Box Sets Music

After an initial panic when the cases arrived empty the seller carefully packaged and sent the three CDs at her expense. I am well satisfied with the product and the way my enquiry was treated.

To all the 5-star reviews, with which I thoroughly concur, I should like to add that the stereo recording of "At the Drop of a Hat", which is the one reissued here, was of a later performance than that of the mono LP (which contains the versions played repeatedly on such programmes as Children's Favourites). And although the material is nominally the same, there are little differences.

So if you have that old mono LP, don't throw it out quite yet!

The incredible rhymes, the gentle satire, the wonderful music all combine to make this a collection for people who like the above. There is a fair amount of dated material, but I think that just makes it more educational, and seeking out all of the references (for example, in Greensleeves) is an education in itself.

After hearing this British pair on PBS radio I determined I must have something produced by them. This had me, as we say, in "stitches" of laughter throughout. They are two of the funniest men I have ever heard. The set will be enjoyed for many years!

Heard these guys as a kid, lost the albums, and am delighted to find them available. Funny, delightful, entertaining, just as I remembered. A few things are a bit dated ("and then the ashtray fell off" in a plane monologue" but for the most part, fresh as ever.

I can only share the enthusiasm of reviewers who praise these performances by Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I own most of the Brahms box sets (Chailly, Harnoncourt, Karajan, Bernstein, Bohm, etc.), but I have to say I'm most impressed with these recordings. I actually prefer Solti's and Harnoncourt's to Karajan's acclaimed cycle.

I'm not sure what is about these performances that make them so great. The tempi are excellent and not rushed. The overall sound quality is really good, especially considering this particular box set was released in 1991. The performance from the Chicago Symphony is excellent.

To all those who enjoy Brahms' music, you really should consider this set. Highly recommended.

I love these performances by Solti. Then I don't. But I really do. Sound confused? I truly admire these excellent performances of Brahms' symphonic cycle. This is straightforward Brahms. Great conducting. I expected that by Solti. It also has tremendous bulldog orchestral syncopation by one of America's consistently best orchestras since WWII. I don't expect to see much better conducting or playing. So why am I so torn by Solti's great performances? He plays the music as honestly as it can be played. The orchestra couldn't play the multilayered soaring with gravitas Brahms demands any better. So, I ask myself, why am I so torn with admiration and yet reluctant to do any more than acknowledge this is a masterful rendition.

Solti does not quite "get" Brahms. He's close, but yet far. Since he does not quite apprehend Brahms emotionally, he plays technically and rationally as well as possible, striking a compromise between Brahm's lushness and his form. Nobody plays technically much better on Brahms than this. And his noble effort demands appreciation. This Solti is a great conductor. And his compromise approach to Brahms is very good, and yes, even masterful. He beats most conductors out on points. I like his presentation as well as Klemperers and better than most others. As I said, I truly admire Solti and his presentations. They are honest and solid. But O' that we could have Giulini's historic '60s Philharmonia set (EMI) or his Vienna Philharmonic 20 year later cycle (DG) reproduced and reviewed as well. Or Celibidache's Munchner Philharmoniker cycle as well (It is available on Amazon.) . Ah well, maybe we are in a merchandising world where we need to simply appreciate such an honest and straightforward approach like Solti's. This is a good compromise and one of the more honest approaches to Brahms I have ever heard.

Good man, Solti, I miss you for many many reasons. And this is one of them. Get these performances. They are honest, and they are extremely well done. Bravo!

One generally tends to think of Georg Solti as a sensationalistic conductor--going for spectacular orchestral effects even at the expense of line, structure and mood. Whether this generalization is in any sense apt is an open question, but it certainly doesn't apply to Solti's remarkably cogent Brahms cycle.

Surprisingly, the performances in this box are closer in style to Klemperer than to Stokowski or Bernstein. That means slow and steady rather than febrile or opulent. The First begins grandly with a hugely powerful and perfectly paced introduction, and thereafter tends to sobriety. Even in the finale Solti favors structural cohesion over dramatic incident, though the big moments (such as the return of the chorale in the coda) are undeniably effective. The Second is more upbeat, as it should be, but the emphasis once again falls on majesty rather than visceral excitement. The finale brims with energy, yet everything is under control. The Third is quite magnificent, with an evocative ramble through the slow movement and a particularly haunting (and daringly slow) treatment of the third movement. I have heard more effective balancing of the triumphal and the troubling in the finale, but otherwise Solti does well in holding this difficult movement together. The Fourth is monumental, at times even marmoreal, with the tragic impulses held in check by a certain stoicism. The two overtures evince similar virtues: neither the rambustiousness of the *Academic Festival* nor the *Sturm und Drang* of the *Tragic* is overdone, though there is plenty of warmth in the CSO's playing of both pieces. Indeed, the CSO acquits itself splendidly throughout Solti's Brahms cycle; the winds in particular convey the long line with just the right amount of expressive pointing. The recording is rich and full, though somewhat bass-heavy as others have noted.

Altogether, this is one of the finest Brahms cycles I have auditioned, though as regards interpretation I wouldn't put these performances ahead of those by such great historical figures as Furtwängler, Walter, Klemperer--or even by the sadly neglected (and currently unavailable) Steinberg. At least as far as Brahms is concerned, Solti emphasizes majesty over sonic thrills, and that speaks well of this sometimes maligned conductor. The one disadvantage is that Decca/Universal didn't see fit to include the *Haydn Variations* which could have been easily accommodated given the skimpy playing time on a couple of these discs.

I purchased this cycle with eager anticipation but was frankly disappointed when I opened up the set and popped it in my stereo. I love the CSO/Solti sound (esp the brass section) as much as anybody but I am disappointed with the energy, balance, and precision of entrances and note lengths. If you want a great set, buy the HSO/Eschenbach!

What is it about Brahms's orchestra music that makes it a favorite of mine? The melancholy, the autumnal sound, the lovely sadness, particularly of the 2nd movements. Brahms is not just another Beethoven. Some orchestras and conductors just don't get it. My favorites are Toscanini, Furtwangler, Munch, Walter, Karajan, to mention just a few. This same lovely sound is also available to you by way of the Clarinette Quintet with Oppenheim and the Budapest, the Alto Rhapsody, the German Folk Songs with the Roger Wagner Chorale, the Song of Destiny. Just one music nut's opinion. 50svinyl

This was a great collection of music from the early 80's and it actually was a compilation of hit songs unlike some other "best of" or "greatest hits" collections that I have purchased previously. Great sound quality as well.

I listened to completely different kinds of music at the time, so I didn't have many memories attached to these songs. The musical quality of the songs is actually suprisingly good, and the mastering has been done well. This is a nice review of hits of the early 1980s. Ten songs per CD isn't much, so there could have been more songs from each year.

This set takes me back to the early days of MTV. Pac-Man fever, Atari and great times in my life. As a child of the 80s it was a special time and special music. This box set helps take you back from time to time!

again billboard has done well in putting together a box set of the best songs of this time period. you will appreciate this gathering of the best. every listening minute of this box set is pure elation. not to be passed up.

This was during Xmas 1984. One lovely girl from Texas brought to Poland (this is where I live) the 10 cassetes pack with "The Best of Billboard - 1984". I still hear this music. Now I can buy a piece of it.

To anyone who was ...teen in 1984: you have to own this one. Don't tell me there is no music you remember from these years. It must be one at least. Remember the first girlfriend. The first kiss maybe? Yes! That's it!.

I had no idea I was a Marty Robbins fan. Sure, I was familiar with some of his hits like Devil Woman and A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation), but he kind of flew under the radar otherwise. I do love all genres of music so my friends laugh as I listen to jazz one minute, hip-hop the next and now Marty Robbins, sampling anything and everything to find the best. And this box set is among the best! Marty Robbins had a fantastic soulful voice, highly underrated, and this set shows his amazing versatility as he goes from old country with Smokin' Cigarettes and Drinkin' Coffee Blues, folk with Beautiful Dreamer, early rock 'n' roll with Unchained Melody to standards, such as All The Way, and he does each one perfectly! The sound quality on this set is excellent! There are 50 tracks and I want 50 more! I now recognize Marty Robbins is a true music pioneer and major talent!

With the exception of Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, and Johnny Cash, no other Country artist had as big an impact on the more lucrative Billboard Pop singles charts than Marty Robbins, as no less than 24 times did he crack the Top/Hot 100, with another eleven just missing by making the "bubbling under" charts. And among that 24, four were Hot 100 hits only as Cap & Gown [# 45 in 1959], Is There Any Chance? and Ballad Of The Alamo [# 31 and # 34 respectively in 1960], and I Told The Brook [# 81 in 1962] did not make the Country charts.

He had, to his credit, SIXTEEN # 1 Country hits, beginning with his very first for Columbia way back in 1952 [I'll Go On Alone] and ending in 1976 with Among My Souvenirs. Both are in this box set. In addition, he had 78 other Country Top 100 singles.

So, yes, it would be rather difficult to put together a set containing 50 selections and not leave off SOMETHING of significance. In my case, for example, I would have loved to see Ballad Of The Alamo included.

But hey, what is here is worth the price because, not only does it contain 24 charted hits, they are fully detailed in the 22-page booklet that accompanies the 2 CDs. This also contains informative liner notes written by Rich Kienzle in July 1991 along with many great photos of Marty over the years, as well as album cover reproductions (including his first), and personal appearance/movie poster reproductions.

For once Columbia did something right.

White Zombie is a joke compared to real industrial metal acts of the 90s and 00s! Rob Zombie is so much better with brutal guitar riffs and techno beats!! I tried to give White Zombie a listen and I was disappointed tremendously! Borings sounds like Thunderkiss 65, Black Sunshine, and the like just don't do it for me... the guitar playing is very lazy, the vocals sound like he was asleep half the time, and why isn't there techno and rap beats!

For good industrial metal listen to Korn, Static X, Limp Bizkit, ROB ZOMBIE, Orgy, and Powerman 5000!!

4 disc, 1 dvd. Not bad, if your a zombie fan you have seen all these videos. I was kinda of let down by that. The four cds are just old school white zombie (very cool). If your a collector of WZ its a must. Just don't get your hopes to high, the videos and packaging could have been better. Overall I'm happy with it.

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (Purchased on 12/13/2008)
by White Zombie.
Bough it for my son he loved it and was fast shipping

You're probably thinking whether the White Zombie boxset is really worth getting or not. Well I'll tell you right now that it's definitely worth it, you get 4 discs of music including a couple of rare songs like the Sabbath cover Children of the Grave and Ratfinks, Suicide Tanks & Cannibal Girls which are both sound fantastic. And you also get a completely awesome DVD containing all their music videos (the one on the past, present and future CD had a few missing videos for some reason) and some great live footage which includes the show at Donnington 95. For many fans this box-set was long overdue. White Zombie were for me one of the greatest bands the early 90's metal scene and their break up shortly after releasing Astro-Creep 2000 and the remix CD made me wonder if anyone could fill that void. It was a real shame when that happened cause I really wanted to see where they were going to head off to next but unfortunately it didn't happen. There is no doubt that Astro-Creep 2000 was an undisputed classic 90's industrial metal album with songs like Electric Head pt.1, More Human Than Human, Supercharger Heaven and Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama.

This set comprises all Studio recordings, including the Soul Crusher & Make Them All Die Slowly albums that have been very difficult to track down for those of us without unlimited funds, so its great to have them all complied here together. I'll be honest some of the earlier stuff before they became a mainstream industrial metal group was kind of bad and slightly dodgy, Make Them Die was pretty good though despite the low production (Disaster Blaster being the highlight). I usually like to read about the band and most other box sets I own all have a biography or the bands history, some of these are fantastic and talk about studio sessions for each album, such as the Sabbath Black Box and you get a real insight into what made the band tick and learn more about these talented and amazing bands. Although Let Sleeping Corpses Lie does have a booklet, its just full of sepia tone photos and little else other than a track listing, which I was a little disappointed with. Still all things considered though, this is still a fantastic set and well worth the money, check it out if you're a die hard White/Rob Zombie fan.

I just borrowed this from a friend I had never previously heard the pre geffen stuff and there's a reason they weren't successful before they were on geffen. Their music was horrible pre Sexorciso it's even worse than St. Anger. I wouldn't even know they were the same band for the most part. I don't know why the two geffen albums are on this as I like many other "latter day" WZ fans already own those two albums. The only reason I'm giving this two stars is for the one off non album tracks on here. I'd simply download those tracks rather than pay for the whole album. Let me finish off by saying that I really like WZ from Sexorciso on as well as Rob's solo stuff. But if you're totally hardcore and don't have the early stuff for whatever reason get it.

This was an excellent purchase. The music is outstanding. I would recommend others purchasing this set of CD's.

This 4-pack of James Brown best CDs is a good value, comes with an interesting booklet with his bio & reviews. Suggest for fans of the "GoodFather of Soul".

It's not an accident that almost all reviews of this box set give it five stars; it's also no accident that several people say they've owned this for over a decade and still find it fresh. James Brown was the most important American musician ever, completely altering the shape of music the world over, and this admirably complete collection will give you all the evidence you need as to why. Often shortened for 45s and radio play, the songs are presented in their full length; a few tracks (besides those from JB's famous "Live at the Apollo" record) are presented in well-selected live versions, giving those of us who never attended a concert some idea of the James Brown Band's consummate musicianship.

The first CD, "Mr. Dynamite", covers Brown's early years up to the recording of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag". His major innovations were still to come, but he was a powerful conventional R&B singer and arranger, and the material stacks up very favorably with other '50s acts. The second CD, "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", is where the magic happens: the band stretches out, rhythmically and in song length, such that tracks like "Cold Sweat" inaugurate a musical revolution -- and JB begins to articulate the new black consciousness in unforgettably clever aphorisms. "Soul Brother No. 1" illustrates the full-bore funk of Brown's "New Breed" (Bootsy Collins et al.); "The Godfather of Soul", the weakest CD (although that's not saying much), covers Brown's late-'70s and '80s output.

Out of all the CDs I ever purchased, these are my clear favorites: and if any of the non-rock popular music of the last thirty years (hip-hop to house) has moved you, this will help you get an idea of where it all began.

James Brown has always been my favorite, but I was never able to find much of his music in the CD era before the internet exploded. Unfortunately, it took his death to remind me of how much I liked his sound. I've been on a buying spree since. Usually, after you get through the best 5-10 hits an artist has on one greatest hit collection, the rest is hum drum filler. I have to say that in the case of James Brown, the more I find the more I love the man!!! He is truly the progenitor of Funk and hip hop.

This is as close to a complete retrospective of James Brown's legendary recording career from 1956-1984 that will ever be available. The 71 tracks are from original session tapes or the original single and album masters. The sound quality - in particular on the oldest material - is outstanding.

The collection starts with Please, Please, Please (1956) and ends with Unity (Part I), which features Afrika Bambaata on co-vocals.

Some of my favorites are Try Me, Night Train, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (Parts I, II & III), Bring It Up (Hipster's Avenue), Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud (Part I), Funky Drummer, Make It Funky (Part I), King Heroin and My Thang.

Along with bassist Bootsy Collins, Brown has worked with many dynamite musicians, led by long-time organist, Bobby Byrd. The saxophonists include Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Michael Brecker & Joe Farrell, with such trombonists as Randy Brecker, Fred Wesley & Jon Faddis bolstering Brown's signature Funk and R&B sounds.

You can count on one hand the true pathfinders in American popular music. There are three individuals who must be on every list; Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and The Godfather of Soul.

When I first got the product it was missing a CD. But then once I returned for and exchange, all the CD's were in place. Everything worked and the CD's sound great.

I've just started dabbling in this collection, but I can say upfront that it's hard to go wrong here. Are these the best recordings of each piece? No, but that's not what you should be looking for when you buy a collection like this. It's an inexpensive way to explore the entire Beethoven corpus and perhaps discover pieces that you wouldn't otherwise have listened to before. All told, a great value, particularly for the amateur listener.

It was a graduation gift and the look on my nephews face said it all.Great gift;great price!

This is a "complete" set of Beethoven's works, with more than a few duplicates. Much of it was created by licensure of previous records and/or CDs, the work that was both affordable to them in creating the set and of excellent professionals, not just "hack" contract players in for a few days work cutting the tracks-- a problem some other attempts have run into. It also has deliberately different treatments of the same composition, allowing you to contrast a small, chipper, fast treatment to a large orchestra with pace variants.

The entire set is now on GraceNotes, both under the original CD title and information and with a "complete" or BCE label, and when loaded into iTunes (or your other music player) it makes a good database to search for the particular track and treatment you were interested in, which makes it even more valuable for students and research.

It also would be useful for background music for other activities, either directly from the CD or via a computer filebase, and is more interesting than smaller partial sets that somehow always stop too soon.

Be prepared.

It may wind up being played a lot.

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If you are looking for a single box with all of the master's work, this box is a great choice. For a more casual listener, this may be all you need. For more serious listeners you probably have better recordings of the major works and so this box will fill in the gaps very inexpensively.

The performances are mostly good to excellent and the recordings likewise. Modern instruments and full size ensembles are generally the rule. A few of the recordings are live performances. Except for the Richter recordings of some of the piano sonatas, you may not realize the recording is live until the applause at the end.

Within categories (symphonies, concerti, chamber music) you will not get a single artistic vision. As an example, with the symphonies you will hear six different conductors before six different orchestras. Chamber music, especially the quartets, presents a more unified approach. It so happens that the chamber music is probably the strongest offering in terms of artistic quality and recording quality. Many of these recordings were licensed from the Naxos label.

Next are some brief comments on the works are they appear in the box by disc order.

The symphonies employ relaxed tempi, not as fast as an original instrument ensemble and certainly not as fast as Beethoven's metronome marks which almost no one observes any way. The best performances are in numbers 3 through 8, though the recordings for 7 and 8 are somewhat shrill.

The concerti are generally very good with the violin concerto and the triple concerto being outstanding. There are also a violin concerto movement and a piano concerto, both without opus numbers, which were a nice surprise.

Next are ballet music (such as Prometheus and the Ritterballet), dances, incidental music (such as Egmont and Ruins of Athens), some fragments, and Leonora and Fidelio, both complete. The highlight here is that you can hear the before and after of Leonora/Fidelio. Both are nice recordings. Leonora runs about 40 minutes longer and has the dialogue on separate tracks which you can program your player to skip if you so desire.

The piano sonatas are performed by seven different artists. The performances are good. The performances by Richter, as noted above, are live with only decent sound quality. The performances by Daniela Ruso, Sylvia Capova, and Dubravka Tomsic were outstanding. Now for the bad news. Somewhere in the mastering to manufacturing process the first few milliseconds of some tracks on several discs were chopped off, so some tracks start abruptly.

I am not an expert on chamber music but my initial impression is that I really liked what I heard. The violin and piano sonatas fared well except for Op. 30, which wasn't as good. The latter three violoncello sonatas came off better than the earlier ones. The various trio combinations were well done. The other combinations (quintet, sextet, septet, and octet) were also very good. The string quartets are almost all by the Kodaly Quartet, who perform superbly. As indicated previously, it is in the chamber music that the set really shines.

As for the vocal music, there are about 10 discs worth of lieder, songs, and arias which I haven't gotten to and don't have a great deal of interest in so I'll defer to others for an opinion. I'll say one thing, though, he wrote a lot of songs in the English language.

Finally, there are various cantatas and the two Masses. Good performances all around.

The bottom line: well worth considering for the very modest price of admission.

Since, the last four decades, (since Clara Haskil's death in 1961) I must confess and regret besides, the absence of a female pianist so admirably devoted and committed with the genuine Mozartian spirit, until Joao Maria Pires made her appearance.

She not only possesses a nice sound, she really makes the journey toward the nucleus of the score and illuminates us around those unsaid but visible details that really are the final outcome of an intense search..

That's is the main reason that has made me to admire her so much. So, don't miss this album.

I agree completely with the above reviewer. Maria Joao Pires is one the world's most influential and admired Pianists, her interpretations of Mozart, Chopin, Schumann and Beethoven have been lauded and her concerts are sold out within days. Throughout her career though, she returns again and again to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Mozart Sonatas lack the pathos and gravity of Beethoven's, but reveal a beauty more etheric and elusive. It is not for nothing that most pianists do not dare to touch them, as they represent a world that seems simple and one-dimensional, but is in fact the complete opposite. Mozart' inclination to simplicity reveals, when played by someone with a kindred soul, his Incomparable Genius. Maria Joao Pires does just that.

Her tone is a delicate and lyrical one: warm, soulful, clear and adept to Mozart's subtle and intricate compositions. What I most like about her is her sense of timing and flowing momentum that expresses the essence of a Mozartean Sonata.

You could say this is the most rounded and soulful collection of Mozart's sonatas . But that would not give enough credit to Maria Joao Pires Artistry. Each and every piece is played with an almost unassuming elegance and clarity; no manierisms, ideosyncracies, just a springing forth of the Music.

She creates an atmosphere of delicate intimacy and tranclucent beauty, I have never heared before. She expresses it all: the elegance and lyricism of Mozart love for Opera, his ability to summon a sense of heartbreaking joy and splendour, longing and humour, deep agony and elusive freedom...the whole gamut of the highest of human sentiments and capabilities.

Of course there are other great boxes such as Brendel, Uchida, De La Rocha, Gould. But Pires' unique empathic sensitivity capture something which surpasses just a great performance but touches the heart of Mozart's music.

The sound quality is excellent. I've never thought DDD added much to piano sonatas, since the waveform of a single instrument is less complicated than that of, say, a full orchestra with a large choir. But the clarity is superb and feels like the piano is right there in the room with you. As far as the artistry is concerned, it's a matter of taste, but I consider this one of the best interpretations of the Mozart sonatas I've heard, including those of Horowitz. I don't think you can go wrong with this one.

What a talented man. If he had lived a longer life, I'm quite sure, if he had realized his dream of singing classic opera, he would have been considered in the same league as Caruso, Domingo, Paverotti. This collection of music shows off his magnificent God-given voice.

THIS TRIO OF CDS IS A WELL BALANCED MIX OF SOME OF MARIO LANZA'S BEST SELECTIONS. GIVING THE LISTENER A VARIED TASTE OF HIS WIDE RANGING SINGING TALENT. LOVED IT!

I don't know how this could be any better. Mario sings like an angel and I love most of the selections. I have thoroughly enoyed listening to my cd's, over and over.

Mario Lanza was, arguably, the greatest tenor and greatest singer of this and the last century. It is difficult to appreciate him without listening to a variety of selections. This collection has some of his best recordings and exhibits the versatility and variety that he possessed that permitted him to "crossover" from opera to popular music with a ease.

I recommend this for those who already know Lanza to some extent but want to go into more depth and understand his marvelous skills.

I had forgotten what a beautiful voice Mario Lanza had. This collection contains opera and pop selections that exhibit the power yet sweetness of his voice. Fortunately, we have his CD's and videos so we can remember and listen to his gorgeous, vibrant voice and personality. I highly recommend this collection along with his wonderful movies, especially The Great Caruso.

Vladimir Ashkenazy is one of my favorite conductors and his readings of Rachmaninov are quite simply the best I've ever heard. He conducts with such passion and the amazing thing is you feel these can performances. The Royal Concertgebouw are quite simply stunning.

There's really not much else I can say other than if you're a fan or potential fan of Ramaninov's, then you can't do wrong with this set. One of my favorite symphonies by Rachmaninov is Symphony No. 2 and I was very thrilled with this interpretation from Ashkenazy.

If you're looking for a way to get all of his symphonies with passionate performances, then this set is for you.

I guess I should have known that with only 3 cds in this set that there would have been little chance of this coming in a cardboard box set like the other very well packaged Decca product the Shostakovich String Quartets but instead we get the Rachmaninov symphonies, "The Bells", "Symphonic Dances" and "The Isle of the Dead" in a jewel case which I personally hate.

Packaging aside, there is not faulting the content which is very well performed by Concertgebouw and Ashkenazy. The sound quality in DDD format is also good but not the best that I've heard admittedly.

All in all, I do wish Amazon will provide more specific product descriptions in the future but I guess until then we will have to rely on the kindness of reviewers.

Excellent playing guided by a Russian master, beautifully recorded by Polygram engineers. The little-played 1st Symphony was a surprise to me - after hearing it a few times, I don't feel it deserves the deep obscurity that history has relegated it to. The famous 2nd Symphony gets a lush, deeply emotional reading from Ashkenazy and the Amsterdamers, and the Symphonic Dances are as perfectly played as you will ever hear them. The bargain basement price of this set is a little disturbing - is no one interested in paying real money for outstanding recordings of great music anymore?

The advantages of this set are obvious. The best reason to get this set is the bringing together of superb --all of them-- performances. You simply aren't going to get this level of quality in any other set. Over three well-filled discs we get the 3 Symphonies, the cantata The Bells, the Symphonic Dances, and the tone poem Isle of the Dead.

So what of the quality of the music? Must you ask? This is Rachmaninov! Symphony No.1 obviously has some problems, but with each new listen it grows on you. Symphony No.2 is luscious and beautiful, and Symphony No.3 is strong and powerful. In many ways, Symphony No.3 is the real gem among the symphonies.
The Bells is so interesting and wonderful that you'll be hooked on it for a long time. It's four movements of the tone of bells, each representing a stage in life. Poe's idea was just the right subject for Rachmaninov, and it's no wonder that Rach loved this work--along with the Vespers--above all others. Makes you wonder why he didn't try his hand again at choral music.
Isle of the Dead is a slowly moving, patient tone poem that stuns you with it's big crashes of brass in the middle of it. Don't be put off by the word "slow" in thise case, because this is stunning music.
Last but not least, the Symphonic Dances. They were Rachmaninov's last major work, and it's a lot of people's favorite Rachmaninov work. For good reason; they're just darned thrilling, moving, and a pure joy to listen to.

Ashkenazy is on a high level above most other Rachmaninov conductors, along with Andre Previn. He brings real zest to this music, keeps things flowing. His conducting style is that of shaping the music, rather than stamping it with personal interpretations. While some composers require such an interpreter, Rachmaninov's music is already very individualistic, and works best when conducted straight-laced. In that regard, there's nothing to complain about here!

Buy and enjoy. This would also be a great Christmas gift!

These set the modern standard for the Rachmaninov symphonies. Ashkenazy shows a remarkable affinity for the music. The little known 1st is given a performance that justifies its revival in the repertory. The uncut 2nd is breathtakingly beautiful. Ashkenazy allows it all its "heavenly length" - the complex textures of the first movement, the stunningly energetic scherzo, the beautifully languorous adagio, the delightful cascading "bells" of the last movement. My favorite, however, is the underrated 3rd, for which Ashkenazy displays uncannily "right" tempi throughout. Many conductors luxuriate in the lovely, diving violin solo in the second movement, and no exception here, but how many capture the logic of the final minutes of the symphony? Ashkenazy and the Concertgebouw get it just right - the late, nostalgic revery, and then, quietly at first, the build up to an exhilerating, final frenzy. With other conductors this can seem confused or forced, but here the denouement is perfectly paced and has an inevitable logic that is wonderfully satisfying. Every time I listen to this, I feel a glow of pleasure at having bought these recordings.

The filler pieces here are also delightful. Ashkenazy captures the proper, slow-paced moodiness of the Isle of the Dead. The Bells is effective, and the great Symphonic Dances have a beautiful and exotic Slavic flavor. The three disc version is thus an excellent bargain.