# THE BEST packaging of classical music. CD, Vinyl etc.



## Xenakiboy

I've been looking at John Zorn albums recently and many of them have very clever, immersive and beautiful designs. What are some classical CDs that have the best packaging, that is more than just credits and basic artwork? :tiphat:


and box sets too!


----------



## SixFootScowl

This seems to be pretty nice packaging:


----------



## Pugg

The question is brought up a few times more , if O.P searches well , they are there.
Strange covers, beautiful covers.
Do a bit of digging and the are their .


----------



## SixFootScowl

There is a cheap NAXOs Beethoven symphony set where the disks are given this treatment:









They come in an foldout cardboard case (I think it is 5 sections, but shown here only partly open):


----------



## SixFootScowl

Here is some nice packaging of a great Dublin Messiah. The bottom row is the middle row with the disks and booklet removed.


----------



## CDs

Florestan said:


> Here is some nice packaging of a great Dublin Messiah. The bottom row is the middle row with the disks and booklet removed.


I was just thinking how Linn Records has very good packaging. Nice glossy covers!


----------



## Xenakiboy

Even though most of Frank Zappa's music isn't classical, his packaging has always been immersive. With stories, drawings, crossword puzzles, cut-puts etc. 
Any *really out-there* classical album packages?


----------



## Xenakiboy

Florestan said:


> There is a cheap NAXOs Beethoven symphony set where the disks are given this treatment:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They come in an foldout cardboard case (I think it is 5 sections, but shown here only partly open):


Beautiful packaging there, not a Beet fan but I'd buy it for the packaging alone! :lol:


----------



## Xenakiboy

....................... (ignore this)


----------



## Xenakiboy

Florestan said:


> Here is some nice packaging of a great Dublin Messiah. The bottom row is the middle row with the disks and booklet removed.


Getting good there! :tiphat:


----------



## Pugg

To name a few.


----------



## Xenakiboy

Pugg said:


> To name a few.


This isn't album covers, it's the overall packaging. Else I would have made a "strange and funny classical album covers" thread


----------



## KenOC

"...each CD is lovingly packaged in a hand-tooled leather slipcover made from the hide of the Arabian oryx. The slipcover designs, each of which takes six months to tool, are painstakingly created by skilled craftsmen in a number of countries based on paintings of the old masters. The entire set of CDs is then placed in a collector-grade box made from hardwoods selected from critically endangered rain forest trees, inlaid with filigrees of gold and mother of pearl."

I got mine at a garage sale.


----------



## Pugg

Xenakiboy said:


> This isn't album covers, it's the overall packaging. Else I would have made a "strange and funny classical album covers" thread


Then your O.P was not clear enough, and any way, most of the time the brand label is on "classical" .


----------



## Xenakiboy

Pugg said:


> Then your O.P was not clear enough, and any way, most of the time the brand label is on "classical" .


I guess I do that sometimes, forgive me Pugg.


----------



## SixFootScowl

Then there is always this set (mine is in a cardboard case and no DVDs):


----------



## Xenakiboy

Florestan said:


> Then there is always this set (mine is in a cardboard case and no DVDs):


Woah! That is massive!!!


----------



## Pugg

And this wonderful boxes


----------



## JosefinaHW

OMG!! This post and that crazy avatar grin... haven't last this much since one of deprofundis' posts (and I WAS laughing with him).


----------



## elgar's ghost

For a single disc the packaging here is seriously in the luxury bracket - full texts and extensive notes for each song which means the jewel case is about 50% wider in order to accommodate the booklet.










Then for a multi-disc set there is this stunner:


----------



## Pugg

This is my most beautiful set.

Wooden box with near mint vinyl, the first complete Solti ring complete .

​


----------



## SixFootScowl




----------



## StlukesguildOhio

The elaborate, informative, and quite beautiful packaging of Jordi Savall's recordings are among the finest:


----------



## StlukesguildOhio

This design was enough to spur me on to purchase this disc... which is quite marvelous:


----------



## Pugg

StlukesguildOhio said:


> This design was enough to spur me on to purchase this disc... which is quite marvelous:


Your recommendation is enough for me to buy it .:tiphat:


----------



## Marinera

Xenakiboy said:


> View attachment 85423
> 
> 
> View attachment 85424
> View attachment 85425
> 
> 
> Even though most of Frank Zappa's music isn't classical, his packaging has always been immersive. With stories, drawings, crossword puzzles, cut-puts etc.
> 
> Any *really out-there* classical album packages?


interesting, almost architectural overall impression, with some surreal and bizzare elements, brings Gaudi to mind to some degree


----------



## starthrower

Challenge Classics does high quality packaging. As does NEOS.


----------



## Xenakiboy

Just looking at my John Zorn CDs here and I like how for each series he has, there's a different CD design "template"
The composer series has one format
The Masada (jazz band) has another
Naked City (hardcore band) is more like a traditional band in book format
Moonchild Project has another 
And so on...

I think this idea is really cool!! 
It's a great idea for composers/artists/musicians that don't write in just one field!


----------



## Meyerbeer Smith

The Palazzetto Bru Zane series of French opera. Hardcover books, with articles and essays; the CDs are in sleeves inside the front and back covers.


----------



## Xenakiboy

Also reading the booklet of the Carl Stalling Project. I wish that more labels releasing these CDs and packages would include experts from the score and pictures of the composers sketches or related artwork. It adds to the immersion and feeling that it was worth buying!


----------



## Figleaf

SimonTemplar said:


> The Palazzetto Bru Zane series of French opera. Hardcover books, with articles and essays; the CDs are in sleeves inside the front and back covers.
> 
> View attachment 85698


Those look gorgeous, and thank you for mentioning the Palazzetto Bru Zane: I would never have heard of them without your posts . I haven't ordered any of the operas yet as my wish list is long and they are pricey, but I have the David and Lalo songs, and the Godard songs are on the way. Those don't have hardback books like the opera sets do, but the presentation is still fantastic: song texts and notes in French and English, nice artwork and photos and brief biographies of the interpreters. A great discovery!


----------

