Japanese are very strange people and fortunately sometimes this strangeness manifest itself in very cool way. For years I fish in Japan for some interesting recordings. Sometimes the Japanese folks release something that is not available anywhere else. Sometimes they release a know performance but with deistically different level of transfer or pressing. I defiantly would not say that that CDs of Japanese manufacturing is always better but frequently they are.

Usually once a month I do to HMV Japan and pick a few CDs that picked my interest. Here is the list of the interesting goodies form yesterday:

1) Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli 10-cd Box: It is German pressing. I know this label and do not particularly like. But I wonder ig with this box set then would introduce something that I did not hear. Besides, it is $13!

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1497519

2) Brahms Complete symphonies by Barbirolli with Vienna: this is the magnificent and beloved by me performance cycle by Barbirolli at Music Festival in 1967 and it was previously available only by “Royal Music”. I have no idea who “pressed” this release but the did preserve the artwork form the ordinal LPs. I hope that it would be also the different quality then the “Royal Music”.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1977327

3) Neuhaus playing  Scriabin piano concerto with Golovanov: Neuhaus and Golovanov together. Anything else should be said?

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=202587

4) Tchaikovsky’s 6th symphony by Golovanov and the first piano concerto with Gilels: The Golovanov’s “Pathetique” is well know theater of absurd. However, I never head the Gilels play with Golovanov.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1805835

5) Liszt’s Symphonic Poems and rhapsody #6 by Golovanov: This is actuary the CD why I went to HMV Japan this time

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1083469

Rgs,
Romy the Cat