New daily deal at eclassical!

[Musicophile]

Today again an album I'd highly recommend:

 

Bachs Orchestral Suites (Ouvertures) played by the Freiburger Barockorchester.

 

eClassical - christmas2013

 

Probably my favorite recording of these slightly overplayed, but still timeless masterpieces.

[Boris75]

I fully second your recommendation. This is an excellent recording -- which I bought some time ago from Qobuz for more than three times the price at which it is offered today on eClassical...

[Musicophile]

which I bought some time ago from Qobuz for more than three times the price at which it is offered today on eClassical...

Same here unfortunately...

[mkrzych]

Just bought eClassical - Sibelius: Symphonies Nos 1 & 4. Love it!

 

[jhwalker]

I fully second your recommendation. This is an excellent recording -- which I bought some time ago from Qobuz for more than three times the price at which it is offered today on eClassical...

 

Third - if I didn't already own it, I'd snap it up!

[LarBo]

Probably my favorite recording of these slightly overplayed, but still timeless masterpieces.

 

I've been tempted by this offering today. I like what I've heard of the Freiburger recording (from the eClassical and Allmusic sites - the tempi are pretty brisk, yes?) but I've got two other versions of these works (Pearlman with Boston Baroque (Telarc SACD) and Goebel with Musica Antiqua Koln (Archiv)) and hesitate to add a third. Can anyone offer comment/comparison between the Freiburger Barockorchester recording and either the Pearlman or Goebel offerings (performance, recording, etc)?

[jhwalker]

Probably my favorite recording of these slightly overplayed, but still timeless masterpieces.

 

I've been tempted by this offering today. I like what I've heard of the Freiburger recording (from the eClassical and Allmusic sites - the tempi are pretty brisk, yes?) but I've got two other versions of these works (Pearlman with Boston Baroque (Telarc SACD) and Goebel with Musica Antiqua Koln (Archiv)) and hesitate to add a third. Can anyone offer comment/comparison between the Freiburger Barockorchester recording and either the Pearlman or Goebel offerings (performance, recording, etc)?

 

I don't have either of these, unfortunately.

 

I have three recordings:

 

Savall / Le Concert des Nations

Suzuki / Bach Collegium Japan

Freiburger Barockorchester

 

I prefer the Freiburger of the three.

[rodaguilera]

Don't miss the 50% Christmas Discount from eclassical.com today. Jean-Guihen Queyras performing Vivaldi Cello Concertos: eClassical - Vivaldi: Cello Concertos

[jhwalker]

Don't miss the 50% Christmas Discount from eclassical.com today. Jean-Guihen Queyras performing Vivaldi Cello Concertos: eClassical - Vivaldi: Cello Concertos

 

Thanks for the heads up! Loving the cornucopia of great music we're finding on sale this season

[Boris75]

Today, Jacobs' interpretation of La Finta Gardiniera in 24/96 for 25 bucks. Quite attractive...

[mkrzych]

What about this one: Beethoven - Symphonies 4 and 5 conducted by Osmo Vanska in 24/88 by BIS?

 

[Boris75]

What about this one: Beethoven - Symphonies 4 and 5 conducted by Osmo Vanska in 24/88 by BIS?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9526[/ATTACH]

 

I got it a couple of months ago and have been pleased, but not thrilled, with it. These are good interpretations, well recorded, but not up there with reference recordings such as Furtwängler or Karajan to give just two examples. This reminds me that I recently got Mariss Janssons' new set but have not found the time to listen to it yet...

[Musicophile]

I got it a couple of months ago and have been pleased, but not thrilled, with it. These are good interpretations, well recorded, but not up there with reference recordings such as Furtwängler or Karajan to give just two examples. This reminds me that I recently got Mariss Janssons' new set but have not found the time to listen to it yet...

Agree, the Vänskäs are ok to good, but my latest preference is now Paavo Järvi with the Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. It's not 7 bucks completely wasted, but you can do better.

[mkrzych]

Agree, the Vänskäs are ok to good, but my latest preference is now Paavo Järvi with the Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. It's not 7 bucks completely wasted, but you can do better.

 

Anywhere with hi res to compare?

[Jud]

Today, Jacobs' interpretation of La Finta Gardiniera in 24/96 for 25 bucks. Quite attractive...

 

Yes, what I hear of the samples sounds very, very good. I might not purchase, only because my wife is "allergic" to opera and I might not have very many chances to listen; if I'm going to spend $25, I want to be able to hear it a few times. But that's just my particular circumstance, and anyone else who likes Mozart, opera, or the combination thereof should check out the samples.

 

Meanwhile, yesterday's selections now with a 25% discount include Handel choruses, old warhorses, yes, but wonderful old warhorses. It will give me a chance to bowl over our Christmas guests with a resounding rendition of the Hallelujah chorus - perhaps as they are waking up Christmas morning?

 

Over at Linn Records, a couple of days ago the free selection was from a recording of Chopin piano concertos scheduled for February release with a pianist named Ingrid Fliter. I missed the free download, but the samples sound just terrific to me and I intend to purchase it when it comes out next year.

[Musicophile]

Anywhere with hi res to compare?

Unfortunately, I've only seen individual SACDs yet (e.g. see below). RCA is part of Sony now, so let's hope they eventually show up on some DSD download website.

 

Amazon.com: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 8: Music

[Musicophile]

Anywhere with hi res to compare?

Unfortunately, I've only seen individual SACDs yet (e.g. see below). RCA is part of Sony now, so let's hope they eventually show up on some DSD download website.

 

Amazon.com: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 8: Music

Otherwise Qobuz has the redbook Albums at the special price of €9,99 right now:

 

http://www.qobuz.com/album/paavo-jarvi-beethoven-symphony-no9/0884977325805

[astrotoy]

I enjoy the Vanska Beethoven set I got for a song on SACD (I think $50 for the complete box IIRC). I didn't buy the eClassical because it was stereo and I want to be able to play the hirez rips I do (with my PS3 from my SACD's) in multichannel with my new e28.

 

I did buy the Mozart Finta, my third copy of this delightful opera, by a young but obviously very talented Mozart. My first two are on vinyl, one in Italian, like this one and the other in German. Since the new release only came as a CD for quite a bit more, it made sense for me to buy the download which is 24 bits. I haven't gotten a chance to listen, but I have been very (and surprisingly) satisfied with the sonics in the 24/44 releases I've bought so far from eClassical. They have been the first 24/44 that I have ever bought.

 

I like the idea that eClassical has of offering a great price for two albums for one day, then decreasing the discount the next day. It forces people to pull the trigger and should increase sales and profits. When the prices are often around Naxos prices with the quality of artists and sonics, who is to complain. If this works for them, I hope to see other similar offerings, maybe every day.

 

Larry

[Musicophile]

It forces people to pull the trigger and should increase sales and profits.

Sales sure, profits short term probably not, as they are selling at half price, i.e. more than 50% less margin than usually.

 

What they are obviously trying to ensure is that people recognize e-classical as their go-to site for purchasing BIS (where it was already obvious anyhow) but now also for Harmonia Mundi France, which traditionally (when we can speak about a tradition for a service that is only a handful of years old) were only found on Qobuz.

 

So indeed, mid-term if they are lucky they also increase their profits, if they get sufficient repeat business.

 

By the way, the already have a "daily deal" anyhow, which unfortunately usually has much older albums of less interest (at least to me). What is great with the current offer is that they really focus on recent high-res releases, and as already mentioned several times, of generally very high quality. The only issue with discounting is obviously if you do it too much, nobody will want to pay the regular price any more.

[Boris75]

 

What they are obviously trying to ensure is that people recognize e-classical as their go-to site for purchasing BIS (where it was already obvious anyhow) but now also for Harmonia Mundi France, which traditionally (when we can speak about a tradition for a service that is only a handful of years old) were only found on Qobuz.

 

So indeed, mid-term if they are lucky they also increase their profits, if they get sufficient repeat business.

 

While their BIS offers are always very competitive, it is not always the case for Harmonia Mundi: their price for René Jacobs' recent recording of Bach's Mattheus-Passion is much higher than on Qobuz or HDKlassik.

[Musicophile]

While their BIS offers are always very competitive, it is not always the case for Harmonia Mundi: their price for René Jacobs' recent recording of Bach's Mattheus-Passion is much higher than on Qobuz or HDKlassik.

I suppose the next thing somebody could be launching would be a price comparison website for downloads. Any venture capitalists on this forum?

[Boris75]

I suppose the next thing somebody could be launching would be a price comparison website for downloads. Any venture capitalists on this forum?

 

Such a website would be very helpful. Information about the kind of files available would also be quite useful. To continue with Jacobs' Mattheus-Passion, it is available in SACD (stereo and multichannel), in stereo 24/96 from Qobuz, in stereo 24/96 from eClassical at a higher price, and in stereo and multichannel from HDKlassik at a lower price.

 

Another example: Philippe Pierlot's recording of Bach cantatas for the Christmas periode, In Tempore Nativitatis, is available in 24/44 from eClassical and at a higher price from Qobuz, but in 24/88.2.

 

Finally, a number of titles from Gimmell are available from Qobuz in stereo 24/44 and in higher resolutions and multichannel from Gimmell Records themselves...

[Boris75]

Today eClassical discounts the RIAS Kammerchor's Weihnacht album in high res. I am tempted...

[Snowmonkey]

Today eClassical discounts the RIAS Kammerchor's Weihnacht album in high res. I am tempted...

Do it. This is a truly excellent album of a capella performances of not so well known (apart from Stille Nacht) Christmas music.

[Boris75]

Do it. This is a truly excellent album of a capella performances of not so well known (apart from Stille Nacht) Christmas music.

 

Thank you very much. I got it and have been very pleased with it: a very well chosen set of pieces with programmatical coherence, played with distinction.

 

By the way, for a few hours still, Andreas Staier's very good recital Pour Passer La Mélancolie​ is discounted at 50%.