Dream of You : Delta Camden

- $3.88

The Greatest Classical Show On Earth : Polygram Records

- $7.91

Greatest Hits: Broadway : Sony

- $4.78

Handel: Music for Royal Occasions : Hyperion UK

- $12.07

Greatest Christmas Show on Earth : Polygram Records

- $9.56

The Greatest Opera Show on Earth : Polygram Records

This really is a remarkable collection, and anyone even remotely interested in opera is bound to be vastly entertained by it. Almost everything and everyone is here, albeit in small doses: Tebaldi, Pavarotti (a lot), Bjoerling, Bartoli, Sutherland, Solti, Karajan, Troyanos, Gheorghiu, Nucci; the composers are Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, and all the other usual suspects. There are plenty of fine compilation sets on the market, and this is one of the best. One can only hope that it whets listeners' appetites for whole operas. --Robert Levine - $17.49

The Greatest Choral Show on Earth : Polygram Records

- $22.99

Kern & Hammerstein II: Show Boat - Frederica von Stade, Teresa Stratas, Jerry Hadley, Bruce Hubbard, John McGlinn, London Sinfonietta & Ambrosian Chorus : EMI Classics

John McGlinn's sprawling, monumental three-CD set is about all the Show Boat any listener could ever ask for. In an obvious labor of love, McGlinn reconstructs the show as it ran on opening night, November 15, 1927, including every song, the original orchestrations, and all underscored dialogue. The most significant restoration is the dark choral number "Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun'," as Show Boat's serious subject matter helped establish its place as the most important turning point in the history of American musical theater. McGlinn also adds an appendix that includes songs cut before opening night and every song subsequently written for the show's many productions, most notably the love duet "I Have the Room Above Her," written for the 1936 film. (The recording is also available in a one-disc reduction called the "Broadway Show Album.")

Rest assured this 221-minute blockbuster is not just dry scholarship; it's also terrific listening, with McGlinn conducting a dynamic London Sinfonietta and a strong cast including Frederica von Stade as Magnolia, Jerry Hadley as Ravenal, Teresa Stratas as the tragic Julie, Bruce Hubbard as the worldly wise Joe, Karla Burns as Queenie, and David Garrison and Paige O'Hara as the comic couple Frank and Ellie. And of course the songs by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II are among the most glorious ever written: "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Make Believe," "Why Do I Love You," "Bill," "You Are Love," and "Life upon the Wicked Stage." Also included are exhaustive production notes, a history of the show, a detailed synopsis, and a libretto. John McGlinn's Show Boat is a staggering achievement and a recording for the ages. --David Horiuchi - $26.99

There's No Business Like Show Business: Broadway Showstopper : Sony

- $5.43

Portrait of Rampal : Sony

This disc is obviously intended for the collector who has nothing. It's an astonishing variety of bits and pieces, mostly movements from concertos. The performances range from excellent taste (mostly) to truly terrible (a ludicrous Gershwin arrangement), and the music is so diverse it's hard to imagine any listener who would like it all. But if the point is to give new listeners a chance to find out what kinds of flute music they do and don't like, then the disc makes a certain amount of sense. Sound quality varies only a little, which is surprising since the recordings come from such diverse sources. --Leslie Gerber - $19.55