Sir John Barbirolli

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A piece of good news for Barbirolli fans. Warner has announced that it will be releasing a 109 CD box set of the complete EMI and Pye Barbirolli recordings only June of this year.

I’ve been waiting for this for half a century, so I think I’ll be ordering a set, whatever the cost.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sony has already released a much smaller set of his RCA & CBS New York recordings.

[cloughie]

A piece of good news for Barbirolli fans. Warner has announced that it will be releasing a 109 CD box set of the complete EMI and Pye Barbirolli recordings only June of this year.

I’ve been waiting for this for half a century, so I think I’ll be ordering a set, whatever the cost.

That sounds brilliant but if like me you’ve been a JB fan for nigh on 60 years there won’t much in the box that is not already on our shelves. But it should be a magnificent volume!

[Bryn]

A piece of good news for Barbirolli fans. Warner has announced that it will be releasing a 109 CD box set of the complete EMI and Pye Barbirolli recordings only June of this year.

I’ve been waiting for this for half a century, so I think I’ll be ordering a set, whatever the cost.

I hope they are not wasting polycarbonate by making it 1 LP's worth for each CD. I think I have most of the 'Warner' Barbirolli recordings I really want, and they are not a few. I will have to have a closer look nearer the release date. The 6 disc Sony/RCA set is not exactly bargain price.

[visualnickmos]

This is a tremendous collection, no doubt. I have a fair number of JB recordings - I suppose mainly drawn from the ubiquitous editions.
However - I have a question: can anyone who is more knowledgeable than me, recommend any JB recordings that are perhaps - how can I say - unexpected?
Sorry if it sounds a clumsily worded question.....

[bluestateprommer]

The complete blurb from Warner Recording's page does say:

"The wide-ranging contents of this landmark 109-disc set, which comprises all the recordings Barbirolli made for HMV and PYE, include previously unpublished items and documentary material. Everything has been remastered in high definition, LP-era recordings from the original tapes, and 78-era recordings from the best available sources."

https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/sir-john-barbirolli-complete-warner-recordings

[Barbirollians]

The complete blurb from Warner Recording's page does say:



https://www.warnerclassics.com/relea...ner-recordings

I reckon I probably have 90% of the contents will still no doubt buy it.

[cloughie]

I reckon I probably have 90% of the contents will still no doubt buy it.

[BBMmk2]

I’m never very pleased with these kind of events. It usually means a lot of duplication, which I find quite annoying.

[Barbirollians]

I’m never very pleased with these kind of events. It usually means a lot of duplication, which I find quite annoying.

Yes the Callas box was better as you could get nearly all of it separately and cheaply.

[gradus]

I'd love to see the recordings of the great triumvirate of Barbirolli, Beecham and the unduly neglected Sargent featured on R3. They may not have got on in life but their recorded achievements were wonderful and they ranked amongst the great conductors of their time.

[cloughie]

Yes the Callas box was better as you could get nearly all of it separately and cheaply.

...and unlike Barbirolli, not buy any of it, but then Callas is Forum Marmite!

[Pulcinella]

I love the fact that Alpie has launched this thread under 'Ongoing Recording Projects'.


If Sir John were back with us, what, I wonder, would he be recording, and/or what would we like him to record?
A George Lloyd symphony cycle, perhaps?

[AlanE]

I had the good fortune throughout my teenage years to see Barbirolli conduct regularly at Sheffield City Hall and this box looks likely to be a great temptation, despite the shoebox-sized cd container, and my over-stuffed shelves. In this respect I see the Warner Classics website informs us that "everything has been remastered in high definition" suggesting that blu ray audio would be an ideal alternative physical format, preserving any improvements in the new masterings, on fewer discs. (I do hope there are some improvements; on my early cd remasters of EMIs 1960s recordings - Enigma variations, Pomp and Circumstance, for example - the digital sound is not ideal.)

[cloughie]

I had the good fortune throughout my teenage years to see Barbirolli conduct regularly at Sheffield City Hall and this box looks likely to be a great temptation, despite the shoebox-sized cd container, and my over-stuffed shelves. In this respect I see the Warner Classics website informs us that "everything has been remastered in high definition" suggesting that blu ray audio would be an ideal alternative physical format, preserving any improvements in the new masterings, on fewer discs. (I do hope there are some improvements; on my early cd remasters of EMIs 1960s recordings - Enigma variations, Pomp and Circumstance, for example - the digital sound is not ideal.)

Hello Alan - I too had the fortune to see the great JB at the City Hall - sitting in the seats behind the orchestra - tymps side - a shilling a ticket - some magical performances.