where do you get all your recordings?

[dj]

just wondering because it seems to me like lots of people on this forum have not only heard, but also meticulously studied every single recording of every single piece ever played...now i buy recordings when finances allow....and i listen to a bunch of recordings on the internet, and i've basically exhausted the CD stock of every local library...but there are still countless pieces i've never even heard one recording of...so what gives? am i missing some major database somewhere? or do i just need to dig deeper?

[mark1]

I've often wondered that myself. You can get most recordinds at your larger bookstores(barnes and noble) but they don't have everything... if it's still in print,so to speak, they can order it for you. I buy one cd per paycheck so I can take my time to get what I want. It's a good idea to ask the forum what a good recording of a certain composer might be...they are usually good judges of that.     I will say that it's not only the composer but equally the performer! Try not to go with a lesser known performer/s because they may be lesser known for a reason. ...where do you get your recordins from?  

[Goldberg]

While I don't have the most extensive CD library myself, I do have quite a wide variety from "standard" to slightly more obscure but still kind of talked about--namely, Alkan and Faure. Usually, I find the BEST way to get the good stuff is from Amazon.com. I avoid going to various websites to listen to the online recordings because the preformers are usually second-rate and it's just not quite the same, especially if you can only find the piece in MIDI or something. And, plus, when you buy a CD you get many different tracks along with the piece you're looking for, so like it or not, eventually you'll have further exposure to that composer, or preformer if the CD is a collection from one musician.
Also, I've found some real cool CDs at Half-Priced Books, which is, as the name implies, a used books store, but it also stocks other merchandise like, well, CDs. I got a seemingly rare and very awesome CD of Michelangeli playing four or five great concertos from them for, I believe, $5. It's really just luck.
What I recommend, though, is deciding what you're most interested in, and there are several things to look into: is there a certain pianist you have heard about a lot and want to research (maybe someone like Horowitz, Hamelin, or Volodos), or are you interested in hearing, say, the incredible Chopin-Godowsky etudes that are notoriously difficult? Ok, those are just some random examples but you get the idea. Usually if I read something about a composer or preformer on the forum, I let it sink in for a week or two, and if I read something else exciting about him or her (for example, I read the legends of how fast Cziffra can play pieces and not mess up) and eventually that leads me to Amazon to search for CDs under that person's name.
And, finally, if you have a spare 20 lying around, go to a place like Best Buy, find the Classical music section, and randomly (and I'm not joking here) pick up a CD-even close your eyes first if you want to. Now, if you pick something up and you KNOW it's just rubbish, or if you already have it, go ahead and put it down. Otherwise, I find this to be one of the most effective ways of spreading your musical knowledge. No joke!

[bernhard]

Goldberg has some good ideas.

Here are a few more:

1. Enroll in a CD club. In the UK there is a big one called Britannia. Very often they have real bargains. For instance, I got Ashkenazy's boxed set of all Chopin's piano works for £1.99 when I joined the club (it was their introductory offer) .

2. Go to mainstrem shops and look out for boxed sets. There are many boxed sets going for almost nothing.

3. Sales.

4. Same labels are notoriously cheap - The most famous is Naxos, but there are many others, especially if you avoid the most famous performers (who are not necessarily the best).

5. Libraries (in England at least) have extensive collections of classical CDs.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Goldberg]

Bernhard, for no. 1: Wow, that's a great deal!    How much does that set usually go for?
As for the libraries, with my experience the ones in the US have reasonable collections as well-one of the ones I visited here had an interesting CD of Richard Goode playing the Brahms concertos, and another had a really good CD of, if I remember correctly, Mahler's C minor symphony.
And as for the boxed sets, did I mention the USED amazon.com deals in my first post? Those are always worth checking out if you're running on a budget-in fact, I got more than half off my Richard Goode set of the Beethoven Sonatas--pretty much brand new too! That's a good deal...I'd recommend having some money set aside just so you can jump at a chance like that if it comes up, because you never really know when one will.

[allchopin]

I got a seemingly rare and very awesome CD of Michelangeli playing four or five great concertos from them for, I believe, $5.

Huh, that's odd.   I pay... wait, $0.00 for my music!  That's right - unless you are counting the electric and bandwidth bills  , then it's more like $0.04.  But I must thank you- it's people like you guys that supply me with free downloads of just about anything I want!  Viva la P2P!

[bernhard]

Bernhard, for no. 1: Wow, that's a great deal!    How much does that set usually go for?

I think it was over £70

So it was a real bargain.

They also have a system by which for every CD at full price you buy, you can buy an unlimited amount for 1/2 price.

Here is their site:

https://www.bclub.co.uk/Home.do

[MzrtMusic]

There is a music club like the one Bernhard is talking about in the  US. You can get info at www.bmgmusic.com

They have sales, buy one, get unlimited $1.99... Or sometimes 70-80% off... And they have a pretty decent selection. If you are looking for something really really specific, they might not have it, but it's a good place to start. Also, they have a good frequent buyers program... I'm a member of this club, and I like it a lot... Thestarting offer is 12 CDs for the price of 1. And you can pick any 12 you want...

Love,

Sarah