The Australian branch of Universal Music (classical division) has produced many sets of rare recordings from the earliest days of the LP, but here are two sets showcasing a more recent era. Both contain significant recordings that have stood the test of time.

Sir Colin Davis was at his height when he conducted for Philips (now subsumed into Decca) during the 1970s and 80s. His ground-breaking Berlioz recordings bear that out, along with his Mozart operas (box set please?), his Sibelius symphony cycle in Boston, and his championing of the music of Michael Tippett in London. A 2013 compilation of 15 discs titled The Philips Years (probably no longer available) gave us a splendid sampling of his work, but the new Eloquence box is different: it is comprised of his work with one orchestra, the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam.

Sir Colin Davis. Photo supplied

Always known for its perfect balance and tonal smoothness, the Concertgebouw was a good fit for Davis at this time (Chailly later sharpened their edge to a degree). Davis was a deeply musical conductor, not ostentatious or inclined to extreme interpretive point-making, but not dull either,...