I agree the sound is superb on the Gielen set. Yes, there is the emotion and drama in the Mahler symphonies, but there are all the fine details and lines in the orchestration I pay attention to as well. For this I like the Gielen and Boulez recordings.
JPC had it for around 15 Euro after VAT was removed/coupon so it was really hard to resist a full Mahler cycle for that amount I normally stream/sample anything before buying it but this was just too cheap, combined with Hurwitz's very positive reviews. I do look forward to hearing more of it, and I'm listening to more symphony music at work now that I have better optimized my speaker setup here. My lunch time listening is usually quite heavy on solo keyboard/chamber since I do not like symphony music on headphones that much. My lunch listening today was Mahler's first symphony from the new Walter box set (with Columbia Symphony). I can confidently say I'm done chasing the early US/Japan pressing CDs. The mastering on this box is excellent and it uses the higher fidelity remixes like the Bruno Walter Edition, except with better, more transparent mastering.
Just got this e-mail from Challenge Records: Complete Bach Cantatas (67CD box-set) - Ton Koopman & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir Now available, a new box with the Complete Bach Cantatas, performed by Ton Koopman and Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, with 67 CD's. Challenge Classics finally re-issues a reference edition of Bach's Complete Cantatas, now offered at a new price! Between 1994 and 2004, Koopman conducted and recorded all existing cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, a massive undertaking for which he was awarded the Echo Klassik Award, a BBC Award, and was nominated for both a Grammy Award® and the Gramophone Award. Bio - Ton Koopman Born in Zwolle (The Netherlands) Ton Koopman had a classical education and studied organ, harpsichord and musicology in Amsterdam. He received the Prix d‘Excellence for both instruments. Naturally attracted by historical instruments and fascinated by the philological performance style, Koopman concentrated his studies on Baroque music, with particular attention to J.S. Bach, and soon became a leading figure in the “authentic performance” movement. Among Ton Koopman’s most ambitious projects has been the recording of the complete Bach cantatas, a massive undertaking for which he has been awarded the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis “Echo Klassik”, the BBC Award, the Hector Berlioz Prize and has been nominated for the Grammy Award (USA) and the Gramophone Award (UK). In addition to the works of Bach, Koopman has long been an advocate of the music of Bach’s predecessor Dieterich Buxtehude and following the completion of the Bach project, he embarked in 2005 on the recording of the Buxtehude-Opera Omnia. The edition consists of 30 CDs, the last having been released in 2014. Ton Koopman is President of the International Dieterich Buxtehude Society. In 2006 he was awarded the Bach-Prize of the City of Leipzig, in 2012 the Buxtehude Prize of the city of Lübeck, and in 2014 he received the Bach Prize of the Royal Academy of Music in London. € 285.00 Buy Ton Koopman/Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir/Bach, Johann Sebastian Complete Bach Cantatas Vol. 1-22 (box set) Ton Koopman & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir © 2019 - NewArts International / Challenge Records Int
@J.A.W. Thanks for posting this. I already bought mine late last year and the box was then priced at close to $500 at most etailers but I got mine at a little over $300. That box is now OOP. I like my box much better than the new one ...
I don't understand the high price on that Koopman set. The generic looking re-issue set is way too expensive. But I doubt I would ever listen to 67 CDs of cantatas anyway. I bought some of the 3 CD editions for a few dollars each and they are a lot nicer than that cheap cardboard.
Get over it. There are many boxes, so called the anthology with cheap cardboard that sell at high prices and many of them do not even sound as good as the Koopman set since they were recorded mostly in the 50's ...
I was thinking of getting that box set but at this point, I can't afford it with the prices it is fetching.
First listen to Roger Woodward playing Debussy's Preludes. After this I am thinking one of the Beethoven symphonies (6?) from the Walter box.
Just like the Harnoncourt Complete Bach Cantatas box. shown below is the earlier box, which I ordered from the UK, has a nicer packaging than the one that was released later ... The later box also costs less.
@Rose River Bear, How do you like this SACD? I think Walter's Beethoven 6th may be the best among the 30+ Beethoven Symphonies cycles I have ...
I do this with my CDs too. And this week I happen to been sorting my stored music collection, and, my word, it is taking some time. All those years of ripping then just chucking the cases into storage have created a formidable task now!
It is a great sounding SACD and performance. Can't say it is my favorite 6th though. That goes to Bohm.
Listening to opera today. The first two acts of La Forza del Destino with Callas, Tucker and Rossi-Lemini, Serafin conducting. Early Red Label Angel pressed in England. Despite a few strident high notes, Callas is really fine here and incredibly moving in the Covent Scene.
Purcell, you are talking about (high) English baroque here. I would not go near a German ensemble for such works. Ever since I watched the DVD of the Brandenburg Concertos by the Freiburger Barockorchester, I have been avoiding the group and unfortunately I do have a few of their recordings that had been purchased before I saw the light. The problem, their tempos of the BC were like NASCAR racing to my ears. Karajan was also dreadful in the recordings of the Handel 12 Concerti Grossi Op. 6. Even so, I kept the trio as it is worth some money by now since it has been OOP since the late 60's. OTOH, while Austrian, Harnoncourt/Concentus Musicus were several cuts above most German-speaking ensembles/conductors ... My advice, stick with an English ensemble, though Harnoncourt and the Concentus Musicus are generally fine. Below are what I have in my Purcell collection along with the conductors The Fairy Queen (Gardiner, Hogwood, Harnoncourt) Dido and Aeneas (Pinnock, Hogwood, Leppard) King Arthur (Pinnock, Gardiner, Hogwood) Abdelazer (Hogwood)