Opera Box Sets

[Wendell_E]

But Wendell, there are CDs available with Bryn Terfel, Placido Domingo, Poul Elming, Struckmann, et al. in opera performances. 

Yeah, I knew that.  What's you're point?     I don't age-discriminate when it comes to recordings.  If it's a great performance, I don't care if it was recorded fifty years ago, or yesterday. 

Domingo's first (RCA) recording of Il Trovatore was done 40 years ago, BTW.

[Brünnhilde forever]

Ach Dear Wendell: You know what my point is! 

I have been pushing my pet project, 'advertising' contemporary artists, composers, directors long enough for you to be familiar with it - and to be patient to put up with it! 

Btw: When I mentioned Domingo, et al, I was thinking only of Wagner.

[Wendell_E]

Another good set.  I've already got all of them on CD, except for The Fiery Angel and War and Peace, which I have on DVD.  Of course, the (presumed) lack of libretti is a really big drawback in this case.

[DarkAngel]

Almost goes without saying that EMI studio opera recordings of Maria Callas are essential, new 70 CD set for $85, even cheaper used from Amazon sellers USA

[DarkAngel]

I recently got the 70-disc EMI set of Maria Callas ~ Complete Studio Recordings.  This does have complete texts (as .pdf files on disc 70), and, of course, the operas included are more basic repertory than Berg, Berlioz, Britten, and Janáček.  Of course, some absolultely hate Callas, so caveat emptor.  Currently, amazon.com's selling it for $99.97, less than $1.50 per disc.  I just got it a few weeks ago, and am still working my way through (today will be La Bohème, discs 34 & 35), and I'd consider it a bargain if it only contained what I've listened to so far.

Wait......I see someone already mentioned this 70 CD set by La Divina

Price keeps getting cheaper, a good thing for us

[Scarpia]

Of course, the (presumed) lack of libretti is a really big drawback in this case.

Yes, only useful for fanatics who already have other versions of the operas and the associated booklets.

I don't know if it has been mentioned already, but I have this one:

[Wendell_E]

I see Decca's coming out with a 23-disc Massenet Edition in June.  The first 17 discs are complete operas (not all of his operas, by any means), the other discs include songs, ballets, etc.  And the libretti and texts are included on a CD-ROM.  It's listed at amazon, but mdt.co.uk has the contents:  http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//4783963.htm

[mc ukrneal]

I see Decca's coming out with a 23-disc Massenet Edition in June.  The first 17 discs are complete operas (not all of his operas, by any means), the other discs include songs, ballets, etc.  And the libretti and texts are included on a CD-ROM.  It's listed at amazon, but mdt.co.uk has the contents:  http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//4783963.htm

This was posted last month somewhere else (cannot remember where). Very excited about this as there is a lot of good stuff in there. A large number of first choices are in the box (scpecifically the operas), which makes it quite attractive.

[marvinbrown]

This was posted last month somewhere else (cannot remember where). Very excited about this as there is a lot of good stuff in there. A large number of first choices are in the box (scpecifically the operas), which makes it quite attractive.

I see Decca's coming out with a 23-disc Massenet Edition in June.  The first 17 discs are complete operas (not all of his operas, by any means), the other discs include songs, ballets, etc.  And the libretti and texts are included on a CD-ROM.  It's listed at amazon, but mdt.co.uk has the contents:  http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//4783963.htm

  Thank you for posting on this Massenet box set.  I only have 2 operas in my collection, Manon and Werther, so this box set should be ideal for me.

  marvin

[Octave]

I hope this is not a bad location for this question.  I asked about this item once in the "Recordings You Are Considering" thread, but I asked it in passing, in a long list of items; not to be "bumpy" about my request, but if anyone knows this box, I would love an opinion:

[asin]B004TVVZIC[/asin]
Jussi Björling: COMPLETE RCA ALBUM COLLECTION (Sony, 14cd, 2011)

At least several of the discs are apparently short or very short (a couple are apparently ~25 minutes!), so I guess this set is at least partly an "original jacket" fetish/concept.  My larger concern is that I am in the in-between space between knowing some Björling and loving his voice, on the one hand, but also being nowhere close to a completist/collector.  Is there enough of interest in this set to make it worth the purchase, never mind the "value" (relatively cheap price)?  Already I see that I might need to own the complete MANON LESCAUT which is extensively excerpted here.  If there are other in-print recordings that are absolutely worth having in their entirety, which are included in this box only as excerpts, it would be great to know about them.  I am usually more happy with entire works than bleeding chunks; and I think I prefer grand opera to operetta, though this is a snobbery born of inexperience, I will admit.  I imagine I might not even know the difference, while listening to them.   It's all abstract pleasure to me.  I also dig Lachenmann.

[kishnevi]

I hope this is not a bad location for this question.  I asked about this item once in the "Recordings You Are Considering" thread, but I asked it in passing, in a long list of items; not to be "bumpy" about my request, but if anyone knows this box, I would love an opinion:

[asin]B004TVVZIC[/asin]
Jussi Björling: COMPLETE RCA ALBUM COLLECTION (Sony, 14cd, 2011)

At least several of the discs are apparently short or very short (a couple are apparently ~25 minutes!), so I guess this set is at least partly an "original jacket" fetish/concept.  My larger concern is that I am in the in-between space between knowing some Björling and loving his voice, on the one hand, but also being nowhere close to a completist/collector.  Is there enough of interest in this set to make it worth the purchase, never mind the "value" (relatively cheap price)?  Already I see that I might need to own the complete MANON LESCAUT which is extensively excerpted here.  If there are other in-print recordings that are absolutely worth having in their entirety, which are included in this box only as excerpts, it would be great to know about them.  I am usually more happy with entire works than bleeding chunks; and I think I prefer grand opera to operetta, though this is a snobbery born of inexperience, I will admit.  I imagine I might not even know the difference, while listening to them.   It's all abstract pleasure to me.  I also dig Lachenmann.

There's a single disc recording of Pagliacci which I know is not in that box, because it's from EMI!
[asin]B0000E3HM0[/asin]
Beyond that, I'm not enamored enough of Bjorling to have anything else by him.

BTW, I was offline all yesterday, but I saw what you posted in the Purchases thread yesterday, and a hearty thumbs up to the Shostakovich, Villa Lobos, Ariodante, and the Byrd. (And the English Church Music set, but I already chimed in about that.)

[mc ukrneal]

I hope this is not a bad location for this question.  I asked about this item once in the "Recordings You Are Considering" thread, but I asked it in passing, in a long list of items; not to be "bumpy" about my request, but if anyone knows this box, I would love an opinion:

[asin]B004TVVZIC[/asin]
Jussi Björling: COMPLETE RCA ALBUM COLLECTION (Sony, 14cd, 2011)

At least several of the discs are apparently short or very short (a couple are apparently ~25 minutes!), so I guess this set is at least partly an "original jacket" fetish/concept.  My larger concern is that I am in the in-between space between knowing some Björling and loving his voice, on the one hand, but also being nowhere close to a completist/collector.  Is there enough of interest in this set to make it worth the purchase, never mind the "value" (relatively cheap price)?  Already I see that I might need to own the complete MANON LESCAUT which is extensively excerpted here.  If there are other in-print recordings that are absolutely worth having in their entirety, which are included in this box only as excerpts, it would be great to know about them.  I am usually more happy with entire works than bleeding chunks; and I think I prefer grand opera to operetta, though this is a snobbery born of inexperience, I will admit.  I imagine I might not even know the difference, while listening to them.   It's all abstract pleasure to me.  I also dig Lachenmann.

If you like his voice, it certainly will have a lot, but not of all of his performances. There is a shorter, 5-disc EMI Icon box of Bjoerling that will not probably have much overlap (in performances, though it may repeat repertoire). As mentioned, there are some that he recorded for other companies, like la Boheme (very good version with Beecham), Madame Butterfly, and Verdi's Requiem (a few that come to mind). Anyway, you may want to take a look at that box as well.

[Octave]

BTW, I was offline all yesterday, but I saw what you posted in the Purchases thread yesterday, and a hearty thumbs up to the Shostakovich, Villa Lobos, Ariodante, and the Byrd. (And the English Church Music set, but I already chimed in about that.)

Thanks Jeffrey for this confirmation; even brief audio samples and occasional Spotify aren't enough, I find, for me to really know if I'm going to enjoy living with a record, since it is not always love at first listen, and sometimes it is only love at first listen.  I think I owed you thanks for the ENGLISH CHURCH MUSIC recommendation but forgot to mention it, so thanks!

Thanks also to mc ukrneal for the tip.

[Superhorn]

    DG did releasea set of Richard Strauss operas conducted by Bohm in 1994, the great conductor's centennial year .
  It included his live Salome with the Hamburg State opera,  the studio Elektrea from Dresden, a live Salzburg Rosenkavalier,Ariadne,
Frau Ohne Schatten  live from Vienna, Arabella,  Die Schweigsame Frau , Daphne and  Capriccio .  It's probably very hard to find now, but you could check arkivmusic.com, the best website from  hard to find classical CDs.

[Wendell_E]

Last weekend, at a local bricks & mortar store, I picked up an 11-CD Telarc set of Mozart's "Great Operas" (3 Mozart-da Ponte + Zauberflöte) conducted by Mackerras for under $30.00.  I've only had a chance to listen to the Figaro so far, but on the basis of that alone, it was worth the money.  No libretti, but a link to get them online.  Generous (35+ minutes for Figaro alone) appendices of alternate/variant numbers.

http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Great-Operas-Wolfgang-Amadeus/dp/B001KK6RBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400326464&sr=8-1&keywords=mozart+the+great+operas

[Moonfish]

DG's Wagner collection dropped to 47 GBP today....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Complete-Operas-Various-Artists/dp/B00980IA3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401615989&sr=8-1&keywords=wagner+opera

[king ubu]

    DG did releasea set of Richard Strauss operas conducted by Bohm in 1994, the great conductor's centennial year .
  It included his live Salome with the Hamburg State opera,  the studio Elektrea from Dresden, a live Salzburg Rosenkavalier,Ariadne,
Frau Ohne Schatten  live from Vienna, Arabella,  Die Schweigsame Frau , Daphne and  Capriccio .  It's probably very hard to find now, but you could check arkivmusic.com, the best website from  hard to find classical CDs.

Just in case, there's now this one:

[asin]B00G4PV0H2[/asin]

I skipped it but bought several of the Böhm recordings separately (Ariadne, Capriccio, Daphre, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Die schweigsame Frau), instead got the EMI box which was out a bit earlier:

[asin]B00FM60U8E[/asin]

Haven't really listened to much Strauss, but my own private library is now well-equipped (there are some "Salome's", too, and there's the Solti "Arabella", the Haitink "Daphne", the Mitropoulos "Elektra" ...


As for Wagner ... I bought some, too, but decided against the DG box after doing some reading. But there I've played even less than with Strauss, so don't ask me ...

[j winter]

Opinions on Barenboim here? 

For reference, for Wagner operas on CD I have 3 rings (Karajan, Solti, Janowski), one Parsifal (Karajan), one Tristan (Bohm), and one Lohengrin (Kempe).

[jess]

I have that Barenboim box and it has good sound overall. I don't listen to it much any more.

[Fritz Kobus]

This is a nice set and has the wonderful Sawallisch 1968 Ring: