POP/ROCK

"The Beatles 1962-1966" and "The Beatles 1967-1970" 2023 Editions

They were first released concurrently in 1973 and are more commonly known, respectively, as "The Red Album" and "The Blue Album." The new 2023 edition adds nearly two dozen songs, including this perpetually fab band's rousing versions of the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout," Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" and Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me." The other new additions include "I Saw Her Standing There," "Here, There and Everywhere," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Dear Prudence," "Blackbird," "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and this year's "Now and Then."

Including more songs by George Harrison is a plus. So is the enhanced audio separation between instruments, which provides greater clarity — check out the romping "Hey Bulldog," the more prominent hand claps on "I Saw Her Standing There" and the sparkling vocal harmonies on "Magical Mystery Tour." The results provide an even better sense of how well the Beatles played together as an ensemble constantly striving to outdo itself with each new studio recording.

So far, so good. But while the new vinyl version places the newly added songs on a separate disc, the CD version has the songs in chronological order. That may be jarring for anyone fond of the original running order. Moreover, 37 of the 75 selections included here were newly remixed this year by Sam Okell and Giles Martin, the son of original Beatles' producer George Martin. All but one of the other 38 songs were remixed by the younger Martin between 2015 and 2022 for other, non-boxed set rereleases.

Almost everything has been retooled, sonically speaking, to appeal more to younger listeners who enjoy experiencing music that sounds and feels louder when heard on their earbuds.

GEORGE VARGA, San Diego Union-Tribune

CLASSICAL

Maria Callas, "La Divina: Maria Callas in All Her Roles"

The biggest boxed set of the year may also be the biggest bargain, quantitatively speaking. Timed to coincide with what would have been this month's 100th birthday of one of the greatest singers in opera history, "La Davina" pays tribute to Maria Callas with a sky-is-the-limit approach. The "In All Her Roles" subtitle is literal — this set spotlights a dizzying 74 of the roles she sang, 34 of which are included here in their entirety. Some of them, including "Carmen" and "La Bohème," are studio recordings of roles she never performed live.

The set includes 131 CDs, three Blu-Rays and one DVD-ROM, which provides librettos, texts and interviews (in French) with Callas, who was 53 when she died in 1977. That makes "La Davina" the deepest of dives for devotees of this quintessential diva; it is available from Amazon for $254.04, a price that comes out to less than $2 per CD.

GEORGE VARGA, San Diego Union-Tribune