Cheap Decca Recordings 1950-1960 (Music) (Ruggiero Ricci) Price

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Customer Reviews of Decca Recordings 1950-1960

Rewarding Ricci
This five disc box set featuring the Decca Recordings (1950-60) of violinist Ruggiero Ricci is easily the best of the latest batch of releases in the limited edition "Original Masters" series. Nearly 3/4 of this collection is material that is being made available for the first time internationally. All of the first three CDs (CD1: Paganini's 24 Caprices; CD2: Paganini's 1st & 2nd VCs with Collins and Ravel's Tzigane with Ansermet; and CD3: Strauss and Weber Sonatas) and most of the fifth disc (Hindemith & Prokofiev Sonatas) fall into this category. Furthermore, all of the material on CD4 (Saraste & Saint-Saens with Gamba and Lalo's "Symphonie Espagnole" with Ansermet) was previously available on a disc in Decca's "Classic Sound" series but it has been out of print (and hard to find -- I never could locate one) for years. In fact, the only selection currently in print, and featured on another title, from this set is Khachaturian's Violin Concerto (Fistoulari, 1956), which is available on a Double Decca title that I had fortunately yet to purchase. The only downside to this collection is the predominance of mono recordings (only the Tzigane, CD 4 and the Hindemith & Prokofiev Sonatas are in stereo), but they still sound delightful, and only the Paganini Caprices suffer the slightest hiss. In all, another great set in the "Original Masters" series.