Benjamin Britten was intensely interested in, some would say obsessed by, the performance of his own music. (Not for him the hands-off approach of leaving others to interpret his work – he wanted to ensure the best possible realisation of his ideas.) That was why he founded his own festival at Aldeburgh and why he embraced the art of recording. He became one of the most active and important interpreters of the LP era; his relationship with Decca produced huge hits such as the War Requiem, with its unforgettable sounds and stark black-and-white cover. (That image and 46 other LP covers – which could form an iconographical study in themselves – are all reproduced in the booklet with this huge set.)

Decca's recordings with Britten form the core of this absolutely magnificent CD collection of his complete works. But it has taken a collaboration between some 20 record companies to capture the whole of his output and it is a brilliant achievement, meticulously documented. Some may have other favourite recordings, but these are all top notch and of historic importance.

What a range of technique and expression Britten explores, avoiding conventional symphonies and concertos in favour of inventing the church parables, the Cello Symphony, Noye's Fludde. Buried away on CD 65 ("Supplementary recordings") are some peerless gems – the gripping first recording of Abraham and Isaac with Norma Procter, which Britten suppressed because he wanted to use the alto John Hahessy, who appears on the very next track, duetting with Michael Berkeley; then Peter Pears and Britten jamming two of the Cabaret Songs, and the stunning Missa Brevis with the throaty boys of Westminster Cathedral in 1959 under George Malcolm. A treasure trove from a composer whose stature continues to rise and rise.