Charity Shop Trawl

[silvestrione]

Silvestrione, I guess that is Argo ZRG 553? I have it, and my copy has a sticker on the front saying Audio Award. No indication of whose award it was, but that suggests it should be spectacular sound. The sleeve notes say "The virtuosity of the writing is staggering." I cant say I know it though, it must be several years since I played it.

Yes indeed, ZRG 553. The sound is pretty impressive, I must say. Get it out and play it!

[EdgeleyRob]

First ever successful charity shop haul

Tchaikovsky,Pc 1 Gilels NYPO Mehta,vc Oistrakh Philadelphia Ormandy-Sony essential classics-99p
Bruckner,incomplete symphonies BPO Karajan,cds 2 & 3 missing which means no 3rd symphony and no movements 2 to 4 of the 5th,no booklet DG - £1.50
Albeniz/Granados,Iberia,Goyescas Double Decca - 99p
Bizet,Carmen Suite,L'Arlesienne,Symphony in C,Montreal Dutoit Double Decca - 99p
Beethoven 7 & 8,VPO Abbado,no liner notes booklet - 99p

[Ferretfancy]

Yes indeed, ZRG 553. The sound is pretty impressive, I must say. Get it out and play it!

Roberto Gerhard is a fascinating composer. I strongly recommend his music for Don Quixote and the last two symphonies.

Number 3, "Collages" makes effective use of a tape of electronic music prepared by the composer, combined with the orchestral component.I just hope that the original recording has been transferred to a more permanent medium for future performances.

Number 4 "New York" conjures a vivid series of images of Manhattan.

This is all very 1960's music, but none the worst for that, using percussion techniques which were groundbreaking at the time but more familiar today. I don't wish to give the impression that it is all just pictorialism, it has more to say than that.

[HighlandDougie]

First ever successful charity shop haul

Tchaikovsky,Pc 1 Gilels NYPO Mehta,vc Oistrakh Philadelphia Ormandy-Sony essential classics-99p
Bruckner,incomplete symphonies BPO Karajan,cds 2 & 3 missing which means no 3rd symphony and no movements 2 to 4 of the 5th,no booklet DG - £1.50
Albeniz/Granados,Iberia,Goyescas Double Decca - 99p
Bizet,Carmen Suite,L'Arlesienne,Symphony in C,Montreal Dutoit Double Decca - 99p
Beethoven 7 & 8,VPO Abbado,no liner notes booklet - 99p

What, with that fab Argo LP referred to above (which I treasure), I think that the title of this thread ought to be, "Charity Shop Gloat", but, envy aside, that's a pretty impressive haul. Worth it alone for the Alicia de Larrocha "Decca Double" (the less said about HvK's Bruckner, the better, in my wholly biased view). Now that you are a man of more leisure, you can hit the North West's likely charity shop hotspots (Chester? Macclesfield? Wilmslow - or maybe it doesn't do anything quite so common). Very glad that you are putting your time to good use - and hope that life is treating you well these days.

[EdgeleyRob]

What, with that fab Argo LP referred to above (which I treasure), I think that the title of this thread ought to be, "Charity Shop Gloat", but, envy aside, that's a pretty impressive haul. Worth it alone for the Alicia de Larrocha "Decca Double" (the less said about HvK's Bruckner, the better, in my wholly biased view). Now that you are a man of more leisure, you can hit the North West's likely charity shop hotspots (Chester? Macclesfield? Wilmslow - or maybe it doesn't do anything quite so common). Very glad that you are putting your time to good use - and hope that life is treating you well these days.

Thanks for those kind words HD,I'm enjoying retirement,still got the heart probs going on but the outlook is good.
I'm not a big Bruckner listener but 7 out of 9 of the HvK set for £1.50 seemed too good to miss.

[rauschwerk]

Roberto Gerhard is a fascinating composer. I strongly recommend his music for Don Quixote and the last two symphonies.

Number 3, "Collages" makes effective use of a tape of electronic music prepared by the composer, combined with the orchestral component.I just hope that the original recording has been transferred to a more permanent medium for future performances.

Number 4 "New York" conjures a vivid series of images of Manhattan.

This is all very 1960's music, but none the worst for that, using percussion techniques which were groundbreaking at the time but more familiar today. I don't wish to give the impression that it is all just pictorialism, it has more to say than that.

I am a great admirer of Gerhard's music, especially the later serial stuff. To my ears it hasn't dated at all. Reference to the Chandos booklet notes (see their website) will assure you that the tape has now been transferred to CD. At the first performance of Collages (1960) the tape was far too loud,and in the gap between final chord and applause, someone yelled 'Rubbish' (a friend of mine captured this on tape).

[Conchis]

Yesterday, in Alfreton Oxfam:

Weber, Oberon ORR/JEG

Handel, Theodora, Paul McCreesh

£1.99 each, Oberon still in shrink-wrap.

[Conchis]

Yesterday, again in Alfreton:

Bruckner 4 - Concertgebouw/Chailly

Liszt - Sonata, etc. Pollini

Mozart - Die Entfuhrung Aus Den Serail - VPO/Solti (sans libretto)

99p each!

[Petrushka]

Yesterday, again in Alfreton:

Bruckner 4 - Concertgebouw/Chailly

Liszt - Sonata, etc. Pollini

Mozart - Die Entfuhrung Aus Den Serail - VPO/Solti (sans libretto)

99p each!

I occasionally go into the Oxfam shop in Derby and they have very few classical CDs there. What is it about Alfreton?

[Conchis]

I occasionally go into the Oxfam shop in Derby and they have very few classical CDs there. What is it about Alfreton?

Not sure, Pet. I visit Derby about twice a year and the Oxfam shop there is always a dead duck. Derby being a city and Alfreton a (one horse) town, you'd expect the situation to be reversed, but I've found some very tasty pickings over the years there. Can't explain it - maybe as the 'cultured folk' of Shirebrook and South Normanton expire, they bequeath their music collections to their local charity shops?

[Petrushka]

Not sure, Pet. I visit Derby about twice a year and the Oxfam shop there is always a dead duck. Derby being a city and Alfreton a (one horse) town, you'd expect the situation to be reversed, but I've found some very tasty pickings over the years there. Can't explain it - maybe as the 'cultured folk' of Shirebrook and South Normanton expire, they bequeath their music collections to their local charity shops?

It could be except my understanding of the way charity shops work is that donations get transported to a big warehouse and distributed wherever. At least this is what I was told is the case concerning clothes as it could be potentially upsetting for donors to see their deceased loved one's clothes in local shops. I'm not sure what happens to CD donations but my guess would be the same. It's all big business these days.

There is a possibility that the shop staff have spotted a regular customer for classical CDs so ensure they have some in.

[Conchis]

It could be except my understanding of the way charity shops work is that donations get transported to a big warehouse and distributed wherever. At least this is what I was told is the case concerning clothes as it could be potentially upsetting for donors to see their deceased loved one's clothes in local shops. I'm not sure what happens to CD donations but my guess would be the same. It's all big business these days.

There is a possibility that the shop staff have spotted a regular customer for classical CDs so ensure they have some in.

You may be right. The staff in the Alfreton shop certainly seem to know me!

[pastoralguy]

One of the Oxfam music shops in Edinburgh is having a half price sale just now. (Stockbridge, since you ask!) This shop has terrific stuff BUT, and it's a big but, the guy who does the classical stuff obviously looks at prices on Amazon which causes some discs to have big ticket prices! (£19.99 for a Hyperion disc of Isserlis and Peter Evens playing the Brahms sonatas! Now, ok, it's quite rare but £20 in a charity shop?!)

Anyway, now there's a half price sale on it does make one seriously consider actually buying something instead of going 'Not a f****** chance!' So, in that charitable spirit, I bought a 3 cd set of the Melos Quartet of Stuttgart + guests playing the Mozart String Quintets. Their single disc of the g minor quintet was one of the first discs I ever bought so I've been delighted to get the set which was £19.99 reduced to a tenner.

I also got Jeggie's Bruckner first mass for £1.99.

[LeMartinPecheur]

It could be except my understanding of the way charity shops work is that donations get transported to a big warehouse and distributed wherever. At least this is what I was told is the case concerning clothes as it could be potentially upsetting for donors to see their deceased loved one's clothes in local shops. I'm not sure what happens to CD donations but my guess would be the same. It's all big business these days.

There is a possibility that the shop staff have spotted a regular customer for classical CDs so ensure they have some in.

I've certainly seen some of my own cast-offs (LPs and CDs) sticking on the shelf in the Cornwall Oxfam where I donated them Nothing really valuable though, even if unusual (a crummy authentic keyboard recital CD for example). Perhaps they have a system whereby the valuable stuff gets dragged to a central depot?

[Ferretfancy]

I've certainly seen some of my own cast-offs (LPs and CDs) sticking on the shelf in the Cornwall Oxfam where I donated them Nothing really valuable though, even if unusual (a crummy authentic keyboard recital CD for example). Perhaps they have a system whereby the valuable stuff gets dragged to a central depot?

I think that they often invite local "experts" to do valuation for them. I complained to my local Oxfam manager when I discovered that old sampler CD cover discs from The Gramophone were marked at £2 a piece and was told that their local specialist had priced them and that was it.
I think he must have had numerous complaints because nowadays the prices are much improved for all CDs.
I have also seen some of my own donated CDs in the shop.