Decca Sound Classical Box Set
Posted by: mrclick on 09 January 2012
Having recently been helped out on the Chailly Beethoven thread I thought I would bring this lovely box set to your attention.
As a classical newbie this has been a godsend. It has 50 CDs at around £75, and a brilliant introduction to a range of composers and music which is new to me. What strikes me as particularly good is the confidence you get with the performances, and the sound quality. It is superb. The set comes with a really good booklet which also describes the history of Decca recording.
I reckon it could be a winner even for some of you classical diehards out there. And to help, I have listed all the composers/conductors below. A bit greedy on space, so forgive me - especially those on ipads - but none of the shops properly list what is there.
Regards
David
Here is the list:
Annibale:
O Paese d' 'o sole - Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Bach, J S:
Magnificat in D major; Various Cantata - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Karl Münchinger
Goldberg Variations, AndrÁs Schiff (piano)
Barber:
Violin Concerto, Op. 14 Joshua Bell (violin) - Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman
Bartók:
Piano Concerto No. 3, Julius Katchen (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra, IstvÁn Kertész
Beethoven:
Various Italian Songs - Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Andras Schiff (piano);
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 - Janine Jansen (violin)
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Paavo JÄrvi
Piano Sonatas - Moonlight, Pathetique. Waldstein Radu Lupu
String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op. 95; and String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130; and Grosse Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133 - TakÁcs Quartet
Septet in E flat major, Op. 20 - Members of the Wiener Oktett
Bellini:
Adalgisa! ... Oh! Rimembranza!, and Ma di' ... Oh non tremare (from Norma) - Joan Sutherland (soprano), Marilyn Horne (mezzo) - New York City Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
Berg:
Lulu Suite - Anja Silja (soprano) - Wiener Philharmoniker, Christoph von DohnÁnyi
Bernstein:
Maria, and Tonight (from West Side Story) - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors) Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Bizet:
Jeux d'enfants Op. 22 - Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Bloch, E:
Nigun (Baal Shem No. 2) - Joshua Bell (violin)
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman
Borodin:
Symphony No. 2 in B minor - London Symphony Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Prince Igor Overture, and Dances - London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Brahms:
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 - Nelson Freire (piano) - Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Chailly
Britten:
War Requiem, Op. 66 - Galina Vishnevskaya (soprano), Peter Pears (tenor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) - London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten
Embroidery in childhood (from Peter Grimes) - Renée Fleming (soprano) - London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 15 - Janine Jansen (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra, Paavo JÄrvi
Bruch:
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, and Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46 - Kyung Wha Chung (violin)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rudolf Kempe
Bruckner:
Symphony No. 4 in Eb Major 'Romantic' - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl BÖhm
Capua:
O sole mio - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors) - Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Cardillo:
Core 'ngrato - José Carreras (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Chabrier:
España - London Symphony Orchestra, AtaÚlfo Argenta
Cilea:
'Lamento di Federico' (from L'Arlesiana)
José Carreras (tenor) - Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Crescenzo:
Rondine al nido - Pavarotti (tenor) - Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Curtis, E:
Torna a Surriento - Pavarotti (tenor) - Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Debussy:
Images for orchestra - L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Dvorak:
'Song to the Moon' (from Rusalka) - Renée Fleming (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 - Wiener Philharmoniker, IstvÁn Kertész
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 - London Symphony Orchestra, IstvÁn Kertész
Elgar:
Enigma Variations, Op. 36 - London Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
Falla:
El sombrero de tres picos - Teresa Berganza (mezzo)
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Noches en los jardines de Espana - Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Giordano, U:
Un dÌ, all' azzurro spazio (from Andrea Chénier) - Carreras (tenor) - Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Mehta
Glinka:
Ruslan & Lyudmila Overture - London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Goldschmidt, B:
Der Verflossene
Granados:
Danza española, Op. 37 No. 5 'Andaluza' - London Symphony Orchestra, AtaÚlfo Argenta;
Goyescas (opera), and El Pelele - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.
Grieg:
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Guglielmi:
La vie en rose - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Haydn:
Arianna a Naxos, cantata, Hob.XXVIb/2 - Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Andras Schiff (piano)
Mass, Hob. XXII:11 in D minor 'Nelsonmesse' -
Sylvia Stahlman (soprano), Helen Watts (contralto), London Symphony Orchestra, Sir David Willcocks
Mass, Hob. XXII: 9 in C major 'Paukenmesse' - April Cantelo (soprano), Robert Tear (tenor), Barry McDaniel (baritone), The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, George Guest
Holst:
The Planets, Op. 32, and The Perfect Fool Op. 39/H 150: Ballet Music - Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Egdon Heath, a homage to Thomas Hardy, Op.47 - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Ibert:
Divertissement - Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Ives, C:
Symphony No. 2 - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Mehta
Janacek:
Sinfonietta - Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Charles Mackerras
The Cunning Little Vixen Suite, and Taras Bulba - Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Charles Mackerras
LaCalle:
Amapola - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Lara, Augustin:
Granada - José Carreras (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
LehÁr:
Das Land des LÄchelns - Domingo (tenor) - Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Leoncavallo:
Mattinata - 'L'aurora di bianco vestita' - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors) Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Lloyd Webber, A:
Memory (from Cats) - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Mahler:
Symphony No. 8 in E flat major - Heather Harper, Lucia Popp, Arleen Auger (sopranos), Yvonne Minton (mezzo), Helen Watts (contralto), Rene Kollo (tenor), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone), Martti Talvela (bass) - Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Wiener SÄngerknaben, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Solti
Mendelssohn:
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 - Kyung Wha Chung (violin)
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit;
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 'Scottish' - London Symphony Orchestra, Peter Maag; A Midsummer Night's Dream - incidental music, Op. 61 - Jennifer Vyvyan, Marion Lowe (sopranos) - London Symphony Orchestra, Peter Maag
Octet in E flat major, Op. 20 - Members of the Wiener Oktett
Mendoza y Cortés:
Cielito Lindo - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Messiaen:
TurangalÎla Symphony - Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Chailly
Meyerbeer:
ô Paradis (from L'Africaine) - Domingo (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Moszkowski:
Danse espagnoles, Op. 12 - London Symphony Orchestra, AtaÚlfo Argenta
Mozart:
Ridente la calma, K152 - Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Andras Schiff (piano)
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, and Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major - Clifford Curzon (piano) English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten
Porgi amor (from Le nozze di Figaro), and E Susanna non vien! ... Dove sono i bei momenti (from Le nozze di Figaro) - Renée Fleming (soprano) London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Mussorgsky:
Pictures at an Exhibition - Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Khovanshchina:
Prelude, and A Night on the Bare Mountain - London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Nelson, Rudolf:
Das spricht BÄnde
Parry:
I was glad, Jerusalem, and Blest Pair of Sirens - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Waynflete Singers, David Hill
Pergolesi:
Stabat Mater, and Salve Regina in F minor, and in A minor - Barbara Bonney (soprano), Andreas Scholl (countertenor); Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset
Ponchielli:
Ecco la barca ... addio (from La Gioconda) - Joan Sutherland (soprano), Marilyn Horne (mezzo), Luciano Pavarotti (tenor)
New York City Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
Prokofiev:
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26 - Julius Katchen (piano) London Symphony Orchestra, IstvÁn Kertész
Puccini:
Turandot - Joan Sutherland (Turandot), Pavarotti (Calaf), Caballé (Liù
, Nicolai Ghiaurov (Timur), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
La fanciulla del West (excerpts) - Renata Tebaldi (Minnie), Mario del Monaco (Dick Johnson), Cornell MacNeil (Jack Rance), Giorgio Tozzi (Giorgio Tozzi) Orchestra e coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia Roma, Franco Capuana
Che gelida manina (from La Bohème) - Pavarotti (tenor)
New York City Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
Recondita armonia (from Tosca) - Pavarotti (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
E lucevan le stelle (from Tosca) - Domingo (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Purcell:
Dido and Aeneas - Chorus and Orchestra of The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood
Rachmaninov:
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 - Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) London Symphony Orchestra, Anatole Fistoulari
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36 - Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
Ravel:
Ma Mère l'Oye; Pavane pour une infante défunte; Le Tombeau de Couperin; Valses nobles et sentimentales; and Boléro -
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit
Piano Concerto in G major - Julius Katchen (piano) London Symphony Orchestra, IstvÁn Kertész
Daphnis et Chloé - London Symphony Orchestra, Monteux
Respighi:
Roman Festivals, and Pines of Rome - The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Rimsky Korsakov:
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34 - London Symphony Orchestra, AtaÚlfo Argenta Le Coq d'Or Suite - The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Rossini:
Mura felici (from La donna del lago) - Marilyn Horne (mezzo)
New York City Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
Saint-Saëns:
Danse macabre, Op. 40, and Le Rouet d'Omphale, Op. 31
Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor Op. 22, and Piano Concerto No. 4 in C minor, Op. 44, and Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 'Egyptian' - Pascal Rogé (piano) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Dutoit
Schoenberg:
Erwartung, Op. 17 - Anja Silja (soprano) Wiener Philharmoniker, Christoph von DohnÁnyi
Schubert:
Vedi quanto adoro ancora ingrato!, D510; Im Haine, D738;
Io vuo'cantar di Cadmo (Alla cetra, D737); La pastorella, D528
Non t'accostar all'urna, D688; Guarda, che bianca luna, D688;
Da quel sembiante appresi, D688; Mio ben ricordati D688; Pensa, che questo istante, D76; Willkommen und Abschied, D767 - Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Andras Schiff (piano)
Schumann:
Carnaval, Op. 9 - Nelson Freire (piano)
Shostakovich:
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70 - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Sibelius:
Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 - Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Siecynski:
Wien, Wien nur du Allein (Vienna, City of My Dreams) - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (tenors) Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
SorozÁbal:
La Taberna del Puerto - `No puede ser' - Domingo (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Spoliansky:
Alles Schwindel; Das Gesellschaftslied; Meine beste Freundin;
100 meter Glück; L'heure bleue; Das Lila Lied; Maskulinum-Femininum - Ute Lemper Matrix Ensemble, Robert Ziegler
Strauss, E:
Ohne Bremse Op. 238 Polka schnell
Strauss, J, I:
Loreley-Rhein-KlÄnge, Walzer, Op. 154 - Radetsky March, Op. 228 - Wiener Philharmoniker, Willi Boskovsky
Strauss, J, II:
Wein, Weib und Gesang, Op. 333; Bitte Schon, Polka Op. 372;
Bei uns z'Haus Waltz, Op. 361; Tik-Tak Polka, Op. 365;
Pizzicato Polka Auf der Jagd, Op. 373; Leichtes Blut, polka schnell, Op. 319; An der schÖnen, blauen Donau, Op. 314
Strauss, Josef:
Die Emanzipierte - Moulinet-Polka; Rudolfsheimer-polka
Strauss, R:
Don Juan, Op. 20, and Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64 - San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt
Ich komme, grünen Brüder (from Daphne) - Renée Fleming (soprano) London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Stravinsky:
The Firebird, and The Rite of Spring - Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
Suppe:
Die schÖne Galathée Overture, and Leichte Kavallerie Overture, and Dichter und Bauer Overture, and Ein Morgen, ein Mittag, ein Abend in Wien Overture, and Pique Dame Overtures - Wiener Philharmoniker, Solti
Susato:
Danserye - New London Consort, Philip Pickett
Tchaikovsky:
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 - Alfredo Campoli (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra, AtaÚlfo Argenta
Puskay pogibnu ya 'Tatiana's Letter Scene' (from Eugene Onegin) - Renée Fleming (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, and Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70 - The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner
Varèse:
Arcana, Intégrales, and Ionisation
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
Verdi:
Era più calmo?, and Mia madre aveva...Piangea cantando...Ave Maria (from Otello) - Renée Fleming (soprano) London Symphony Orchestra, Solti
Solingo, errante e misero (from Ernani), and Tu del mio Carlo (from I masnadieri), and GiÁ nella notte densa (from Otello), and Madre, non dormi? (from Il trovatore) - Pavarotti (tenor), Joan Sutherland (soprano), Marilyn Horne (mezzo)
New York City Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
Wagner:
Der Ring des Nibelungen - Birgit Nilsson (Brünnhilde), Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried), Hans Hotter (Wotan), Gerhard Stolze (Mime) Wiener Philharmoniker, Solti
Walton:
Violin Concerto - Joshua Bell (violin) Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman
Belshazzar's Feast, and Coronation Te Deum - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Waynflete Singers, David Hill
Webern:
Im sommerwind (Idyl for large orchestra 1904) - Anja Silja (soprano) Wiener Philharmoniker, Christoph von DohnÁnyi
Ziehrer:
Herreinspaziert, Op. 518
mrclick,
Yes, this is a nice set to own for anyone. I already had a selection of some of the discs but the value for me is it is introducing a subset of music / composers that are strangely not represented in my library after 40 years of collecting music. In particular, I have next to zero of anything by British composers and so this gives me a nice leap forward.
All the performances I've heard so far are very good as is the sound quality, in general. I liked it enough to spring for the very tiny vinyl offering, in comparison.
