Thread: Amazing Bargain Buys

The ability to record is built into just about all of the internet radio apps on the ipad. You can even schedule a timer to record when you aren't around.

Surely its the quality of performance that counts not the price. Whats the point of filling shelves with bad recordings because they are cheap.

In the current market for classical CDs, the prices are falling and the good recordings are being collected into cheap box sets... Bernstein symphonies, Munch and Reiner on the Living Stereo label, Dorati on Mercury... It doesn't get much better than that... And at a little over a dollar a disk. The old truisms about box sets don't necessarily hold true any more.

Sorry Bigshot whilst appreciate what you are proposing I must disagree. As an example, to suggest that either of Bernstein's Mahler cycles represent the best Mahler available is simply wide of the mark. This applies to all box set's of complete cycles. It would of course to produce a box set of the best of Bernstein or whomever but they would not be of one composer. I still maintain what I said in post 64 that researching the reviews and finding the best possible recording, it saves shelf space and its fun.

Certainly it is Polyphemus, but why limit yourself if you can expand your listening at such low cost. Certainly there are multiple worthwhile interpretations of the masterpieces, some rather odd - but all revealing a new aspect of the piece. You'd be foolish not to explore another side to Beethoven's 5th symphony if it only cost you £1.50 for example,

Originally Posted by Polyphemus

As an example, to suggest that either of Bernstein's Mahler cycles represent the best Mahler available is simply wide of the mark.

There is no such thing as "best Mahler", only bad, mediocre and great Mahler. Bernstein's Mahler is well worth listening to and owning. Many people, myself included, consider it great.

Reading reviews will never find you the best recordings. It will only find you what that reviewer thinks is best. All a review can do is point you to great recordings. Among them, you may find what you consider best, but more likely you'll find that there are several great recordings with different positive aspects- no best.

If I limited myself to one "best" Ring cycle or Eroica symphony or Mozart Piano Concerto recording, I'd be cheating myself out of most of my musical enjoyment.

Hi emiellucifuge and bigshot, we seem to be approaching the question from different aspects. My initial point was that to buy a disc because it was cheap was not an approach I would consider. I never suggested that ones collection should consist of only one version of any particular work, if that were the case then my shelves would be reduced by a vast amount. I would also point out that I made no criticism of Bernstein's Mahler and I agree that some of it is indeed great and some not so great. That was one of my intended points, no one conductor gives a definitive reading of a cycle. My reliance on reviewers opinions are part of my purchasing and I agree that they have loved discs which I bought which were not to my taste so they are seldom if ever payed. Its like everything in life you pays your money and you takes your chances. I do however regard The Gramophone magazine as my music bible and in general they are seldom seriously wrong. Bigshot sums it up well in the second paragraph of post 66 above they are merely guides which help us mere mortals and I for one am happy to accept their opinion, always accepting that I don't have to agree with them. My most notable disagreement was Simon Rattle's Birmingham recording of the Mahler 2 which arrived in a blaze of praise and accolades, I bought it and I still find it far from being anywhere near the honours that were heaped on it. However it sold in large quantities and is always there or thereabouts when the definitive Mahler 2 is being discussed.
So at the end of the day it is the opinion of the listener that counts.
In conclusion I offered an opinion that buying with price as the guiding parameter was perhaps not the best way to go about things. I did not expect everyone to agree with me but simply put forward the proposition that quality would achieve a better collection than price.
Enjoy the music.

This CD is available for 45 cents on Amazon (plus $3 shipping). Can't get more of a bargain than that! Excellent gift item for anyone who likes any kind of music.

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Gould reissues at good prices at MDT.

http://www.mdt.co.uk/series/glenn-gould-collection.html