Vanska/MO/BIS M3rd SACD is pricey!

[erikwilson7]

The frugal may be rewarded by patience. Once the box set has been out for a while, BIS will probably run discounts. They were selling the excellent Vänskä/Minnesota Beethoven symphony set for $30 not long after it was issued.

Presto now has the Vänskä cycle listed for $83.75 — but currently with a $7 discount putting it at $76.75. It costs $9.25 to ship it to the US, so my total comes out to $86. I'm gonna pull the trigger! It should be here in the next week.

For any UK residents out there: you're getting a real good deal on the Vänskä cycle right now.

Edit: Sales tax added another $7.87 for me... Dammit. I still saved a few dollars compared to Amazon though (which was looking like $98.99 with tax, and wasn't going to ship until July-something). I wonder how long this promotion/sale on Presto will last.

[barryguerrero]

The Vanska M3 is on E-Classical now, as is the box set. I'll post a link for the M3. The sound quality is, of course, the star of the show. I'll have to hear the whole performance in its totality before formulating a real opinion. The brass and percussion generally sound great. I'm a bit bothered by Vanska's slight case of lethargy in this performance. While the coda to the first movement is impressive in terms of how it sounds, the tempo relationships are a bit 'all over the map' there. It sounds as though they patched it from several different performances (which they probably did). We'll see. I'll probably just settle for a decent download on the M3. I don't feel compelled to get the whole cycle, but I might change my thinking on that.

later on   .    .   .  The second movement is excellent, and Jennifer Johnston sounds terrific in the fourth movement. That might have sold me on this. I still want to listen from start to finish tomorrow, as it should come up on Spotify. I just wish the posthorn solos weren't so stretched out in the third movement.

https://www.eclassical.com/labels/bis/mahler-symphony-no3.html

[erikwilson7]

Barry, what are your ‘hits and misses’ for this cycle? I know you love the 7th (as do I), and I remember some of what you said about the others. But overall, what would you say are your favorites and least favorites here? For me, 4 and 7–10 are all superb. I think the weak ones are the 5th and 2nd, and they aren’t too bad anyway.

This cycle’s had its detractors (understandably), but if you’re someone who likes this kind of sound and approach it’s a winner. The closest comparison is to Boulez’s, in my opinion: dry, extremely detailed recordings that leave no note of the score unturned, but at times the conducting may be questionable.

It’s unique and interesting enough to have earned a spot in my library.

[barryguerrero]

I really like Vanska's M2. The 23 minute first movement doesn't bother me at all. Stokowski took 23 minutes as well. I think the ending of the finale is really one of the better ones. You can hear the alternating salvos (polyphony) of the deep bells, and the high and low pitch gongs. I don't understand why Dave Hurwitz felt that was such a weak performance. That isn't my impression. The M4 is very good too, but C. Sampson isn't among the best singers in M4. I like the M5 more than many folks do. I think the finale is really, really good. As you know, I like the inner two movements of Vanska's M6, but not so much the outer two. M7 and M8 are right on target for me, as is the M10. I haven't investigated the M9 enough to have a strong opinion. What little I've heard of it, I really liked. John would have a detailed assessment of Vanska's M9, of course.

While the new M3 may not be near the top of my personal pantheon, it certainly is very musical.

[erikwilson7]

Thanks for the overview. I guess that topic could warrant its own thread. Maybe down the line we can cover it in retrospect.

It has some funky moments, but now that I have the whole cycle at my fingertips I see it as a lot more consistent than I expected.

[barryguerrero]

I sent an e-mail to BIS, questioning the cost of the Mahler 3 in the U.S. on hard disc. My suspicion is that Naxos - the U.S. distributor - most likely published a wrong cost to retailers. $43 can't be right, when you can get it mailed from England for a lot less. I'll let you know what response I receive.

[barryguerrero]

I received no reply regarding the discrepancy in pricing between the two big British exporters - Presto Classical and Europadisc - and the American retail price of $43 (including Amazon's current asking price). Very strange.