Ridiculous nonsense. One of my favorite categories!

I usually like to write about CDs I love and those which have enriched my music listening world. But when I come across a stinker which irks me no end, I can't help but add it to one of my very favorite categories: "Ridiculous Nonsense". These are usually such poorly thought-out and/or produced reissues, they represent a complete waste of money for the unsuspecting buyer.

SONY is a frequent offender. While they often offer invaluable reissues, particularly in their budget "Masters" series box sets, they sometimes make an inexcusable blunder. And occasionally they offer something so completely ridiculous, it is nothing short of laughable. Let's start with three from this latter category.

First up is a box set entitled: The Aaron Copland Collection. This is one of the most misguided box sets yet to come from the geniuses at SONY. Copland recorded 7 CDs' worth of his orchestral music, which have been variously compiled and reissued over the years. So for this "Collection" box, one would think SONY had decided to combine all 7 discs of Copland conducting his orchestral music (as they have similarly done with Stravinsky conducting his works). Instead, someone decided to pluck out just 3 of those orchestral CDs and combine them with 2 discs of piano music played by Leo Smit. Copland is certainly not known for his piano music, and I doubt anyone looking for a Copland collection is at all interested in exploring obscure piano music. On the other hand, the orchestral music they did include contains what most people will look for in his most popular ballets, etc. 

The 7 discs of complete orchestral music conducted by the composer would have been a wonderful box. And if someone at SONY just insisted on having the piano music in there (and I can't imagine why that would be), then make it a 9-disc set. That would really be a Copland Collection! As it is, I can't imagine anyone wanting this. If one wanted just the pieces parts they included, there is a 3-disc set already available which one could buy. To put together a "collection" that is not in any way complete just makes no sense whatsoever.
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Now a Stravinsky 2-fer, in the same SONY Masters series. And I just scratch my head and wonder...WHY? WHY? WHY?

Boulez recorded 3 discs of Stravinsky orchestral music for CBS back in the 70s. One disc was reissued in 2005, remastered in DSD, in Sony's Classic Library series. So the logical choice for this new release would be to reissue the remaining 2 discs, freshly remastered in this series' 24bit remastering, right? Well, apparently not. Sony has instead randomly selected one item from that 2005 release (Firebird Suite) and plucked a couple items from the other 2 original releases and come up with this present release. It is a 2-disc set with just 91 minutes of music. Huh?

And...WHY?

As with the Copland Collection, including just 3 of the 7 discs available, so it goes with this Stravinsky. Instead of reissuing ALL of Boulez's CBS Stravinsky in a neat, tidy, useful, LOGICAL, 3-disc set, they have randomly picked just three selections for a very un-generous, under-filled, 2-disc set. We don't even get his recording of the complete Firebird - god knows there was PLENTY of room for it. Nope, just the 22 minute suite, which has been reissued before. And his complete Firebird, which has long been unavailable, desperately needed a new remastering. It just makes no sense whatsoever. I can't imagine having any use for this current double. As it is, it would involve duplication and/or leave gaps in one's collection. So one is left wondering who they think would buy this. This is absolutely ridiculous nonsense.
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And now to an earlier Bartok box set, also from Boulez. And I just have one word for it: Ridiculous. Ok, two words: Absolutely ridiculous! This 4-disc box inexplicably omits Boulez's recording of the Concerto for Orchestra (with the New York Phil). Now, why - oh why - would they include one, lone Scriabin work and leave out what is arguably Bartok's most famous, popular and beloved work in this Bartok box? Someone at SONY, please explain it to me.

If someone really, REALLY just HAD to include the Scriabin in this Bartok box, well - news flash - it would have fit in addition to the Concerto for Orchestra. The original release of The Wooden Prince had the Scriabin as its coupling. But in this box, they have the Wooden Prince all by itself on disc 2 (just 53' of music). Then they stuck the Scriabin on disc 3 along with other Bartok. If they had simply duplicated the original release of Wooden Prince and the Scriabin, then, hmmmmm....there would have been room on disc 3 for the Concerto for Orchestra! Good grief, is it really that difficult to figure out?

Fortunately, SONY has rectified the situation in their more recent 4-disc Masters series Bartok box (pictures inserted below). For THAT Bartok box, they've actually included ALL of Boulez's Bartok and skipped the stupid Scriabin. And it's remastered in 24-bit as well. So by all means, buyers, get that box instead - plus it's cheaper too. ​

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​And just one from Decca. Oh yes, many have commented (on Amazon) that this is just so wonderful that it contains some of Solti's Bartok. Seriously. Wouldn't it have been nice if Decca had included ALL of Solti's Bartok in this Solti Bartok box? They allotted 7 discs for this set and then someone decided that only 5 of those would actually be Bartok. Instead someone had the brilliant idea that discs 6 and most of 7 should be "historic", NON-Bartok items, and then leave out Solti's 1960s LSO Bartok recordings. And to include a mono 1955 Music for Strings Percussion & Celesta as a bonus but omit his 1963 recording of it with the LSO just makes no sense.

Fortunately, Eloquence has recently issued that 1963 Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta, along with the all of Solti's LSO Bartok, in a splendid 2-fer. And everyone with any interest whatsoever in Bartok surely already has Solti's Chicago Bartok and the Piano Concertos in other collections which have been issued over the years. So no one needs this Decca box - incomplete as it is. Decca usually does a great job in their comprehensive collections, making this one all the more baffling. Solti's Bartok is second to none and deserves a complete, comprehensive collection. Maybe one day we'll get it. As it stands, this current box is "ridiculous nonsense".