Purchases Today

[ShineyMcShineShine]

It was pointed out to me (by @Brian, maybe) that Presto has a similar functionality to archiv's old drill-down search. Click classical, composer, select a composer and you can access a list of all recorded works, with links the pull up a list of all available recordings.

Yes, but Presto's results are not very satisfying. I just remember Arkiv worked much better. Presto's results sometimes include items that don't include the desired work. I think perhaps if you ask to see e.g. Mozart > Piano concerto No. 24 it will search for all items including a work by Mozart and a piano concerto, but that piano concerto might not necessarily be by Mozart.

[Spotted Horses]

Yes, but Presto's results are not very satisfying. I just remember Arkiv worked much better. Presto's results sometimes include items that don't include the desired work. I think perhaps if you ask to see e.g. Mozart > Piano concerto No. 24 it will search for all items including a work by Mozart and a piano concerto, but that piano concerto might not necessarily be by Mozart.

You are incorrect. Perhaps I was not clear. You can't search for "Mozart Piano Concerto No 24," in the general search field. You select "Classical" from the main banner, you select "Composers" from the menu bar that appears below, then you find your composer (if you are lucky your composer is "popular," otherwise you have to select the first letter of your composers last name and hunt for him or her). Then you select the work from "popular works" or click "show all works." Once you have clicked on the work of interest, you get a list of releases containing that specific work, not anything that matches a keyword.

I searched for Mozart Piano Concerto No 24. I got 219 results. I got bored before confirming every entry in detail, all that I checked were releases that included Piano Concerto No 24.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/55518--mozart-piano-concerto-no-24-in-c-minor-k491/browse

I have come across a few errors in their database. Recently I searched for a Koechlin chamber work and one release cam up which did not have it. Their database isn't perfect, but their search does not use the flawed methodology you claim.

I do recall archiv's old drill down search being somewhat more elegant. It had one more layer of filtering. I seem to recall that when you selected a work you could view all releases with that work, but you also were presented with a list of conductors, ensembles, or performers who had recorded it. After you clicked Mozart Piano Concerto No 24, you could click Brendel, or Mackerras, or English Chamber Orchestra, to view a pruned down list limited to those performers. Presto won't do that for you, unfortunately.

[DavidW]

You are incorrect. Perhaps I was not clear.

No, you were clear. I used your outlined method to find the Mozart oboe quartet recording I listened to.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

$47.78, and they charge $2.99 shipping. There was an offer from Amazon Global Marketplace for about $54, but that disappeared and everyplace else seems to have it for about $57, some with free shipping.

You must have grabbed the last copy, because they now list it as back order with delivery in mid September.

The two lowest offers on Amazon MP are from Movie Mars and Oxfordshire, both vendors I've had problems with (although Oxfordshire is relatively honest)

I don't believe that I have any of his Decca recordings (I suspect that those were his earliest ones--or perhaps not?), so would love to hear your thoughts on those.

I do have two sets (which I've quite enjoyed) on DG.  One is of Schumann and Brahms:  Complete 1950's solo recordings (Original Masters series) and the second one (also part of that series) is called the Complete 1950's Concerto recordings.

PD

[Spotted Horses]

I don't believe that I have any of his Decca recordings (I suspect that those were his earliest ones--or perhaps not?), so would love to hear your thoughts on those.

I do have two sets (which I've quite enjoyed) on DG.  One is of Schumann and Brahms:  Complete 1950's solo recordings (Original Masters series) and the second one (also part of that series) is called the Complete 1950's Concerto recordings.

PD

If you read the fine print in the booklet you'll see that some of the stuff in those 50's boxes are Decca recordings.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

If you read the fine print in the booklet you'll see that some of the stuff in those 50's boxes are Decca recordings.

Ah!  Been some time since I've looked at the booklets!  I wonder how much overlap there is?  And sounds like you might also own those sets?   

PD

[Spotted Horses]

Ah!  Been some time since I've looked at the booklets!  I wonder how much overlap there is?  And sounds like you might also own those sets?   

PD

Yes, I do have them. You can see the contents of the Kempff Decca set here.

https://www.eloquenceclassics.com/releases-archive/wilhelm-kempff-the-decca-legacy/

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yes, I do have them. You can see the contents of the Kempff Decca set here.

https://www.eloquenceclassics.com/releases-archive/wilhelm-kempff-the-decca-legacy/

I suspected as much!    Thanks, I'll check out that link.

PD

[André]

[ShineyMcShineShine]

You are incorrect. Perhaps I was not clear. You can't search for "Mozart Piano Concerto No 24," in the general search field. You select "Classical" from the main banner, you select "Composers" from the menu bar that appears below, then you find your composer (if you are lucky your composer is "popular," otherwise you have to select the first letter of your composers last name and hunt for him or her). Then you select the work from "popular works" or click "show all works." Once you have clicked on the work of interest, you get a list of releases containing that specific work, not anything that matches a keyword.

Yes, I understood you, thanks. I know how to use the browse by composer function. But for one example, if you choose Ernest Chausson, Symphonic Poems, one of the results you get is "Micromania - 85 Piano Miniatures" by Matthias Veit (piano) which includes 75 pieces for solo piano, the only one of which by Chaussson is Quelques danses, Op. 26. So something in Presto's browse function is wonky.

[The new erato]

Back in the saddle after 6 months abstaining.

[Harry]

Back in the saddle after 6 months abstaining.

Welcome back my friend!

[The new erato]

Thanks Harry!

[Que]

Welcome back my friend!

Ditto, and nice picks! 

[Madiel]

Yes, I understood you, thanks. I know how to use the browse by composer function. But for one example, if you choose Ernest Chausson, Symphonic Poems, one of the results you get is "Micromania - 85 Piano Miniatures" by Matthias Veit (piano) which includes 75 pieces for solo piano, the only one of which by Chaussson is Quelques danses, Op. 26. So something in Presto's browse function is wonky.

But "symphonic poems" is not a work, it's a genre. The extent of the problem is basically that op.26 got misclassified as to genre. Most likely because it doesn't actually appear in the list of Chausson works.

So contact them and get them to fix it. They will.

[Spotted Horses]

Yes, I understood you, thanks. I know how to use the browse by composer function. But for one example, if you choose Ernest Chausson, Symphonic Poems, one of the results you get is "Micromania - 85 Piano Miniatures" by Matthias Veit (piano) which includes 75 pieces for solo piano, the only one of which by Chaussson is Quelques danses, Op. 26. So something in Presto's browse function is wonky.

I have noticed that you can search by genre, but I have never used that feature, and it was not what I was referring to. I was referring to searching by a specific work, which you get by scrolling down past the genre searches, to the searches for "popular works," or by clicking "all works to get an exhaustive list. Inconsistencies pop up occasionally, presumably due to human error in compiling the database.

I see that Madiel has made the same observation.

[ritter]

From FNAC in central Madrid (which retains a small —and dwindling— classical CD section):



Butterfly is not my favourite opera by any means, not even my favourite Puccini opera (despite some superb moments), but having read so much about its initial failure, I wanted to ge to know this Urfassung. Our fellow GMGer @Roasted Swan played under conductor Günter Neuhold in Parma years ago... 





Álbeniz's songs are a terra ingognita for me... The performers are unknown to me as well, but I have read some positive reviews..

[ShineyMcShineShine]

But "symphonic poems" is not a work, it's a genre. The extent of the problem is basically that op.26 got misclassified as to genre. Most likely because it doesn't actually appear in the list of Chausson works.

That could be the problem. When I browse specifically by Poème for Violin & Orchestra, Op. 25 (122) or Poème for Violin & Piano, Op. 25 (12) that particular erroneous result doesn't appear.

I have noticed that you can search by genre, but I have never used that feature, and it was not what I was referring to. I was referring to searching by a specific work, which you get by scrolling down past the genre searches, to the searches for "popular works," or by clicking "all works to get an exhaustive list. Inconsistencies pop up occasionally, presumably due to human error in compiling the database.

I'd never thought of it as browsing by genre: I had assumed the genre listings were basically just shortcuts to the all works list, and I expected the results to be specific to the composer. After all, the genre of "symphonic poems" would not have appeared on the page if Presto had not classified Op. 25 as a "symphonic poem" at some point. If the Op. 25 had never existed, I doubt the Op. 26 alone would have triggered the appearance of "symphonic poems" on the page. So again, I'm left wondering how Presto's browse results are generated. I don't see how a knowledgeable human would classify Op. 26 as a "symphonic poem". In fact, Op. 26 doesn't even appear on the list of All Works: Chausson.

But at least now I know in the future to browse by specific work rather than by genre to get the best results.

[André]

[André]

K281, 283, 333 and 576. Used, vg condition, under 3$. Inspired and urged by Todd's tier ranking of the Mozart sonatas...😁 .