# Boxed sets?



## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

Just curious but what have been the most interesting boxed sets you've encountered? For my money I enjoy the Stravinsky, and the Liszt by Howard that I have, mostly because I have previously not heard much by either composer than the blatantly obvious. http://www.amazon.com/Works-Igor-Stravinsky/dp/B000PTYUQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336252333&sr=8-1 theres the stravinsky I have. The only downside to the Liszt, is that everything even works where only 5 chords were written were recorded. I could have personally skipped some of those.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Hmmm.... I want that Stravinsky box. I don't have any large scale box sets, but I have various released "volumes" they released from box sets, such as Beethoven, for those who didn't want to buy the entire box set, which I didn't.

I have boxes like Beethoven's Complete Sonatas and Bagatelles, Debussy's Piano Works by Aldo Ciccollini and stuff like that. I also have a Paganini box, Beethoven Symphony Box, Beethoven Piano Works Box.

Oh, the one "large scale" I have is a Steve Reich box which is great

http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Reich-1...1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336253797&sr=1-1-spell

I have a two disc version of Satie's Piano Works by Aldo that I'm looking to replace with the complete box set edition by the same pianist.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I have a bunch of the boxes... Howard's Liszt, Living Stereo, Decca Sound, Mercury Living Presence, Stravinsky, Russian Pianists Live, etc. my favorites are Living Stereo and Decca Sound.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

I can't afford the good ones yet?


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

In my experience its rare that boxed sets have the best performance of all the works included so I tend to steer clear of boxed sets. With the Notable exception of Decca's Classic Haydn sets


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

hen will there be a giant set of all the classical music ever written by every composer who ever lived ? That would be fun . But where would I store it ?














:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

When will there be a giant set of all the classical music ever written by every composer who ever lived ? That would be fun . But where would I store it ?














:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

So funny it had to be said twice!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Ligeti-Clear Or Cloudy on DG
Boulez Sony Box-Varese/Carter/Webern/Berio
Alfred Schnittke-Ten Symphonies on BIS
Villa-Lobos-Complete Choros & Bachianas Brasileiras on BIS
Sallinen-Complete Symphonies & Concertos on CPO


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Can I get a link to that Villa-Lobos one?


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Badinerie said:


> In my experience its rare that boxed sets have the best performance of all the works included


That used to be true back when the boxes were ways of sclogging off second rate performances with a few good ones sprinkled in. But it's totally different now. *All* back catalog is a hard sell now, so the labels are grouping the absolute best into boxes to keep the recordings in print. The Living Stereo, Mercury, DGG 111 and Decca Sound boxes are packed with definitive recordings by top conductors in great sound. They sold for many years as full price individual CD releases. But in the current economy, they have to be grouped into batches to survive the dwindling CD market.


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## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

Yes I'd like a link to that as well.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Cnote11 said:


> Can I get a link to that Villa-Lobos one?


I bought it from Presto Classical http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BIS/BISCD1830%2F32

Also available from Amazon vendors for around the same price.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Chor...=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336332819&sr=1-4


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Theres the complete works of Varese recorded by the RCO/Chailly.

Not really a box as its only 2 discs but ....

http://www.amazon.com/Varèse-Comple...AFR8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336337196&sr=8-1


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

starthrower said:


> I bought it from Presto Classical http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BIS/BISCD1830%2F32
> 
> Also available from Amazon vendors for around the same price.
> http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Chor...=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336332819&sr=1-4


Thank youuuu. Makes me almost regret already having a complete set of Bachianas Brasileiras!


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## AndyS (Dec 2, 2011)

I have a few boxes, I found them a more cost effective way of picking up stuff (for instance the complete Callas studio recordings). Also, would a box of The Ring count as a box set?

I have a couple of composer box sets where there are highly regarded recordings included (DG Chopin, EMI Mahler), but most of mine is a Composer/Performer theme (E.g. decca tebaldi Puccini, Abbado/Mendelssohn)

One that I do like is the DG Kleiber box, all of the recordings included in it are excellent (and I believe all held in high regard)


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Oh right, I have The Ring by Solti box as well.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

I happen to possess exactly five boxed sets.

Mahler symphonies/Bernstein/Sony: A magnificient set, full of bleeding hearts, passion and rage!
Bruckner symphonies/Barenboim/Warner: My most prized possession. Perhaps he copies Furtwängler - if so, that's what everybody should do! He thinks about _individual notes._
Beethoven symphonies/Vänskä/BIS: A clear and precise set, and those are great virtues indeed. But usually... I just want more fat, garlic and chili in my dish.
Sibelius symphonies/Segerstam/Ondine: Some of these are brilliant, and even the worst are good.
Der Ring des Nibelungen/Levine/DG: Say what you will about Levine, the sets and wardrobes make this actually watchable, and some performances are amazing, like Jessye Norman as Sieglinde.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

I have seven boxed sets. 

Naxos A-Z of Classical Music 2 CDs and a booklet 
Naxos A-Z of Opera 2 CDs and a booklet
Naxos Discover the Classics 2 CDs and a booklet
EMI Mozart Chamber music, Mozart concertos, Mozart operas. Each of these is 4 CDs, famous conductors, old recordings.
Queen - full collection.

I listen to the Queen. If either of my nieces had shown the slightest inclination towards classical music I would have passed on the Naxos CDs to them. They are good for young/new listeners as the booklets are fairly informative.


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## Alydon (May 16, 2012)

I find with boxed sets that you play a couple of discs to begin with and then they end up as bookends. I think there's something in the price of them - sounds strange but in a way they're too cheap now days - many equate to a couple of £ a CD, which is silly money for something so precious, and makes them an almost throwaway item.

I would cite Haydn's complete Beaux Arts Trio set of piano trios as a very worthwhile investment though, and of course there are thousands more, but my shelves are being emptied of all the giant special edition/special price boxes which have never had an outing on my CD player.


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## Picander (May 8, 2013)

My favorite box is the 75 Bach's Cantatas conducted by Karl Richter:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Cantatas-Richter-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B000001303/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1379406658&sr=8-5&keywords=75+cantatas+bach

I bought it 9 years ago; I'm affraid I couldn't buy it today because now its price is absurd.


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