NAXOS - a praise

[stormx]

Hi !!

I have read several poor opinions about NAXOS recordings, and i want to give my own in a different direction. 

I own 15 CDs from NAXOS, all with solo piano music (Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Chopin). Overall, i have a high opinion about this label, so much usually neglected.

Advantages:
1) CD are unexpenssive (7 dollars).
2) Catalog is really huge (you can find almost anything composed for piano).
3) Sound is generally very good.
4) Performers, even not being first class pianists like Richter, Arrau or Pollini, are usually young talented or underrated ones that do a pretty decent job (Benjamin Frith, Jeno Jando, Idil Biret, Wolfghan Rubsam, Rico Gulda, Peter Nagy, Oxana Yablonskaya...).

So, in my opinion, for those pieces or composers you adore, go for the best version available and pay for it. But, if you are just looking for a decent recording of some piece to enlarge or complete your collection, NAXOS is probably a good option.

What do you think?

[IanT]

I think you're absolutely right - pretty decent performances for a pretty decent price.

I've actually stopped buying them because I'd rather have the best performance, even if I have to pay a higher price.  Idil Biret playing the late Brahms works put me off a bit.  There didn't seem to be a lot of depth to the performance - more of an emphasis on getting the notes recorded than on producing a thoughtful interpretation.

Ian

[pseudopianist]

I love Naxos and I own around 15 CDs myself with Naxos (Bach, Chopin, Rach) and I think you really get more than what you have paid for. Biret does a better job (imo) than other pianist. Jeno Jandos Bach is comparable to Ricthers (except the humming) and the quialty is just perfect.

[Chrysalis]

here in holland we have brilliant classics... comparable to naxos

i own a whole load of cd's and am satisfied with them.... they do a fine job..
they use good pianist, musicians and the overal sound and price is fine for me....
as long as it keeps this way i keep buying them...

great library, good performers, low price...

[Kassaa]

here in holland we have brilliant classics... comparable to naxos

i own a whole load of cd's and am satisfied with them.... they do a fine job..
they use good pianist, musicians and the overal sound and price is fine for me....
as long as it keeps this way i keep buying them...

great library, good performers, low price...

Lol, I find everything by brilliant classics crap

My father buyed the complete bach and mozart collection, and a chopin box, and they all SUCK, imo.

[ted]

Naxos contains some real gems of lesser known music. The one of Milhaud's piano music, the two of Ireland's piano music and the Havergal Brian symphonies are examples. It is nice to be able to listen to samples of new things on the Naxos site too.

[pseudopianist]

Lol, I find everything by brilliant classics crap

My father buyed the complete bach and mozart collection, and a chopin box, and they all SUCK, imo.

Din't quite agree on that. I got a 40 CD box with Bach and very much of the keyboard and vocal works are amazing. The orchestras are keept cheap tho but for that praise.

I prefer Naxos but Brilliant have a hand a full of good recordings, listen to the dutch harpsichordis Menno Van Delft. His playing is transcendental!

[Kassaa]

Din't quite agree on that. I got a 40 CD box with Bach and very much of the keyboard and vocal works are amazing. The orchestras are keept cheap tho but for that praise.

I prefer Naxos but Brilliant have a hand a full of good recordings, listen to the dutch harpsichordis Menno Van Delft. His playing is transcendental!

Downloading is free and you have much better performers.

[pseudopianist]

Downloading is free and you have much better performers.

Not always, I haven't found better harpsichord recordings yet and some people think downloading is wrong?

[apion]

Naxos can be especially valuable for lesser known composers like Hummel.  In fact, with certain obscure composers, Naxos is the only game in town.

[tariswerewolf]

I completely agree about Naxos (with the odd exception). I have at least fifteen or twenty of Naxos' CDs, containing orchestral music, concerti for all sorts of instruments, choral works and more.  I've only had a slight disappointment with one or two of their choral albums (lousy diction and pronunciation), but other than those few glitches, I love their catalogue.

Heck, they've got a few albums with Symphony Nova Scotia, my local orchestra!

[hodi]

Benjamin Frith won the arthur rubinstein internation piano master competition.. i think he is first class! really

besides, i really like NAXOS, they release some very rare neglected pieces (check out mendelssohn piano works vol.4 - sonata in g minor, etude in f minor, and other rarely heard hidden gems)