Haenssler Releases Complete Bach Works Box Set
Back in 2000, Haenssler Classics release a set of Bach’s complete works on individual CDs and in box sets. They’re finally releasing this in a single box set of 172 discs. For $300 in the US, £192 in the UK and €225 in France, this is an excellent set of music. (The previous version of this set sold for €999.) I have all the cantatas (by Helmut Rilling), and most of the keyboard music (by a variety of performers), as well as some individual albums. It’s not cheap, but it’s far better than the Brilliant Classics box set.
Update: I now have a copy of this set and have been perusing it to review it for MusicWeb. I’ll post a link when my review goes live. I’m very satisfied with it; there are a lot of wonderful recordings, and only a handful of clunkers. It’s not perfect, and no set is but given the price, it’s a bargain.
When you say far better than the Brilliant set, is the primary difference in your view the Rilling cantatas? Although I would agree that the quality of the Leusink recordings is hit and miss there are some solid versions of the big sacred choral pieces and instrumental standards in the big blue Brilliant box, and the Hans Fagius organ set is also well done.
Fagius is indeed good. But what’s really good in the Haenssler set is the keyboard recordings: top-notch performers such as Pinnock doing the Partitas, Watchorn the Tocattas, Levin doing the WTC. I have some of the instrumental albums also, which are very good. Then there’s the little known choral settings which are interesting.
All in all, it’s really a good set. If I didn’t already have the cantatas, and all the keyboard recordings – about half the set – I might buy it.
What’s the documentation like in the new release? I have many issues from the old series (several cantatas, Levin’s WTC, Pinnock’s Partitas, Hill’s Art of Fugue), and one of the things I admire about it is the high level of presentation. Does the new box keep the old booklet texts?
It’s hard to tell. It looks like there are a couple of booklets, but whether they’ve kept all the documentation – either on paper or in a PDF – isn’t clear.
I recently purchased this box, so I thought I’d post to shed a little light. There are two booklets and 1 CD-ROM.
One booklet contains a CD track listing, with movements and timings on each CD listed according to volume number, The other booklet is a CD Number Index, which lists the works on each volume in order, with corresponding BWV numbers.
The CD-ROM contains the vocal lyrics, liner notes and biographies for each volume in the set in place of the old booklet texts. I hope this info is useful.
I bought the Brilliant Classics box (in an earlier dark blue packaging) based on your thorough review on MusicWeb, and I want to thank you for writing that. I’ve enjoyed that purchase too.
there is not a perfect box set of bach complete music.the brillant box set just under 70 pounds is a ultra bargain on amazon uk.buy this and supplant choice music from different conductor.i find the cantatas ,i presume,just like the churchgoers in bach time would experience,not so called solist in our time.tell me a perfect box set of bach music,i will buy it at whatever the price.excuse i am kistening to bach bwm 1044