Anyone interested in either of the recent Brilliant Classics 100 CD boxes, or their 170 CD Mozart box might find Amazon France's anniversary offers, here.

Having scratched this particular itch, I'm pleased to report that this is right up there with the other Jacobs recordings of the Mozart operas. I was a little concerned, listening to the Overture, that we might be in for the hyper-interventionist Jacobs approach as heard in his recent Symphony No.41 recording, but that fear didn't last long. Speeds are often, but not always, swift. The Don's Champagne aria is slower than you'll often hear, but Jacobs argues that it's usually too fast: "in an excessively fast, demonically distorted performance, the words retreat into incomprehensibility and the singer finds himself with breathing problems". The Don is sung by baritone Johannes Weisser - a new name to me - who was only 26 when the recording was made, although the original Giovanni was 21! Sunhae Im's Zerlina is a bit of an acquired taste - not as sweet-sounding as a Freni, for example - but I was very impressed with Kenneth Tarver's Ottavio (I recall him as a stylish Ferrando at Covent Garden) and Lorenzo Regazzo's Leporello is vivdly portrayed. It's a very dramatic performance, as you'd expect if you've heard the Cosi, Nozze and Clemenza recordings and the Freiberg Baroque Orchestra's contributions are superb. Recommended!

I'm sorely tempted by this new recording:



I hadn't realised that Nigel Kennedy has had a home in Krakow for several years and has been the artistic director of the Polish Chamber Orchestra since 2002! I know the Mieczysław Karłowicz  violin concerto through Tasmin Little's Hyperion recording, but Emil Szymon Młynarski  is a completely new name to me and I'm intrigued.

Also known as Captain Hook.

Well, the Nigel Kennedy disc of Młynarski and Karłowicz arrived a few days ago and I've listened a number of times. It's a super disc and I'm at a loss to understand why they're not better known, especially the Młynarski.

I've managed to resist temptation for several weeks now: work on other things has rather kept me from having time to listen. I'm afraid, though, that this has got me scrabbling for my plastic: at this price, (£2 per disc!) I rather fancy there may be a few more takers on this board....

IGI,

I listened to the first two acts on Tuesday/Wednesday (on my ipod, during a train journey).  First impressions are that this is an assured performance orchestrally, with Domingo and Meier (who are familiar from other sets) as good as ever.  I feel that some of the other singers are a bit lightweight and don't measure up to previous practitioners of the roles of Gurnemanz and Amfortas.  However, I'd disregard the comments about stage noises on those Amazon reviews..the only ones I was aware of (I was listening on an ipod, remember) were a few sword swishes during the grail scene.  Otherwise, it's very impressive and smooth, for a live recording.

At under fifteen quid, I think you should go for it.....it may never become your favourite recording of Parsifal, but it's still powerful stuff.

Many thanks, S_K. I was apprehensive about the stage noises mentioned in that online review, but can cope with a few swishing swords!    I will be interested to hear Domingo and Meier, but particularly to sample the work of Christian Thielemann, who does tend to divide opinion from what I've read. I have just placed an order with HMV.