The Decca Sound [Box set]

These are classic recordings from the early age of stereo in the 1950s, through to modern digital classics. That over-used word 'cornucopia' is usually pulled out to describe box sets like this, but what is on offer is an undeniable abundence of some of the finest Decca recordings of the last fifty years. The sound is of extraordinary quality with analogue recordings often easily mistaken for digital. I'm not clear if these have had a new sound upgrade in reprocessing, but on my relatively standard sound set-up most were, in my view, jaw-dropping. The Monteux disc of Ravel's Daphne and Chloe paired with Elgar's Enigma Variations puts to shame some of the recent versions in audio quality (and performance). Other highlights are the Tchaikovsky string serenade by Marriner (wonderful), Messiaen Turangalila Symphony by Chailly (close but not the equal of the under-rated version by Salonen on Sony), a Sutherland/Pavarotti concert from New York, to name a few of the fifty discs (Lucas has usefully listed the collection on this page). People will have their own likes and dislikes, but if you are relatively new to classical music and hungry enough to explore the enormous creative scope that the classical imagination embraces,this is one of the best 'starter packs' of all time; but equally mouth-watering for more seasoned music fanatics who are offered the pinnacle of performance and sound. Beautifully conceived and presented collection, there is no rival to this in the current catalogue. Go for it now and experience unbridled pleasure.

This is a wonderful, wonderful box set of cds. The sound is absolutely extraordinary. Cd's sleeves have original cover art and,
what i thought it was very clever, the back of the sleeve doesn't reproduce the back of the original vinyl lp.

It has, instead, a few lines about the work and a clear,
easily readable list of the tracks and, sometimes, a small reproduction of the original cover of the bonus track.

Bonus track mean that the track was not part of the
original lp and was added when the original vinyl was too short for a cd.

Example: The cd of Ashkenazy playing Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto lasts 42 minutes.
Decca, in a nice gesture, added the piano sonata no 2 , which is from another original album but, lasting 25 minutes,
is too short for a single cd.

The booklet is excellent. Lots of photographs, some of them in colour, a complete list of the tracks on the 50 cds and a very informative text about
the history of recording in the last 50 years.

The booklet, by the way, has a nice, readable font size. It is not in the box just for the sake of it. The booklet does add to the box.

If you like classical music, you will love this box set. It is not only a box of cds. It is a real work of art and it is more than worth having it.

Down here I pasted a complete list of the 50 cds that come in the box.

Annibale:
O Paese d' 'o sole
Recorded on 7th July 1990
Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Bach, J S:
Magnificat in D major, BWV243
Hanneke van Bork, Elly Ameling (sopranos), Helen Watts (contralto), Werner Krenn (tenor), Tom Krause (baritone)
Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Karl Münchinger
Cantata BWV10 'Meine Seel erhebt den Herren'
Elly Ameling (soprano), Werner Krenn (tenor), Marius Rintzler (bass)
Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Karl Münchinger
Cantata BWV140 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme'
Gabriele Fontana (soprano), Gösta Wimbergh (tenor), Tom Krause (baritone)
Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Wiener Akademie-Chor Hymnuschor Stuttgart, Karl Münchinger
Goldberg Variations, BWV988
András Schiff (piano)
Barber:
Violin Concerto, Op. 14
Recorded in 1996
Joshua Bell (violin)
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman
Bartók:
Piano Concerto No. 3, BB 127, Sz. 119
Julius Katchen (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Beethoven:
Ecco quel fiero istante! (La partenza WoO.124)
Che fa il mio ben? (L'amante impaziente, Op. 82 No. 3)
Che fa il mio ben? (L'amante impaziente, Op. 82 No. 4)
T'intendo, si, mio cor (Liebes Klage, Op. 82 No. 2)
Dimmi, ben mio (Hoffnung, Op. 82 No. 1)
In questa tomba oscura, WoO.133
Recorded in 1992
Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Andras Schiff (piano)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
Recorded in 2009
Janine Jansen (violin)
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Paavo Järvi
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 `Moonlight'
Recorded in 1972
Radu Lupu (piano)
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique'
Recorded in 1972
Radu Lupu (piano)
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 'Waldstein'
Recorded in 1972
Radu Lupu (piano)
Variations (32) on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO 80
Recorded in 1970
Radu Lupu (piano)
String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op. 95 'Serioso'
Recorded 2003/2004
Takács Quartet
String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130
Recorded 2003/2004
Takács Quartet
Grosse Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133
Recorded 2003/2004
Takács Quartet
Septet in E flat major, Op. 20
Recorded in 1959
Members of the Wiener Oktett
Bellini:
Adalgisa! ... Oh! Rimembranza! (from Norma)
Recorded at the Lincoln Centre in 1981
Ma di' ... Oh non tremare (from Norma)
Recorded at the Lincoln Centre in 1981
Joan Sutherland (soprano), Marilyn Horne (mezzo)
New York City Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
Angiol di pace (from Beatrice di Tenda)
Recorded at the Lincoln Centre in 1981
Joan Sutherland (soprano), Marilyn Horne (mezzo), Luciano Pavarotti (tenor)
New York City Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
Berg:
Lulu Suite
Recorded in 1973
Anja Silja (soprano)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Christoph von Dohnányi
Bernstein:
Maria (from West Side Story)
Recorded on 7th July 1990
Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Tonight (from West Side Story)
Recorded on 7th July 1990
Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Bizet:
Jeux d'enfants (Petite Suite), Op. 22
Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Bloch, E:
Nigun (Baal Shem No. 2)
Recorded in 1996
Joshua Bell (violin)
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman
Borodin:
Symphony No. 2 in B minor
London Symphony Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Prince Igor Overture
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Brahms:
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
Recorded in 2006
Nelson Freire (piano)
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly
Britten:
War Requiem, Op. 66
Recorded in 1963
Galina Vishnevskaya (soprano), Peter Pears (tenor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Simon Preston (organ)
London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra Chorus, The Bach Choir, Highgate School Choir, Melos Ensemble, Benjamin Britten
Embroidery in childhood (from Peter Grimes)
Recorded in 1996
Renée Fleming (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 15
Recorded in 2009
Janine Jansen (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi
Bruch:
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
Recorded in 1972
Kyung Wha Chung (violin)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rudolf Kempe
Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46
Recorded in 1972
Kyung Wha Chung (violin)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rudolf Kempe
Bruckner:
Symphony No. 4 in Eb Major 'Romantic'
Recorded in 1973
Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
Capua:
O sole mio
Recorded on 7th July 1990
Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Cardillo:
Core 'ngrato
Recorded on 7th July 1990
José Carreras (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Chabrier:
España
Recorded 1957
London Symphony Orchestra, Ataúlfo Argenta
Cilea:
È la solita storia 'Lamento di Federico' (from L'Arlesiana)
Recorded on 7th July 1990
José Carreras (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Crescenzo:
Rondine al nido
Recorded on 7th July 1990
Luciano Pavarotti (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Curtis, E:
Torna a Surriento
Recorded on 7th July 1990
Luciano Pavarotti (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Debussy:
Images for orchestra
Recorded 1961
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Dvorak:
Mesícku na nebi hlubokém 'Song to the Moon' (from Rusalka)
Recorded in 1996
Renée Fleming (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World'
Recorded in 1961
Wiener Philharmoniker, István Kertész
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88
Recorded in 1963
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Elgar:
Enigma Variations, Op. 36
London Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
Falla:
El sombrero de tres picos
Recorded 1961
Teresa Berganza (mezzo)
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Noches en los jardines de Espana
Recorded in 1983
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Giordano, U:
Un dì, all' azzurro spazio (from Andrea Chénier)
Recorded on 7th July 1990
José Carreras (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Glinka:
Ruslan & Lyudmila Overture
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Goldschmidt, B:
Der Verflossene
Granados:
Danza española, Op. 37 No. 5 'Andaluza'
Recorded 1957
London Symphony Orchestra, Ataúlfo Argenta
Goyescas (opera)
Recorded in 1976
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
El Pelele
Recorded in 1976
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Grieg:
Holberg Suite, Op. 40
Recorded in 1970
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Guglielmi:
La vie en rose
Recorded on 7th July 1990
Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras (tenors)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta
Haydn:
Arianna a Naxos, cantata, Hob.XXVIb/2
Recorded in 1992
Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Andras Schiff (piano)
Mass, Hob. Read more ›

Not a long review this, because I want to get back to listening to some more of this set. For anyone who remembers the exceptional recording quality of many Decca records, while other companies such as Phillips and DGG trailed in their wake, this box is a must. Thrilling sound, and mostly brilliant performances. One could be churlish about what is included and not, but this is remarkable value for money. Buy it, before it disappears and becomes a collector's piece, like so many of the original vinyls.