Buying Western Classical Music

[ajay124]

Idle window shopping for music on the Amazon site evoked desire to buy a couple of more cds.Until I realised with dismay I would again need to spend 25 pounds at least to qualify for free shippin :sad:
Put the cds in my wishlist.Will buy when the wishlist qualifies for free delivery.But shopping on Amazon,once I got the hang of it,seems highly addictive.Therefore I will try to open Amazon less often in order to avoid becoming an addict.I've already blown enough cash on Rhythm House in the past one year.

 

[Shivam]

Do let us know if you pay any customs duty. I too am keen on buying from amazon.

 

[sups]

Do let us know if you pay any customs duty. I too am keen on buying from amazon.

There is no customs duty for CDs and DVDs. And as Ajay mentioned, some of the CDs and DVDs are cheaper than Rhythm house purchase, not to mention the huge stock in amazon.

I heard that even for Indian music (albums of lata, rafi etc.) , there are very recorded ones available in Amazon but at a higher cost. Any idea how to find those albums?

 

[ajay124]

I have placed two orders for cds with Amazon,both over 25 pounds and qualifying for free shipping.Some of these cds were billed at even lower prices than those initially showing on the site.Extremely happy with the ordering process,the prices and the wide range of music.Waiting for the cds to arrive.Even if I have to pay 25-30 percent duties they will be a good deal,but if there is no duty add-on,then in future I would only buy through Amazon as long as shipping remains free.

 

[sups]

Some of these cds were billed at even lower prices than those initially showing on the site.Extremely happy with the ordering process,the prices and the wide range of music.

Same here. I ordered CDs of GBP 32, but during check-out the prices came down to GBP 27. It looks to be too good. Lets see how the delivery is.

 

[esanthosh]

Same here. I ordered CDs of GBP 32, but during check-out the prices came down to GBP 27. It looks to be too good. Lets see how the delivery is.

That's because the prices shown on the site are inclusive of VAT which is applicable within the EU.

 

[ajay124]

That's because the prices shown on the site are inclusive of VAT which is applicable within the EU.

Absolutely correct.The prices billed come down further because VAT is deducted before shipping outside Europe.But one should ALWAYS compare prices on Amazon UK and US before ordering.I blindly placed 4 orders with the UK site for roughly 30 pounds each.I was happy with the VAT deduction and free shipping.
Yesterday I was going to place an order for various Schoenberg cd's.The best conductor for Schoenberg is Pierre Boulez and cd's of his recordings were either unavailable or selling at huge premiums on the UK site.I decided to check the US site.Not only were all the cd's available but at substantially cheaper prices.For example a cd quoted for 17 pounds app. on the UK site was 6.99 $ on the US site!Even without VAT deductions and with additional shipping cost the order from the US site worked out far cheaper than it would have from the UK site

 

[ajay124]

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE!
ALBUM:THE JAZZ ALBUM
COMPOSER:SHOSTAKOVICH
ORCHESTRA:ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW
CONDUCTOR:RICCARDO CHAILLY
Absolutely marvellous music.HAS to be heard on a good Hifi!
Can't stop listening since I got this CD a few months backi
The 'JAZZ' title may be an inappropriate and slightly misleading one,possibly tacked on later by the recording studio's.
Intend to dig deeper and find out more about the 'lighter' side of Dmitri Shostakovich.
Amazon.com: Shostakovich: The Jazz Album: Dmitry Shostakovich, Vincent Youmans, Riccardo Chailly

 

[ajay124]

Recieved my first batch of cds from Amazon UK
First the good
The cds arrived in impeccable condition.No scratches,no dents!And no customs!
And the bad
I was expecting a doorstep delivery,but the package seems to have simply been dropped in our mailbox by the local postman.I was present at home and anyway no courier would have left a parcel in the mailbox.Therefore definitely the delivery is through the local post.
The cds came in a sturdy Amazon cardboard pack but the top flap was not sealed.Anybody could have opened the flap and removed a few cds.And then whom does one approach for the loss?
Intend to bring up these issues in the feedback I send to Amazon.
But for the moment the first cd is spinning and I am
There were only 4-5 cds I wanted to buy which were not western classical.Bought them all at one go and this is the package I recieved today:
The Best Of Nina Simone Vol One 1CD
The Best Of Sam Cooke 1CD
The Essential Sly And The Family Stone 2CD
The Amazing Bud Powell Vol One 1CD
Bill Evans The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961 in a sumptuous 3 CD Box Set!

 

[avidyarthy]

Very informative thread Ajay.

Let me have my fill of Instrumentals ... violin, saxophone, sarod ... then would start using your thread as a further reference for Western Classical vocals .....

 

[malvai]

Recieved my first batch of cds from Amazon UK
First the good
The cds arrived in impeccable condition.No scratches,no dents!And no customs!
And the bad
I was expecting a doorstep delivery,but the package seems to have simply been dropped in our mailbox by the local postman.I was present at home and anyway no courier would have left a parcel in the mailbox.Therefore definitely the delivery is through the local post.
The cds came in a sturdy Amazon cardboard pack but the top flap was not sealed.Anybody could have opened the flap and removed a few cds.And then whom does one approach for the loss?
Intend to bring up these issues in the feedback I send to Amazon.
But for the moment the first cd is spinning and I am
There were only 4-5 cds I wanted to buy which were not western classical.Bought them all at one go and this is the package I recieved today:
The Best Of Nina Simone Vol One 1CD
The Best Of Sam Cooke 1CD
The Essential Sly And The Family Stone 2CD
The Amazing Bud Powell Vol One 1CD
Bill Evans The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961 in a sumptuous 3 CD Box Set!

Hi Ajay,
In order of what I have made highlighted on your post/quoted post, I'd say this:
1. You are lucky that they didn't charge duty... so either Amazon marked it as a gift, or the customs guy let this one go!
2. Since the package wasn't sealed, it was because the foreign customs would have opened it to inspect. They are very strict about people importing Porn. At least, this is what the customs officer in the Foreign Post Office told me during one of my bi-monthly sojourns to them (they always have some issue or the other with my HUGE parcels of LP's :lol::lol::lol::lol
3. If it came through local post, you'd have chosen the Cheaper USPS option for shipping. And, my dear pal, if you choose USPS, it will come to you in India vias EMS... That's local post! And believe me, no one has control over those guys! (I have a package of 5 Japanese prints of super rare LP's lying there since the 13th of feb, and they pretent to not know of its whereabouts! I guess they like me to much and want me to take a trip uptown again! And once they see me, they'll show me the opened package and then reluctantly give it to me! )

 

[ajay124]

@Manav
I have 4 more packages coming from Amazon UK and one from Amazon US.The US parcel is with paid standard shipping.If 'standard' shipping turns out to be courier delivered then in the future I will prefer Amazon US to the 'free super saver shipping' from UK.The US package worked out cheaper than if I had purchased those particular cds from UK so it is not neccessary that 'free' shipping and vat deduction from UK is always the cheapest option.And with paid shipping from the US one is not bound by the minimum 25 pounds condition.It would be possible to place orders for lesser amounts.Perhaps it would be better to place orders for 1-2 cds at a time.Less pain if something goes missing.

 

[ajay124]

Recently I brought a few cds and books through Flipkart.Chose the 'pay cash on delivery' option.Good service,constant feedback on how the order is progressing,paid cash to Blue Dart on receipt of parcel.Prices are discounted by 15-20 % as compared to other Indian online sites.Ultimately an India based supplier is the best.Unfortunately Flipkart at the moment has an extremely limited catalogue of music.Rhythm House pricing is quite good for cds released after 2000.It is only older releases from the 'pre downloading' era which are marked at the older premium prices.But Rhythm House delivery/after sales is absolutely fantastic.I also intend to explore other options like CD Universe,Arkiv and Presto Classical.Arkiv and Presto are specialized sites for classical music.Amazon,Flipkart,Rhythm House provides sketchy information about the cds they are selling.
Arkiv and Presto provide detailed information and one can browse by composers/conductors/performers/labels etc.Far more professional.Absolutely essential for western classical music sites to provide comprehensive information because the music stretches back into the 17th century,the recordings available on cds stretch back into the early 30's,multiple conductors,musicians and orchestra's recording the same music.Quite a labyrinth!It's not like simply ordering a Neil Young or Bob Dylan cd.
When you buy Mozart you need to know:
Which orchestra?Which conductor?What musicians?Year of release?Are there any later versions?Are the older versions better than the newer versions?Which conductor or musician has a special empathy for which composer?What kind of tempo and phrasing is a particular conductor or performer using....Legato?Staccato?Vibrato?Portamento?Rubato?Fortissimo?Pianissimo?
Is the system on which one one intends to play Mahler or Beethoven even capable of handling the crescendo's and diminuendo's,the sheer dynamics of a huge orchestra?

I know that a good Solid State Amp/CD player can handle the dynamics of a Mahler or Shostakovich symphony.I would love to hear whether a Vinyl source or a Tube amp can handle the same or not

 

[malvai]

@Manav
I have 4 more packages coming from Amazon UK and one from Amazon US.The US parcel is with paid standard shipping.If 'standard' shipping turns out to be courier delivered then in the future I will prefer Amazon US to the 'free super saver shipping' from UK.The US package worked out cheaper than if I had purchased those particular cds from UK so it is not neccessary that 'free' shipping and vat deduction from UK is always the cheapest option.And with paid shipping from the US one is not bound by the minimum 25 pounds condition.It would be possible to place orders for lesser amounts.Perhaps it would be better to place orders for 1-2 cds at a time.Less pain if something goes missing.

Bro, standard shipping means USPS... USPS means trouble! I'd recommend that you use borderlinx. bit more expensive but totally worth it.

 

[ajay124]

Bro, standard shipping means USPS... USPS means trouble! I'd recommend that you use borderlinx. bit more expensive but totally worth it.

The Amazon US order with standard payed shipping has worked out cheaper than the UK orders with free shipping and a minimum 25 pound condition.The UK orders coming through Royal Mail provide no tracking information.The US order is coming through i-parcel and is providing tracking information and email updates about the movement of the parcel.If I receive the US parcel through a courier then I will not be buying through the UK site in future.Cannot leave the Indian part of the delivery to the vagaries of EMS India Post.

 

[esanthosh]

From my experience...

USPS First Class International == Indian Post Air Mail

USPS Priority Mail (with Tracking) == Speed Post / EMS in India

Both will be handed over to Indian posts once across the border.

 

[sups]

Recently I brought a few cds and books through Flipkart.Chose the 'pay cash on delivery' option.Good service,constant feedback on how the order is progressing,paid cash to Blue Dart on receipt of parcel.Prices are discounted by 15-20 % as compared to other Indian online sites.Ultimately an India based supplier is the best.

Recently we purchased books worth more than one lakh rupees through flipkart. They indeed have a very good service and promptly informed us apriori if there is any delay in service. Most importantly, they keep ready stocks of lot of imported books. Indeed a very good site for buying books online in India.

 

[ajay124]

Recently we purchased books worth more than one lakh rupees through flipkart. They indeed have a very good service and promptly informed us apriori if there is any delay in service. Most importantly, they keep ready stocks of lot of imported books. Indeed a very good site for buying books online in India.

Books worth a lakh?For a personal collection or for a public library?
I received Federico Garcia Lorca's bilingual edition of collected poems yesterday from Flipkart.A beautiful edition.Online purchasing is convenient and one can surf at leisure and buy from a huge ocean of books,music,films.
I had decided to only buy western classical cds but I still went ahead and bought a lot of great jazz albums from Rhythm House last year.I am planning to sell a few of them.Anybody interested can pm me.

 

[sups]

Books worth a lakh?For a personal collection or for a public library?

Its for our company R&D library . The local book stores had a delivery time of about 6 weeks for imported books. And flipkart had a stock of most of them, so delivered within 3 days.

Based on your suggestion, I finally got the copy of Vivaldi's four seasons by Itzhak Perlman from Rhythm house. Its wonderful. Many thanks for your reference to Itzhak Perlman.

 

[ajay124]

Its for our company R&D library . The local book stores had a delivery time of about 6 weeks for imported books. And flipkart had a stock of most of them, so delivered within 3 days.

Based on your suggestion, I finally got the copy of Vivaldi's four seasons by Itzhak Perlman from Rhythm house. Its wonderful. Many thanks for your reference to Itzhak Perlman.

Coincidence!I have just received Itzhak Perlman's Violin Concerto's (Brahms,Dvorak) from Rhythm House and am listening to it.I feel David Oistrakh is the greatest violinist of the 20th century and Itzhak Perlman,Pinchas Zukerman and Yehudi Menuhin are close behind.All four can provide a lifetime of undiminished pleasure playing the great violin concerto's/sonata's of Bach,Vivaldi,Schubert,Brahms,Dvorak,Beethoven,Mozart.