I posted a link the other day to an article about the forthcoming Complete Mozart box set. Due out in October, it will contain 200 CDs, covering all of the composer’s works, with 30 CDs of alternate versions.
I’ve spotted a number of other interesting box sets, due for release around the same time. Usually, these sets are announced a bit later in the year, but they’re already showing up on Amazon. While I don’t plan to buy many more of these sets, I know a lot of my readers like to find out about them, so here’s a selection of what’s coming soon.
Note that while I provide links to both Amazon.com and Amazon UK, these sets are all listed on the latter, but not on Amazon UK yet. For some reason, classical labels tend to list new releases first on sites in Europe, and later in the US. So you’ll be able to see the sets on Amazon UK, and check back in a month or so, when the Amazon.com links should be live.
Charles Munch, The Complete RCA Album Collection. On 86 CDs, this set, released by Sony, covers the career of this conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. I don’t know much about Munch, but he died in 1968; it seems like a long time to finally bring out a comprehensive box set of his recordings. There have been other, small sets, the last being released in 2006 with 41 discs. (Amazon.com, Amazon UK)
Following up on the 2013 60-CD Vivarte Collection (Amazon.com, Amazon UK), Sony is releasing the Vivarte Collection, Volume II. Also with 60 discs, this is another selection of the early music recordings that were released on this label. (Amazon.com, Amazon UK)
Nicolas Harnoncourt only died a few months ago, and recorded for several labels. Sony is already bringing out a box set of his recordings for that label. On 65 CDs, Harnoncourt – The Complete Sony Recordings features works by Bach, Mozart (his complete symphonies and many of the piano concertos with different pianists), Haydn, Handel,Bruckner, and more. There are also three DVDs, and a CD-ROM with libretti. (Amazon.com, Amazon UK)
There seem to have been countless box sets of Herbert von Karajan’s recordings, and here comes yet another one. Herbert Von Karajan: The Complete Official Remastered Edition presumably features remastered recordings; there is no information about the set yet. Frankly, if you’re a fan of von Karajan, you already have other box sets. (Amazon.com, Amazon UK)
One final note about a set that I recently bought and am enjoying: Emerson String Quartet, Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon. I very much like this quartet, and the recordings are excellent.