Heifetz 103 CD Box Set

[arthound]

This should be out in the next month or two. I wonder if it includes all of his commercial recordings? Some of these have been released as SACDs and I wonder if they will use those remasterings - or have they freshly remastered the set? Anyone with more information? Piston - you are good a locating track listings - can you find anything?

Here is a summary I found:

The Complete Album Collection

A monumental set – the biggest CD edition for a solo artist in the world, celebrating the recording career of Jascha Heifetz - a legend who set a standard of violin playing to which violinists around the world still aspire.

An unparalleled collection of 103 CDs and a bonus DVD of Heifetz in performance.

The incredible recorded legacy collected here spans 55 years of Heifetz’s career: from 1917 to 1972

Contains three hours of previously unissued Heifetz recordings.

Accompanied by a 260-page hardback book with an original essay by John and John Anthony Maltese, photos, and full discography.

Sony Classical 103cds +DVD 88697700502

[stenka razin]

arthound, great news. Heifetz deserves this amazing tribute. I have loads of his superlative work, both for EMI and then RCA. I really have to check what I do not have in this amazing box. Thank you for the super heads up, my friend.

[arthound]

No problem Stenka. I wonder if they used the earlier 'Heifetz Collection' as a base - but this does look similar to some of the 'Original Jacket' collections so maybe it will be in that format.

Cheers,
Justin

[Lance]

Oh boy ... here we go again. I have LONG enjoyed my original "Heifetz" Collection," but the new release contains three hours of previously unreleased material. I truly wonder what that material is ... live performances or unissued commercial recordings. Too bad BMG/Sony doesn't offer a supplement to those of us who already have the original collection.

[arthound]

Oh boy ... here we go again. I have LONG enjoyed my original "Heifetz" Collection," but the new release contains three hours of previously unreleased material. I truly wonder what that material is ... live performances or unissued commercial recordings. Too bad BMG/Sony doesn't offer a supplement to those of us who already have the original collection.

But Lance if they released that material as a supplement then dedicated collectors like yourself wouldn't need to buy the whole box set!

[Lance]

Well, you make a point, however, it would not be "prudent" to buy the whole thing over again. I doubt the Heifetz estate will accrue any revenues from the new issue unless he [Heifetz] made provisions for that, and knowing what I know about Heifetz, he may have done just that! When the (Artur) Rubinstein Edition (complete) sold out, RCA issued (I believe) the preponderance of that set on an individual CD basis. I don't believe, however, they made the live two-disc set available separately, only the RCA/EMI commercial recordings. And I also wonder about a retail price on this. Even at $10 a disc in US$, you are talking a possible $1,030 price tag, but RCA may set a price of $999 as a special. Chances are it is a limited edition and might be able to be purchased for 30-40% off the list. I must say, however, it looks like a very nice presentation. Are you planning to acquire it?

Oh boy ... here we go again. I have LONG enjoyed my original "Heifetz" Collection," but the new release contains three hours of previously unreleased material. I truly wonder what that material is ... live performances or unissued commercial recordings. Too bad BMG/Sony doesn't offer a supplement to those of us who already have the original collection.

But Lance if they released that material as a supplement then dedicated collectors like yourself wouldn't need to buy the whole box set!

[Chalkperson]

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

[absinthe]

Oh boy ... here we go again. I have LONG enjoyed my original "Heifetz" Collection," but the new release contains three hours of previously unreleased material. I truly wonder what that material is ... live performances or unissued commercial recordings. Too bad BMG/Sony doesn't offer a supplement to those of us who already have the original collection.

But Lance if they released that material as a supplement then dedicated collectors like yourself wouldn't need to buy the whole box set!

What I don't understand is how the returns policy on these huge boxed sets works. Testing two of these CDs per week would take a year to get through the whole box. Knowing my luck, the 107th disc would be faulty... then I suppose you have to send the entire box back - gone are the days of the record shop where you could swap just the faulty disc. So you have to test them all again with no guarantee of a better result... Sheesh!

Mind, I suppose you'd get VERY familiar with the artist this way.

[CharmNewton]

And I also wonder about a retail price on this. Even at $10 a disc in US$, you are talking a possible $1,030 price tag, but RCA may set a price of $999 as a special. Chances are it is a limited edition and might be able to be purchased for 30-40% off the list. I must say, however, it looks like a very nice presentation.

Amazon.de will be issuing the set in December. The price will be €235.

I recall something about Heifetz making a recording of the Sibelius Concerto with Stokowski around the time he made his recording with Beecham, but that the former was rejected. It will be interesting to see the contents, and perhaps the unissued material is on the DVD.

John

[Lance]

My Gawd Chalkster ... what are you on? I guess the new Heifetz boxed set (or the old one) isn't going to be for you, eh?

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

[slofstra]

Oh boy ... here we go again. I have LONG enjoyed my original "Heifetz" Collection," but the new release contains three hours of previously unreleased material. I truly wonder what that material is ... live performances or unissued commercial recordings. Too bad BMG/Sony doesn't offer a supplement to those of us who already have the original collection.

But Lance if they released that material as a supplement then dedicated collectors like yourself wouldn't need to buy the whole box set!

What I don't understand is how the returns policy on these huge boxed sets works. Testing two of these CDs per week would take a year to get through the whole box. Knowing my luck, the 107th disc would be faulty... then I suppose you have to send the entire box back - gone are the days of the record shop where you could swap just the faulty disc. So you have to test them all again with no guarantee of a better result... Sheesh!

Mind, I suppose you'd get VERY familiar with the artist this way.

My Gould Original Jacket Collection contained a CD that was faulty. Sony courier'd a single CD to me, and they had contacted me. I can't remember if that was through Amazon or how it was, but I was quite impressed with the service. It would have cost them quite a bit to courier out all those single CDs.
So, my thought is that if I have a single CD that is scratchy I should be able to get someone to make a CD-R for me. If it's an across the board issue, hopefully the manufacturer will take care of the problem as Sony did for me. I think it's fair to say, you can buy from Sony Classical with confidence.

[slofstra]

My Gawd Chalkster ... what are you on? I guess the new Heifetz boxed set (or the old one) isn't going to be for you, eh?

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

103 CDs of bad sound might be a concern. It depends so much on what the material is, and just how great the performance is. I've been going through my Rachmaninoff set again, and I see no point in listening to the symphonies in bad sound, even though they seem like stellar performances. But the piano stuff is well worth hearing in spite of the sound.

[CharmNewton]

My Gawd Chalkster ... what are you on? I guess the new Heifetz boxed set (or the old one) isn't going to be for you, eh?

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

103 CDs of bad sound might be a concern. It depends so much on what the material is, and just how great the performance is. I've been going through my Rachmaninoff set again, and I see no point in listening to the symphonies in bad sound, even though they seem like stellar performances. But the piano stuff is well worth hearing in spite of the sound.

As the original Heifetz Collection was issued on 65 CDs, this looks like an original jackets production with the contents duplicating LP issues.

Much of this material was recorded in very good sound (i.e 1949-1972).

Heifetz had a very long career playing at the very highest standards. I find the photo of him bowing at his final concert very moving. He served music very well for 55 years.

John

[Chalkperson]

My Gawd Chalkster ... what are you on? I guess the new Heifetz boxed set (or the old one) isn't going to be for you, eh?

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

I have mentioned my dislike of Heifitz before, it's just that his name comes up very rarely compared to Horowitz so my (possibly controversial) opinion has not been given the number of postings that I have to the pianists, I truly cannot stand the sound of his violin playing, I bought some on EMI Reference many, many years ago and hated them, I bought the SACD's because of the sound quality, I played each disc once, forced myself to listen to all of it and never played it again...as I have said previously my opinion is like that of Baseball Fan's, nobody likes both the NY Met's and the NY Yankees...

[Chalkperson]

So, my thought is that if I have a single CD that is scratchy I should be able to get someone to make a CD-R for me. If it's an across the board issue, hopefully the manufacturer will take care of the problem as Sony did for me. I think it's fair to say, you can buy from Sony Classical with confidence.

Just Rip it into AIFF and then make it a CD-R, discs that wont play usually can be ripped without the problem, out of close to 17,000 CD's I only ever had three that I was unable to Rip...

[fmnewyork]

Are you ripping them securely with a program like eac or dbpoweramp? I find that I can also rip many faulty CDs (even some badly bronzed ones) with standard ripping programs, but they rip the errors too. A secure ripping method takes longer but finds the errors and if it can't correct them it won't rip the CD.

[Chalkperson]

Are you ripping them securely with a program like eac or dbpoweramp? I find that I can also rip many faulty CDs (even some badly bronzed ones) with standard ripping programs, but they rip the errors too. A secure ripping method takes longer but finds the errors and if it can't correct them it won't rip the CD.

I use iTunes, it's the only available Program for the Mac, however, I have been working for over a year in conjunction with PS Audio to produce an alternate Music Database for both Platforms, we hope to have it ready by early next year, our Remote App is already in the App Store, it allows you to stream all your Music via a Digital link to your Audio System....

[violinland]

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

For me at least, you have just made history.

In 60 years with the violin I have never seen those words before.

Would you like to justify your comments to the millions of professional violinists and lovers of the violin who for generations have considered Heifetz to be in his time, the greatest violinist. My be well are all mistaken and you...

Yours in shock.

Cheniston

[dirkronk]

Are you ripping them securely with a program like eac or dbpoweramp? I find that I can also rip many faulty CDs (even some badly bronzed ones) with standard ripping programs, but they rip the errors too. A secure ripping method takes longer but finds the errors and if it can't correct them it won't rip the CD.

I use iTunes, it's the only available Program for the Mac, however, I have been working for over a year in conjunction with PS Audio to produce an alternate Music Database for both Platforms, we hope to have it ready by early next year, our Remote App is already in the App Store, it allows you to stream all your Music via a Digital link to your Audio System....

In the days before I had iTunes and used only what was loaded onto my work PC (an early edition of Nero...which wasn't always reliable regarding brief dropouts, even when copying "perfect" discs), I was able to rip some obviously bronzing early Pearls...AND successfully copied a brand new, non-bronzed but also non-playable Grammofono edition of a Toscanini LvB Missa Solemnis, all with no transfer of problematic areas. Of course, it may simply have been a case of beginner's luck: I was hardly proficient at things digital, especially back then.

Dirk

[Chalkperson]

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

For me at least, you have just made history.

In 60 years with the violin I have never seen those words before.

Would you like to justify your comments to the millions of professional violinists and lovers of the violin who for generations have considered Heifetz to be in his time, the greatest violinist. My be well are all mistaken and you...

Yours in shock.

Cheniston

Why does everyone have to like a particular Musician, why can't I have the chance to not worship at the feet of your Gods, I don't like his playing and I said so, i'm probably not alone but am obviously the only one here who does not feel the same about him as everyone else...I don't like Schnabel, Cortot, Horowitz or Hamelin in the piano world, I don't like Heifetz, Menuhin, Mutter or Kremer in the violin world, I also don't like The Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy...it's about taste and choice, neither can be rigidly defined...

Remember my grounding is in Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, but, I happen to own nearly 17,000 Classical CD's, I love Classical Music and play it 18 hours a day, I just can't stand Heifetz's playing, it's as simple as that...but I also don't enjoy Toscanini, Casals or Caruso either...does that justify my comments enough for you...

PS My title here is Disposable Income Expert, spending other people's money is a dangerous occupation, so far I have only satisfied customers so my taste must count for something, even if it does not totally mimic yours...

[Chalkperson]

Are you ripping them securely with a program like eac or dbpoweramp? I find that I can also rip many faulty CDs (even some badly bronzed ones) with standard ripping programs, but they rip the errors too. A secure ripping method takes longer but finds the errors and if it can't correct them it won't rip the CD.

I use iTunes, it's the only available Program for the Mac, however, I have been working for over a year in conjunction with PS Audio to produce an alternate Music Database for both Platforms, we hope to have it ready by early next year, our Remote App is already in the App Store, it allows you to stream all your Music via a Digital link to your Audio System....

In the days before I had iTunes and used only what was loaded onto my work PC (an early edition of Nero...which wasn't always reliable regarding brief dropouts, even when copying "perfect" discs), I was able to rip some obviously bronzing early Pearls...AND successfully copied a brand new, non-bronzed but also non-playable Grammofono edition of a Toscanini LvB Missa Solemnis, all with no transfer of problematic areas. Of course, it may simply have been a case of beginner's luck: I was hardly proficient at things digital, especially back then.

Dirk

It's called oversampling and it fixes most problems...

[stefanher]

103 CD's? This must encompass the entire known violin repertoire & a bit more besides. Knowing that Heifetz never recorded current repertoire standards like the Shostakovich & Dvorak concerti I really wonder what they have found to fill it up.

[John F]

Knowing that Heifetz never recorded current repertoire standards like the Shostakovich & Dvorak concerti I really wonder what they have found to fill it up.

That doesn't do Heifetz's repertoire justice. He recorded quite a lot of 20th century music, including concertos by Prokofiev, Walton, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Rozsa, and Korngold (off the top of my head), several of them written for him, and others too that suited his taste and temperament. But he also rerecorded his central repertoire again and again - at least 3 commercial studio versions of the Tchaikovsky concerto. It all adds up.

(I must say that Heifetz's recordings mostly leave me cold, I don't own many of them, and those I do own are mostly for the sake of the other participating musicians.)

[stefanher]

I was aware of his Walton, Rozsa & Kornogold recordings although the castelnuovo-Tedesco was new to me. He also recorded the Elgar.

But 103 CD's???

[Chalkperson]

(I must say that Heifetz's recordings mostly leave me cold, I don't own many of them, and those I do own are mostly for the sake of the other participating musicians.)

So I am not totally alone, that's reassuring...

[Bösendorfer]

I was aware of his Walton, Rozsa & Kornogold recordings although the castelnuovo-Tedesco was new to me. He also recorded the Elgar.

But 103 CD's???

As CharmNewton mentioned above, this looks like an original jacket version of the previous 65 cd Heifetz collection (i.e., play time will be much less than 80 mins). That includes orchestral and chamber music. As those editions go, they tend to include several recordings of the same piece. (Maybe someone can confirm who owns it, I couldn't find a detailed listing on the web.)

Florian

[Lance]

103 CDs - was my thinking, as well. If they are replicas of the original LPs (stereo or mono), they would be considerably less than the maximum of around 80 minutes per CD (which is rarely done anyway), as has been stated ... generally falling to about 45 minutes per CD (LP) on average. We know there is only about three hours of previously unreleased Heifetz material and we do not know if these are his commercial recordings (not authorized at the outset?) or live performance recordings. I still say, for the sake of those who have the original Heifetz Edition, that it would be beneficial (to us) if those three hours of added material were issued separately, even at a premium (full) price. Otherwise, I would feel greatly abused by BMG/Sony in taking advantage of Heifetz's fans.

[Chalkperson]

If they are replicas of the original LPs (stereo or mono)...blah...blah...blah...I still say, for the sake of those who have the original Heifetz Edition, that it would be beneficial (to us) if those three hours of added material were issued separately, even at a premium (full) price. Otherwise, I would feel greatly abused by BMG/Sony in taking advantage of Heifetz's fans.

Balderdash...

[Lance]

Why do I have the feeling you ARE thinking of getting this set, AND, in the process, become a HEIFETZ FANATIC! Geez, first you add Fiedler, then Horowitz and Rubinstein, and now Heifetz? Wonders will never cease!

If they are replicas of the original LPs (stereo or mono)...blah...blah...blah...I still say, for the sake of those who have the original Heifetz Edition, that it would be beneficial (to us) if those three hours of added material were issued separately, even at a premium (full) price. Otherwise, I would feel greatly abused by BMG/Sony in taking advantage of Heifetz's fans.

Balderdash...

[dirkronk]

Why do I have the feeling you ARE thinking of getting this set, AND, in the process, become a HEIFETZ FANATIC! Geez, first you add Fiedler, then Horowitz and Rubinstein, and now Heifetz? Wonders will never cease!

If they are replicas of the original LPs (stereo or mono)...blah...blah...blah...I still say, for the sake of those who have the original Heifetz Edition, that it would be beneficial (to us) if those three hours of added material were issued separately, even at a premium (full) price. Otherwise, I would feel greatly abused by BMG/Sony in taking advantage of Heifetz's fans.

Balderdash...

Nah. I think Chalkie's actually a closet Heifetz fan, but waiting for YOU, Lance, to bite on this gargantuan new edition...thereby making your previous (and only slightly enormous) set available for a kindly contribution, say, to someone you're convinced SHOULD be sold on said violinist. (I only say this because that's the tack I was going to take, but now I suspect Chalkie of stealing a march on me!)


Dirk

[Chalkperson]

To be truthful, i'd buy a Complete Sir Simon Rattiebaby Box Set before Heifetz...

Why do I have the feeling you ARE thinking of getting this set, AND, in the process, become a HEIFETZ FANATIC! Geez, first you add Fiedler, then Horowitz and Rubinstein, and now Heifetz? Wonders will never cease!

Don't forget that I am no fan of Pablo Casals either...

[slofstra]

A dreadful violinist, real tacky sound...way too sickly, he does not even come close to Oistrakh...but then nobody else does either...

For me at least, you have just made history.

In 60 years with the violin I have never seen those words before.

Would you like to justify your comments to the millions of professional violinists and lovers of the violin who for generations have considered Heifetz to be in his time, the greatest violinist. My be well are all mistaken and you...

Yours in shock.

Cheniston

Why does everyone have to like a particular Musician, why can't I have the chance to not worship at the feet of your Gods, I don't like his playing and I said so, i'm probably not alone but am obviously the only one here who does not feel the same about him as everyone else...I don't like Schnabel, Cortot, Horowitz or Hamelin in the piano world, I don't like Heifetz, Menuhin, Mutter or Kremer in the violin world, I also don't like The Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy...it's about taste and choice, neither can be rigidly defined...

Remember my grounding is in Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, but, I happen to own nearly 17,000 Classical CD's, I love Classical Music and play it 18 hours a day, I just can't stand Heifetz's playing, it's as simple as that...but I also don't enjoy Toscanini, Casals or Caruso either...does that justify my comments enough for you...

PS My title here is Disposable Income Expert, spending other people's money is a dangerous occupation, so far I have only satisfied customers so my taste must count for something, even if it does not totally mimic yours...

Okay, not liking Heifetz I can accept, but The Three Stooges? That's going too far.

[CharmNewton]

...I still say, for the sake of those who have the original Heifetz Edition, that it would be beneficial (to us) if those three hours of added material were issued separately, even at a premium (full) price. Otherwise, I would feel greatly abused by BMG/Sony in taking advantage of Heifetz's fans.

I believe most, if not all, of the Heifetz Collection was available separately. Also true for the Toscanini Collection that preceded it and the Rubinstein Collection that followed it, so perhaps the additional material will be released separately. Hopefully, it is of works new to the Heifetz discography.

Amazon.com will be offering this set for $528.99 U.S. in December aand undoubtedly that price will come down. Not a trivial purchase, but yet when looking at purchases over the course of a year it is easy to spend twice that amount on average run-of-the-mill CDs. This set is pretty special.

John

[erato]

As the complete Horowitz jacket collection includes up to 7 version of some works, expect a lot of duplication here as well.