Classical Box Sets for Every Taste

Christmas is coming; you can always tell because the classical record labels release box sets of all kinds. The past few years have been good for music fans, though, with larger and cheaper sets being released. Here are a few that I spotted that are worth checking out. None are out yet, but will all be released in the next few weeks. (They may not all be listed at all three Amazon sites I link to…)

Harmonia Mundi’s 50th Anniversary Box Set

One of the most innovative labels, Harmonia Mundi is 50 years old, and they are celebrating with this 30-disc box set: 29 CDs and one DVD. The CDs include a couple of great, complete operas: Lully’s Atys and Purcell’s King Arthur; Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion, Musical Offering and Art of Fugue; and a wide selection of music from ancient to modern that Harmonia Mundi has released over the years. As for the DVD, I haven’t found what that contains yet.

Buy from Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon FR

The World’s 50 Greatest Operas

No info here, and it only shows up on Amazon FR for now, but this looks like a very big box containing operas from Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, and probably other Universal labels. It could be a France-only set. More to come when there’s info.

Buy from Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon FR

Steinway Legends

Another set that’s only showing up in France for now, this 21-CD set contains, well, musicians playing on Steinway pianos? It’s a bit steeper than the others, at EUR 150, but it may be worth checking out.