Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete Edition

no words can truly show how happy i am for getting the complete works of a flawed but brilliant man!

Please bear in mind I haven't had chance to listen to anywhere near the whole contents of this set. However what I have listened to has been highly enjoyable with wonderful music making and excellent sound quality. Wasn't quite sure what to expect from the folk song arrangements, but pleasantly surprised by what I heard. Please consider this Naxos box set, highly recommend.

If you are a fan and a collector just order it you will be delighted to find a load of new pieces, all well performed and recorded. Don’t hesitate, don’t even think about it, just get it.

but the package was not good and the corner of the box set was damaged i thin for the price i paid this was a shame

Wow, so incredible to see all of Beethoven's works in one place, this must be an exhaustive collection! I'm yet to finish listening (as that will take a while!) I already love the easy colour coding and detailed booklet.Thank you Naxos for delivering this compendium

Three competing boxes were issued in honor of Beethoven’s 250th Birthday:Deutsche Grammophon is the most desirable of the three, but costs more than the Warner and Naxos boxes combined.All three contain basically the same major works (except Warner forgot Beethoven’s revised final movement for the String Quartet Op.130 - dumb mistake).The DG box has more CDs primarily because it features multiple performances (five recordings of the Ninth Symphony alone).DG and Warner rely on celebrity musicians.Naxos relies on talented and plucky musicians (who are willing to work cheap).Leif Segerstam is the closest Naxos comes to a celebrity conductor - he has also recorded extensively for Chandos and Ondine.With the Turku (Finland) Philharmonic, Segerstam recorded seven CDs for the Naxos Beethoven project:Creatures of Prometheus, Egmont, Mass Op.86, Christ on the Mount of Olives, Ruins of Athens, Consecration of the House and King Stephen Incidental Music, Cantatas on the Death of Emperor Joseph II and Accession of Leopold II + assorted vocal and choral works.A-list conductors Herbert Blomstedt and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski also appear in the Naxos box, but these are older recordings that were optioned by Naxos.DG advertised that their box contained three CDs worth of “rarities” - obscure works and first recordings.But NAXOS includes many more: nearly ten CDs worth of rarities.These rare works are the primary reason to buy the Naxos box - scholars will love this stuff.Naxos’ publicity department made no hint of the size of this trove.Their website still does not list everything: you need to buy the box to find out (or see my Comment One).Exclusive to DG: 23 raritiesExclusive to Naxos: 111 raritiesExclusive to Warner: 5 raritiesCommon to DG and Naxos: 32 raritiesCommon to DG and Warner: 1 rarityCommon to Naxos and Warner: 17 raritiesCommon to all three boxes: 29 raritiesFor a list of “rarities” (and an explanation of “WoO”, Hess and Biamonti) see Comment One (“sort by “Oldest”).The documentation included with the DG box is miles ahead of the other two.Warner and Naxos each include one booklet.The DG box includes a hardcover book + NINE separate booklets devoted to individual genres.DG is the only company to include texts and translations for the vocal works - printed in the booklets.BIG PLUS FOR DG.Warner provides nothing.Naxos provides most, but not all, of the texts and translations on their website - but it takes a while to find what you are looking for.Go to the Naxos website.1) under Keyword Search, type “Beethoven Complete Edition”2) click “BEETHOVEN, L. van: Edition (Complete) (90-CD Box Set)”3) click “View minisite”4) click “BEETHOVEN’S MUSIC: THE COMPLETE EDITION”5) at the top of the page, click “TRACKLIST”6) click on the work you are interested in. Good luck.RECOMMENDATIONS (in order of preference)1) DG: - best documentation and listener support.2) Naxos: ] (90 CDs) - especially desirable for rarities and curiosities - special appeal for scholars.3) Warner: - basic set aimed at a general audience, but with a serious flaw.MISSING MUSIC:During Beethoven’s lifetime, five arrangements of his music were published that today are usually overlooked by musicians [Opus 17 was the work of Beethoven, the remaining four are the work of his students, though Beethoven made some corrections].--- Op.17 Cello Sonata (arrangement of the Horn Sonata with the same opus number) - ON DG & NAXOS--- Op.41 Serenade for Flute and Piano in D major (arrangement of the Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola Op.25) - ON WARNER & NAXOS--- Op.42 Notturno for Viola and Piano in D major (arrangement of the Serenade for Violin, Viola and Cello Op.8) - ON WARNER--- Op.63 Piano Trio in E-Flat Major (arrangement of the String Quintet Op.4) - NONE OF THE BOXES--- Op.64 Cello Sonata (arrangement of the String Trio Op.3) - ON NAXOS (Maria Klegel on Naxos is the only cellist to record all seven sonatas).Also missing from all three boxes is the second, 1806 version of ‘Leonore’ Op.72bSeriously different from the 1805 version, Op.72a.Blomstedt’s excellent Dresden recording of Op.72a was licensed by both Warner and Naxos.DG has an unsatisfactory edition of ‘Leonore’, conflated from 1805, 1806, and even the final version of Fidelio.[for more about the missing works, see my review of the DG box.]MAJOR WORKS:SYMPHONIES:---- DG: two complete sets: Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic (1962, BLU-RAY Audio) + Gardiner, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique (period instruments)---- Warner: Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe---- Naxos: Drahos, Nicolas Esterhazy Sinfonietta---- DG bonus: 25 symphonies conducted by Abbado, Bernstein, Bohm, Chailly, Fricsay, Giulini, Karajan, Carlos Kleiber, Monteux, Nelsons, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Furtwangler (mono), Erich Kleiber (mono), Scherchen (mono) + Carlos Kleiber DVD Video + single movements (mono) conducted by Nikisch, Strauss, Klemperer, Karajan & van KempenOVERTURES:---- DG: Abbado, Chailly, Fricsay, Klee, Szell, Gardiner (period instruments), Busch (mono), Furtwangler (mono), Klemperer (mono)---- Warner: Barenboim, Dausgaard, Klemperer, Muti---- Naxos: Drahos, Gunzenhauser, Segerstam, SkrowaczewskiCREATURES OF PROMETHEUS:---- DG: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra---- Warner: Harnoncourt---- Naxos: Segerstam + Beethoven’s transcription for solo pianoEGMONT INCIDENTAL MUSIC:---- DG: Abbado---- Warner: Masur---- Naxos: SegerstamWELLINGTON’S VICTORY:---- DG: Karajan + Beethoven’s transcription for solo piano---- Warner: Dausgaard---- Naxos: Lenárd + Beethoven’s transcription for solo pianoCONCERTI (5) for PIANO:---- DG: 15 recordings by 10 pianists: Argerich, Arrau, Brendel, Buchbinder, A. Fischer, Gulda, Kempff, Pollini, Zimerman, Levin (period instruments)---- Warner: Schiff/ Haitink---- Naxos: Vladar/ WordsworthCONCERTO for VIOLIN:---- DG: four recordings: Mutter/Karajan + Repin/Muti + Schneiderhan/Jochum + Zehetmair/Bruggen (period instruments)---- Warner: Perlman/Giulini---- Naxos: Nishizaki/JeanCONCERTO for VIOLIN arranged for PIANO:---- DG: Barenboim, piano & cond.---- Warner: Duchable/ Menuhin---- Naxos: Jandó/ DrahosCONCERTO for PIANO, VIOLIN, CELLO:---- DG: Chung Trio/ M.W.Chung cond.---- Warner: Barenboim piano & cond, Perlman, Ma---- Naxos: Jandó, Dong-Suk Kang, Kliegel/ DrahosFANTASY FOR PIANO, CHORUS & ORCHESTRA:---- DG: Pollini/Abbado + Levin/Gardiner (period instruments)---- Warner: Aimard/Harnoncourt---- Naxos: McCawley/WettonROMANCES (2) for VIOLIN & ORCHESTRA:---- DG: Mutter/Masur + Zehetmair/Bruggen in Romance No.2 only (period instruments)---- Warner: Perlman/Barenboim---- Naxos: Nishizaki/JeanMASS Op.86:---- DG: Gardiner (period instruments)---- Warner: Giulini---- Naxos: SegerstamMISSA SOLEMNIS:---- DG: Karajan (1966) + Gardiner (period instruments)---- Warner: Klemperer---- Naxos: SchermerhornCHRIST ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES:---- DG: Klee---- Warner: Wangenheim---- Naxos: SegerstamFIDELIO (1814 final version)---- DG: Abbado + Bernstein (DVD Video)---- Warner: Klemperer---- Naxos: HalászLEONORE (1805 & 1806 versions of Fidelio)---- DG: Gardiner (period instruments) - conductor’s hybrid of 1805, 1806 and even 1814 versions---- Warner: Blomstedt - 1805 version---- Naxos: Blomstedt - 1805 versionPIANO SONATAS:---- DG: Wilhelm Kempff (BLU-RAY Audio)---- Warner: Stephen Kovacevich---- Naxos: Jeno Jando---- DG bonus: 57 sonatas performed by Arrau, Ashkenazy, Backhaus, Brendel, Freire, Gilels, Grimaud, Gulda, Kissin, Kocsis, Kovacevich, Lupu, Michelangeli, Perahia, Pogorelich, Pollini, Richter, Serkin, Uchida, Rubin (fortepiano), Haskil (mono), Kempff (mono), Schnabel (mono)CELLO SONATAS:---- DG: Maisky/ Argerich---- Warner: Starker/Buchbinder---- Naxos: Kliegel/Jando---- DG bonus: Fournier/Kempff (3), Rostropovich/Richter (5)VIOLIN SONATAS---- DG: Kremer/Argerich (1-4) + Perlman/Ashkenazy (5,6) + Mutter/Orkis (7,9) + Dumay/Pires (8-10) + Menuhin/Kempff (variations etc.)---- Warner: Capucon/Braley---- Naxos: Nishizaki/JandoPIANO TRIOS:---- DG: Beaux Arts Trio + Previn/Mullova/Schiff + Kempff/Szeryng/Fournier---- Warner: Barenboim/Zukerman/DuPre---- Naxos: Xyrion Trio---- DG bonus: Staier/Sepec/Queyras (period instruments) + Levin/Hanson/Watkin (period instruments) + Gilels/Kogan/Rostropovich (mono)STRING TRIOS:---- DG: Mutter/Giuranna/Rostropovich---- Warner: Perlman/Zukerman/Harrell---- Naxos: Falvay/Fejervari/EderSTRING QUARTETS:---- DG: Amadeus Quartet (BLU-RAY Audio)---- Warner: Artemis Quartet - they play the Grosse fuge (later published as Op.133) as the final movement of Op.130 - but not the replacement finale.---- Naxos: Kodaly Quartet---- DG bonus: Emerson Quartet (early & middle quartets) + Takacs and Hagen Quartets (late quartets) + assorted quartets by Lindsay Quartet, Quartetto Italiano, Shuppanzigh Quartet (period instruments), Busch Quartet (mono), Hollywood Quartet (mono)For a list of “rarities” (and an explanation of “WoO”, Hess and Biamonti) see Comment One (“sort by “Oldest”).

The negative is most of the documention is Japense at this price you expect some documentation in English..The 89 CD are enclosed in wooden box beautifully designed and by the way there is a locked and a key.What about the music.Well I can read music or follow the score and all the cd I have listened so far are a joy to listen,crystal clear and fresh.I am many Beethoven symphony 7 and they are either fast and not a joy buy the symphony is fresh and a joy.....I have listen d to string quartet opus 131 and really enjoyed it and so I have listened to it five times.I could no say highly recommend buy as the price is too expensive.If you have a chance listen to it and make your mind whether to buy it.I bought this box set second hand at Amazon.

One word to say this is a fantastic Beethoven box set but it!!

Se trata de una caja de 90 DISCOS, con más de 1550 pistas individuales, un folleto detallado de 136 páginas y una bonificación de dos descargas gratuitas de álbumes.Esta colección definitiva, marca el 250 aniversario del nacimiento del compositor.Examinando la totalidad de su carrera, la Edición completa abarca obras orquestales, de concierto, para teclado, de cámara, de música escénica, corales y vocales, y abarca sus obras maestras más familiares e icónicas, junto con rarezas y fragmentos y bocetos recientemente reconstruidos en estreno mundial.Los artistas presentados van desde experimentados como Kodály Quartet, Takako Nishizaki y Boris Giltburg, hasta nuevos intérpretes, y superan las expectativas en sus representaciones.Con mucho, la más completa de las integrales del aniversario del compositor, que se sumerge profundamente en el catálogo de oscuras piezas y variantes de Beethoven.

Three competing boxes were issued in honor of Beethoven’s 250th Birthday:Deutsche Grammophon is the most desirable of the three, but costs more than the Warner and Naxos boxes combined.All three contain basically the same major works (except Warner forgot Beethoven’s revised final movement for the String Quartet Op.130 - dumb mistake).The DG box has more CDs primarily because it features multiple performances (five recordings of the Ninth Symphony alone).DG and Warner rely on celebrity musicians.Naxos relies on talented and plucky musicians (who are willing to work cheap).Leif Segerstam is the closest Naxos comes to a celebrity conductor - he has also recorded extensively for Chandos and Ondine.With the Turku (Finland) Philharmonic, Segerstam recorded seven CDs for the Naxos Beethoven project:Creatures of Prometheus, Egmont, Mass Op.86, Christ on the Mount of Olives, Ruins of Athens, Consecration of the House and King Stephen Incidental Music, Cantatas on the Death of Emperor Joseph II and Accession of Leopold II + assorted vocal and choral works.A-list conductors Herbert Blomstedt and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski also appear in the Naxos box, but these are older recordings that were optioned by Naxos.DG advertised that their box contained three CDs worth of “rarities” - obscure works and first recordings.But NAXOS includes many more: nearly ten CDs worth of rarities.These rare works are the primary reason to buy the Naxos box - scholars will love this stuff.Naxos’ publicity department made no hint of the size of this trove.Their website still does not list everything: you need to buy the box to find out (or see my Comment One).Exclusive to DG: 23 raritiesExclusive to Naxos: 111 raritiesExclusive to Warner: 5 raritiesCommon to DG and Naxos: 32 raritiesCommon to DG and Warner: 1 rarityCommon to Naxos and Warner: 17 raritiesCommon to all three boxes: 29 raritiesFor a list of “rarities” (and an explanation of “WoO”, Hess and Biamonti) see Comment One (“sort by “Oldest”).The documentation included with the DG box is miles ahead of the other two.Warner and Naxos each include one booklet.The DG box includes a hardcover book + NINE separate booklets devoted to individual genres.DG is the only company to include texts and translations for the vocal works - printed in the booklets.BIG PLUS FOR DG.Naxos provides most, but not all, of the texts and translations on their website - but it takes a while to find what you are looking for.Warner provides nothing.RECOMMENDATIONS (in order of preference)1) DG: - best documentation and listener support.2) Naxos: ] (90 CDs) - especially desirable for rarities and curiosities - special appeal for scholars.3) Warner: - basic set aimed at a general audience, but with a serious flaw.MISSING MUSIC:During Beethoven’s lifetime, five arrangements of his music were published that today are usually overlooked by musicians [Opus 17 was the work of Beethoven, the remaining four are the work of his students, though Beethoven made some corrections].--- Op.17 Cello Sonata (arrangement of the Horn Sonata with the same opus number) - ON DG & NAXOS--- Op.41 Serenade for Flute and Piano in D major (arrangement of the Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola Op.25) - ON WARNER & NAXOS--- Op.42 Notturno for Viola and Piano in D major (arrangement of the Serenade for Violin, Viola and Cello Op.8) - ON WARNER--- Op.63 Piano Trio in E-Flat Major (arrangement of the String Quintet Op.4) - NONE OF THE BOXES--- Op.64 Cello Sonata (arrangement of the String Trio Op.3) - ON NAXOS (Maria Klegel on Naxos is the only cellist to record all seven sonatas).Also missing from all three boxes is the second, 1806 version of ‘Leonore’ Op.72bSeriously different from the 1805 version, Op.72a.Blomstedt’s excellent Dresden recording of Op.72a was licensed by both Warner and Naxos.DG has an unsatisfactory edition of ‘Leonore’, conflated from 1805, 1806, and even the final version of Fidelio.[for more about the missing works, see my review of the DG box.]MAJOR WORKS:SYMPHONIES:---- DG: two complete sets: Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic (1962, BLU-RAY Audio) + Gardiner, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique (period instruments)---- Warner: Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe---- Naxos: Drahos, Nicolas Esterhazy Sinfonietta---- DG bonus: 25 symphonies conducted by Abbado, Bernstein, Bohm, Chailly, Fricsay, Giulini, Karajan, Carlos Kleiber, Monteux, Nelsons, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Furtwangler (mono), Erich Kleiber (mono), Scherchen (mono) + Carlos Kleiber DVD Video + single movements (mono) conducted by Nikisch, Strauss, Klemperer, Karajan & van KempenOVERTURES:---- DG: Abbado, Chailly, Fricsay, Klee, Szell, Gardiner (period instruments), Busch (mono), Furtwangler (mono), Klemperer (mono)---- Warner: Barenboim, Dausgaard, Klemperer, Muti---- Naxos: Drahos, Gunzenhauser, Segerstam, SkrowaczewskiCREATURES OF PROMETHEUS:---- DG: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra---- Warner: Harnoncourt---- Naxos: Segerstam + Beethoven’s transcription for solo pianoEGMONT INCIDENTAL MUSIC:---- DG: Abbado---- Warner: Masur---- Naxos: SegerstamWELLINGTON’S VICTORY:---- DG: Karajan + Beethoven’s transcription for solo piano---- Warner: Dausgaard---- Naxos: Lenárd + Beethoven’s transcription for solo pianoCONCERTI (5) for PIANO:---- DG: 15 recordings by 10 pianists: Argerich, Arrau, Brendel, Buchbinder, A. Fischer, Gulda, Kempff, Pollini, Zimerman, Levin (period instruments)---- Warner: Schiff/ Haitink---- Naxos: Vladar/ WordsworthCONCERTO for VIOLIN:---- DG: four recordings: Mutter/Karajan + Repin/Muti + Schneiderhan/Jochum + Zehetmair/Bruggen (period instruments)---- Warner: Perlman/Giulini---- Naxos: Nishizaki/JeanCONCERTO for VIOLIN arranged for PIANO:---- DG: Barenboim, piano & cond.---- Warner: Duchable/ Menuhin---- Naxos: Jandó/ DrahosCONCERTO for PIANO, VIOLIN, CELLO:---- DG: Chung Trio/ M.W.Chung cond.---- Warner: Barenboim piano & cond, Perlman, Ma---- Naxos: Jandó, Dong-Suk Kang, Kliegel/ DrahosFANTASY FOR PIANO, CHORUS & ORCHESTRA:---- DG: Pollini/Abbado + Levin/Gardiner (period instruments)---- Warner: Aimard/Harnoncourt---- Naxos: McCawley/WettonROMANCES (2) for VIOLIN & ORCHESTRA:---- DG: Mutter/Masur + Zehetmair/Bruggen in Romance No.2 only (period instruments)---- Warner: Perlman/Barenboim---- Naxos: Nishizaki/JeanMASS Op.86:---- DG: Gardiner (period instruments)---- Warner: Giulini---- Naxos: SegerstamMISSA SOLEMNIS:---- DG: Karajan (1966) + Gardiner (period instruments)---- Warner: Klemperer---- Naxos: SchermerhornCHRIST ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES:---- DG: Klee---- Warner: Wangenheim---- Naxos: SegerstamFIDELIO (1814 final version)---- DG: Abbado + Bernstein (DVD Video)---- Warner: Klemperer---- Naxos: HalászLEONORE (1805 & 1806 versions of Fidelio)---- DG: Gardiner (period instruments) - conductor’s hybrid of 1805, 1806 and even 1814 versions---- Warner: Blomstedt - 1805 version---- Naxos: Blomstedt - 1805 versionPIANO SONATAS:---- DG: Wilhelm Kempff (BLU-RAY Audio)---- Warner: Stephen Kovacevich---- Naxos: Jeno Jando---- DG bonus: 57 sonatas performed by Arrau, Ashkenazy, Backhaus, Brendel, Freire, Gilels, Grimaud, Gulda, Kissin, Kocsis, Kovacevich, Lupu, Michelangeli, Perahia, Pogorelich, Pollini, Richter, Serkin, Uchida, Rubin (fortepiano), Haskil (mono), Kempff (mono), Schnabel (mono)CELLO SONATAS:---- DG: Maisky/ Argerich---- Warner: Starker/Buchbinder---- Naxos: Kliegel/Jando---- DG bonus: Fournier/Kempff (3), Rostropovich/Richter (5)VIOLIN SONATAS---- DG: Kremer/Argerich (1-4) + Perlman/Ashkenazy (5,6) + Mutter/Orkis (7,9) + Dumay/Pires (8-10) + Menuhin/Kempff (variations etc.)---- Warner: Capucon/Braley---- Naxos: Nishizaki/JandoPIANO TRIOS:---- DG: Beaux Arts Trio + Previn/Mullova/Schiff + Kempff/Szeryng/Fournier---- Warner: Barenboim/Zukerman/DuPre---- Naxos: Xyrion Trio---- DG bonus: Staier/Sepec/Queyras (period instruments) + Levin/Hanson/Watkin (period instruments) + Gilels/Kogan/Rostropovich (mono)STRING TRIOS:---- DG: Mutter/Giuranna/Rostropovich---- Warner: Perlman/Zukerman/Harrell---- Naxos: Falvay/Fejervari/EderSTRING QUARTETS:---- DG: Amadeus Quartet (BLU-RAY Audio)---- Warner: Artemis Quartet - they play the Grosse fuge (later published as Op.133) as the final movement of Op.130 - but not the replacement finale.---- Naxos: Kodaly Quartet---- DG bonus: Emerson Quartet (early & middle quartets) + Takacs and Hagen Quartets (late quartets) + assorted quartets by Lindsay Quartet, Quartetto Italiano, Shuppanzigh Quartet (period instruments), Busch Quartet (mono), Hollywood Quartet (mono)For a list of “rarities” (and an explanation of “WoO”, Hess and Biamonti) see Comment One (“sort by “Oldest”).

A typical Naxos release: high-quality sound from one of the great composers.

日本語訳版を選んで購入した。以前小学館から発売された全集版があった。それより収録数も多く、ベートーベン曲を多く知ることが出来た。冊子もいろいろ参考になった。ただ一つ、２全集を聴いて、１曲だけ異なる作品が見つかった。WO 22 軍隊のエコセーズである。どちらが正しいか。楽譜を取り寄せないと分からない。録音日時場所が記載されていないので、日本の発売社に問い合わせたが、分からなかった。木製の箱に詰められたCDは、保存するにはとても良い。聴いた音色は、普通に聴くことが出来た。聴きづらい曲はなかった。