# One Complete Set by One Composer



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Mozart's piano sonatas are my favorite. So full of joy and happiness. But I still think Beethoven's 9th is the most roaring (moving) classical work, even if he isn't my favorite composer overal; he is still my favorite symphonist though, but I'd take Mozart's sonatas to a desert island before Beethoven's symphonies, probably because I play the piano and prefer his to Beethoven's piano sonatas which I find too dark.


Well that was wordy and convoluted!


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I just ordered a complete Bach set for $130 from Amazon. I'll see how "complete" it really is. I hope many of the recordings are reasonably high quality.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

ORigel said:


> I just ordered a complete Bach set for $130 from Amazon. I'll see how "complete" it really is. I hope many of the recordings are reasonably high quality.


I didn't mean all the works, just a set. For example, the Goldberg Variations or Brandenburg Concertos by Bach.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

But, Mozart would be my pick for complete works.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I didn't mean all the works, just a set. For example, the Goldberg Variations or Brandenburg Concertos by Bach.


I have a Mozart symphony cycle by Pinnock (I like period instrument recordings), a Beethoven Piano Sonatas cycle by Kempff, the Bartok string quartets by Emerson, three Beethoven symphony cycles (one that I received as a gift 13 years ago-- Krips tin can-- the others are by Karajan and Gardiner and are much higher quality), and a Nielsen symphony cycle by Ole Schmidt.

Edit: also: Bartok violin duos, Mozart piano concertos, Bach's German Organ Mass.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> But, Mozart would be my pick for complete works.


I would choose Bartok if possible because I like much of his considerably smaller output. I know the more popular works by Mozart, but I still have yet to listen to the piano concertos before No. 17 and Nos. 20-27 for example.

I brought the complete Bach mostly because lots of people here recommend his cantatas, and this particular complete Bach set is cheaper than some of the cantata cycles!


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Complete set: Wagner's operas.

Complete works: Beethoven's.


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## lnjng (Dec 24, 2021)

I would prefer a complete set of Beethoven sonatas than any other composer's. Haydn follows closely behind.

As a pianist, I am also predisposed to find a Chopin's complete works to be quite interesting as well.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

It's a bit predictable but it has to be Beethoven's Symphonies for me. However, close behind would be Mozart Operas, Haydn's Paris/London Symphonies, and Dvorak's Symphonies.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I guess this thread is a bit dumb. Taste is too complex to try to narrow it down like this.


Not for me, just most ppl around here I'd think. And that's not a slant.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Olias said:


> It's a bit predictable but it has to be Beethoven's Symphonies for me. However, close behind would be Mozart Operas, Haydn's Paris/London Symphonies, and Dvorak's Symphonies.


I wonder how many Beethoven symphony sets each TC member has, on average


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

ORigel said:


> I wonder how many Beethoven symphony sets each TC member has, on average


Most of them being I use Apple Music.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I guess this thread is a bit dumb. Taste is too complex to try to narrow it down like this.
> 
> Not for me, just most ppl around here I'd think. And that's not a slant.


I love the three B's, Haydn, Bruckner, Mozart's famous works, and (increasingly) Mahler. I don't have sets of Bruckner or Mahler yet-- I have individual symphonies.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I do think I took the set of Mozart symphonies with me then


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

For me, it's easier to define my taste than keep it open to all and everything. There was a thread not too long ago about keeping your listening focused, and I agreed with the OP. If we don't define it, it's harder to find a sense of self in terms of our relationship with music and too much grey area is left, but I suppose some enjoy that feeling of being so immersed in the whole thing, I do not. I found something I like that I can listen to forever and inspires my own life and art.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> For me, it's easier to define my taste than keep it open to all and everything. There was a thread not too long ago about keeping your listening focused, and I agreed with the OP. If we don't define it, it's harder to find a sense of self in terms of our relationship with music and too much grey area is left, but I suppose some enjoy that feeling of being so immersed in the whole thing, I do not. I found something I like that I can listen to forever and inspires my own life and art.


I keep it open, but I favor 19th century orchestral music. That being said, some chamber and choral works are more sublime to me than 19th century orchestral music. That's why I am accumulating CDs of Mendelssohn's Elijah, the Mass in B Minor, and the Late Beethoven quartets. I also love works by Haydn and Mozart, but not for several hours or days at a time.

And I would get bored without occasionally listening to Bartok and Shostakovich.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I ignore most music prior to 1900, of course there are exceptions, and depending on my mood I will listen to something from the 19th or 18th century. But mostly, I listen to 20th century music and beyond.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

My favorite set would be: Beethoven Symphonies=Mahler Symphonies>=Mozart Violin Concertos. Beethoven Symphonies are pretty good in terms of number of music, quality, accessibility, and includes both Classical and Romantic eras. There might be several good recordings of the same piece. Mahler Symphonies are also interesting, though I haven't listened to all of those that closely. They are more modern and with more funs. Mozart Violin Concertos are certainly my *FAVORITE*, but considering that it is less developed and simpler, I ranked it at the third.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

I am also considering Sibelius Symphonies recently, since they do reach a great depth and there are also 9/10 of them which will be plenty of fun.


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## Terrapin (Apr 15, 2011)

Beethoven string quartets for me. Although, if I'm on a desert island I would be tempted to go with the Haydn symphonies for the sheer volume of high quality music.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

KevinW said:


> My favorite set would be: Beethoven Symphonies=Mahler Symphonies>=Mozart Violin Concertos. Beethoven Symphonies are pretty good in terms of number of music, quality, accessibility, and includes both Classical and Romantic eras. There might be several good recordings of the same piece. Mahler Symphonies are also interesting, though I haven't listened to all of those that closely. They are more modern and with more funs. Mozart Violin Concertos are certainly my *FAVORITE*, but considering that it is less developed and simpler, I ranked it at the third.


Have you listened to Bruckner yet? A complete symphonies set is unnecessary, because most Brucknerians love 3/4-9, not the earlier symphonies. Most classical listeners do not care much for Bruckner, but conductors love his symphonies so there are loads of recordings and cycles.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

KevinW said:


> My favorite set would be: Beethoven Symphonies=Mahler Symphonies>=Mozart Violin Concertos. Beethoven Symphonies are pretty good in terms of number of music, quality, accessibility, and includes both Classical and Romantic eras. There might be several good recordings of the same piece. Mahler Symphonies are also interesting, though I haven't listened to all of those that closely. They are more modern and with more funs. Mozart Violin Concertos are certainly my *FAVORITE*, but considering that it is less developed and simpler, I ranked it at the third.


Mozart's direct attitude is what makes hims great!


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## John Zito (Sep 11, 2021)

Picking one complete set by one composer, I'd be torn between: Mozart's piano concertos, Beethoven's piano sonatas, Debussy's solo piano music, and Stravinsky's 12 ballets. In the end I'd probably go for a complete set of Mozart's piano concertos, but I'm not sure who with. Maybe Uchida? If only Goode or Moravec had done the cycle...

It might be too heterogeneous to count, but another contender would be Eric Le Sage's set of all the Fauré chamber works that include a piano:









Great stuff.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

ORigel said:


> I wonder how many Beethoven symphony sets each TC member has, on average


I've listened to many more but I own six:

Mackerras/Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Bernstein/New York Philharmonic
Bernstein/Vienna Philharmonic
Bruggen/Orchestra of the 18th Century
Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music
Immerseel/Anima Eterna


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

ORigel said:


> I wonder how many Beethoven symphony sets each TC member has, on average


I have 13 + the piano transcriptions if they count.


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