birthday. That's still more than a year away, though, so they have time to announce something major yet.
Hello gardibolt, Many thanks for sharing your review with us. Please kindly allow me taking the opportunity to congratulate you for the website "The Unheard Beethoven". It was a pleasure coming accross your website long ago, and up to this date it is still a pleasure to see you´re still up and running with the same initial enthusiasm. Congratulations! Kindest regards, DB
I just got my Bruno Walter Complete Columbia Album Collection yesterday. Arrived double boxed and unscathed from Germany. I am going to read the book shortly as I begin to delve into the contents. Edit: the box sticker label says that the 31 CDs of stereo recordings have been remastered from the original 2 and 3 track analog tapes using 24 bit/192khz tech-and the mono recordings have been similarly remastered from original disc and tapes.
Amazon.ca has 6 copies of the George Szell box for $158 plus shipping (200 Canadian). The least expensive shipping option was $18 US https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B079VD2YRP/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1
Please let us know about your opinion on the Warner set - that is the one it interests me the most - I found the other ones too expensive for me ... Thank you !
There is a limit: the 20% off JPC coupon is limited to a maximum of 2 copies of the same item. I'm not sure if there's a limit to the number of items you can use the coupon for or if it can be used for 2 or more different orders within the coupon's time frame; the conditions are not clear about that, at least not to me and I can read German (there's always a chance I missed it, of course ). [edit] @JuniorMaineGuide just answered one of the questions in the next post.
It's strange that amazon is so reluctant with discounts this year. Maybe I will regret it later on, but I think I will use the jpc coupon for the Bruno Walter and Zubin Mehta box sets if amazon doesn't come on with a better offer until Sunday.
Not to influence you , but I got my Walter box from JPC (160 euros using the 20% off coupon) and their packaging was amazing: an inner and an outer box, with lots of stuffing material in the latter.
I see your point, but last year I got the Pavarotti and Solti sets (even a bit cheaper) and amazon let me add the Karajan Remastered set for free.
Anyone - really ANYONE! Any opinions on the Beethoven Complete works by Warner or on the Chailly - Symphony Edition? Please help! Thank you !
Hello Rmihai0, Well not many information really, but since you asked for "any" opinion... a few ones is better than nothing Chailly box: I´m interested in this box too. I´ve read reviews that sound-wise the recordings are supposed to be top-notch. The only recordings I know from this box-set is the recordings of Mahler Symphonies, which I enjoy very much. This cycle of Mahler Symphonies in this box-set is one of my favourite modern recordings, from the first to the last symphony. And special attention to the recording of Mahler´s 3rd Symphony in this set, in muy opinion the best Mahler 3rd on record, it is breathtaking !!!! Beethoven Warner Box: Well that is an information I´ve been also looking for. I cal tell you that the recording of Beethoven Symphonies in this box-set is one which I sampled online in the past years and felt compelled to getting to know if further. I will end up buying Harnoncourt readings of the symphonies some day even if I eventually do not buy this box-set (which I think I will). Kovacevich recordings of the Piano Sonatas are taste-dependent in this box. Kovacevich´s Beethoven should not, in my opinion (and it is just one opinion), be the only cycle of these sonatas in one´s collection. It is not in the same league as Kempff, Gilels or Arrau for example. It is a strong, muscular Beethoven and perhaps lacks when smoothness is required, but it has great sound quality and some strong moments, such as the wonderful interpretation of the Waldstein Sonata. Artemis on the String Quartets I have read excellent reviews... then the box has Itzhak Perlman which is one of my favourite violinists, etc Here in this page you can listen to 10 excerpts of recordings of this Beethoven Warner box-set: https://beethoved.com/classical-music/beethoven-the-complete-works-warner-classics/ regards and good luck DB
Walter box is at $167 https://smile.amazon.com/Bruno-Walt...lbum+Collection&qid=1575597455&s=music&sr=1-1
