So - what's on your TO GET list on CDs in 2016?

Post by **Lance** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:56 pm

We learn about some releases a month or two (or longer) before we actually see them. I haven't seen too much come forward from either Universal or Warner who have the hold on so many major labels. Besides, what is left to come forth in Icon boxes, or Originals or historical series? Nearly everyone of the most respected and acclaimed musicians has had their chance to be in mega-boxes. RCA/Sony has also contributed considerably in this regard.

I might still like to see RCA issue a complete KOUSSEVITZKY boxed set (in the manner of the Monteux box including the 78-rpms transferred). But there are probably only a few of us who place that conductor on a high pedastal.

Since Sony issued all the concertos by Philippe Entremont, might there be a complete box of all his solo recordings for the label?

Warner might consider issuing a PENNARIO boxed set. There were some JS Bach works that never made it to LP or CD.

Am I dreaming?

John F · Post by **John F** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:55 pm

As you'd probably guess, I have no such list. What I have is a GET RID OF list, which includes ... everything. That is, all the recordings, though when it comes down to it, I may not be able to part with every last CD. The time is approaching.

Post by **Lance** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 12:58 am

You have my thoughts on this ... I have been wondering what to do for some time. It is not an easy "gesture" to unload these treasures no matter who gets them. They are such a part of your life and existence. I'm holding off as long as I can.

John F wrote:As you'd probably guess, I have no such list. What I have is a GET RID OF list, which includes ... everything. That is, all the recordings, though when it comes down to it, I may not be able to part with every last CD. The time is approaching.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:01 am

With the popularity of vinyl, I'm looking to sell my record collection of 1000 classical and 300 rock albums. I'll probably contact Academy records next Fall & see what happens.

John F · Post by **John F** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 11:43 am

You almost certainly won't get much for them - that's what experienced dealers say - but it's better than just throwing them away.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:59 pm

Getting, not getting rid of .... The Morton Gould / Chicago complete album set due out in mid February 2016.

Post by **Lance** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 1:19 am

Yes, I've got it on order, too. Eagerly anticipate it.

jserraglio wrote:Getting, not getting rid of .... The Morton Gould / Chicago complete album set due out in mid February 2016.

Post by **Lance** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 1:21 am

You know what ... a lifetime of gathering this great music, LPs since about 16 years old. If I can't get a good price, to tell you the truth, I would rather burn them than "give them away" for pennies on a $. I understand the Japanese, particularly, love vinyl. Imagine a couple of 45-foot trailers loaded with LP records traveling the seas!

John F wrote:You almost certainly won't get much for them - that's what experienced dealers say - but it's better than just throwing them away.

Len_Z · Post by **Len_Z** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 1:42 am

I find it absolutely astounding that there's no box set of Henryk Szeryng. I realize he's recorded for several various labels, but still, Universal should be able to get together a fine collection.

As for future releases that have been announced already, I am not really looking forward to anything except for the new Beethoven/Schubert album by Sokolov. Hopefully, there will be more interesting recordings released as the year progresses.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:11 am

As for future releases, I rely a lot on this forum and BBC Magazine: there are still plenty of new issues of high quality, but I limit myself to the best of the best due to space limitations. After this past year, when I acquired lots of box sets, I think I'll hold off on those a while and concentrate on new issues.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 7:04 am

Hi Lance, good question. I am mainly shopping for Mozart's music: all repertoire considered but for now I am concentrating on his chamber music.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 2:46 pm

Jerome Moross's Broadway musical / opera The Golden Apple
http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Apple-firs ... B00U05XORG
https://vimeo.com/83774251

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:36 pm

Today amazon.ca began accepting pre-orders for a Dutoit/ Montreal box set of 35 CDs. Price under $100 CDN. I need to see a list of what's on it, but I'll likely get this one. The recordings I have now of Dutoit/ Montreal/ Tchaikovsky and Bizet are among my favourites of those two composers.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 8:31 am

Lance wrote:You know what ... a lifetime of gathering this great music, LPs since about 16 years old. If I can't get a good price, to tell you the truth, I would rather burn them than "give them away" for pennies on a $. I understand the Japanese, particularly, love vinyl. Imagine a couple of 45-foot trailers loaded with LP records traveling the seas!

John F wrote:You almost certainly won't get much for them - that's what experienced dealers say - but it's better than just throwing them away.

New vinyl titles are selling on Amazon for $29.95, yet are usually listed as "out of stock." Production can't keep up with demand, because the factories are all 30-40 years old, and parts to repair the pressing machines have to be hand-machined.

Amazing!

CDs OTOH offer a)superior sound, b)a more durable format that doesn't wear out with repeated playing, and c)no pops, ticks and other assorted annoyances. I'm sticking to CDs for now......

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:57 am

Just saw this wonderful 39 CD set on Amazon: Schubert Part I. It's now on my want list!

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:08 pm

I´m looking forward in February and March to Pergolesi´s Adriano in Siria in Decca, the Zelenka´s Italian arias recorded in Accent by gorgeous Czech soprano Hana Blaziková and Handel´s Imeneo in the Dublin version with Ann Hallenberg andFabio Biondi in Glossa. Ann Hallenberg also recorded a Farinelli recital with Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset that should be released in the first semester.

barney · Post by **barney** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 4:52 pm

Four sets caught my eye, and three of them have now arrived at Tottering Mansions: the Stravinsky complete Columbia set, the Gilels complete Universal set and the Brendel complete Philips set (114 cDs in that one!). The other one I am awaiting is the Schwarzkopf recitals set from Warner.
I'll have to have a look at that Schubert set, but it may have too much duplication.
I recently reorganised my CDs and got rid of about 300 that were complete duplications (eg Brendel Beethoven concertos and sonatas). I also got 2 CD bookcases custom made, and the huge piles scattered around the study and living room have disappeared! Hallelujah.

barney · Post by **barney** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:01 pm

Yes, just checked the Schubert. I've got about 37 of the CDs already. Won't go for that one.

mikealdren · Post by **mikealdren** » Tue Jan 26, 2016 4:09 am

Len_Z wrote:I find it absolutely astounding that there's no box set of Henryk Szeryng. I realize he's recorded for several various labels, but still, Universal should be able to get together a fine collection.

I agree completely, many of his recordings that have been issued were only available for a short while or in big boxes and sell for high prices now.

Similarly of course, Leonid Kogan, lots of labels involved but Warner and Melodiya must have enough for good boxes.

Mike

AngelHarpist · Post by **AngelHarpist** » Sun Jan 31, 2016 9:51 pm

Anything with Muzio Clementi (if I can even find it!). But I'm also very impatient. I buy the music on MP3 download so I can listen sooner and with WAY less clutter! And Sergei Rachmaninov, my first love!!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 11:09 am

Welcome aboard, AngelHarpist.

If you don't have Ormandy's Rachmaninoff, I recommed him highly. Ormandy knew the composer, and the Philadelphia was Rachmaninoff's favorite orchestra. HIghly recommended:

Ted Quanrud · Post by **Ted Quanrud** » Tue Feb 02, 2016 8:49 pm

Age, finances and a lack of shelf space have conspired to curb my collecting, but there is still some life in the old guy yet. Acquisitions for 2016 will likely include:

Completing Ronald Brautigam's superb Beethoven pianoforte works on BIS.

Keeping up with the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series. I am less enthused about the new Classical Piano Concerto series. The first two offerings both feature the same pianist (Hyperion's seemingly ubiquitous Howard Shelley) playing modern piano with the Ulster Orchestra. I would much prefer period instruments and a fortepiano.

The new complete recordings of Sir David Willcocks and the Choir of King's College

Keeping an eye on new offerings from John Eliot Gardiner and Masaaki Suzuki.

In April, Warner Classics will release The Menuhin Century -- 80 CDs with 11 DVD and deluxe book. I'm thinking about it.

Len_Z · Post by **Len_Z** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:13 pm

mikealdren wrote:Similarly of course, Leonid Kogan, lots of labels involved but Warner and Melodiya must have enough for good boxes.

Mike

Warner has released a very good Kogan box set a couple of years ago:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M97 ... sic&sr=1-2

It's quite pricey but definitely worth getting if you like Kogan (my favorite violinist along with Oistrakh and Szeryng)

Holden Fourth · Post by **Holden Fourth** » Sun Feb 14, 2016 2:28 pm

Just ordered the new Sudbin Scarlatti CD via Sudbin's own website. Will be interested to see how long it takes to get here.

BWV 1080 · Post by **BWV 1080** » Sun Feb 14, 2016 3:12 pm

Ripped all my CDs up to the cloud a couple of years ago and haven't looked back.

Eagerly awaiting Ian Pace's complete Ferneyhough release

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 7:58 pm

Lance wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:56 pm
Since Sony issued all the concertos by Philippe Entremont, might there be a complete box of all his solo recordings for the label?

Warner might consider issuing a PENNARIO boxed set. There were some JS Bach works that never made it to LP or CD.

Am I dreaming?

After about 3 years, Sony has issued a box of Philippe Entremont's solo recordings--enough for 34 original jacket CDs. I've listened to about one-third of the set so far and enjoy his sunny, buoyant pianism in the same way I enjoy pianists like Ciccolini, Haebler, Buchbinder and Cziffra. Besides Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Satie and albums of favorites, Entremont (like Eschenbach for DG) made a number of recordings of student etudes and sonatinas for Japanese CBS that have never been released in the U.S. until now.

He is still going strong at 85. I listened to a beautifully recorded and played Schubert Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 via Spotify (these aren't part of the Sony set). Utterly gorgeous piano sound. Technically he is as strong as ever. Likewise for a wonderful Beethoven Op. 109.

We now have an RCA Pennario set. If the Capitol recordings are re-issued, it will be courtesy of Universal, who seem to hold the rights to the Capitol material. Right now, it doesn't seem like Universal has plans to issue any Capitol material.

John

Post by **Lance** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 9:19 pm

Isn't it interesting that Amazon shows Entremont's complete concerto recordings box on Sony for almost $300.00! Hard to believe as when first released it was on sale for $35 for 19 CDs. Insofar as Pennario's Capitol recordings go, either EMI or Warner have already issued a number of the Capitol/EMI recordings on CD (of which I have 14), but certainly it isn't everything he recorded for EMI or Capitol. Surprisingly, the small label MSR came out with a four-CD set [1188, currently showing on Amazon for $130!] that contains some of Pennario's precious early recordings, mono and stereo, including his own "Midnight on the Cliffs" piece he often used as an encore, inspired by the waves rolling up on the beach at Newport, RI.

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:46 pm

Lance wrote: ↑
Sun Aug 18, 2019 9:19 pm
Isn't it interesting that Amazon shows Entremont's complete concerto recordings box on Sony for almost $300.00! Hard to believe as when first released it was on sale for $35 for 19 CDs. Insofar as Pennario's Capitol recordings go, either EMI or Warner have already issued a number of the Capitol/EMI recordings on CD (of which I have 14), but certainly it isn't everything he recorded for EMI or Capitol. Surprisingly, the small label MSR came out with a four-CD set [1188, currently showing on Amazon for $130!] that contains some of Pennario's precious early recordings, mono and stereo, including his own "Midnight on the Cliffs" piece he often used as an encore, inspired by the waves rolling up on the beach at Newport, RI.

Yes, I've noticed the price for Entremont's concerto set. I really enjoy it. It's wide-ranging in repertoire, a good mix of Romantic chestnuts and 20th century classics. I was hoping that Sony would issue the solo recordings. One of the discs in the new set contains the Beethoven 3rd Cello Sonata and Brahms 2ns Cello Sonata with Maurice Gendron, a disc I had never seen before in any form. It's a lovely disc, poised and elegant.

I have that Pennario MSR set (I think you first mentioned it released several years ago) and bought it soon after, along with some of the EMI re-issues that have come out since the 1990s. His approach to music making, like Entremont's wears well in my opinion.

The first disc I ever owned of Pennario was of the Liszt concerti conducted by Rene Leibowitz--performances that are among my favorites to this day (Sauer/Weingartner is another, which can be heard in a number of transfers on YouTube),

John

Rach3 · Post by **Rach3** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:38 am

Pennarios Capitol lp with Hollywood Bowl Orchestra,Felix Slatken(Leonard’s father I believe)
playing Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue was one of the first Classical recordings I heard,still have that lp of my parents.
While some critics panned,I have always enjoyed Entremonts Columbia lp with Ormandy of the Rachmaninoff PCs #1,#4.

Rach3 · Post by **Rach3** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:44 am

[quote=CharmNewton post_id=497331 time=1566186408 user_id

The first disc I ever owned of Pennario was of the Liszt concerti conducted by Rene Leibowitz--performances that are among my favorites to this day (Sauer/Weingartner is another, which can be heard in a number of transfers on YouTube),

John
[/quote]

Sauer/ Weingartner also on a Dutton cd I can recommend.

John F · Post by **John F** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:10 am

If you don't have it - probably you do - I recommend the Legendary Treasures reissue of Sigi Weissenberg's two Lumen LPs, one of Liszt and the other of Haydn and Czerny. After making a couple of sensational Columbia 78s, Weissenberg moved to Paris and in 1955 made those Lumen recordings. Then he withdrew from concertizing to study and, I guess, grow up, coming back years later as Alexis Weissenberg. Of course he then made a lot of recordings for RCA Victor, but nearly all of them disappoint me, straitlaced and dry, as did the few of his performances I heard.

The CD is out of print but still available from amazon.com at various prices. Better, all the Columbia and Lumen recordings are on YouTube. Here's the "Funerailles" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qj4DmoZB_Y

Post by **Lance** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:27 pm

I have the mega-box of Weissenberg and I believe the Lumen recordings are to be found there in [EMI-Warner 85824, 56 CDs]. It was issued around 2010 and I believe already out-of-print, and not available even on the used market. If the Lumens are not in the big 56-CD set, they are available on Doremi 7987-8 [2 CDs], which comprise his very earliest recordings. His recordings in the complete RCA box have a tendency to be strident in many cases. His Rach 3 for RCA with the Chicago Symphony under Pretre was with a simply badly voiced, uneven piano.

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:28 am

Lance wrote: ↑
Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:27 pm
I have the mega-box of Weissenberg and I believe the Lumen recordings are to be found there in [EMI-Warner 85824, 56 CDs]. It was issued around 2010 and I believe already out-of-print, and not available even on the used market. If the Lumens are not in the big 56-CD set, they are available on Doremi 7987-8 [2 CDs], which comprise his very earliest recordings. His recordings in the complete RCA box have a tendency to be strident in many cases. His Rach 3 for RCA with the Chicago Symphony under Pretre was with a simply badly voiced, uneven piano.

Lance, are you sure this is a Weissenberg mega box? I can't find a trace of a Warner set of this size for him (there is a smaller Icon set that doesn't include all his recordings for EMI) and the catalog number pulls up the Ciccolini set.

John

John F · Post by **John F** » Thu Aug 22, 2019 5:45 am

Weissenberg made few records for EMI, maybe only one - the 3 movements from Petrouchka (a film soundtrack issued on LP by EMI). Most were for RCA and presumably any big Weissenberg collection would be issued by them or their parent company, Sony Music.

The Petrouchka is amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aTDn93Mhso

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Thu Aug 22, 2019 11:43 am

Agree, John, that the Petrushka is amazing: thanks for the reminder. I have it in the set pictured above from EMI, now selling on amazon for $299 used. Nothing wrong with his playing in this set, from Brahms to Stravinsky! I also have a disc of Rachmaninoff's Preludes on RCA that was highly touted when it was issued, but I've since found better versions. I now find Weissenberg's playing on this disc to be too hard and harsh for my taste. There is also a set from DGG that I haven't heard, so won't comment.

Post by **Lance** » Fri Aug 23, 2019 12:19 pm

John, my most humble apologies! How I could have confused Weissenberg with Ciccolini, I do not know. The 10-CD Weissenberg "Icon" box is [79086], the complete RCA 30150, 7 CDs, and the complete DGG 482 5534, 4 CDs. Weissenberg can also be found on a number of other labels (live recitals, etc.), such as Arkadia, Arts Archives, Doremi, Ermitage/Aura, Fabula, Hanssler, and Orfeo, and maybe a couple of others.

CharmNewton wrote: ↑
Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:28 am

Lance wrote: ↑
Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:27 pm
I have the mega-box of Weissenberg and I believe the Lumen recordings are to be found there in [EMI-Warner 85824, 56 CDs]. It was issued around 2010 and I believe already out-of-print, and not available even on the used market. If the Lumens are not in the big 56-CD set, they are available on Doremi 7987-8 [2 CDs], which comprise his very earliest recordings. His recordings in the complete RCA box have a tendency to be strident in many cases. His Rach 3 for RCA with the Chicago Symphony under Pretre was with a simply badly voiced, uneven piano.
Lance, are you sure this is a Weissenberg mega box? I can't find a trace of a Warner set of this size for him (there is a smaller Icon set that doesn't include all his recordings for EMI) and the catalog number pulls up the Ciccolini set.

John

Post by **Lance** » Fri Aug 23, 2019 12:24 pm

HUGE price for this now. I got that EMI "Introuvables" set in 2005 for about 15% of the used price you mention. I've long enjoyed it, too.

maestrob wrote: ↑
Thu Aug 22, 2019 11:43 am

Agree, John, that the Petrushka is amazing: thanks for the reminder. I have it in the set pictured above from EMI, now selling on amazon for $299 used. Nothing wrong with his playing in this set, from Brahms to Stravinsky! I also have a disc of Rachmaninoff's Preludes on RCA that was highly touted when it was issued, but I've since found better versions. I now find Weissenberg's playing on this disc to be too hard and harsh for my taste. There is also a set from DGG that I haven't heard, so won't comment.

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Fri Aug 23, 2019 10:18 pm

Lance wrote: ↑
Fri Aug 23, 2019 12:19 pm
John, my most humble apologies! How I could have confused Weissenberg with Ciccolini, I do not know. The 10-CD Weissenberg "Icon" box is [79086], the complete RCA 30150, 7 CDs, and the complete DGG 482 5534, 4 CDs. Weissenberg can also be found on a number of other labels (live recitals, etc.), such as Arkadia, Arts Archives, Doremi, Ermitage/Aura, Fabula, Hanssler, and Orfeo, and maybe a couple of others.

Weissenberg made quite a few recordings for EMI, in particular French EMI, so the idea of a mega box wouldn't surprise me. French EMI has already issued a number of such boxes in a series with striking black-and-white packaging (Meyer, Nat, Cziffra, Francois, Ciccolini and Cortot--am I forgetting anyone?). So who knows, perhaps a Weissenberg box was on the drawing board. He passed away around the time EMI was sold and broken up. Such a box would have been a nice tribute. His legacy for EMI is far larger than for any other label.

Listening to some of his Bach playing in the Icon set I was really blown away between rapt and beautiful sonorities and raw power (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), the latter I couldn't recall hearing in anyone's Bach playing on the piano.

I once saw a listing for a complete Columbia and RCA album mega box for Pablo Casals (28 discs) on Amazon's U.K. web site. I pre-ordered it a over a year in advance to be issued in December, 2018. It never materialized, but it is one I would love to have.

John

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:39 pm

The Wikipedia Article for Alexis Weissenberg links to his archive site, which includes a considerable amount audio and video material which may be of interest to CMG members. Have patience as the recording thumbnails take a while to load.

Alexis Weissenberg Archive: https://alexisweissenbergarchive.com/

John

John F · Post by **John F** » Mon Aug 26, 2019 5:51 am

I was looking for unpublished classical material from the 1950s and so far haven't found any. What there is from the '50s is lots of pop songs in Weissenberg's arrangements; I had no idea. Also quite a few interviews. The classical material is from the 1970s and later, which doesn't interest me so much.

But now I've found a really early recording, Toccata Op.36 and Prelude from Op.15 by Pancho Vladiguerov, his first piano teacher, dating from 1943 when he was 14 and his family was in Turkey escaping from the Nazis. And from 1949 there's Alfredo Casella's Scarlattiana, with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Max Reiter, after he'd won the Leventritt Competition and begun to become known. I'm writing this as I go along.

At last a recording that could tell us something: the Chopin 1st piano concerto and Tchaikovsky's 1st with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Sodre, Uruguay conducted by Paul Paray in 1952. The Chopin's outer movements range from the occasionally languishing and poetic to some of the fastest playing I've ever heard in this music; it doesn't really work but it's fascinating. The Tchaikovsky suits him better, as you'd expect; he plays with such abandon that he drops more than a few notes. Strangely, the balance between piano and orchestra has changed radically to favor the piano.

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