# Post the largest three CD sets you own (classical or non-classical)



## SixFootScowl

My largest three:









This one including works of Mozart, Bartok, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Mahler, Rimsky-Korsakov, Franc, Strauss II, and De Falla.


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## SimonNZ

that one is 200 discs

I've got a few cube-y things that are 50 - here's a couple:


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## opus55

Murray Perahia The First 40 Years = 73
Kodaly Haydn = 25
The Golden Age of the Romantic Piano Concerto = 20

Personally, I tend not to reach out to big box sets. Yes, they're great values and cool to keep but I would try to avoid a box set greater than 20 discs in the future.


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## elgar's ghost

Pretty small taters in comparison to the above Leviathans, but I love 'em! The Bach, Mozart and Mahler are joint 3rd.


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## joen_cph

Händel Box 40 CD Brilliant Classics
Vivaldi Box 40 CD Brilliant Classics
Mendelssohn 40 CD Brilliant Classics
Haydn symphonies / Fischer 33 CD Brilliant Classics
Stravinsky works 23 CD Sony
Haydn string quartets 23 CD Brilliant Classics
Bach vocal works / Gardiner 22 CD Archiv

Dropped:
Mozart Box 40 CD Brilliant Classics
Bach Box 40 CD Brilliant Classics

Planned:
Beethoven complete works Brilliant Classics, 87 or 100 CD


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## ptr

Great Pianists of the 20th Century: The Complete Edition (200 discs)









Arthur Rubinstein: The Complete Album Collection on RCA (144 discs)









Arturo Toscanini - The Complete RCA Collection (85 discs)









/ptr


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## QuietGuy

I've only got two:

The 22 CD set of Stravinsky's works. (Columbia/Sony)

The 14 CD set of Ravel's works. (Decca)


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## scratchgolf

Dear lord Ptr! That's more music than I could listen to in a lifetime! As for my sets, they're mostly digital and I'm too lazy to count. Here's an inaccurate summary. (More than 10 discs each. Often more than 20)

Classical
-Bohm conducting Wagner in Bayreuth
-Complete Haydn Symphonies
-Complete Mozart Symphonies
-Boulez conducts Schoenberg
-Rubinstein plays Chopin
-Bach's complete Sacred Cantatas
-Numerous Big Sets, Complete string quartets, complete blah blah (See the part where I'm too lazy. Sometimes even to look up the correct names of these collections)

Non Classical
-Led Zeppelin Box
-Robert Plant Box
-Pink Floyd Box


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## ptr

scratchgolf said:


> Dear lord Ptr! That's more music than I could listen to in a lifetime!


But fx. 200CDs are just about 250Hrs, at the longest not more then six 40 Hr weeks, I'm sure it took me less! 
I thought that people that come to TC obsessed about playing and/or listening to music...

/ptr


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## Albert7

Largest encoded CD sets include

34 discs of the complete Scarlatti sonatas by Scott Ross
17 discs of the complete EMI Jacqueline du Pre

the rest are 15 disc sets or less  and I don't remember what I own.

I do have the Solti Ring at least.


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## arpeggio

OK. I'll bite:


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## techniquest

Gosh, my complete sets are tiddlers compared to some of those above! My largest however are:

1. Wagner - The Ring - Solti (14 CD's)









2. Mahler - the 10 Symphonies - Bernstein (DG) (13 CD's)









3. Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies - Barshai (a measly 11 CD's)


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## Cheyenne

Furtwängler: das vermächtnis, La Lumière: Music of the Enlightenment, Olivier Messiaen edition.


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## SixFootScowl

That Furtwangler set is beautifully packaged.


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## DiesIraeCX

I only have one large box set, "The Debussy Edition", which I purchased online very recently. It has 18 CDs.


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## Cheyenne

DiesIraeVIX said:


> I only have one large box set, "The Debussy Edition", which I purchased online very recently. It has 18 CDs.


I have that one too, it's great!


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## Lord Lance

Thanks to the wonders of technology:

View attachment 60667

View attachment 60668


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## michaels

*Christmas was good to me!*

*88 Disks*









*72 Disks*









Just got this one (used and yet to be ripped)
*74 Disks*









<BEGIN IRONY>Karajan isn't my favorite conductor, but these were on my amazon wish list<End irony>


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## michaels

Cheyenne said:


> I have that one too, it's great!


The Debussy Edition was dirt cheap on amazon and I picked it up too!


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## TxllxT

My 'largest' in terms of musical quality:


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## Lord Lance

michaels said:


> *88 Disks*
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> *72 Disks*
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> Just got this one (used and yet to be ripped)
> *74 Disks*
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> <BEGIN IRONY>Karajan isn't my favorite conductor, but these were on my amazon wish list<End irony>


You could get the EMI box sets for dirt cheap. PM me if you want.


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## omega




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## Art Rock

Not counting collections that I completed from the original CD's (such as the Hyperion Schubert edition), or electronic collections, only real physical boxes:

View attachment 60725

[14 CDs]

View attachment 60726

[11 CDs]

View attachment 60727

[10 CDs]

View attachment 60728

[10 CDs]


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## joen_cph

^^^^

Concerning the organ music box, it´s a pity that Dutch CDs (and LPs) are so relatively rare abroad.

The _Donemus label_, the _Erasmus_ label, _Dutch Philips _and the _NM Classics _label have some great releases, 
and the Tristan Keuris CD box from _Quattro Live _is superb too. But I´m sure that I´ve only seen a fraction of the releases.


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## Varick

elgars ghost said:


> Pretty small taters in comparison to the above Leviathans, but I love 'em! The Bach, Mozart and Mahler are joint 3rd.


Wow, 10 CD's of absolute lifeless music. What's that like???



arpeggio said:


> OK. I'll bite:
> 
> View attachment 60603


I am not familiar with the works of Leslie Howard. Is this set worth having? I don't want a box set of mediocre performance just to have everything Liszt every wrote for the piano. I'd rather have great performances of his works piece meal.

So was just wondering what your take on this set is. Thanks.

As for me: 








Just came out, should be on my doorstep in 2 days. I can't wait.























I'm usually reluctant to go to the enormous collections of anything, but I couldn't resist the Richter set. I've been waiting for 5 months for this set to be released. I was about to buy "The Complete Album Collection" but good thing I read the reviews. That's when I found out that this (above) set was coming out, so I decided to wait. I have considered the Karajan box set, but I already have so many individual, that I'd probably be duplicating about 1/3 of the collection. Might not be worth the price.

The next one I will definitely buy will be the "Fleisher Complete Album Collection."

V


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## elgar's ghost

Varick said:


> Wow, 10 CD's of absolute lifeless music. What's that like???


Thank you for asking. It was a convenient way to get the concertos in one hit and, as I don't have nor want any supplemental recordings, they have served me well enough over the years. :tiphat:


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## JACE

My "big boxes" are _rinky-dink_, compared to some of you guys & gals! 

*Eugen Jochum - Icon: The Complete EMI Recordings (20 CDs)*
Bruckner, Beethoven & Brahms Symphonies; Bach & Mozart Sacred Works










*Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 1 - 15; Other Orchestral Works (14 CDs)*
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra










*Brahms - Complete Chamber Music (12 CDs)*
Performed by the Nash Ensemble, pianist Roger Vignoles, the Tokyo Quartet, the Brandis Quartet, violinist György Pauk, cellist Herre-Jan Stegenga, clarinetist Karl Leister and others.


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## SimonNZ

Varick said:


> The next one I will definitely buy will be the "Fleisher Complete Album Collection."
> 
> V


I scanned that as "Fischer-Dieskau Complete Album Collection"

which would be amazing, but would almost certainly be the largest classical box set ever put together (assuming DG and EMI would somehow cooperate)


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## Triplets

I've bought quite a few large box sets the last year or so. So much back catalog is appearing and so cheaply that I can't resist.
My two biggest have to be the two large Mercury boxes.


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## GreenMamba

My third largest is only 4 CDs, so I guess I don't do big sets. But not too long ago I had none of these.


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## Jeff W

Number one in size is the Brilliant Classics Mozart Complete Works Box that weighs in at a whopping 170 discs!









Number two in size for me is the Toscanini\RCA box set that weighs in at 85 discs.









Number three in size, at a mere 33 discs in size, is the Antal Dorati Complete Haydn Symphonies box.


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## SixFootScowl

Revised to drop the Hanover Beethoven Symphonies, Overtures, and Missa Solemnis 7-CD set and now include my recently acquired second biggest set, a 43 disk Wagner opera set:


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## Pugg

​From the top of my mind: this one :tiphat:
107 CD'S


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## Cosmos

Most of my music has been digitally downloaded, so the largest physical CD set I have isn't big at all...

Prokofiev: Complete Symphonies and Lieutenant Kijé, Seiji Ozawa w/ Berlin Philharmonic [4 CDs]










if I were allowed to include digital stuff, the largest collection would be Mozart: Complete Piano Concertos, Murray Perahia w/ various orchestras [12 CDs]


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## Pugg

​114 CD'S


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## Jeffrey Smith

Easy answer for me
The Teldec Complete Bach
The Hanssler Complete Bach
The Complete Artur Rubinstein

No 4 would be Brilliant's 100 CD box of symphonies (may no longer be in print)
No. 5 is the Complete Seon box


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## Guest




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## hpowders

My TWO biggest sets:

1. New York Philharmonic, Historic Broadcasts, 1923-1987.

2. New York Philharmonic: The Mahler Broadcasts, 1948-1982.

Each, HUGE and HEAVY!


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## Morimur

Big sets are risky. I focus on the smaller ones...

Ligeti
Lutosławski
Xenakis
Berg
Webern
Debusy
Boulez
Bartók
Stravinsky


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## Azol

Maria Callas: Complete Studio Remastered Edition - 70 CD









Carlo Bergonzi: The Verdi Tenor - 17 CD









Klaus Tennstedt: The Complete Mahler Recordings - 16 CD









Bach: Complete Organ Works [Bernard Foccroulle] - 16 CD
Corelli: Legendary Performances - 14 CD
Simeon Ten Holt: Complete Multiple Piano Works - 11 CD


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## SixFootScowl

Dropping the Fricsay 10-CD set from my previous post, and adding my new Mendelssohn Set.

Largest set still is the 87 disk Beethoven set:









Next largest is the 43 disk Wagner complete operas









Newly acquired 40 disk Mendelssohn set:









My next largest set is a composer I never thought I would get into and now am greatly anticipating the delivery of this 12 disk Mahler set:


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## Johnnie Burgess

Largest set I own: Vivaldi edition, 66 cds








Telemann edition, 50 cds








Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, The complete Sony Recordings, 47 cds


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## Xenakiboy

This thread makes me salivate, shouldn't have come here. I haven't purchased any 12+ CD box sets yet..


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## Xenakiboy

The huge box sets I'll end up purchasing eventually are:
Bach - 170? CD box
Messiaen - 40? CD box
Bartok - complete box
Mahler - complete works
Scriabin - complete works
Mendelssohn - box set in one of the above posts (why not?)
Wagner - complete 
Henze - complete works
Pettersson - Complete Symphonies 
Erik Satie - Complete works 
Can't think of anything else now though


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## SixFootScowl

Xenakiboy said:


> This thread makes me salivate, shouldn't have come here. I haven't purchased any 12+ CD box sets yet..


]

You need to get a Wagner Ring cycle. They usually come in at 14 disks.


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## Jos

This one for in the car. The only box I've kept.
When I still played cd's I had a Bach box set of over 25 discs. What a "mer a boire" ! , never been a fan of box sets, neither on vinyl or cd.


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## bharbeke

Garth Brooks Ultimate Collection (10 discs)
Musical History of Disneyland (6 discs)
Indiana Jones: The Complete Recordings (5 discs)

I love those sets, but they sure seem like small potatoes after browsing this thread.


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## amfortas

My largest is the Dorati Haydn symphonies on 33 CDs.

At the other extreme, my most compact is the 1963 Karajan Beethoven symphonies on a single Blu-ray.


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## itarbrt

Philps Mozart Edition + Wagner Ring von Karajan + J.S.Bach concerto # 1 ,2 ,3 e 4 cembali T.Pinnock .....


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## Pugg

itarbrt said:


> Philps Mozart Edition + Wagner Ring von Karajan + J.S.Bach concerto # 1 ,2 ,3 e 4 cembali T.Pinnock .....


Good one this.:tiphat:


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## JAS

I have several sets that aren't really boxed as one. I have, for example, the Philips Mozart Edition already noted. (I initially bought the instrumental volumes, and later filled in the others.) I also have the DG "complete" Beethoven set. I have the long-running series on Marco Polo of the music of Johann Strauss, Jr., which ultimately ran to 52 individual volumes. In ongoing sets, I have the Hyperion series for Romantic Piano Concertos (currently I have up through volume 69, although I think that volume 70 is at least announced). Their Romantic Violin Concertos is 20, although, again, I think a new volume has at least been announced.) I also have the "complete" Sibelius set on BIS. Other sets seem so small by comparison as to hardly warrant mentioning.


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## JAS

amfortas said:


> My largest is the Dorati Haydn symphonies on 33 CDs.


I have that too. I was collecting the set by the Hanover Band, but they never finished it, which is a pity.


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## Pugg

JAS said:


> I have several sets that aren't really boxed as one. I have, for example, the Philips Mozart Edition already noted. (I initially bought the instrumental volumes, and later filled in the others.) I also have the DG "complete" Beethoven set. I have the long-running series on Marco Polo of the music of Johann Strauss, Jr., which ultimately ran to 52 individual volumes. In ongoing sets, I have the Hyperion series for Romantic Piano Concertos (currently I have up through volume 69, although I think that volume 70 is at least announced). Their Romantic Violin Concertos is 20, although, again, I think a new volume has at least been announced.) I also have the "complete" Sibelius set on BIS. Other sets seem so small by comparison as to hardly warrant mentioning.


If I may be so bold, did you ever played them all?


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## JAS

Pugg said:


> If I may be so bold, did you ever played them all?


Yes, but mostly because I acquired them as they came out, and I listened to them as I acquired them. I am not sure that I could really sit down and enjoy 52 CDs of waltzes back to back. After a while, they begin to sound very similar, although one must credit Strauss with great inventiveness in a fairly limited form. The titles alone are often very clever.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

*Frank Zappa ‎- Threesome No. 2*









*Hot Rats
**Waka/Jawaka 
The Grand Wazoo

*


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## Marinera

Mostly solo piano works, not so surprising..

*Marcelle Meyer*: Complete Studio Recordings 1925-1957 - 17cd
*Alicia de Larrocha* - The Complete EMI Recordings - 8 cd

and 3rd shared place with 7cds each 
*Claudio Arrau - Chopin *'Gran Concerto'/ Decca and *Claudio Arrau - Mozart* Complete Piano Sonatas / Decca


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## Pat Fairlea

Not a box set collector, meself. But I have this set of 10 CDs:









Recording quality varies, but Oistrakh's warmth and virtuosity shine through.


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## Johnnie Burgess

The Complete Works of Johann Sebastian Bach - Bachakademie 10th Anniversary Special Collection is now my biggest box set with 172 cd's. The discs that I have played so far I have liked.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

^ I'm waiting for the Family Edition


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## Johnnie Burgess

These are now my 3 largest sets:








172 cd's








170 cd's








150 cd's


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## pianozach

My largest three?

Beethoven's complete Symphonies. 5-CD set titled *Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9*
*Janos Ferencsic* and the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra

Unusual pairings and orderings. I'm guessing that it was for the timings.
1. #5 and #4 (1:07)
2. #3 and #8 (1:15)
3. #6 and #2 (1:14)
4. #7 and #1 (1:09)
5. #9 (1:06)

*Yesyears* 
*Yes* 
4-CD set

Now out-of-print.

*Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band box set*
*Beatles*

4-CD set


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## SixFootScowl

pianozach said:


> My largest three?
> 
> Beethoven's complete Symphonies. 5-CD set titled *Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9*
> *Janos Ferencsic* and the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra
> 
> Unusual pairings and orderings. I'm guessing that it was for the timings.
> 1. #5 and #4 (1:07)
> 2. #3 and #8 (1:15)
> 3. #6 and #2 (1:14)
> 4. #7 and #1 (1:09)
> 5. #9 (1:06)


That is a nice beethoven set that I think many overlook.

I am afraid that for some reason I had to get a Beethoven symphony set where they are in numerical order on the disks. It is just a weird obsession of mine I guess.


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## Mowgli

Johnnie Burgess said:


> These are now my 3 largest sets:
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> 150 cd's


I have that Mozart & the newer BC 160CD Haydn set and the BC 142CD Bach Complete Edition.
Then the 100CD DHM 100 Great Recordings set, BC 86CD Beethoven set & BC 66CD Vivaldi set.

I've listened to the whole Beethoven, Vivaldi & Mozart sets. Some of those CDs a few times.
I'm almost finished with the other sets' first playthrough.
Brilliant Classics sets are a helluva bargain for very good recordings of very good performances.


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## Mowgli

My largest non-classical CD sets are quite a bit smaller

16CD Beatles Studio Masters
14CD Miles Davis Prestige
12CD Grateful Dead Golden Road
10CD Led Zeppelin grey box
10CD ZZ Top complete studio albums

My Zappa Beat The Boots boxes are on cassette but they are large boxes


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## Mowgli

Whole Lotta Hogwood <- read that in Robert Plant's or Bonn Scott's voice


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## Mowgli

Live Dead almost all '66-2/'79, mostly soundboard & mostly remastered.
It's large & CD (about 1300) and it's a set AFAIC because it's done.









EDIT - I just found a relevant pic from 2012 on my Flickr Photostream - dl at 20k hahaha


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## CnC Bartok

Lots of boxes here, not quite sure how size matters, though (fnarr! Fnarr!) However, in simple number of discs, my biggest has to be the Decca Claudio Arrau Edition. 80 CDs, brilliant stuff, but hugely impractical to put on a shelf, as it's LP sized.









I will cheat and call these two a single box. They do go together, and they are essential listening.















And finally not a proper box, but the 100 CD set issued for the Czech Philharmonic 100th anniversary. I collected them as they came out, while I lived out in that part of the world, any there were, and remain, a revelation.

Here's one of the 100:


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## SixFootScowl

CnC Bartok said:


> I will cheat and call these two a single box. They do go together, and they are essential listening.
> 
> View attachment 128373
> View attachment 128374


Awesome, I always liked that double box set and you are the first person I know who has both.


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## CnC Bartok

Fritz Kobus said:


> Awesome, I always liked that double box set and you are the first person I know who has both.


Proud to be a member of what seems to be a pretty exclusive little club!! Happy New Year!


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## SixFootScowl

CnC Bartok said:


> Proud to be a member of what seems to be a pretty exclusive little club!! Happy New Year!


Happy New Year to you also. If I were going to have a box set (or sets) for one conductor, Fricsay would be a top choice. I do have his Perfectionist/Live Wire set which is 10 disks. Alas, it appears there is only one Rachmaninoff work between the two sets.


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## adriesba

Largest: Leonard Bernstein: The Symphony Edition (60 CDs)
View attachment 128517

Bernstein isn't one of my favorite conductors, but I got the set as a gift, so I'm not complaining :lol:

2nd: DG Wagner Complete Operas (43 CDs)
View attachment 128518


3rd: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Solti, 14 CDs)
View attachment 128519


I also have it on vinyl (19 LPs)
View attachment 128520


Anyone planning to get the DG 2020 Beethoven complete edition?


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## adriesba

Largest: Leonard Bernstein: The Symphony Edition (60 CDs)
View attachment 128517

Bernstein isn't one of my favorite conductors, but I got the set as a gift, so I'm not complaining :lol:

2nd: DG Wagner Complete Operas (43 CDs)
View attachment 128518


3rd: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Solti, 14 CDs)
View attachment 128519


I also have it on vinyl (19 LPs)
View attachment 128520


Anyone planning to get the DG 2020 Beethoven complete edition?


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## adriesba

Sorry, my posts keep getting duplicated and I can't edit.


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## Guest

I have two Bach Editions (Teldec and Hannsler). Those are about 170 each. If I get to count the four volumes of the Karajan/DGG Edition (Karajan 60, Karajan 70, Karajan 80 and Karajan Opera) as one, that's about 320 discs. Otherwise, next is the Rubinstein edition (pink box) at 144 CDs.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

Hey! I won't just post it, man! Wait. My widest box is Beethoven quartets with the Cleveland Quartet followed by Symphonies of Penderecki and then cello concertos with Truls Mørk. Happy with them all!


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## starthrower

I don't own any mega boxes. I like the 10-20 CD clam shell sets.


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## pianozach

adriesba said:


> Largest: Leonard Bernstein: The Symphony Edition (60 CDs)
> View attachment 128517
> 
> Bernstein isn't one of my favorite conductors, but I got the set as a gift, so I'm not complaining :lol:


*Bernstein* is possibly my favorite conductor.

I'll take that off your hands if you like.


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## Taplow

Karajan, Compete EMI Recordings Volume 2 (Opera and Vocal)
72 Dics









Bach Sacred Cantatas, Harnoncourt/Leonhardt
60 Discs









And a tie for third place:

Schubert Lieder, Fischer-Dieskau
21 Discs (yes, all three volumes together in a single boxed package)









Jascha Heifetz, The Complete Stereo Collection
21 Discs









Incidentally, I am selling (or even giving away) the outstanding Karajan set, as I have most of these as single releases now anyway. PM me if you're interested and in the vicinity.


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## adriesba

pianozach said:


> *Bernstein* is possibly my favorite conductor.
> 
> I'll take that off your hands if you like.


Haha :lol: I'm afraid not. It does have a few interesting pieces in it. A good bit of it I do like. Plus my mom might be sad if I got rid of it


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## SixFootScowl

This is my 3th biggest classical set (not counting Wagner opera sets) after Complete Beethoven (87 CD) and Complete Mendelssohn (40 CD):


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## philoctetes

Cluytens, Fricsay I, Quartetto Italiano, and Dorati's Haydn


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## Geoff48

Excluding the Hannsler Bach (172 CDs ) and Brilliant Haydn (150 cds) I tend to prefer the multi composer boxes such as the three Decca Sound and the Deutsche Grammophon, Mercury and RCA Living Stereo collections. As one who properly started collecting music in vinyl days this gives me an opportunity of remembering many of the records I collected when I started earning but before I got married and started a family, those happy days when money wasn’t an issue. As, to be fair, it isn’t now now everyone has grown up and flown the coop.And much as though I loved vinyl It can’t be denied that it is nice not to endure surface noise, clinks and the occasional repeating groove. And also my long suffering Hacker Gondolier with separate stereo speaker didn’t really match the sound of my Current elderly set up even if my ears probably are not as good as they were a half century ago
I guess nostalgia can be a great part of listening to music and the multi composer analogue recordings are great for indulging in this.
And another part of the charm of the multi composer and performer sets is that sometimes you find a performer or a piece who or which is new and really impressive. Which could be in interesting thread one day, perhaps.


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