I have really grown to love your videos, Dave. Your sense of humour appeals to me. And everything you say is eminently informed and fair - even when you dislike recordings that I love, which is fine and does not disturb my enjoyment of them. You are my favourite bearded crazy cat lady on the internet right now, and I’m sure that is a very competitive field. You have introduced me to some very wonderful recordings over the years, which is a great act of generosity on your part, and remarkable that somebody I do not know should do such a fine thing for me. I cannot imagine how much time it takes to listen to so many recordings and make these videos, so thank you. In this particular case (and many others) we love the same thing and, while I own this hybrid SACD box version, I have the same observations about the unwieldy packaging and everything else. For me this work and its historic significance justify the treatment, but I would not want other recordings to follow suit. As you say, where would I put them? There is a reason we buy COMPACT discs.
Dave. Just discovered your channel and loving it! This package does seem OTT but I guess some will buy it. Here in the UK it's very easy to pick up the original cheaply.
I think this misleading argument is based more upon the fact that people who truly love and care about vinyl tend to be way more involved in choosing all the components that make up their playback., whereas people who only listen to CDs probably don't have high end equipment with the best digital to analog conversion. Additionally, for a long time, CDs just had poor mastering. A well mastered CD can sound just as good as vinyl, but on a well balanced system, there's a certain magic in all-analog playback. That magic being real science. Mind you I listen to music on vinyl, CD, high-res digital files, and high-res streaming. It's all great.
I kind a like the idea of CDs in a LP-sized sleeve, because the only advantage of vinyl is the size of their booklets - at least when your eyes are 60+ years old
Bought this on vinyl back in my teens but didn't upgrade to CD until in was included in the Britten Conducts Britten box, which came out in 2005 (rehearsal sequence included though I've only listened to it the once). This was the first Britten work that I bought, back when the composer was still alive (just). In the interim I was listening to the Hickox recording on Chandos. Those remain the only War Requiem recordings that I own.
And it was reissued again in 2013 as a three cd set with the Requiem on a single cd, the rehearsal on a second cd and a ‘pure audio blu-ray’ on a third disc. I quote from the back cover: ‘2013 High Resolution Remastering for Britten’s Centenary from the Original Mastertapes’. The Amazon UK price today for the new SACD set is £91.57. The Originals two cd set is £9.81. I notice that the Originals version is ‘out of stock’ on a couple of UK sellers’ websites and I could not find it on the Decca website.
Supraphon did a good job with their recent Smetana (1824-1884) complete eight opera's 17 CD-box for a reasonable price with librettos to download and nice packaging. They were out of print for a long time (except "The Bartered Bride") Dave, is it possible to review this marvellous box? Thank you!
Thanks for the heads up. I need that: after Dave reviews it. I still have some operas like Brandenburgers on old blue label Supraphon lps. I'd love to cd them at a reasonable price. (One keeps the lp booklets and libretti when tossing the vinyl, of course.)
As a Beatles fan, I have bought the deluxe box sets of their last five albums. They are costly, but you get a great deal of extra music - demos, alternate takes, singles. In addition, they each come with a splendid hardcover book full of photographs and information about the songwriting and the sessions. I love the War Requiem, but with this release, I can't imagine what's in that book that would justify the price. Maybe if it contained the full score?
Great video. I enjoyed looking at the extras especially the Kingsway shots on the all singing and dancing boxset but have no need to buy yet another copy on vinyl. When this was originally released on vinyl it sold well but often seems to have languished on people’s shelves for decades relatively unplayed. So currently it’s still very affordable to get really clean copies of the original SET release of this boxset compared with the eye watering prices of comparable early Decca SXL releases of more popular titles.
My understanding is that Britten wasn't pleased when he found out that the rehearsal had been surreptitiously recorded. After watching your previous video on the recording, and knowing about the existence of an SACD version, I went to Presto Music to check up on that release and was informed that it would cost me a total of NZ$238.00 (included postage) to buy the set and have it sent to me in New Zealand. Crazy!! I'll keep my old (original release) CD set.
A really deluxe edition would be like Telefunken Bach and include the score. Though Boosey hawks a very affordable large soft cover score. Better to get that than this pricey cd bling affair.
I found a vintage vinyl for about five bucks. Nice clean copy, I like it. Similarly UK pressings are better but not worth the steep increase in price when the London pressings are really nice.
The size is the same problem with the 'New Wagner SACD Ring Cycle' The only place to put in is on the Coffee Table. The SACD of this re-issue is truly great if you have a system that can really deliver SACD sound because the cost of the Wagner set comes in at approximately $400.00. As for the War Requiem I'll stick the the Decca Originals Set.
It would be interesting to hear your thoughts sir about CD-s and vinyl and audio quality. Maybe you are familiar with the DG original source series they are currently releasing, they just released a big LP box with the Bruckner's symphonies conducted by Karajan at an astronomical price. Yes the box looks good but is it worth it? Can you really tell the difference soundwise? Probably, if you have a state of the art sound system... With vinyl I think there's a high degree of nostalgia involved. And they look better than CDs, yes.
My ears aren't sophisticated enough to hear discernable sound quality differences between LPs and CDs. "Warmer"?...what does that mean? No, the only advantage to LPs is the the liner notes and the back cover printed material is far and away easier to read. Beyond that, with limited space and enormous desire for more (excellent quality ALWAYS a must) music recordings, I choose CDs...more music per square space available! Practicality!!
While WR is a marvellous work (though not beyond criticism in places - see Stravinsky’s - Robert Craft’s- deliciously bitchy comments - ‘Kleenex at the ready’) the hype that accompanies it is absurd. Emotional blackmail is part of that hype. And I’m a Britten fan.
@@bbailey7818 quite likely. Igor was now Wystan’s bestie, although it’s worth remembering that Stravinsky asked Boosey to send him every new Britten score as it came out. It’s not out of the question to suggest that the dances from Gloriana had some effect on ‘Agon’ !
Stravinsky seemed to be strangely obsessed with dissing Britten (not only the comment you mention but also his answer to Isaiah Berlin, when asked what he thought of Britten's music, sarcastically replying what a great accompanist Britten was). And it's not hard to understand why he might feel threatened by a man who, despite being thirty years his junior, composed his first full-scale opera six years before Stravinsky's own (and more importantly, Peter Grimes is by far the greater work, both musically and dramatically). Stravinsky's violin concerto is a finely crafted and enjoyable piece, but a lightweight next to Britten's violin concerto. In fact across all genres, it's only in ballet that Stravinsky clearly comes out ahead. And then there's the strange spectacle of him trailing around after Britten in setting the same texts (mostly obscure so unlikely to be accidental, especially for a non-native speaker of English): the Chester Miracle play on Noah's Flood (Britten 1958, Stravinsky 1963); Abraham and Isaac (Britten 1952, Stravinsky 1965); and the anonymous "This ae night" (Britten 1943, Stravinsky 1952). Perhaps it was them both having collaborated with Auden that began Stravinsky's apparent sense of needing to compete with the younger composer.
The original release of Decca’s recording was probably a Seismic occasion in recorded history. Shostakovich evidently described this work as the greatest of the 20th century. I woukd personally call that subjective rather than objective but I understand where he’s coming from. No one can doubt that it’s a masterpiece. Whether this special edition is worth the price is up to the consumer but considering the recording’s history and importance the relatively high cost will fade into oblivion in years to come.
The CD is like $8-10 used.. Why on earth would I buy a $100 LP set? I doubt I'll get $90 more value out of it. I have LPs, and sometimes I can get a super good deal ($1 for a whole opera). But otherwise not really worth the hassle!
I have really grown to love your videos, Dave. Your sense of humour appeals to me. And everything you say is eminently informed and fair - even when you dislike recordings that I love, which is fine and does not disturb my enjoyment of them. You are my favourite bearded crazy cat lady on the internet right now, and I’m sure that is a very competitive field. You have introduced me to some very wonderful recordings over the years, which is a great act of generosity on your part, and remarkable that somebody I do not know should do such a fine thing for me. I cannot imagine how much time it takes to listen to so many recordings and make these videos, so thank you.
In this particular case (and many others) we love the same thing and, while I own this hybrid SACD box version, I have the same observations about the unwieldy packaging and everything else. For me this work and its historic significance justify the treatment, but I would not want other recordings to follow suit. As you say, where would I put them? There is a reason we buy COMPACT discs.
Dave. Just discovered your channel and loving it! This package does seem OTT but I guess some will buy it. Here in the UK it's very easy to pick up the original cheaply.
A friend of mine told me he tells people who claim LPs sound "warmer", "I prefer a heater!"
I think this misleading argument is based more upon the fact that people who truly love and care about vinyl tend to be way more involved in choosing all the components that make up their playback., whereas people who only listen to CDs probably don't have high end equipment with the best digital to analog conversion. Additionally, for a long time, CDs just had poor mastering. A well mastered CD can sound just as good as vinyl, but on a well balanced system, there's a certain magic in all-analog playback. That magic being real science. Mind you I listen to music on vinyl, CD, high-res digital files, and high-res streaming. It's all great.
I kind a like the idea of CDs in a LP-sized sleeve, because the only advantage of vinyl is the size of their booklets - at least when your eyes are 60+ years old
Bought this on vinyl back in my teens but didn't upgrade to CD until in was included in the Britten Conducts Britten box, which came out in 2005 (rehearsal sequence included though I've only listened to it the once). This was the first Britten work that I bought, back when the composer was still alive (just). In the interim I was listening to the Hickox recording on Chandos. Those remain the only War Requiem recordings that I own.
And it was reissued again in 2013 as a three cd set with the Requiem on a single cd, the rehearsal on a second cd and a ‘pure audio blu-ray’ on a third disc. I quote from the back cover: ‘2013 High Resolution Remastering for Britten’s Centenary from the Original Mastertapes’. The Amazon UK price today for the new SACD set is £91.57. The Originals two cd set is £9.81. I notice that the Originals version is ‘out of stock’ on a couple of UK sellers’ websites and I could not find it on the Decca website.
A while back, I found a new, shrink-wrapped copy of the original CD issue for $4 at a thrift store😊
The packaging is ridiculous; if I need a coffee table book, I’ll purchase a table. PS - great video!
Supraphon did a good job with their recent Smetana (1824-1884) complete eight opera's 17 CD-box for a reasonable price with librettos to download and nice packaging. They were out of print for a long time (except "The Bartered Bride") Dave, is it possible to review this marvellous box? Thank you!
It's on order. Let's see if it ever arrives.
Thanks for the heads up. I need that: after Dave reviews it. I still have some operas like Brandenburgers on old blue label Supraphon lps. I'd love to cd them at a reasonable price. (One keeps the lp booklets and libretti when tossing the vinyl, of course.)
Nice!
As a Beatles fan, I have bought the deluxe box sets of their last five albums. They are costly, but you get a great deal of extra music - demos, alternate takes, singles. In addition, they each come with a splendid hardcover book full of photographs and information about the songwriting and the sessions. I love the War Requiem, but with this release, I can't imagine what's in that book that would justify the price. Maybe if it contained the full score?
Why not package CD inside a large vinyl box? Best of both worlds. I would buy that.
My copy is LP. I think I paid $12.99 back in the day. I like having the big liner notes but other than that I listen on Apple Music
Great video. I enjoyed looking at the extras especially the Kingsway shots on the all singing and dancing boxset but have no need to buy yet another copy on vinyl. When this was originally released on vinyl it sold well but often seems to have languished on people’s shelves for decades relatively unplayed. So currently it’s still very affordable to get really clean copies of the original SET release of this boxset compared with the eye watering prices of comparable early Decca SXL releases of more popular titles.
The full requiem & rehearsal is on Tidal at high res (24/192). Makes the £10 month even better value…that’s a good 15 months for free.
My understanding is that Britten wasn't pleased when he found out that the rehearsal had been surreptitiously recorded. After watching your previous video on the recording, and knowing about the existence of an SACD version, I went to Presto Music to check up on that release and was informed that it would cost me a total of NZ$238.00 (included postage) to buy the set and have it sent to me in New Zealand. Crazy!! I'll keep my old (original release) CD set.
You can get an audio download from Presto Classics (see my other comment).
A really deluxe edition would be like Telefunken Bach and include the score. Though Boosey hawks a very affordable large soft cover score. Better to get that than this pricey cd bling affair.
I found a vintage vinyl for about five bucks. Nice clean copy, I like it. Similarly UK pressings are better but not worth the steep increase in price when the London pressings are really nice.
The size is the same problem with the 'New Wagner SACD Ring Cycle' The only place to put in is on the Coffee Table. The SACD of this re-issue is truly great if you have a system that can really deliver SACD sound because the cost of the Wagner set comes in at approximately $400.00. As for the War Requiem I'll stick the the Decca Originals Set.
It would be interesting to hear your thoughts sir about CD-s and vinyl and audio quality. Maybe you are familiar with the DG original source series they are currently releasing, they just released a big LP box with the Bruckner's symphonies conducted by Karajan at an astronomical price. Yes the box looks good but is it worth it? Can you really tell the difference soundwise? Probably, if you have a state of the art sound system... With vinyl I think there's a high degree of nostalgia involved. And they look better than CDs, yes.
I'm not going there. It's ridiculous, in my opinion.
My ears aren't sophisticated enough to hear discernable sound quality differences between LPs and CDs. "Warmer"?...what does that mean?
No, the only advantage to LPs is the the liner notes and the back cover printed material is far and away easier to read.
Beyond that, with limited space and enormous desire for more (excellent quality ALWAYS a must) music recordings, I choose CDs...more music per square space available! Practicality!!
The SACD reissue of the Solti Ring is even more wildly expensive. You can hear it in lossless hi-res sound on Apple music
While WR is a marvellous work (though not beyond criticism in places - see Stravinsky’s - Robert Craft’s- deliciously bitchy comments - ‘Kleenex at the ready’) the hype that accompanies it is absurd. Emotional blackmail is part of that hype. And I’m a Britten fan.
Britten had sent Auden a couple of sharp criticisms of The Rake's Progress so I suspect Stravinsky was getting back some of his own.
@@bbailey7818 quite likely. Igor was now Wystan’s bestie, although it’s worth remembering that Stravinsky asked Boosey to send him every new Britten score as it came out. It’s not out of the question to suggest that the dances from Gloriana had some effect on ‘Agon’ !
Stravinsky seemed to be strangely obsessed with dissing Britten (not only the comment you mention but also his answer to Isaiah Berlin, when asked what he thought of Britten's music, sarcastically replying what a great accompanist Britten was). And it's not hard to understand why he might feel threatened by a man who, despite being thirty years his junior, composed his first full-scale opera six years before Stravinsky's own (and more importantly, Peter Grimes is by far the greater work, both musically and dramatically). Stravinsky's violin concerto is a finely crafted and enjoyable piece, but a lightweight next to Britten's violin concerto. In fact across all genres, it's only in ballet that Stravinsky clearly comes out ahead. And then there's the strange spectacle of him trailing around after Britten in setting the same texts (mostly obscure so unlikely to be accidental, especially for a non-native speaker of English): the Chester Miracle play on Noah's Flood (Britten 1958, Stravinsky 1963); Abraham and Isaac (Britten 1952, Stravinsky 1965); and the anonymous "This ae night" (Britten 1943, Stravinsky 1952). Perhaps it was them both having collaborated with Auden that began Stravinsky's apparent sense of needing to compete with the younger composer.
The original release of Decca’s recording was probably a Seismic occasion in recorded history. Shostakovich evidently described this work as the greatest of the 20th century. I woukd personally call that subjective rather than objective but I understand where he’s coming from. No one can doubt that it’s a masterpiece. Whether this special edition is worth the price is up to the consumer but considering the recording’s history and importance the relatively high cost will fade into oblivion in years to come.
No, it won't, as long as you can get the same thing for a fraction of the cost.
I wonder how many Decca expects to sell.
A ridiculous issue - but, please, tell me: The rehearsal sequence is of the same length as in the previous release or is it longer?
If it had included the full score maybe worth a bit more ££
The one that I bought for a tenner £10 will do me
The CD is like $8-10 used.. Why on earth would I buy a $100 LP set? I doubt I'll get $90 more value out of it. I have LPs, and sometimes I can get a super good deal ($1 for a whole opera). But otherwise not really worth the hassle!
Nice, but I will be passing on this reissue....unless I find it used for $10 😂