Some Interesting Box Sets of 20th-Century Music

[Modernistfan]

Sony is releasing a 6-CD box set of Carlos Chavez (originally on Columbia LPs), including the six symphonies and some ballets not otherwise available, such as "Pyramide," "Los Cuatro Soles," and "Xochipili-Maculixchitl," mostly conducted by the composer.

Even more exciting is that Deutsche Grammophon is (finally!) releasing a 21-CD box set of the "Avant-Garde" series LPs, including many works by composers such as Mauricio Kagel, Gottfried Michael Koenig, Lukas Foss, Roland Kayn, Franco Evangelista, and others that have never been released on CD.

[maestrob]

Thanks for the alert. I've been waiting patiently for the Chavez set for decades!

[Modernistfan]

There is another good set of the Chavez symphonies that I bought dirt cheap on Vox--a 2-CD set with the much-missed Eduardo Mata conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

[Modernistfan]

I just ordered the 21-CD Deutsche Grammophon box set from jpc in Germany and it has been already shipped. Interestingly, they have reduced their shipping charges to the United States, running counter to the trend of many suppliers to increase shipping charges, and shipping was only 3.50 Euros, or slightly less than $4.00.

I was intending to order this from Amazon USA, but it was listed as "currently unavailable" and then was removed from the listings under "Coming Soon" on Amazon. I figured that I better not wait. (I wonder if Decca will release a similar box set based on the "Decca Headline" mid-1970s LP series, although there are only a few recordings in that series that I need, as many of the recordings have already been issued on CD or the works in those recordings have been subsequently re-recorded, but one exception that I would definitely want is Ferneyhough's "Transit.")

[jserraglio]

Those Avant Garde issues were wonderful. I have many of them as vinyl rips.

Likewise with the Chavez Columbia set.

[diegobueno]

I'd be interested in the Chavez set. Actually, come to think of it, I have the Mata Vox Box of the Chavez symphonies. I'll have to pull that out soon. I've played the Sinfonia India a couple of times, and it's fun.

I will definitely give a pass on the "Avant-garde" set. I remember those recordings the first time around. Maybe the Lukas Foss disc has something to offer, but in general I'm just contented that that era of avant-garde music is over, and I don't care to revisit it.