# What is the largest classical music box set for a performer?



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

For me, it is easily the 144 discs comprising the complete Artur Rubenstein. I don't think that I have seen a box set for a performer that was as prolific. We are not including box sets for a single composer as we know that probably Bach complete would be the winner.

http://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Rubinstein-Complete-Album-Collection/dp/B005G0ETV0/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1419395912&sr=1-5&keywords=rubinstein+chopin+collection


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

You are probably right, Membran´s Furtwängler 100cd box could be no.2

As regards LPs, for instance the Melodiya label has had a series of around 12x6 = 72 LPs with Vladimir Sofronitsky´s complete recordings, but it seems uncertain they were actually all released.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

joen_cph said:


> You are probably right, Membran´s Furtwängler 100cd box could be no.2
> 
> As regards LPs, for instance the Melodiya label has had a series of around 12x6 = 72 LPs with Vladimir Sofronitsky´s complete recordings, but it seems uncertain they were actually all released.


If this is right I think that you are referring to this box set: http://www.amazon.com/Wilhelm-Furtw%C3%A4ngler-Das-Verm%C3%A4chtnis-Legacy/dp/B004JC16LC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1419459102&sr=8-3&keywords=membran+furtwangler

Wow, way too much listening for me LOL.


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## Lord Lance (Nov 4, 2013)

No.

Nothing comes close:
Karajan DG


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Ludwig van Beethoven said:


> No.
> 
> Nothing comes close:
> Karajan DG


Do you have that one?


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Okay my research has proven me wrong . I didn't realize that Karajan conducted twice as much as Rubenstein recorded... of course, I am not surprised considering that Karajan was prolific across nearly 50 years of performing.

Still maybe somebody else did MORE than Karajan did. Keep 'em coming!


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

It seems that we have a winner .

Concerning Karajan, there´s also a similar box of his EMi recordings, 72+88 CDs, and a Karajan Decca supplement of 9 CDs, etc.

Others: Sony´s Bernstein Edition of 80 CDs, an EMI Callas 70 CD collection, the Horowitz Complete Jacket Collection of 70 CDS ...

Leslie Howard´s recording of the complete Liszt piano music is - at least - 99 CDs:
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDS44501/98


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

joen_cph said:


> It seems that we have a winner .
> 
> Concerning Karajan, there´s also a similar box of his EMi recordings, 72+88 CDs, and a Karajan Decca supplement of 9 CDs, etc.
> 
> Others: Sony´s Bernstein Edition of 80 CDs, an EMI Callas 70 CD collection, the Horowitz Complete Jacket Collection of 70 CDS ...


It's too bad that the Karajan box set is pretty much only available in Japan? Not a US domestic release.
Honestly I think that I could build up a huge Karajan box set collection via iTunes. I see a lot of his stuff online for sure.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Heifetz 104 CDs


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

> It's too bad that the Karajan box set is pretty much only available in Japan? Not a US domestic release.
> Honestly I think that I could build up a huge Karajan box set collection via iTunes. I see a lot of his stuff online for sure


The selected classic Karajan material in my old-media collection probably amounts to 90 well-known LP/CDs or so, including

2x Beethoven Symphonies DG box sets, Wagner The Ring, Meistersinger & Parsifal, R. Strauss orchestral box, Puccini La Boheme & Madame Butterfly/decca, Brahms symphonies, Bach Mass in b, DG Sibelius recordings, Mozart late symphonies/EMI, Mozart Don Giovanni/DG, Mussorgsky Boris Gudonov, Beethoven Missa Solemnis, the Neue Wiener Schule orchestral box, 
some Mahler, Bruckner, Liszt, Nielsen, Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky, Honegger, Bartok, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, etc.


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## Lord Lance (Nov 4, 2013)

*Interesting statistics*


Karajan was the most prolific recording artist of the Twentieth Century. Ashkenazy presently records a _lot _of works. But, his rate of recording is no match for the mighty Karajan.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bernstein's box sets:
I. Leonard Bernstein: The Symphony Editon [60 Discs]
II. Bernstein Collection: Volumes 1 [60 Discs]
III. Leonard Bernstein: Album Collection [80 Discs]

The cumulative of his three box sets is (60+80+60) = 200. And that probably rounds off most of his recorded legacy [Add several discs for miscellaneous and live recordings]. 

Aggregate duration for Bernstein's [almost] entire output would come off to (assuming an average of {(50+55+60+65+70+75+80)/7} 65 minutes running per disc) _216 hours._ 

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Karajan's box sets:
I. Karajan 1908-1989: The Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings [240 Discs]
II. The Complete EMI Recordings 1946-1984, Vol. 1: Orchestral [88 Discs]
III. The Complete EMI Recordings 1949-1984, Vol. 2: Opera & Vocal [72 Discs] 
IV. Karajan: The Legendary Decca Recordings [9 Dics]

The cumulative of these four box sets is 409 discs. Running time would come off to (same average assumption) 443 hours. _Guaranteed!_*

But!* He had several live recordings (released on several records labels like Testament) and miscellaneous studio recordings for small-time labels. _And, _video performances. Meaning, his entire output easily exceeds *440 hours*.

*Top that.*


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Ludwig van Beethoven said:


> Karajan was the most prolific recording artist of the Twentieth Century. Ashkenazy presently records a _lot _of works. But, his rate of recording is no match for the mighty Karajan.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ...


You win easily. For me it would be a lot easier to listen to all of Kleiber's or Fricsay's recordings LOL!


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

4 CDs: *Mompou* w. Mompou; *Schubert* Symphonies, w. VPO/Muti; *Tchaikovsky* Symphonies, w. Philharmonia/Muti.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Maria Callas' latest box set and Bernstein box sets are relatively large too.


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