Do any of you have the complete works of Beethoven? A few years ago, while Borders was still around, they were selling that collection and I picked one up.

Don't know where you can buy them nowadays, although I suppose they sell them on the internet.

How "complete" is this collection?

Regards,

I assume everything that has an opus number.

Also, what is it? Sheet music, recordings?

Recordings.

Brilliant Classics has been putting out several complete editions.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=570976

That collection includes Sir Neville Marriner. Must be a good collection.

I've got a relatively complete collection of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. I didn't "buy" it though.

I don't understand. You said you picked one up, but you assume it includes everything that has an opus number?

I have the complete Beethoven, save the songs. Various recordings I've picked up over the years. Now as far as piano works are concerned there's Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Faure, Gershwin, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, Rach, Ravel, Schubert, Schumann...most of Haydn, Liszt, Rameau, Couperin, Handel. I have a ton of recordings. Now scores...that's another story and I couldn't begin to count.

You have the complete Bach? That's a ton of music.

It says "complete works" on the box in English and Gesamtwerk in German. Have you discovered an unknown Beethoven piece that does not have an opus number? Then it probably wouldn't include that piece.

The complete Beethoven would include not only Opus numbers but WoO numbers as well. There are also Anhang numbers and H. numbers, though these latter are not usually included in such a set.

There are lots of pieces by Beethoven with no opus numbers, but they are well known.

And how come you don't have the songs, stores? "Adelaide" is one of my favorite songs I've ever heard so far!

I haven't investigated different scholarly systems of classification. Do you know a specific piece that I would not have in my collection?

You might find this useful: http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Oeuvres/ListWoO.html

I know with Dvorak, for example, that his ninth symphony used to be classified as his fifth. I wish the scholars could figure these things out.

If only opus numbers are included, Für Elise would be out. This would not make sense. But is that possible ? No, it's too famous, it must be included.

It is lovely, isn't it? - and the accompaniment is pleasingly easy. (Unlike Liszt's rather over-the-top transcription.)