Qobuz special offer on Deutsche Grammophon

[Musicophile]

Opération spéciale Deutsche Grammophon dans les albums à télécharger en qualité CD (Lossless), Studio Masters

 

At first sight, a lot of great recordings in there, including some highres stuff.

 

I'll post some personal recommendations later.

[Musicophile]

Some of my favorites:

 

Chopin: Piano Concerto nos. 1 & 2 | Frédéric Chopin par Krystian Zimerman*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - in 24/96, one of the best Chopin concerto recordings out there

 

Chopin: Ballades; Barcarolle; Fantaisie | Frédéric Chopin par Krystian Zimerman*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - again, Zimerman & Chopin - a dream combo (redbook this time)

 

Martha Argerich - The Collection 1 | Compositeurs Divers par Martha Argerich*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - 8 CDs for €18 of the great Martha Argerich. Collection 2 and 3 are also highly recommended.

 

The John Eliot Gardiner Collection (Purcell, Handel, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Verdi, Berlioz, Elgar, Weill...) | Compositeurs Divers par John Eliot Gardiner*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - 30 CDs for €38. And with Gardiner, everything is at such a high level.

 

Claudio Abbado : The Symphony Edition II (Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler) | Compositeurs Divers par Claudio Abbado*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - 21 CDs for €33 of the great Abbado

 

Georg Friedrich Händel : Orlando | Georg Friedrich Händel par René Jacobs*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - a brand new 24/96 release and probably the best Orlando that is out there

 

In a nutshell, some really attractive offers, especially the Abbado (there's a second set available as well), Gardiner, and Argerich boxes, so if you want to get tons of top notch classical music for very little money check them out.

 

And no, no affiliation with Qobuz on my side.

[woodford]

thanks for highlighting this. some interesting operas too, Abbado's Macbeth, Kleiber's Freischütz & Tristan, attractive Meistersinger and Parsifal recordings.

 

Candide...

 

a great Abbado rossini opera box:

Rossini : Il Barbiere di Siviglia - La Cenerentola - L'Italiana in Algeri - Il viaggio a Reims | Gioacchino Rossini par Claudio Abbado – Télécharger et écouter l'album

[jhwalker]

Some of my favorites:

 

Chopin: Piano Concerto nos. 1 & 2 | Frédéric Chopin par Krystian Zimerman*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - in 24/96, one of the best Chopin concerto recordings out there

 

Chopin: Ballades; Barcarolle; Fantaisie | Frédéric Chopin par Krystian Zimerman*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - again, Zimerman & Chopin - a dream combo (redbook this time)

 

Martha Argerich - The Collection 1 | Compositeurs Divers par Martha Argerich*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - 8 CDs for €18 of the great Martha Argerich. Collection 2 and 3 are also highly recommended.

 

The John Eliot Gardiner Collection (Purcell, Handel, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Verdi, Berlioz, Elgar, Weill...) | Compositeurs Divers par John Eliot Gardiner*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - 30 CDs for €38. And with Gardiner, everything is at such a high level.

 

Claudio Abbado : The Symphony Edition II (Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler) | Compositeurs Divers par Claudio Abbado*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - 21 CDs for €33 of the great Abbado

 

Georg Friedrich Händel : Orlando | Georg Friedrich Händel par René Jacobs*– Télécharger et écouter l'album - a brand new 24/96 release and probably the best Orlando that is out there

 

In a nutshell, some really attractive offers, especially the Abbado (there's a second set available as well), Gardiner, and Argerich boxes, so if you want to get tons of top notch classical music for very little money check them out.

 

And no, no affiliation with Qobuz on my side.

 

Great suggestions! I snapped up the Gardiner collection - I still get ½ price at Qobuz (through 31 August), so got the 30 CDs for ~$25 US

[Hailey]

Isn't this all over-miked DG hellishness, though?

[Musicophile]

Isn't this all over-miked DG hellishness, though?

I wouldn't disagree, DG often isn't audiophile delight, but to me music first, sound second.

 

And if geniuses like Argerich and Gardiner are to be found on DG, so be it.

 

As a general trend, I find that the recent high-res recordings have started to improve again.

[Hailey]

I wouldn't disagree, DG often isn't audiophile delight, but to me music first, sound second.

 

And if geniuses like Argerich and Gardiner are to be found on DG, so be it.

 

As a general trend, I find that the recent high-res recordings have started to improve again.

 

Agreed on all fronts.

 

Why does (or did) DG develop such an awful recording practice? I've never understood that.

[Bob Stern]

I'm happy to report that the 1970 Argerich debut recording (with an overwhelming performance of the Liszt sonata) sounds noticeably better in 24/96 than the Redbook version in the DG Originals series. The treble is much more natural. Interestingly, it appears that both are based on the same 1999 remastering.

 

For the Chopin concertos, I recommend Zimerman's 1999 recording with his young, hand-picked Polish Festival orchestra over the 1978-79 Giulini recording offered here (when Zimerman was only 22). Quite atypical for Giulini, it is fleet and light. I enjoy more romanticism in these concertos, which Zimerman provides copiously in his later recording.

[Musicophile]

I'm happy to report that the 1970 Argerich debut recording (with an overwhelming performance of the Liszt sonata) sounds noticeably better in 24/96 than the Redbook version in the DG Originals series. The treble is much more natural. Interestingly, it appears that both are based on the same 1999 remastering.

 

For the Chopin concertos, I recommend Zimerman's 1999 recording with his young, hand-picked Polish Festival orchestra over the 1978-79 Giulini recording offered here (when Zimerman was only 22). Quite atypical for Giulini, it is fleet and light. I enjoy more romanticism in these concertos, which Zimerman provides copiously in his later recording.

Thanks for the insight on Argerich. Such a beautiful album maybe I should buy it again.

 

On the Zimerman Chopin's, both are outstanding in their own way.

[CatManDo]

Why does (or did) DG develop such an awful recording practice? I've never understood that.

 

Karajan made them do it

 

[Musicophile]

Why does (or did) DG develop such an awful recording practice? I've never understood that.

 

Karajan made them do it

 

That's at least partially possible...

 

On that note, just received another email from Qobuz with a best of of your villain, as selected by Gramophone.

 

http://www.qobuz.com/index.php/newsletter/newsletter_karajan_20140708?p=hosted&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_source=newsletter_karajan_20140708

[christopher3393]

That's at least partially possible...

 

On that note, just received another email from Qobuz with a best of of your villain, as selected by Gramophone.

 

Newsletter Karajan/Gramophone 9 July 2014

 

Thanks. I really look forward to features like this when Qobuz officially launches redbook streaming in the U.S.

[tailspn]

Thanks. I really look forward to features like this when Qobuz officially launches redbook streaming in the U.S.

 

On that note, you might want to enquirer of Qobuz the amount they're paying the label for that individual streaming event. It's the same as the other streaming outfits. You'll be surprised to discover it's in the pennies.

 

That maybe OK for Universal et al, but if (when according to Chris Connaker) streaming replaces downloads and optical media (of which the labels take is 2-7 Euros), that'll be the end of the diverse low volume classical music recording.

[christopher3393]

Thanks, tailspn. That is important to keep in mind and I do hope a more equitable deal will be struck. This does matter to me.

 

What I meant in this case is the opportunity to listen to Karajan recordings at a higher quality than mp3 320k, in hopes of being better able to appreciate them. I own very little Karajan, in part because of sound quality and in part because of performance style. Probably in part because of igonorance/inexperience as well. My own intent at present is to use redbook streaming for exploration the way I use Spotify now, and then purchase recordings in the best sounding/ best quality medium that works with my system.

 

Sorry for OT

[Musicophile]

Thanks, tailspn. That is important to keep in mind and I do hope a more equitable deal will be struck. This does matter to me.

 

What I meant in this case is the opportunity to listen to Karajan recordings at a higher quality than mp3 320k, in hopes of being better able to appreciate them. I own very little Karajan, in part because of sound quality and in part because of performance style. Probably in part because of igonorance/inexperience as well. My own intent at present is to use redbook streaming for exploration the way I use Spotify now, and then purchase recordings in the best sounding/ best quality medium that works with my system.

 

Sorry for OT

No worries, it is sufficiently on topic for my taste as the OP.

 

On Karajan, you need to differentiate the still young dynamic Karajan of the 50s to the early 70s to the most well known Karajan of the 1980s DG CD era. His early recordings (some of which on EMI are often truly astounding). His 1960 Beethoven cycle for example (he did at least 5) sometimes remind me of the much more recent HIP approaches in some ways.

[woodford]

No worries, it is sufficiently on topic for my taste as the OP.

 

On Karajan, you need to differentiate the still young dynamic Karajan of the 50s to the early 70s to the most well known Karajan of the 1980s DG CD era. His early recordings (some of which on EMI are often truly astounding). His 1960 Beethoven cycle for example (he did at least 5) sometimes remind me of the much more recent HIP approaches in some ways.

 

the 60s Beethoven cycle, which also appeared on SACD, is better performed, and more naturally recorded than the 70s remake. both were w/ the BPO, and both on DG.

[Musicophile]

the 60s Beethoven cycle, which also appeared on SACD, is better performed, and more naturally recorded than the 70s remake. both were w/ the BPO, and both on DG.

And worlds better than the 80's "cinemascope" version on CD.

[Boris75]

And worlds better than the 80's "cinemascope" version on CD.

 

I share this viewpoint. The SACD box of his DG Beethoven cycle from the 1960s is very good. For me, the topmost version is the set of Tokyo FM live recordings on SACD, but it has become difficult to get, and 1960s SACD box is not far behind and much easier (and cheaper) to obtain.

 

PS: I still like Karajan's "DDD" set from the 1980s more than many more recent versions (e.g. Haitink/LSO, Gardiner/ORR, van Immerseel).

[jhwalker]

the 60s Beethoven cycle, which also appeared on SACD, is better performed, and more naturally recorded than the 70s remake. both were w/ the BPO, and both on DG.

 

It appears this collection will be available on 24/96 from Qobuz in three days (14 July):

 

Beethoven: 9 Symphonies | Ludwig van Beethoven par Berliner Philharmoniker – Télécharger et écouter l'album

[woodford]

It appears this collection will be available on 24/96 from Qobuz in three days (14 July):

 

Beethoven: 9 Symphonies | Ludwig van Beethoven par Berliner Philharmoniker*– Télécharger et écouter l'album

 

hmm- i have these in 16/44, and they sound great- wonder if the 24/96 version is worth the upgrade?

[Musicophile]

hmm- i have these in 16/44, and they sound great- wonder if the 24/96 version is worth the upgrade?

Why don't you buy a single track and check it out? Just click on "Telecharger" next to an individual tack, each one is €1.73.

[Moosbrugger]

Great suggestions! I snapped up the Gardiner collection - I still get ½ price at Qobuz (through 31 August), so got the 30 CDs for ~$25 US

 

I'm getting a message that it wont download to the US. Am I doing it wrong? Is there a work around?

[Bob Stern]

Karajan Beethoven

 

For US customers, it is only $18 from HDtracks!

Beethoven: 9 Symphonies | HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads

 

FYI, this is Karajan's 1962 Beethoven cycle, the first of three on DG. Many consider it his best because his two later cycles are progressively faster and less romantic.

 

I'm not familiar with his earlier cycles on EMI that Musicophile alluded to.

[woodford]

and an addition 10% off w/ this code: HDJUL15

[jhwalker]

Karajan Beethoven

 

For US customers, it is only $18 from HDtracks!

Beethoven: 9 Symphonies | HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads

 

FYI, this is Karajan's 1962 Beethoven cycle, the first of three on DG. Many consider it his best because his two later cycles are progressively faster and less romantic.

 

I'm not familiar with his earlier cycles on EMI that Musicophile alluded to.

 

They just changed it to $41.98, from the time I added it to my cart and got ready to check out