Classical

Dear eMusic, Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set on Haenssler has recently increased from 56 credits (per-track pricing) to 150 credits (album pricing). That's a cool 168% rate hike. According to my subscription plan, the real cost has gone from $24.49 to $71.49. Fair enough. (Insert sarcastic sigh here.) But there are problems beyond the higher price. First, this set is not an album-only download but rather a box-set-only download. Never mind whether people will spend 150 credits. How many people have 150 credits at any given time? Do you expect people to whittle down the count by downloading individual tracks, the 4th movement of #4 one day, the 3rd movement of #7 the next, and so forth, until only album-only tracks are left? That adds the insult of inconvenience to your injuriously high prices.

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Topic Outline

* RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by ZachCarstensen on Nov 5 at 12:15 PM EST * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by humred on Nov 5 at 2:17 PM EST   * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by frogkopf on Nov 5 at 2:52 PM EST     * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 5 at 4:13 PM EST     * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by Dvorak9NW on Nov 5 at 4:32 PM EST       * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 5 at 5:30 PM EST     * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by JNP on Nov 5 at 4:57 PM EST     * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by Bad-Thoughts on Nov 5 at 10:07 PM EST       * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by xtrev on Nov 6 at 4:48 AM EST       * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 6 at 2:13 PM EST         * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by xtrev on Nov 9 at 6:39 AM EST           * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by garoy on Nov 9 at 8:14 AM EST           * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 9 at 4:05 PM EST             * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by frogkopf on Nov 9 at 4:21 PM EST               * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 10 at 11:51 AM EST     * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by garoy on Nov 6 at 9:10 AM EST       * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 6 at 1:22 PM EST       * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by mommio on Nov 10 at 2:54 PM EST         * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 10 at 3:55 PM EST           * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by J P Falcon on Nov 19 at 3:11 PM EST * RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set posted by fduniho on Nov 19 at 8:02 PM EST

ZachCarstensen Nov 5 at 12:15 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in direct response to the topic by JNP I wonder if the label is now being distributed by Naxos USA? That would explain the sudden jump in price. Naxos distributed labels are all priced under the new EMU scheme. This is yet another example of how classical music lovers take it in the pants over EMU's new pricing scheme.

humred Nov 5 at 2:17 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in direct response to the topic by JNP I'm still seeing it at 56 credits. Could it vary by location? (Oops--sorry; wasn't logged in. It is indeed 150 credits in the US. Ouch!)

frogkopf Nov 5 at 2:52 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by humred If you're in the US, rush over to Amazon and pick it up quick! It's currently going for $17.98 for the whole set. Mahler - Gielen

J P Falcon Nov 5 at 4:13 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by frogkopf I am downloading it now from AMAZON and I checked my email invoice to make certain that the price is accurate... And out of curiosity I checked in with iTunes to see what it is selling for: $130.00

Dvorak9NW Nov 5 at 4:32 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by frogkopf That's a really good price. Buying the Gielen recordings on CD costs a fortune. I've been on account hold, and I accidentally clicked on "Reactivate My Account". Hmmm.... whoops. Oh well, one consolation is that I just downloaded the Gielen box in question for £11.20 from here - 56 tracks at 20p a shot. At least there's one big bargain still here for us Europeans... I'm listening to the 3rd movement of the 6th - such beautiful music. I have the Bertini cycle in CD format and I've been listening to each symphony one by one. I've only got up to the 7th so far - I'll look forward to comparing them as I continue my Mahler discovery! Thank you eMusic!

JNP Nov 5 at 4:57 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by frogkopf Frogkopf, you are my hero. That is indeed a terrific price.

J P Falcon Nov 5 at 5:30 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by Dvorak9NW Regarding the 6th, I'm glad Gielen keeps the schezo as the second movement as I cannot get used to it being played before the final movement as some conductors are starting to do. To me the Andante Moderato just blends in beautifully into the finale'...If I download a performance that alters it, I always manually switch them...

Bad-Thoughts Nov 5 at 10:07 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by frogkopf In the same vein: The Carl Schuricht Edition for $17.98.

xtrev Nov 6 at 4:48 AM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by Bad-Thoughts For any UK Classical fans, both the Mahler and Schuricht sets are cheap in the UK Amazon mp3 store too - 13.98 each.

garoy Nov 6 at 9:10 AM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by frogkopf Hi folks, I have mostly been on a Jazz/Americana kick for the last several years, but am starting to re-energize my classical listening. I have never invested in listening to Mahler, and have read the other thread here rich with general Mahler tips. I think that I will go for a complete Mahler Symphony cycle and listen chronologically. I was just about to start dl'ing the Tilson Thomas sequence here on emu when frogkopf's info on the Gielen set came across. So, here is my question -- what are the pros/cons of the Tilson Thomas set vs. the Gielen set of Mahler's symphonies? I will purchase only one of these sets at this time as I can't afford to invest my meager resources in multiple versions for comparative purposes. Thanks!!

J P Falcon Nov 6 at 1:22 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by garoy While I have a high regard for the MTT Mahler set, I cannot in all good economic conscious recommend it over the Geilen set when you can buy the latter for $17.98 and thus saving your emu downloads for something else. However, the MTT sound is better than the Gielen (though I have the SACD hard copies and so never heard an MTT/Emu track) so that might sway you towards them....Bottom line, both are fine sets, but you will never find the Gielen for a better price. Read the reviews of the Gielen set at the links below if that helps. http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=7847 http://www.bagatellen.com/archives/reviews/001050.html Reviews of individual Symphonies http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Apr02/Mahler7_Gielen.htm http://www.classicalcdreview.com/gielen3.htm

J P Falcon Nov 6 at 2:13 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by Bad-Thoughts I really do not understand what Amazon is doing with these prices, but hey, who am I to argue? But one must admit that it is a bit odd that they are selling the Schuricht for $18 dollars and simultaneously selling the exact same downloads, with a different heading, for $168!

xtrev Nov 9 at 6:39 AM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by J P Falcon Well, the Amazon UK silly price has gone now :-( New price is 51.49 UK pounds.

garoy Nov 9 at 8:14 AM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by xtrev The US price has reset to $67.99. Thanks to JNP and J P Falcon I purchased the set when still cheap and am quite happy! Cheers!

J P Falcon Nov 9 at 4:05 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by xtrev Well the Schuricht is stiil $17.98 and I would recommend that set for he is a fine conductor. There is one caveat though, you will not be getting the Mahler 2nd performance because it turns out to be some "Cool Jazz" tracks....However, I'm willing to take the loss, rather than notify Amazon, because they might jack the price up afterwards!

frogkopf Nov 9 at 4:21 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by J P Falcon They were priced as double albums. What most likely happened was that when the sets were inputted into the database, they were designated as multi-disc sets but the number of discs wasn't specifiied so the database defaulted the number to two (about 90% of multi-disc sets are doubles so it would make sense to have such a default to save data input time). They couldn't legally go back and charge you a higher price after the fact. You bought the product at the advertised price. They could refuse to initially sell you if they were aware of the error, but they couldn't charge more after the transaction is complete.

J P Falcon Nov 10 at 11:51 AM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by frogkopf Thanks for the input frogkopf but I was not concerned about being recharged, I just did not want others to lose out on a great bargain by bringing attention to the track error...

mommio Nov 10 at 2:54 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by garoy Is it the entire No. 2 that is jazz or only one track?

J P Falcon Nov 10 at 3:55 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by mommio The entire album Disc 19...you can actually hear these tracks yourself by clicking on the preview button for each movement...of course I did not do this prior to purchasing it, so it was a bit disconcerting when I tried listening to the Mahler.... :) EDIT: You know what?...Disc 20 is also the jazz which had the last movement of the Mahler and a Haydn Symphony....Actually though, I like the Jazz tracks...reminds me of Gil Evans or Bob Brookmeyer arrangements

J P Falcon Nov 19 at 3:11 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in response to the message by J P Falcon I hope some of you were able to take advantage of the Schuricht at $18 because it has been pulled....

fduniho Nov 19 at 8:02 PM EST

RE: Michael Gielen's Mahler Box Set

in direct response to the topic by JNP By coincidence, this set is my latest download from Audio Lunchbox. I just stopped by here while transferring the rest of it to my MP3 player. After all the Naxos and Bis albums disappeared from that site, I browsed through what Haenssler had available and found Michael Gielen's Mahler set. I believe I got it for 54 credits.