Is Amazon's Beethoven Box Set Deal Too Good to Be True?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a promotional deal for a "Complete Beethoven Edition" box set on Amazon, consisting of 85 CDs for under $30. Participants explore the implications of this pricing, the quality of the recordings, and the potential for Amazon to honor pre-orders amidst concerns of mispricing.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the significant discount on the Beethoven box set and expresses excitement about the deal, despite concerns it may be a pricing error by Amazon.
  • Another participant reports that the deal was short-lived, with the item now listed as unavailable, raising questions about whether Amazon will fulfill existing pre-orders.
  • A participant shares an experience where Amazon adjusted their order due to mispricing, indicating that they would only honor the price for a single copy.
  • Some participants discuss the quality of the recordings included in the set, with one expressing a desire for a high-quality recording of the Choral Fantasy, indicating dissatisfaction with available options.
  • Another participant mentions owning other classical collections and expresses interest in expanding their collection further.
  • One participant confirms that their order was shipped, reflecting on the process of organizing and listening to the large number of CDs.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express mixed feelings about the deal's legitimacy and Amazon's intentions regarding order fulfillment. While some have successfully received their orders, others remain uncertain about the outcome of their pre-orders, indicating a lack of consensus on the reliability of the deal.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the historical context of the recordings and the potential for licensing issues affecting the availability of certain performances. There is also mention of the varying prices from other retailers, suggesting a broader market context for the deal.

Who May Find This Useful

Classical music enthusiasts, collectors of box sets, and those interested in promotional deals on music may find this discussion relevant.

jtbell
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On amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HGQXB8/?tag=pfamazon01-20 a "Complete Beethoven Edition" on the Brilliant Classics label, 85 CDs for less than US$30! (pre-order price, release date is May 31)

Word has apparently been spreading like wildfire on classical-music forums and other sites. As I write this, the set ranks #31 in amazon.com's best-selling music list, the highest-ranking classical item except for the "Royal Wedding Music" album which is two places in front of it. It first appeared on amazon.com on May 3.

Brilliant Classics is releasing several box sets on May 31, and the others seem to be at similar prices, but this one is by far the largest. The others are ten CDs or so. So this may be an error by amazon.com, and they may weasel out of it in the end. Nevertheless, I've placed my order. Even though I already have most of the music in other performances, I can't pass up a bargain like this.

These are all "oldish" recordings that Brilliant Classics has licensed from other record labels. For example, the symphonies were recorded around 1980 by Herbert Blomstedt and the Dresden Staatskapelle, and the piano sonatas were recorded by Alfred Brendel in the 1960s. I know these two by reputation as being good performances, and the sound should be pretty good if not quite up to modern audiophile standards.

This is actually the second version of the Brilliant Classics Beethoven Edition. They apparently had to replace some of the performances in the earlier version because of licensing issues with the record companies that originally recorded them. Other dealers seem to be selling the set (old and/or new versions) for about €100 or US$130.
 
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That deal lasted for all of two days. Now the page has the message "Sign up to be notified when this item becomes available" and no price.

Nevertheless, my pre-order is still listed in my account, under the old price. Will Amazon actually ship it? Stay tuned...
 
Hope you get that great deal!
 
Someone who got greedy and ordered multiple copies of the set received an e-mail from amazon.com:

amazon.com said:
[...]At any given time, despite our best efforts, a small number of the
millions of items on our site may be mispriced. However, this was our
mistake, and we'll honor the incorrect price for one of the items you
ordered. We're unable to honor the price for multiple quantities of
this item. Therefore, we've adjusted the quantity of your order to
"1". We're sorry for the disappointing news.

So it looks like they intend to fulfill single pre-orders. It might take a while to get enough stock to cover them. I wonder how many people jumped on this bargain?
 
This is a great collection, I also have The Complete Mozart, and looking at getting the Haydn collection.
 
Amazon did in fact ship my "el cheapo" copy ($29.44 with free super saver shipping), while my wife and I were away on a trip. When we returned home today, the first thing I did was go to the college's mail room to pick it up. I wonder how long it will take me to rip 85 CDs into iTunes, re-tag them according to my standards, and listen to them. :rolleyes:
 
jtbell said:
Amazon did in fact ship my "el cheapo" copy ($29.44 with free super saver shipping), while my wife and I were away on a trip. When we returned home today, the first thing I did was go to the college's mail room to pick it up. I wonder how long it will take me to rip 85 CDs into iTunes, re-tag them according to my standards, and listen to them. :rolleyes:

Right now I'd be happy with one high quality recording/performance of the Choral Fantasy. I sampled a whole bunch of them and couldn't find one I liked. The Brendal, which is what I suspect you'll get in your set, is a good performance but an unsatisfactory recording.