Tír Na HiFi

Ciaran wrote:

fergus wrote:

my favourite Beethoven Quartet sycle, though I love the Talich Quartet as well and I'm hugely enjoying the Takács which I'm hearing for the first time.

I have wanted that cycle for quite some time Ciaran and I am really looking forward to hearing it! I also plan on buying the Takács set next!!

DaveF wrote:I've always loved that cover. That's the Hungarian Parliment in the background. It was one time the 3rd largest building in the world. The bridge spanning the Danube in the foreground though is long gone.

Thank you for that Dave; those little bits of information always make things just that little bit more interesting!

fergus wrote:

Where did you buy that, Fergus? I was sure that set was out of print.

mcq wrote:

fergus wrote:

Where did you buy that, Fergus? I was sure that set was out of print.

It most definitely is out of print and I have been after it for well over a year now. It goes for silly money....perhaps (and hopefully) a reflection of its quality! I got it from an Amazon marketplace seller for a very reasonable price in, allegedly, pristine condition!

fergus wrote:

mcq wrote:

fergus wrote:

Where did you buy that, Fergus? I was sure that set was out of print.

It most definitely is out of print and I have been after it for well over a year now. It goes for silly money....perhaps (and hopefully) a reflection of its quality! I got it from an Amazon marketplace seller for a very reasonable price in, allegedly, pristine condition!

MDT are offering it new for £10.60! (Different cover, though!)

Sadly, that's the Bartok set, Ciaran. Hopefully, Naive will reissue the Beethoven set one day. Another one I really want to hear is the Talich Quartet's cycle on Calliope.

mcq wrote:Sadly, that's the Bartok set, Ciaran. Hopefully, Naive will reissue the Beethoven set one day. Another one I really want to hear is the Talich Quartet's cycle on Calliope.

Groan!! Well that would explain the different cover!

The Talich Beethoven cycle is really excellent: I had started collecting individual discs when that complete set came out at a very low price in comparison: I was delighted. It doesn't seem to be available any more: I see a used set on offer for £132.81 on Amazon. I also have their Mozart "Haydn" Quartets, Mozart String Quintets and Clarinet Quintet, two sets of Janácek Quartets, some Dvořák quartets and the Smetana quartets (on the long-gone Collins Classics label). I am sorry that I didn't get their complete Mozart while it was available (and cheap too!).

I heard them once at a lunchtime concert in St John's, Smith Square in London, playing a programme of Schulhoff and Schubert. Wonderful!

As an alternative boxset... maybe some of you might be interested in the recently re-released, famous Budapest set on RCA at a bargain budget price... these are classic performances, reputedly not to be missed for those wanting a variety of different versions of the Beethoven SQs..