[Manxfeeder]

Congratulation. You are one of the last who get the Box. Now it is sold out at JPC. They have sold so many in the last weeks. But now it is over...

It is sad that it is sold out, but it is also a positive, that a box set of classical CDs that size can still sell out.

 

[cco]

There are other classical Boxes sold out. I think Solti and Chicago are also sold out or Horowitz at Carnegie Hall for exmaple. But not many, thats right. I think classical Box Sets are not produced in large amounts. So some sell good, some bad.

 

[Open Book]

I didn't realize these type things were limited editions. I guess whoever bought one for the investment was right. I find complete box sets overwhelming.

 

[Peanuts DeMilo]

I just ordered this from Grooves Inc. for $250 including shipping. I am so excited to get this because I missed out when it was first issued and am not so familiar with the Szell discography. (In general I really enjoy David Hurwitz's reviews and mostly agree with his judgments). I have the Sony boxes of Bruno Walter and Eugene Ormandy. Beautiful mastering and presentation. The Ormandy in particular is a revelation.

I ordered mine from the same site on the same day, when their site said they still had 16 in stock. However, the very next day, their listing for the box starting showing the status as "ordered" and it still hasn't shipped. Everyday, Grooves.Land keep shifting the expected dispatch date back by a day. I am pretty sure Grooves.Land are a drop-shipper and their suppliers no longer have it in stock. I feel this is going to end badly and am glad that I paid the extra $12 to pay with PayPal so that pursuing an eventual refund will be easier. Please let me know if you are having any better luck and when or if you ever receive yours! Thanks!

 

[cco]

That would not have happened at JPC. I would never order at Grooves.Land. I think they are not so serious.
This Box is out of production and sold out. I think Grooves.Land will not get any more...

 

[Shaughnessy]

As of today, the Szell box is making a strange reappearance as being available on "Back Order" on two sites -

https://www.importcds.com/george-szell-the-complete-album-collection/889854718527 Listed at 163.93 USD

and

https://www.deepdiscount.com/george-szell-the-complete-album-collection/889854718527 Listed at 178.56 USD however if you agree to join their mailing list they will send you a 10% off coupon.

A week ago, the Szell box was only listed at jpc.de, fnac.com, and grooves.land. And, as mentioned by others, is no longer available from any of the three.

It seems somewhat implausible that Sony would go through the considerable expense of re-printing this once again in such limited quantities that it would sell out even faster than the original release. This would appear to be yet another victim of supply chain issues and may eventually be as readily obtainable as both the Walter and Ormandy boxes.

I wouldn't lose hope - If you want it, place your order with importcds.com - Better track record with packaging than Deep Discount.

As mentioned, the Szell box had been missing in action for years on importcds only to suddenly make a reappearance in the catalog listing yesterday.

 

[Varick]

Congratulation. You are one of the last who get the Box. Now it is sold out at JPC. They have sold so many in the last weeks. But now it is over...

Wow, and I was even thinking, "Maybe I'll wait for a while to order this." Now reading this thread, I am so glad I didn't wait. Sad to hear so many who want this but now can't get it. I hope that changes. Great music should never be sparse! But alas, it often is.

V

 

[Varick]

As of today, the Szell box is making a strange reappearance as being available on "Back Order" on two sites -

https://www.importcds.com/george-szell-the-complete-album-collection/889854718527 Listed at 163.93 USD

and

https://www.deepdiscount.com/george-szell-the-complete-album-collection/889854718527 Listed at 178.56 USD however if you agree to join their mailing list they will send you a 10% off coupon.

A week ago, the Szell box was only listed at jpc.de, fnac.com, and grooves.land. And, as mentioned by others, is no longer available from any of the three.

It seems somewhat implausible that Sony would go through the considerable expense of re-printing this once again in such limited quantities that it would sell out even faster than the original release. This would appear to be yet another victim of supply chain issues and may eventually be as readily obtainable as both the Walter and Ormandy boxes.

I wouldn't lose hope - If you want it, place your order with importcds.com - Better track record with packaging than Deep Discount.

As mentioned, the Szell box had been missing in action for years on importcds only to suddenly make a reappearance in the catalog listing yesterday.

Both those prices are extraordinarily cheap. And I thought I got a steal. Granted, one may never get the set at that price. Unfortunately it is not uncommon to wait and wait for something on backorder only to finally get a notice that it is no longer available. I Hope everyone who has one on backorder gets one, and especially at those prices! Good luck.

V

 

[89Koechel]

cco, Varick, Shaughnessy and others - Yes, the Szell CD set IS exceptional - Papa George S and his Clevelanders could do LITTLE, if any, wrong in their transversal of the Beethoven oeuvre ... dynamic yet sensitive (to the slow, ruminative movements) and always with a strong CHARACTER amongst the various sections of the Orchestra (Robt. Marcellus, for instance). ... Did you all know that there're other performances/recordings of Szell, not readily-available? These include Sibelius Symphony 4 and 7, Auber's Fra Diavolo Overture, Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, a Dvorak Cello Concerto (w/Mstislav Rostropovich), Brahms' Double Concerto (w/Rostropovich and Jaime Laredo) ... and others. A VAST, great legacy ... some of which is still to be discovered, I'm sure.

 

[cco]

It is a shame, that this Box Set has not won a Grammy award. It sounds so awesome...

 

[BlackAdderLXX]

I'd never ordered from JPC before but it came in QUICKLY and was extremely well packaged. I'm actually thrilled as I had been holding off on buying a lot of Szell stuff because I was always waiting for the right box set. This was it. I'm enjoying it.

 

[Open Book]

It is a shame, that this Box Set has not won a Grammy award. It sounds so awesome...

Grammys are for newly recorded albums as far as I know.

 

[cco]

@BlackAdderLXX: Once again, JPC is by far the best and most serious online Store for Music in Germany, and for classic music in particularly. Formerly they have some shops in several cities. But now they have transformed in a online Shop.

@Open Book: You can get a Grammy for best Box Set (Classical) and historical Album (Classical) i think.

 

[cco]

It seems the Szell Box is available again. Now with delivery in one week at JPC. It seems it is the last chance..

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/complete-box-set/hnum/8141265?iampartner=spon6&awc=150&awa=1261&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwIG5hdep9wIVkY9oCR20jQuvEAQYASABEgI2t_D_BwE

 

[Eva Yojimbo]

I think the CD`s are remastered ? When they are not remastered then it is irrelevant. But normally Sony remastered their Boxes. Only DG does often not remaster. But i have read, the reviews of the box are very good.

The Box is only available on JPC. In other stores i haven´t seen it. So i think JPC have bought all the rest Boxes from Sony. I don´t know...

I will caution that most claims of remastering are either a marketing scam and/or don't make a bit of difference to audible audio quality, sometimes it's a bit of both. Things like "remastered in 24-bit!" was one such scam. For one thing, cd is limited to 16-bit, so the fact that it was mastered in 24-bit doesn't mean much to the final product unless they used all those extra bits for digital editing, which is doubtful. Even 16-bits is more than enough to cover all the dynamic range human ears could stand, not to mention that audio systems could play back. They probably could've edited them in 16-bits and you couldn't tell the difference.

I do have that Szell box set and everything I've heard sounds fine, especially considering the era of recordings. There is of course some variability in quality as they were recorded in different times at different places by different people, but if you enjoy Szell as a conductor there's no reason to avoid the box set for audio concerns.

 

[Monsalvat]

I will caution that most claims of remastering are either a marketing scam and/or don't make a bit of difference to audible audio quality, sometimes it's a bit of both. Things like "remastered in 24-bit!" was one such scam. For one thing, cd is limited to 16-bit, so the fact that it was mastered in 24-bit doesn't mean much to the final product unless they used all those extra bits for digital editing, which is doubtful. Even 16-bits is more than enough to cover all the dynamic range human ears could stand, not to mention that audio systems could play back. They probably could've edited them in 16-bits and you couldn't tell the difference.

I do have that Szell box set and everything I've heard sounds fine, especially considering the era of recordings. There is of course some variability in quality as they were recorded in different times at different places by different people, but if you enjoy Szell as a conductor there's no reason to avoid the box set for audio concerns.

I think 24-bit remastering keeps the noise floor lower during the process, which could mean better results even after converting back to 16-bit for the CD. Whether or not this is an audible difference is another matter... I wouldn't know the answer.

 

[Eva Yojimbo]

I think 24-bit remastering keeps the noise floor lower during the process, which could mean better results even after converting back to 16-bit for the CD. Whether or not this is an audible difference is another matter... I wouldn't know the answer.

It does keep the noise floor lower, and at the very least it doesn't hurt matters none, but the noise floor of speaker is always going to be much higher than that of CDs, not to mention the ambient noise floor of your basic room. The main reason to master in 24-bits is that digital editing (like with digital editing of photographs) removes bits, so you want to make sure you have enough headroom for whatever editing is done. I just doubt enough editing goes into the vast majority of classical CDs to make a difference.

 

[inthemusiczone]

I ordered mine from the same site on the same day, when their site said they still had 16 in stock. However, the very next day, their listing for the box starting showing the status as "ordered" and it still hasn't shipped. Everyday, Grooves.Land keep shifting the expected dispatch date back by a day. I am pretty sure Grooves.Land are a drop-shipper and their suppliers no longer have it in stock. I feel this is going to end badly and am glad that I paid the extra $12 to pay with PayPal so that pursuing an eventual refund will be easier. Please let me know if you are having any better luck and when or if you ever receive yours! Thanks!

Same as you I ordered when it was in stock but then it kept being pushed back. Finally I emailed them and they say they will refund me. Never had problems with them in past so hopeful all will go smoothly. Now I am debating where to try to get this from, importCDs or jpc. Both say it will reappear in July......

 

[Garrison]

Good morning folks.
Just wanted to give a heads-up. I received an e-mail from Deep discounts that they have the Szell box available again for immediate order.
On a whim I also just checked Import Cds, and they also seem to have it “In-stock” again.
I was actually able to find a copy at a reasonable price a few weeks ago, so I’m good to go, but combing my way through this set I’m very pleased.
Good luck.

 

[Manxfeeder]

Good morning folks.
Just wanted to give a heads-up. I received an e-mail from Deep discounts that they have the Szell box available again for immediate order.
On a whim I also just checked Import Cds, and they also seem to have it “In-stock” again.
I was actually able to find a copy at a reasonable price a few weeks ago, so I’m good to go, but combing my way through this set I’m very pleased.
Good luck.

It's down to $178 at DeepDiscount and $168 at Import CDs. That's great.

I had a friend babysit for someone who came home drunk as a skunk, and in her stupor she gushed over how great the babysitter was and paid her $1,000. If anyone needs money for the Szell box, maybe I can hunt this person down for you for another babysitting session.