[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears DA, So far I have found no overwhelming desire for Mahler by Haitinck, and certainly not at $50+ dollars (tax is also added for my yourmusic orders, and at 8.325% or something like that) it becomes less competitive in pricing. I already have the Haitinck Das Lied and with all of the sets I have and individual odd symphonies it hasn't tempted me yet. For that matter, it doesn't seem as if it's tempted you either. BTW, a quick check doesn't find the Mahler at ym, but the Bruckner symphonies have arrived!!! So, I suppose that "opportunity" is lost. But, with the indifferent sq of the Mahler, I'm not repining -- especially as it's available for the same price at Amazon. Edit: The Bruckner is less than tempting as well as I just received the Eichhorn Bruckner boxed set from Germany, but more about that later.

OMG............my mistake that is the Haitink Bruckner set not Mahler at yourmusic.com!

 

[Bunnyears]

DA,

Actually, when I looked there last week I could swear that I did see the Haitinck Mahler, so that may just have been in short supply. However, it is strange that a boxed set at that price would have sold out so fast...

Here's the Bruckner; for comparison it's listed from $50.65 at Amazon partners -- cheaper than y/m!

But, if you are interested in the Mahler, there is always Caiman which is as cheap (for me anyway as the shipping is lower than the NY tax rates).

Here's the link is you are in a spending sort of mood.

Btw, with 10 cds in the set, yourmusic's best price to me would be $59.00 (or something like that). Ofcourse with your earlier subscription the price might be only $49.50 -- or am I wrong?

 

[iDesign]

I apologize for reposting a question that may have been answered in the recent weeks posts in this thread however there are far too many posts to sort through to discern an answer.

I would like to inquire which commonly available complete Mahler: Symphonies box set is currently considered the overall top recommendation. Currently I believe it is the twelve disc Bernstein 2001 Sony Classical (No: 69699894992) set. Has the status of this set changed?


Best,
iDesign

 

[Bunnyears]

The Bernstein (sony) set is indeed one of the top sets around. However, you should also give great consideration to the Bertini Mahler boxed set (Emi) which is also excellent, well priced and with superior sound quality to the Bernstein. Bernstein had his very personal vision of Mahler whereas Bertini's vision was to execute the symphonies more closely to the score. You won't go wrong with either of the sets.

Other great sets are also out there including the Gielen (Hanssler), Inbal (Brilliant Classics), Chailly (Decca), Solti (London-Decca), Abbado (more than one set) as well as the Bernstein (DG) and Haitinck (Philips).

If it means anything to you, David Hurwitz at Classicstoday considers the Bertini the best in a box and he wrote the notes for the Gielen boxed set too. Btw, having a top rated boxed set doesn't mean that each symphony will be the best recording available. It just signifies that the whole cycle was executed and recorded at a very high level. If you want the "best" individual recordings of each symphony, then you don't want a set.

I really think that when it comes to Mahler you need to decide just which approach you feel most comfortable with and what sound quality you want. FWIW there's no complete set in SACD -- yet, just individual symphonies available.

 

[Origen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears If you want the "best" individual recordings of each symphony, then you don't want a set.

This is worth repeating.

While it's interesting to see one conductor's vision for the entire lot, I think it's better to hear each symphony at its "best," and that means divided between, say, six to eight different conductors.

What is "best" is of course a personal choice, but I would be very very skeptical of anyone with wide Mahler experience who thought that *one* conductor was "best" for all symphonies.

Thus, box sets are really for people with many Mahler recordings already.

 

[PSmith08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Origen This is worth repeating. While it's interesting to see one conductor's vision for the entire lot, I think it's better to hear each symphony at its "best," and that means divided between, say, six to eight different conductors. What is "best" is of course a personal choice, but I would be very very skeptical of anyone with wide Mahler experience who thought that *one* conductor was "best" for all symphonies. Thus, box sets are really for people with many Mahler recordings already.

Well, a box set is a very good way to get exposed to a composer's oeuvre very quickly. I feel that if one wants to find out about Mahler, for example, and is willing to invest about a hundred dollars, then a box set is a good way to go. One can find favorite symphonies and branch out from there. Frankly, given the level of disagreement (even among Mahlerites

) about which recording is the best, a newcomer could spend a lot of time, money, and grey matter on the subject.

The same goes for any composer, save one or two.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Origen This is worth repeating. While it's interesting to see one conductor's vision for the entire lot, I think it's better to hear each symphony at its "best," and that means divided between, say, six to eight different conductors. What is "best" is of course a personal choice, but I would be very very skeptical of anyone with wide Mahler experience who thought that *one* conductor was "best" for all symphonies. Thus, box sets are really for people with many Mahler recordings already.

Origen,

I love the idea of making up the perfect Mahler cycle, but from my own experience this can get awfully expensive.

Just to clarify, I think box sets are great tools to introduce someone to a composer, especially a composer like Mahler whose complete oeuvre is not as large as someone like Bach or Mozart. A good box set, well priced is the perfect entrée. For someone like me, the box set is a completer -- I may listen some of the symphonies very infrequently but for reference I like to have the set to understand the conductor's vision of the composer. However, for someone new to Mahler, a set such as one by Bernstein or Bertini is a great way to get acquainted with the composer without spending tons of money. It's even better if the bertini were still priced at $10, but somethings just don't last. hehe.

idesign,

if you are looking to buy a box set and are just wondering which box set is the highest rated, then consider either the Sony Bernstein (which doesn't have the best sq nowadays) or the Bertini (better sq and it includes Das Lied von der Erde) or some of the more expensive sets that are also highly rated such as the Gielen or Chailly. As for which set is the "best," that actually depends on which critic is doing the rating.

 

[scottder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears It's even better if the bertini were still priced at $10, but somethings just don't last. hehe.

I always miss the deals

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottder I always miss the deals

I missed it too as I ordered the set before it was released. I did order from Amazon Canada so that the price was a bit lower than at amazon US, but it certainly was no where near the price I saw it for later.

 

[iDesign]

Thank you for your input on the topic. I have several individually assembled complete cycles but not a wide range of box sets. My intent was not to seek out a box set in order to be introduced to Mahler symphonies rather I wanted to identify any recent box sets that may serve as alternatives to the existing sets I currently own. As new individual recordings are released, I simply cannot track them all and I cannot continue to add expensive poor performances of individual symphonies to my collection as Mahler hardly is the focus of my interests.

Best,
iDesign

 

[Bunnyears]

iDesign,

Go for the Bertini -- uniformly high standard of performance and phenomenal sound quality. In addition it includes an excellent Das Lied and it's really priced attractively (compare it to the Gielen at $100 plus -- and it is better than the Gielen imo).

 

[bookdoctor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbhaub Here' another Mahler 1 worth looking into: From harmonia mundi & Praga comes Bruno Walter's piano four-hand arrangement. An awful lot of fun. I'd post a picture of the cover but I don't know how you do that. PRD/DSD 250 197- HM 83. Add it to the already existing piano four-hand versions of 6 & 7. What fun!

I finally got the chance to pick this one up today. Here's the picture:

I won't be able to listen until tomorrow (I'm away from home, and my CD player), but I'm looking forward to it.

I also picked up the Abbado M2 (with Lucerne Festival Orchestra, also including Debussy's La Mer), to add to my other M2s.

And as an extra treat (since it's my birthday next week, and I've been good this year

), a set of HD555's, since I didn't have a decent pair of full-size headphones for orchestral music.

And yes, my wallet is hiding in some dark corner, whimpering...

 

[Origen]

I really like that piano version of M1, pictured above. The only problem is that it sounds like a W--I--D--E piano because of idiotic microphone placement.

 

[Bunnyears]

I've never really understood the penchant that exists for supersizing pianos in the recording world. Listening to so many recordings of piano concertos I find that they often sound as if the piano and the orchestra are in different rooms, or the piano is actually larger than the whole string section.

 

[bookdoctor]

I was still in town (capital city a couple of hours where I live) today, and wandered into a new high-end shopping center that opened recently. I found a wonderful classical/jazz/blues record store, with very knowledgeable staff, and picked up a few more Mahlers:

M2: Kubelik, Bayerischen Rundfunks, Edith Martin and Brigitte Fassbaender (Audite). I'm listening to it right now, and really enjoying the energy of the first movement.

M3: Kubelik, Bayerischen Rundfunks, Marjorie Thomas, Tolzer Knabenchor (Audite)

M5: Barbirolli, New Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI, GROTC)

M5: Bernstein, NYPO (Sony)

Not bad for a day's shopping...