Another 'Complete' Edition, now from Sony

[melvyn]

Box set from Sony: 'Beethoven Complete Masterpieces'. 60 CDs for only £39. Seems like good value.



More information and complete listing:
http://www.selections.com/BX937/beet...rpieces-60cds/

Supposed to be a Limited Edition, whatever that means! Does anybody have any knowledge of this?

[Michael]

This looks like a good set but it is not a "complete" edition - it would take another twenty or thirty CDs to do that.
Two items on this set intrigue me:

BEETHOVEN The Masterpieces 60CDs

6. Minuet in G Major (Clean Version), 3:29
Piano Lazar Berman
8. WELLINGTON'S VICTORY, OP. 91 (Clean Version)
Performer Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Lorin Maazel

I didn't realise there were "dirty" versions of these works!
Where can I get them????

[PDG]

This looks like a good set but it is not a "complete" edition - it would take another twenty or thirty CDs to do that.

If it doesn't include the folksongs, then that's Complete enough for me...

[Michael]

If it doesn't include the folksongs, then that's Complete enough for me...

PDG, what's wrong with the folksong arrangements. They are.........forget it! I give up!

[PDG]

Mike, asking Beethoven to arrange folksongs is akin to asking McCartney to put music to a nursery rhyme, like Mary Had A Little Lamb. So come on, you know you lose the argument...

[melvyn]

Actually, it does include the Folksongs, or at least some of them.

Whether they are the dirty versions or not, I don't know!

[Gurn Blanston]

All of the folksongs fit neatly on 7 disks, so that doesn't make up the difference. Anyway, they're very nice. Don't diss the folksongs, man

BTW, the "Minuet in G" is probably "Minuet for Orchestra in G major: #2 of 6 minuets; surviving piano version" which is WoO 10 #2. Nice little piece, clean or dirty.

[PDG]

All of the folksongs fit neatly on 7 disks, so that doesn't make up the difference. Anyway, they're very nice. Don't diss the folksongs, man

BTW, the "Minuet in G" is probably "Minuet for Orchestra in G major: #2 of 6 minuets; surviving piano version" which is WoO 10 #2. Nice little piece, clean or dirty.

Hey, I love the folksongs - it's just the feeble singing and peurile tunes I dislike!!

The Minuet in G for orchestra? Must be a very small orchestra! I think by clean they must mean "on its own" ie. not surrounded by the other same opus minuets. A bit like Fur Elise without the other WoO 59 pieces of which it is an integral part?

[Michael]

Hey, I love the folksongs - it's just the feeble singing and peurile tunes I dislike!!

Let me get this straight, PDG : you don't actually dislike music - you just don't care for the sound it makes ?

[PDG]

Well, Michael, the cup is both half full and half empty on this one. My main problem has always been that I find it impossible to listen to this stuff while mentally switching off from the fact that Beethoven did not actually compose the music. It's like patting your head while rubbing your tummy - sounds easy to do but it's difficult for the same reasons as are trying to differentiate between a composition and an arrangement of a composition. You may love the tune but hate the arrangement or vise versa, but somehow, during the listening experience, the two contributions seem inseparable because, after all, they are just that. Just my opinion, and the opinion of my ears.

[Michael]

Well, Michael, the cup is both half full and half empty on this one. My main problem has always been that I find it impossible to listen to this stuff while mentally switching off from the fact that Beethoven did not actually compose the music. It's like patting your head while rubbing your tummy - sounds easy to do but it's difficult for the same reasons as are trying to differentiate between a composition and an arrangement of a composition. You may love the tune but hate the arrangement or vise versa, but somehow, during the listening experience, the two contributions seem inseparable because, after all, they are just that. Just my opinion, and the opinion of my ears.

Fair enough. I will admit that I prefer the folksongs with the accompaniments recorded in such a way that the solo voices do not dominate.

[Gurn Blanston]

I understand your dilemma, PDG, although I don't personally share it, at least with these works. May I suggest not trying to intellectualise them, rather, just have a listen.

As for the main topic, this very day I ordered from Amazon, for the incredible low price of $27.49, which includes free postage since it is over $25. They claim 61 disks rather than 60, so that works out to an impossible to refuse bottom line of just $0.45/disk! If only 2 of the 61 are to my liking, I will have paid for the set vs. full cost of 2 disks. Is there a downside here??

[melvyn]

That's unbelievable. Amazon UK now has it for £32, and they claim 'No of CDs = 1'

There are some good reviews on the Amazon.com site:

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Comp...8369008&sr=8-1

[Joy]

I understand your dilemma, PDG, although I don't personally share it, at least with these works. May I suggest not trying to intellectualise them, rather, just have a listen.

As for the main topic, this very day I ordered from Amazon, for the incredible low price of $27.49, which includes free postage since it is over $25. They claim 61 disks rather than 60, so that works out to an impossible to refuse bottom line of just $0.45/disk! If only 2 of the 61 are to my liking, I will have paid for the set vs. full cost of 2 disks. Is there a downside here??

Don't see any downside to it at all. I will have to look into this. By the way, love your Beethoven character!!

[Michael]

I
As for the main topic, this very day I ordered from Amazon, for the incredible low price of $27.49, which includes free postage since it is over $25. They claim 61 disks rather than 60, so that works out to an impossible to refuse bottom line of just $0.45/disk! If only 2 of the 61 are to my liking, I will have paid for the set vs. full cost of 2 disks. Is there a downside here??

That IS a bargain. You could pay that amount in postage alone for some items on eBay. It's a boomtime for Beethoven fans.