Part of the enduring attraction of CDs, is that the format is still the nonpareil of repertoire and artistry for dedicated collectors. The boxed set, which is of course not a new idea (think of Karajan’s 1960s set of Beethoven symphonies for Deutsche Grammophon), is ideally suited to CD, not just for technical convenience and historical importance, but for what you might call display purposes. Original-jacket reproduction, although shrunken from the long-playing format, brings a welcome nostalgic edge. Then there is the even greater convenience of timing, and the welcome ability of labels to add bonus tracks to transform an original forty-five-minute LP to an eighty-minute CD.

This has been a bumper year for boxed sets, and the trend, I’m glad to say, continues apace. For example, Universal Classics has just released the daddy of them all – Mozart’s complete works, on 200 CDs. More of that anon.

In the meanwhile, here is a comprehensive survey of recent boxed sets that have kept my CD player busy and my ears enthralled.

Decca Sound: 55 Great Vocal Recitals, 55 CD set (★★★★)