Hyperion Schubert Edition

[virginia]

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/s.asp?s=S_8

Anybody have the complete set? What are your favorites?

As I mentioned in the Books on Schubert thread, I've been reading "Schubert's Poets and the Making of Lieder" by Susan Youens. I just got through the chapter on Schubert's settings of poems by Theodor Koerner, and she made them sound so good that I wanted to buy a disc of them, if such a thing exists. So I went to the Hyperion site, found the complete list (linked to above)...and was disappointed to see that there is apparently no disc that has the complete Koerner songs.

Schubert wrote many of these Koerner songs in 1815, which must have been one of the most productive years for any composer ever (may have to exclude Haydn from that statement). The Hyperion edition does have two volumes of Schubert in 1815, so maybe I'll spring for that.

[haydnguy]

Virginia, I have most of them. I'll have to post back here later this evening because I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment. I will take a look at those that you are referring to and let you know.

sg

[haydnguy]

virginia, we've been having a little mini-crisis at our house (nothing serious) and I haven't had a chance to look at the CD's yet.

I wanted you to know, though, that I just got an email from Berkshire Record Outlet that they are having a sale on their Hyperion CD's. They are reliable and you can find some good bargains there sometimes.

When you go there, click "Search Catalog" up at the top. Then on the page that follows click the search button without putting anything any of the boxes. That will bring up the latest additions to their catalog.

I've used them and they've always been reliable. They are in the U.S. so you'll only be interested in them if your in the states (and perhaps Canada).

sg

http://www.berkshirerecordoutlet.com/index.php

[virginia]

...not that there is one. As I mentioned the other day in a different thread, I just received the Ives symphonies set by Litton/Dallas and a Turandot.

I received their E-mail about again-available Hyperion discs and immediately went there. I don't think I'm in the market for the entire Schubert Lieder set -- which does not appear to be in stock -- but I'm definitely interested in picking and choosing among them. So, with best wishes that your household mini-crisis has been resolved, I'd really like to hear your thoughts about this box.

I'd been under the impression that the Hyperion Schubert edition had met universal acclaim. This somewhat negative review at Amazon seems pretty even-handed though.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/review/R229CIQ5F3SOPR/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R229CIQ5F3SOPR[/ame] .

[haydnguy]

virginia, I have bought the individual CD's all along so I didn't get the big boxed set. I think overall that reviewer is speaking of the downside of getting the boxed set over getting the individual CD's. The biggest, of course, is that you don't get the linear notes. Lacking those, one can get the John Reed book.

I looked at several of the CD's of the 1815 period and they all seemed to have 5 or 6 based on Koerner's poems. That's out of a total of between 25 and 32 songs on each disk. So it's going to be difficult to nail down just his poems because the disks arean't really arranged that way.

If you take all 40 disks, there would naturally be some singers that you would probably like more than others, for instance, but there isn't a bad CD in the bunch and are at a high level.

If you have any specific questions about any of them I'll be happy to answer any that you would have.

[virginia]

I've been dithering over whether to buy the Hyperion set and simply can't make up my mind. I saw Florestan's review at Amazon as well as the others. The lack of Johnson's liner notes is troubling, though I do have the Reed book to (partially) compensate. But the chronological structure of the songs is also troubling; I do think I'd like the "recital" idea, wherein the discs are unified by theme rather than a straight run-through. But the chronological set is still available for a jaw-dropping $175, way less than $5 per disc. This is a huge saving over the discs bought separately, and it is about 50 percent lower than Amazon's price.

I've almost decided to go the "recital" route. It would help if you all would provide your recommendations as to which discs you like best. Let further hand-wringing begin!

[haydnguy]

Hi Virginia,
I actually haven't really looked at what's out there since we last chatted. I have a few at the tail end of the Graham Johnson series that I don't have so I'll probably pick them up second hand on Amazon, if at all. I noticed they are not selling all of the individual CD's on Hyperion's website anymore.

Are there any sets or "2-fer" like offers that are based on the "recital" idea that you know of?

hg

[virginia]

When I say "recital," what I mean is theme-based discs. I have one, vol. 11, not actually called "Songs of Death" but that's the import (Brigitte Fassbaender). Must point out that Johnson's liner notes are full and exemplary. I'm starting to waver again on buying the chronological package.

What are your favorites?

[haydnguy]

I was just browsing on amazon and found a new release of Schubert lieder sung by Fischer-Dieskau. According to a reviewer this is the same set as the previous issue (I have that boxed set), except the nice booklet that came with the first is not included. However, they have made the original booklet available on their website as a PDF.

Again, according to a reviewer, this set contains almost all lieder for the male voice written by Schubert.