CCMusic.com

"The whole conception of performance in these days is too heavy, loud and blatant," said Walter Gieseking in 1926, expressing his preference for "more delicacy and ethereal refinement of tone". That... more

The finest string quartet, unquestionably, that our century has known." In 1951, when the Quartetto Italiano first visited the USA, composer Virgil Thomson's was enthused: "Perfection is the only... more

Regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century, Prokofiev was both an innovator who delighted in controversy and a traditionalist seeking out purer melodies and classical forms. His... more

Conductor Daniel Barenboim presents: Complete iconic life work of Wagner's Operas in a 34 CD Box set. Complete with track listing and synopsis for each opera, with web links for the libretto of each... more

Andre Previn, a self-described "complete romantic," is the perfect conductor to lead the London Symphony Orchestra in these performances of Tchaikovsky's sumptuous ballet scores. Masterpieces of... more

Limited 80 CD box set. Doing full justice to Beethoven's awe-inspiring, but profoundly humane genius, this is Warner Classics' first-ever complete edition of his works. It draws discerningly on the... more

That price—20 CDs for under $40 bucks—might make you do a double take, but rest assured: this is a Warner Classics release…it's legit! The elegant, sumptuous, brilliantly orchestrated Impressionistic... more

Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos, The Symphonies, Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini, Variations, Préludes, Moments musicaux (7CD) Box set - A sumptuous Rachmaninov collection built around the piano... more

Limited 91 CD box set. Passion, precision and fidelity to the score have always been hallmarks of Riccardo Muti's interpretations. After studies in Naples, where he was born in 1941, and in Milan he... more

Alban Berg Quartet - The Complete Recordings Limited 70 CD box set.

Limited 27 CD set. Lilting melodies and exhilarating dance rhythms; gentle pathos, brooding drama and robust high spirits; the spirit of rural Bohemia and the sophistication of Prague, Vienna, New... more

The Viennese Classical wunderkind changed the course of music, and here are 100 gems of brilliance and beauty that made waves then and endure today. Includes selections from "Symphony No. 40 in G... more

One of the 20th century's most questing and influential singers Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is celebrated above all for his extraordinary skill and insight in lieder. This complete collection of lieder... more

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), celebrated for his masterful compositions and poignant storytelling, remains one of the most beloved opera composers of all time. This collection, crafted for both opera... more

Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) is a pianist fully deserving of the epithet 'legendary'. His rigorous intellect and sense of the sublime found expression in his transcendent technique and sumptuous, yet... more

For much of his life, Otto Klemperer carried a note written by his hero Gustav Mahler, in which the composer praised the young Klemperer as 'an outstanding musician [...] predestined for the career... more

Limited 34 CD set. Active in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the composers of the Franco-Flemish School included such brilliant and diverse figures as Binchois, Dufay, des Prez, Obrecht, de La... more

Established in Moscow in 1945, and still performing today, the Borodin Quartet sustains a distinctive tradition in the interpretation of Russian chamber music. Over the decades it's members - all... more

A child prodigy, Felix Mendelssohn is considered one of Europe's greatest composers. A virtuoso conductor and pianist, he was a respected all-round musician for whom Robert Schumann had great... more

Jacqueline du Pré was recognized during her brief prime as one of the supreme cellists of the 20th century, with an intense commitment and a well-honed technical mastery to back up her heaven-sent... more