FREE/BARGAIN — Media Deals (non-eBook/non-audiobook)

[ATDrake]

Free video game from Humble Bundle as part of a promo for their latest gaming bundle:

Galactic Civilizations I Ultimate Edition is the 1st entry (plus 1 expansion pack) in the far future science fiction strategy franchise (Wikipedia) where you try to dominate the galaxy through whatever means are at hand.

Free until the bundle expires just before 11 AM Pacific Time on April 25th @ Humble Intergalactic Bundle (Windows only via Steam key; scroll down and enter your email for the newsletter signup where indicated, requires a Humble Bundle account linked to a Steam account)

[GtrsRGr8]

Get Antonin Dvorak's piece, Te Deum: Te Deum laudamus, free today, courtesy of YourClassical.

Here's the dedicated YourClassical webpage for the freebie. From it, you can do various things, including downloading the piece.

A couple of warnings, of sorts. First, in this piece an orchestral performance is accompanied by singing. I know that some people do not like singing in classical pieces. Also, the piece apparently is in Latin, and is religiously oriented. The title of the song, translated into English is "Mass: Praise".

I regret that the YourClassical freebie of the day is being posted so late in the day; it really couldn't be helped. No worries if you don't see this post until after 2-3 a.m. tomorrow morning, though, when the changeover occurs--YourClassical maintains an archive of the last 5 or 6 days' posts here.

[GtrsRGr8]

There is an interesting situation with today's YourClassical freebie. The piece is composed by Hector Berlioz; however, it is arranged by Franz Liszt, who is also a composer, in his own right.

The piece is Harold In Italy: March Of The Pilgrims. Get it from here, YourClassical's dedicated webpage for the free piece.

[GtrsRGr8]

The YourClassical freebie du jour is J.S. Bach's Easter Oratorio: Sinfonia.

To download it, find the "Direct MP3 download link" on this webpage, the dedicated webpage for the YourClassical freebie, and click on it.

[Dr. Drib]

^ Got it.

Thank you!

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

^ Got it.

Thank you!

Glad to be of service.

I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I'm starting to build up quite a sizable library of classical music--some of it entire albums, some of them even in a better format than MP3 (FLAC is all that I can think of right now).

[AnemicOak]

I've got a fair amount from downloads. I generally skip anything that isn't a full album or at least a full piece. I'm also a bit picky quality wise. I've got so many great classical CD's (about 1,500) that I already have more than I'll probably ever listen too. My biggest challenge with a lot of the downloads is that I like to know who the performers / conductor are and sometimes don't get that info with the download.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I've got a fair amount from downloads. I generally skip anything that isn't a full album or at least a full piece. I'm also a bit picky quality wise. I've got so many great classical CD's (about 1,500) that I already have more than I'll probably ever listen too. My biggest challenge with a lot of the downloads is that I like to know who the performers / conductor are and sometimes don't get that info with the download.

Hmmmm . . . . I'll make a point to look from now on, since I've started making abbreviated posts and don't include that information now. But, I can't think of an instance, prior to that change, where I haven't seen the performer(s) and even the conductor (if the performance requires one) mentioned somewhere. Sometimes I've had to dig a little bit. However, I can understand how you may want to skip the ones where you have to dig, especially if it is just a single, MP3 piece.

BTW--would you mind leaving your CD's to me in your will? I know that I'd have to give you my real name for the legal documents; GtrsRGr8 probably wouldn't suffice. Of course, I might "go" before you do. ha ha

I've got a long way to go before accumulating 1,500 albums. Probably won't get it done by just getting the freebies. I've been getting 5 downloads each week from FreeGal, available from one of the two libraries where I have borrowing privileges. They tend to be pop music and elevator music, but I like those, too. I don't know exactly how many that I've accumulated, but I'd say that it's at least 300 songs.

[AnemicOak]

I always forget about FreeGal. Need to remember to take advantage of that.

I've got my eye on this set, so hopefully it'll go on sale at some point or I'll get it as a gift...
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...bum_id=2250617

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I always forget about FreeGal. Need to remember to take advantage of that.

I've got my eye on this set, so hopefully it'll go on sale at some point or I'll get it as a gift...
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...bum_id=2250617

That's a great price as it is, it seems to me--just over $2 per CD.

Are you on Archiv Music's mailing list? I am, and it seems like they have percent off sales occasionally. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll look over some of their old emails.

[GtrsRGr8]

Don't see the format on the CD's in the set, but I'm sure that it would be good.

[GtrsRGr8]

FreeGal may also have some classical stuff. To be honest with you, I never have checked.

[GtrsRGr8]

Yeah, FreeGal's got probably 250 pieces or so that it calls classical. At least, lots of them certainly have titles that sound like they're classical.

Find the page with the light aqua blue menu going all the way across the page. Click on "genres."

I'll probably eventually mine that category for everything that I can get out of it. Right now, there are still got a lot of pop and rock songs that I want to download.

[koland]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Don't see the format on the CD's in the set, but I'm sure that it would be good.

It'll be as good as you could get, other than possibly some very high end (and pricey) vinyl.

Rip to FLAC for same high quality in your digital collection.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by koland

It'll be as good as you could get, other than possibly some very high end (and pricey) vinyl.

Rip to FLAC for same high quality in your digital collection.

I still can't believe that vinyl is come back from the dead. And get this--the newest TV sets have curved screens now. They started out curved, then went to flat, and now they're back to curved again. What was old is new again.

Are you saying that MP3 files can be upgraded to FLAC if you rip them to FLAC? That doesn't seem possible. It seems like it would be like the standard DVD players that claimed that they could "upconvert" (I think that the word is) standard DVD's to the high resolution (I've forgotten the name of them, it is below blu-ray) DVD's. It just simulated the higher resolution.

BTW--something y'all might find interesting. In the 1970's did any of you hear of "quadraphonic" (that may have been just the name that one particular company used) receivers? Supposedly they could convert stereo records or eight-track (Ack!) tapes to a 4-channel sound. I owned a system (it wasn't really expensive) that was described that way. I never could hear any difference, myself. Wonder what happened to that concept? I guess that the manufacturers couldn't deliver on what they promised . . . .

Glad that you made the post, for several reasons. One is it reminded me to check your blog before I go nite-nite.