Genre > Classical

The Monteux Beethoven cycle was split between the London Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic. Presented here is a wonderful performance of the Fifth Symphony and the Egmont Overture with Monteux conducting the LSO. According to the late Jack Pfeiffer, RCA had scheduled this performance to be released as VICS 1103 but pulled it from release at the last minute. Classic Records is releasing this sonic masterpiece, cut from the original two-track masters, as it was originally intended for the first time ever! One of the most beautiful of the Monteux / LSO Beethoven performances - not to be missed!

Reiner and the CSO doing more Strauss - a Reiner favorite! This is an original 3 track recording with the Classic reissue being cut from the original edited session master tape. Like Ice Cream on a hot summer day - very satisfying!

Symphony No. 6, Op.74 in B minor "Pathetique"

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Enigma Variations, Op. 36

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Op. 56a.

A very highly rated Decca Living Stereo recorded by Ken Cross, the same engineer as on Witches Brew. Superb transparency and detail.

Production notes: Recorded in England

Liner notes: The light ballet has always been among the most popular of genres, and more than any other form of ballet it is dependent upon its musical score. Some serious ballets have achieved acclaim even though set to music that simply will not stand up independently in the concert hall. But a light ballet without a tuneful, agreeable, sophisticated score is unthinkable and it is no mere coincidence that such compilations as Ga??Parisienne, La Boutique Fantasque, Graduation Ball and the others˜Fa?de and Mamzelle Angot very much among them˜set the audience wiggling as soon as the curtain goes up.

Fa?de remains in the repertory of the Royal Ballet, and it has been one of the company's steady successes since 1935. The curious thing is that William (now Sir William) Walton's spoofing score was greeted with yells of opposition when it was originally introduced in 1922. At that time there was no idea that it ever would be made into a ballet.

Side 1 - Facade

Fanfare
Scotch Rhapsody
Valse
Tango - Pasodoble
Swiss Yodelling Song
Country Dance
Polka
Noche Espagnole
Popular Song
Old Sir Faulk
Tarantella Sevillana

Side 2 - MAMZELLE ANGOT

Overture
Act I: No. 3 - Mazurka; No. 5 - Tempo di Marcia
Act II: No. 8 - Tempo di Gavotte; No. 11
Act III: No. 13 - Finale

One of the best U.K. Living Stereos, with very good dynamics. A Kingsway Hall recording. Coupled with Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnole.

This is truly a demonstration recording. The Classic reissue is cut directly from the original 3 track master and you can hear details in the recording previously unheard - like trucks outside the hall! Munch is conducting the BSO to perfection and the performances is first rate. I am partial to the Romeo and Juliet but the Strauss Til Eulenspiegel is great as well. This one has it all in spades!

Two favorite piano concertos (the Ravel is particularly memorable), given the finest Living Stereo treatment with wide dynamic range and superb tonal balance, both on the piano and the orchestra

Undiscovered gem of the Decca Living Stereo catalog that is a companion to Boult's other fine release of Symphony No. 2 (VICS-1139). This album was a UK-only release (SB-2035). It also contains Rimsky-Korsakov's Easter Overture.

Another Kingsway Hall recording, masterfully engineered by Kennth Wilkinson. Monteux and the LSO bring to life the Finnish folk dances contained within the music of Sibelius's Pastoral Symphony.

One of the most sought after Decca Living Stereos with music by Arnold, Liszt and Mussorgsky amongst others. A long stading item on many audiophile want lists.

The oringal deluxe gatefold packaging has been reproduce for this Orchestra Hall recording og Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchstra, April 1958. the disk includes Falla's dance from "The Three Corner Hat" and " La Vida Breve" and Albeniz's "Trina from 'Oberia" Transcribed for Orchestra by Arbos. Great performances and sensational sonics.. woofers beware! Now available on Quiex SV-P 200gm.

Classic records 200 gram LP reissue. Finally back in print on Classic's 200g QUIEX Super Vinyl Profile, this 1959 Reiner/CSO recording of Prokofiev's Lt. Kije is outstanding both in sound and performance. The transfer was directly from the original 3-track tape for the first time and offers low level detail that has been obscured on all previous versions including original pressings. This is a musical/audiophile. Must have - 10++ rating on this Lewis Layton recording!

Prokofieff: Lieutenant Kije, Op. 60
Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale

Two favorite piano concertos (the Ravel is particularly memorable), given the finest Living Stereo treatment with wide dynamic range and superb tonal balance, both on the piano and the orchestra

Ernest Ansermet conducts the L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande performing Isaac Albéniz's Iberia and Joaquín Turina's Danzas Fantásticas As in numerous other works by Spanish composers, Isaac Albéniz's aim in his Iberia Suite was to portray the landscape and express the zest for life which is so abundant in southern countries. Infused with folkmusic elements, the suite is introduced by the dancelike Evocacian which vividly evokes a picture of Iberia. The lush, extravagant harmonies and the stark contrasts of the dynamics in particular - from the softest pianissimo to the extreme fortissimo - certainly whet one's appetite. Don't worry - Spain has a lot to offer! The next movement, El Corpus en Sevilla transports us to Andalusia where a solemn procession is taking place to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi. This is followed by a sparkling Triana in which the various complex and brilliant rhythms of the national dances Almeria, Rondena and Fandango are ingeniously combined. The two movements El Puerto and El Albaicin are no less exciting: the first presents a rich potpourri of Spanish songs, while the second - held in the minor key - conjures up a picture of Granada's gypsy quarter.

1. Evocación (Iberia)
2. El Corpus en Sevilla (Iberia)
3. Triana (Iberia)
4. El Puerto (Iberia)
5. El Albaicín (Iberia)
6. Exaltación (Fantásticas)
7. Ensueño (Fantásticas)
8. Orgia (Fantásticas)

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Today it is difficult to understand that despite the tremendous Bach renaissance that took place in the 19th century many compositions by the Cantor of St. Thomas’s Church in Leipzig had been underrated. The Cello Suites, for example, have been regarded for almost 300 years as purely a set of tricky etudes that every virtuoso in the making simply must tackle. What recording engineers and their equipment can bring to the ears is quite astounding. So it was back in the Thirties with Pablo Casal’s legendary recording against which every cellist is measured today and to whose perfection he aspires. Janos Starker’s recording of the Suites from 1963 and 1965 makes a lasting impression on the listener, even when compared with other recordings from the digital era, and even record producers who are well used to recorded excellence have been highly impressed. For Charlotte Gilbert of the Mercury record label, these recording sessions were one of five truly great events in all her 20 years of recording experience. Without a doubt, Starker allows his instrument to resound freely but without forcing the tone. Starker’s full-bodied sound and technical brilliance are complemented by his finely chiselled interpretation that lends immense expression to Bach’s thrilling harmony and verve to the strict rhythmic construction of the movements. Just listen to his organ-like double-stopped passages, the eloquent dialogues, and the pure excitement created by his highly individual treatment of tempo. Then you will surely agree with the often-quoted paradox that Bach’s Cello Suites are ‘polyphony for a solo instrument’.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Import (Germany)

Bartok composed his Dance Suite as the result of a commission from the city fathers of Budapest to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the union of the two towns Pest and Buda. While on his travels, Bartok liked to collect old folksongs, and he used this opportunity to express the act of fraternity in his music in the manner of a hidden program. As he himself stated, he made use of Arabian, Hungarian and Romanian influences in the Suite, whose dances are linked together by means of ritornello-like interludes. Glossiness in order to achieve romantic tonal magnificence is uncalled for here. Dorati's conducting is oriented towards the archaic strength, and the dry and at times rustic nature of the Suite. He allows the orchestra to seethe, whistle and stamp, driven on by ever-changing rhythms which lend the work its impulsive urge. Together with the highly expressive Portraits, Op. 5 and the two excerpts from Mikrokosmos, originally composed for the piano and heard here in an arrangement for orchestra by Tibor Serly, this compilation offers an excellent insight into Bartok's musical thoughts and works.

1. Dance Suite
2. Deux Portraits (Two Portraits), Op. 5
3. Mikrokosmos: Bourree (From the Diary of a Fly)

This title is not eligible for further discount.

The performance history of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos is, it appears, bound up with a paradoxical situation. On the one hand, every great pianist must almost feel destined to perform these works at least once in his lifetime. But on the other hand, so many heroes of the schellac era have left future generations their excellent recordings that these are filled with awe and respect, their otherwise nimble fingers become lame – and often only a mediocre recording is the result. The present recording, a milestone among the multitude of televised recordings made in they heyday of analogue recording technique, is highly impressive for its depth of musical focus, even without any visual support. Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli’s performance is a far cry from sugar-sweet pedaling and showy virtuosity, rather he displays a highly individual understanding of the intricately constructed musical material. Each phrase blossoms out to become a unique event in time composed. The soloist and the excellent orchestra here give a performance which sums up all Beethoven’s famous compositions and in which the pianist’s amazing sensitivity penetrates even the smallest detail. This is an exact reproduction of the 1979 Deutsche Grammaphon release.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

“It is a happy state of events to see two great masters unite in a glorious work and thus fulfil every wish of the thoughtful connoisseur. Beethoven has proved that he alone – among many composers – was certainly the one to comprehend the tender and at the same time powerful poem deep in his innermost soul: every tone which the poet struck resounded in his heart like a string tuned at the very same pitch and vibrating at the same rate, and so the music was created which now threads its way and binds all together like a brightly coloured ribbon woven from brilliant tones.“ Such were E.T.A. Hoffmann’s enthusiastic words about Beethoven’s Egmont: indeed very little else needs to be added – except that this recording has been newly pressed and is now available on the DECCA label once again. The chambermusic-like directness of the interpretation and the fact that the individual instrumental groups are easily identifiable will be appreciated by the perceptive listener. On top form, Pilar Lorengar sings her vocal part with playful lightness and dramatic expressivity. The speaking role is performed by the famous actor and member of the Burg Theater, Klaus-Jürgen Wussow, whose clear and dignified recitation throws a literary bridge to the music.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

The performance history of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos is, it appears, bound up with a paradoxical situation. On the one hand, every great pianist must almost feel destined to perform these works at least once in his lifetime. But on the other hand, so many heroes of the schellac era have left future generations their excellent recordings that these are filled with awe and respect, their otherwise nimble fingers become lame – and often only a mediocre recording is the result. The present recording, a milestone among the multitude of televised recordings made in they heyday of analogue recording technique, is highly impressive for its depth of musical focus, even without any visual support. Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli’s performance is a far cry from sugar-sweet pedaling and showy virtuosity, rather he displays a highly individual understanding of the intricately constructed musical material. Each phrase blossoms out to become a unique event in time composed. The soloist and the excellent orchestra here give a performance which sums up all Beethoven’s famous compositions and in which the pianist’s amazing sensitivity penetrates even the smallest detail. This is an exact reproduction of the 1979 Deutsche Grammaphon release.

1. First Movement - Allegro
2. Second Movement: Adagio Un Poco Mosso
3. Third Movement: Rondo (Allegro)

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Conductors are always highly tempted to present Beethoven’s “Eroica” as a heroic epic brimming over with a magnificent, powerful sound. It is all the more surprising, therefore, to discover that Hermann Scherchen does not succumb to this temptation but lends this epoch-making work glowing brilliance and inspiring rhythm. His analytical insight delves deep into the score and illuminates even the minutest detail, and this is not something he achieves by decreasing the tempo – quite to the contrary! The stormy outer movements are taken to the very limits of what is technically possible but they certainly never seem rushed. Scherchen’s ideal, this uncompromising laying-bare of the musical structure, is also applied to the second and third movements. Nothing is obscured or muffled: the funeral march proceeds on its way, rich, darkly glowing and sonorous; the horn calls and the circling, flurrying strings in the Scherzo find their way directly to the listener. The tutti is taut, sinewy, and quite free of all romanticizing pomp. Thanks to the finely balanced recording technique this disc offers true “symphonic” listening pleasure coupled with a chamber-music-like transparency.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

It was clear from the start that Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with its air of solemnity in the final chorus, which calls for brotherly love just as the New Year comes in, would become a musical part of our world’s cultural legacy. Hundreds of minds, Beethoven researcher Karl Nef prophesied, have been set in motion by this music in the most varied ways, and it will continue not only to bestow pleasure upon countless thousands, but also to stimulate mental life right at the most fundamental level. There are certainly only a very few truly cerebral interpretations which stand out from the fathomless mass of recordings. One of those upon which “The Absolute Sound” journal has stamped its coveted seal of approval is the recording with Georg Solti and his perfectly honed symphony musicians from Chicago. Here, this usually somewhat daring baton-wielder plumbs the very depths of the score and allows Beethoven’s rich abundance of ideas to ferment into a great whole. The four soloists prove their worth as first choice for the richly detailed and balanced synopsis of this fissured work. They captivate us as much in the solo as in the group singing with their natural and expressive intonation. The dry, very present sound highlights the fact that this is an artistic performance at the highest level.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Some violinists enrapture their audience with their purity of tone, others with their warm timbre, or their amazing technical virtuosity. Pablo de Sarasate y Navascuéz was one of the very few violinists who combined all these merits, and in addition was a composer in his own right. The most famous of his 50 works are Zigeunerweisen, based on traditional gypsy folklore and the fiendishly difficult Carmen Fantasy. And what better proof is there than Saint-Saëns’s Rondo capriccioso that it is perfectly possible to unite high-spirited joyfulness with a minor key. As the name suggests, his Havanaise is filled with the melodies and colourful rhythms of Spain: no wonder this piece is known as “the violinists' warhorse”. It goes without saying that these 19th-century bravura pieces are an absolute “must” for all those who wish to join the annals of great virtuoso violinists. And today, 40 years after the making of this recording, general consensus has it that Ruggiero Ricci has taken his rightful place among the great virtuosos.

Recording: September 1959 at Kingsway Hall, London by Alan Reeve / Production: James Walker

These are two of the most moving string quartet works in the Russian repertoire and these 1962 renditions are amongst the best ever recorded.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Fritz Reiner dedicated himself to the interpretation of works by modern composers such as Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss and Béla Bartók, and it suited him well to tackle works such as Brahms’s Hungarian Dances and Dvorák’s Slavonic Dances. These lively compositions require a conductor whose interaction with the orchestra is vivacious and animated. Reiner always demanded utmost concentration and perfection from his ensemble. Under his baton, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra plays with enthusiasm and without restaint; no trace of a sterile concert atmosphere is found in this recording.

Reiner’s penchant for effects is not irritating, but rather adds highlights which support his highly musical interpretation, indeed one even forgets this trait when listening to the brilliant music.

From a tonal point of view, the sound is beautifully balanced and reaches the highest standards despite its recording date of 1960 – or maybe just for that reason? The recording is characterized by its brilliance, warmth and vivacity with the result that listening becomes a true musical pleasure.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Brahms originally intended his Piano Concerto No. 1 as a symphony and he extensively reworked his ideas before setting down the work in the form as we know it today. The composer’s original intentions still shimmer through however, for the work goes far beyond mere concertante playing and a display of virtuoso brilliance by the soloist. The first movement in particular, with its relentless, threatening main theme, embodies Brahms’s dramatic symphonic writing and even a conciliatory secondary theme offers no relief for it too must give way to the heavy, fateful initial theme.

The passionate and grandiose opening movement is followed by an Adagio full of tranquillity and quiet devotion; the solemn atmosphere is taken to exalted heights by the soloist and orchestra only to fade out pianissimo. Although the forceful, belligerent Finale occasionally conjures up the dark powers of the first movement, the work ends in a confident and cheerful vein. It is amazing how the sheer presence of the emotions in this composition have been captured on the present DECCA recording from 1962. This is not only true of the gripping interpretation but also of the recording itself which remains transparent and brilliant throughout.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op. 15
Maestoso
Adagio
Rondo: Allegro non troppo

This title is not eligible for further discount.

The original pressing just doesn’t hold a candle to this re-issue! Lovingly re-mastered from the original Mercury Living Presence analog tapes, Speakers Corner has done an astounding job on this album. Hear Starker’s bold and natural cello and Sebok’s piano reproduced with perfect clarity and tonality. The performances are exceptional; lively and heartfelt. The sound quality is purely first rate. Outstanding music, impeccably performed, and the sound quality is the best you’ll hear! It just doesn’t get better than this!

Brahms' Cello and Piano Sonatas could well be described as 'romantic expression dressed in classical garb,' filled as they are with the same musical philosophy that is to be found in many of his instrumental works. Although 21 years lay between the two compositions, Brahms remained true to the formal musical language of the Viennese masters, and this brought him – and other composers of his time – the reproach of imitating Beethoven.

The unmistakable personal style of Brahms is reflected in the sweeping first movement which is in the manner of a serious song and calls for sensitive but by no means feeble bowing. Starker's wiry, austere playing keeps a check on any excessive emotion and instead brings the music to life in great detail. This one comes with Music Direct's Highest Recommedation!

Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, op. 38
Allegro Non Troppo
Allegretto Quasi Minuetto
Allegro

Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in F major, op. 99
Allegro Vivace
Adagio Affetuoso
Allegro Passionato
Allegro Molto

This title is not eligible for further discount.

In the 18th and 19th century, a great many chamber-music works for winds were composed with a specific occasion in mind. Brahms’s Horn Trio, however, is an exception in that it was not especially written for a contemporary virtuoso. It is known, though, that Brahms himself played this difficult instrument fairly well, that he valued the beauty of its tone, and that he was inspired to compose the work recorded here by an inner urge.

In his performance, John Barrows concentrates upon bringing out the compositional layout of the work, which largely dispenses with a display of virtuosi fireworks. The sonorous tonal character of the horn and its range of expression – from lyrical to mournful – are shown off to great effect. In the rapid Finale, however, Barrows pays tribute to the various playing techniques offered by this aristocratic instrument. With blaring staccatos and organ-like bass notes, he goads his fellow musicians to join him in a musical hunt, as it were, and they take up his challenge with thrilling effect.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

When one considers that Erica Morini’s 60-year career on the concert platform brought her together with such orchestras as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic and took her as far as New York’s Carnegie Hall, the number of recordings she left us is very small indeed. In order to obtain an idea of this violinist’s great talent, which she developed to perfection as one of the very first women to attend the Vienna Conservatory, it has generally been necessary to delve into the shellac record archive. And of course, such records crackle and hiss, thus ruining the listener’s pleasure. But now here is the remedy: a stereo recording of Brahms’s Violin Concerto which the 61-year-old Erica Morini recorded for the Westminster label. Her clean and highly differentiated timbre, her lyrical expression, technical perfection, and of course her very own thrilling esprit is marvellous to hear. No matter whether the absolute Brahms fan tucks this LP under his pillow at night, or the collector stows it away in his cupboard, or even better lets it spin around on the turntable, this LP remains invaluable for its documentary and artistic value

1. Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Reiner’s penchant for effects is not irritating, but rather adds highlights which support his highly musical interpretation, indeed one even forgets this trait when listening to the brilliant music.

From a tonal point of view, the sound is beautifully balanced and reaches the highest standards despite its recording date of 1960 – or maybe just for that reason? The recording is characterized by its brilliance, warmth and vivacity with the result that listening becomes a true musical pleasure.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

BRUCH/SCOTTISH FANTASY/HINDEMITH/VIOLIN CONCERTO/DAVID OISTRAKH/JASCHA HORENSTEIN - LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/PAUL HINDEMITH - LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasia is a late-Romantic work which is seldom found on concert hall programmes today. One realises after listening to the piece for the first time that the composition proves to be at least as solid and artistic as all the other works of the composer.

The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jascha Horenstein gives a sonorous interpretation of the melancholic which, according to Bruch, depicted an aged minstrel who, while gazing upon the ruins of an ancient keep, ponders over the splendid days gone by. The well-known slender but warm timbre of David Oistrakh’s violin is well suited to this music which was inspired by Scotland.

David Oistrakh demonstrates his versatility in this performance of Hindemith’s Violin Concerto, written in 1939, where he effortlessly mesmerises the audience with breakneck cascades of scales. With many years of experience in the performance of modern music, the London Symphony Orchestra, led by the composer himself, prove that they are a match for this work.

This 1962 Decca recording engineered by Arthur Lilly and Alan Reeve at Walthamstow Town Hall in London offers first class interpretations of two great masterpieces from differing eras that have been acclaimed widely and have reached far beyond the circle of Oistrakh fans.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

The debut recording by the Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich took the public by storm all over the world – and the applause has still not subsided. A mere glance at the repertoire shows that she was reaching for the stars. To bring five composers together on an LP of roughly 45 minutes length means nothing other than speaking five different musical languages – and Martha Argerich proves herself a master of them all. No. 3 C Sharp Minor, Op.39: Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp Minor, Op.39
Rhapsody, Op.79: No.1 Agitato In B Minor
Rhapsody, Op. 79: No. 2 Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro In G Minor
Toccata, Op. 11
Jeux D'Eau: Tres doux
Barcarole In F Sharp Major, Op. 60
Hungarian Rhapsody No.6:

This title is not eligible for further discount.

History has proven no one had a better grasp on Copland’s gorgeous ballets better than Dorati and the LSO. This great album by a great American composer, originally released as one of the most sought-after Mercury Living Presence LPs, has been loving re-mastered from the original tapes by Speakers Corner in Germany and pressed on ultra-quiet, pristine 180g vinyl. Dorati’s versions have long been considered the finest readings of these performances and this LP is all the proof you’ll need; as these are the most rapt and fluent readings of these performances caught on tape. Our highest recommendation!

This title is not eligible for further discount.

The musical press has showered praise upon the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester and its founder and conductor Karl Münchinger for their spectacular performances. This DECCA recording now presents a delightful choice of works performed by this South German ensemble.

The programme opens in a splendidly festive Baroque spirit with Arcangelo Corelli’s famous Christmas Concerto, a work which is typical for the concerto grosso form with its alternation of tutti and solo passages. The instrumental soloists in particular dazzle with their finely chiselled playing and ravishing tone over the gentle sway of the strings. Münchinger has achieved a veritable miracle with his arrangement of Johann Pachelbel’s Canon, originally composed for the organ, for each and every instrument of the orchestra enhances the magic of this music. Carlo Ricciotti’s Concertino No. 2 offers us an insight into the various musical forms of the early 18th century.

The programme ends with Christoph Willibald Gluck’s vigourous Chaconne whose splendour and pomp is taken to new dramatic heights by the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester.

Light a candle and settle down for a delightful evening of entertainment: this excellent recording ensures that you will enjoy every minute to the full – and not just at Christmas time.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

If you think a bombarde is a thundering medieval cannon, this record will give you the chance to hear a different sort of bombarde and a host of other new sounds too. Better known as a pommer, this reed instrument is just one of a host of historical instruments which luckily have not fallen totally into oblivion and upon which the Clemencic Consort perform. In addition to several other wind instruments such as the cornet and flutes, the musicians perform on small keyboard istruments like the regal, harpsichord, positive organ and diverse percussion instruments.

The majority of works on this recording were found by the ensemble in two slavic codices and the Leutschau Virginal Book – a collection of music made in the middle of the 17th century in Hungary. These sources contain not only dance movements for performing at court which have been known since the Renaissance but also sacred and profane songs. Due to the fact that most of these works are only noted down as a particelle, just the melody and a bass line, one is even more appreciative of the wealth of instruments used by the Clemencic Consort. As is usual in historical performance practice, each movement is given a different instrumentation and inner voices have been added to produce an intricate web of instrumental parts. Despite all the historical authenticity, the producers relied on thoroughly modern analogue recording techniques to achieve a sound recording of the very highest level.

1. Otodik Tancz
2. Duch Pane swu Swatuny (Grace au Saint-Esprit)
3. U naseho Barty (Notre vieux Barty)
Erdelyi Hajdutanc (Danse des Heiduques)
Chodila, Chodila (La bien-aime qui louche)
4. Pro Clarinis XXIII et XXII
5. Chorea hungarica
Chorea Tancz
6. Pargamasca
Corant
Sarabanda
Coranda
Gagliarda
7. Tantz
Chorea Tantz
Ritka
8. O Gloriosa Domina
9. Alia chorea No. 8
Lopatkowany tanecz
Klobucky tanecz
Proportio
Alia chorea - Alia hungarica
10. Pro Clarinis III et XI
11. Lapozskas tancz
Tancz
Apor Lazar tancza
12. Olach tancz (1 partie)
Alia chorea
Alia polonica
Nerada robyla
Olach tancz (2 partie)

This title is not eligible for further discount.

As in numerous other works by Spanish composers, Isaac Albéniz’s aim in his Iberia Suite was to portray the landscape and express the zest for life which is so abundant in southern countries. Infused with folkmusic elements, the suite is introduced by the dancelike Evocación which vividly evokes a picture of Iberia. The lush, extravagant harmonies and the stark contrasts of the dynamics in particular – from the softest pianissimo to the extreme fortissimo – certainly whet one’s appetite. Don’t worry – Spain has a lot to offer! The next movement, El Corpus en Sevilla transports us to Andalusia where a solemn procession is taking place to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi. This is followed by a sparkling Triana in which the various complex and brilliant rhythms of the national dances Almería, Rondeña and Fandango are ingeniously combined. And the two movements El puerto and El Albaicín are no less exciting: the first presents a rich potpourri of types of Spanish songs, while the second – held in the minor key – conjures up a picture of Granada’s gypsy quarter.

Turina’s Danzas fantásticas are noted for their sumptuous orchestration and marked rhythms. A better choice to round off this first-class recording, dedicated to Spanish tradition, is almost impossible to imagine.

1. Evocación (Iberia)
2. El Corpus en Sevilla (Iberia)
3. Triana (Iberia)
4. El Puerto (Iberia)
5. El Albaicín (Iberia)
6. Exaltación (Fantásticas)
7. Ensueño (Fantásticas)
8. Orgia (Fantásticas)

This title is not eligible for further discount.

With his Nocturnes, Debussy's vision of music inspired by Nature enters a new sphere. His first multi-part orchestral work – the composition was originally conceived for violin but was published as a vocal-symphonic work – offers a wealth of subtleties as regards melody and sound coloring, the likes of which had never been heard before in Debussy's oeuvre. Unlike traditional orchestral writing, the woodwinds here provide vitality with a wide spectrum of tonal coloring while the strings unroll a dynamically finely graded carpet of sound. Absolutely innovative is the wordless female chorus in the third movement whose voices combine with the instruments to produce a mysterious tonal concoction.

Debussy's compatriot, Ravel, went to even greater lengths in his Daphnis and Chloe Suites. As the instrumental distribution leads one to suspect – full orchestra plus 15 percussion instruments, chorus and wind machine – the work is a full-fledged modern-age French choreographic symphony and one of the greatest compositions of its time. It is almost superfluous to mention that a thrilling performance of both works can only be achieved by the very best of symphony orchestras

1. Claude Debussy: Nocturnes: Nuages, Fêtes, Sirènes
2. Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Suite Nr. 2
3. Claude Debussy: Nocturnes: Nuages (Clouds), Fêtes (Festivals), Sirènes (Sirens)
4. Maurice Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2

This title is not eligible for further discount.

What exactly is a faun and what does he do in the afternoon? Claude Debussy gives us a musical answer to this question by sending off the lecherous rural deity of fertility to have his pleasure with two sleeping nymphs. The bewitching sound of flutes and harps along with lilting melodies accompany the god while on the hunt. With its delectable, filigree themes, it is hardly surprising that this composition has continued to inspire choreographic interpretations since its conception. Composed, however, as a symphonic poem, the 'Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune', with its iridescent tonal colouring and varying moods, is a sheer delight to the ear alone. Emotions of a cheerful kind are evoked by Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales with their Viennese verve. The eight compositions are filled with every sort of joy and bliss that a waltz can offer. The one is sharply contoured, the next is sweetly sentimental, another dreamy, this one is hurried, yet another sweeps along with elegance - and the instrumentation in each case is gloriously sonorous. This album closes with the solemnly magnificent 'Le Tombeau de Couperin' and thus offers a both representative and delightful choice of modern French works.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

If anything influenced Duke Ellington’s compositions over and over again, it was the impressions and the images he took home with him from his concert tours around the world. In the Sixties, the record company RCA gave him the opportunity to set down these impressions in music and the result is the present 'Far East Suite', his most convincing work for large orchestra.

The 1963 tour took him from Damascus to Kabul and New Delhi, to Bombay and Ankara, and only the Duke knew how to capture such diverse impressions in music. And only such soloists as Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves and Lawrence Brown right up to Harry Carney were capable of spinning out the ideas which Ellington conjured up on the piano. 'Isfahan', the Pearl of Persia, was full of 'poetry', as the Duke himself put it and Johnny Hodges certainly knows how to underline this view in his soulful, smooth and velvety solo. In 'Depk' Jimmy Hamilton and Harry Carney bring to our mind’s eye the dance of six boys and girls. 'Mount Harissa', a mountain outside Beirut, is portrayed by Paul Gonsalves, while 'Amad' with its ornamentation gives Lawrence Brown the opportunity for a solo. In 'Agra', Harry Carney’s baritone sax leads us through the famous Taj Mahal. To close the LP, 'Ad Lib On Nippon' presents an impression of the people of Tokyo and so we come to the end of our journey through several cultures in the Near and Far East - countries full of poetry and glorious impressions. There’s no place for war and destruction in these compositions by Duke Ellington.

1. Tourist Point of View
2. Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah)
3. Isfahan
4. Depk
5. Mount Harissa
6. Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues)
7. Agra
8. Amad
9. Ad Lib on Nippon

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Collaborative albums such as this one have always been something of a stunt on the part of the record label, with the artists themselves usually stuck with too little time to work out something that would easily act as a functional compromise. Many of these albums, then, have faded away with time. Impulse, however, had more than its share of solid collaborations. This one is a lot of fun, whether it's the daffy cut-up of "Limbo Jazz" or the slow New Orleans smoke of "Wanderlust." All present turn in nice performances on this set of Ellington numbers.

1. Limbo Jazz
2. Mood Indigo
3. Ray Charles' Place
4. Wanderlust
5. You Dirty Dog
6. Self Portrait (Of the Bean)
7. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
8. The Ricitic
9. Solitude

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Janos Starker tackles this cello concerto with amazing confidence; technical difficulties encountered by others in its performance appear unknown to him. Tonal purity, even in the dreaded upper register and the cadenzas, remains unscathed, so that one can concentrate wholly on the meditative magic of the music.

Starker has found worthy fellow musicians in Antal Dorati and the London Symphony Orchestra. The conductor and soloist set a benchmark in how to work together as a team in concert in that it is less the often-lamented emulation than the interpretation, which stands in the foreground in this performance. Rather, the two protagonists commit themselves to a chamber-music-like reading, which is distinguished by the dynamically moderate intonation of the orchestra and the slender tone of the soloist throughout. An ever-welcome encore is found on side two with Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, performed with verve and a good portion of romantic, melting sweetness, which allows this evergreen to flourish.

1. Dvorak: Violoncello Concerto
2. Bruch: Kol Nidrei

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Dvorák’s long experience with classical forms finds its culmination in his final symphony, whose first performance took place in New York in 1893. The work still enjoys an unwaning popularity thanks to its finely contoured orchestration and its original themes, all of which are based on American folksongs and negro spirituals.

To capture Dvorák’s score in sound has always proved a challenge for both orchestra and recording team. This aim has been more than fulfilled in the present recording with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra led by István Kertész: the primeval power of the weighty brass, the glorious revelling of the strings, and the lyrical solo passages are all captured here. Musicianship of the highest degree combined with audio-technical perfection lend this recording, made in the early days of stereophony, the status of an historical sound document which, despite numerous other recordings, has no reason to fear competition.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Released in 1972, this classical music meets 70's progressive rock performance was recorded live during a concert at Newcastle's City Hall. The band performs the legendary Mussorgsky piano cycle with all the power, energy and authority of a '70s rock power trio; giving the legendary classical piece a contemporary, unique feel. In the Seventies, numerous rock and pop groups attempted to produce a maximum of sound on the stage with a minimum of manpower. The majority of them failed miserably in their struggles to master the Moog synthesizer with its 28 million varieties of sound – but not so Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer! Their legendary rock version of Mussorgsky’s piano cycle, which was set down for posterity during a live concert in Newcastle’s City Hall, towers above all other recordings of the kind. Perhaps their success is due to the fact that the trio avoided a Late Romantic powerful sound and steered away from the temptations of creating electronic, grandiose sound effects. Their vocals, guitar and drums produced a highly original and contemporary yet soulful rendering. Even if you aren’t into British rock-pop, you should still listen to this album. Those who choose to ignore it don’t know what they are missing!

Recording: March 1971 at Newcastle City Hall, UK, by Eddy Offord Production: Greg Lake

1. Promenade/The Gnome/Promenade/The Sage/The [medley] (Lake/Mussorgsky/Palmer) - 1:58
2. The Gnome (Mussorgsky/Palmer) - 4:18
3. Promenade (Lake/Mussorgsky) - 1:23
4. The Sage (Lake) - 4:42
5. The Old Castle (Emerson/Mussorgsky) - 2:33
6. Blues Variation (Emerson/Lake/Palmer) - 4:22
7. Promenade (Mussorgsky) - 1:29
8. The Hut of Baba Yaga (Mussorgsky) - 1:12
9. The Curse of Baba Yaga (Emerson/Lake/Palmer) - 4:10
10. The Hut of Baba Yaga (Mussorgsky) - 1:06
11. The Great Gates of Kiev/The End (Lake/Mussorgsky) - 6:37
12. End/Nutrocker (Fowley) - 4:26

This title is not eligible for further discount.

This re-presssing of the legendary FFSS version features great Spanish music played with precision and lucidity by Ataulfo Argena. One of the best recordings ever made. Sonically, this record – made in 1956/57 – is one of the best ever produced by DECCA. The listener is literally swept off his or her feet. To better enjoy this tremendous experience, we would advise listeners to put their feet up, relax, and listen with rapt attention. A “Do-not-disturb” sign on the door is to be recommended. The tremendous sound emanating from the loudspeakers immediately conveys the rousing nature of the music. Conducted by Ataúlfo Argenta, the London Symphony Orchestra plays with a rare vitality, pure enjoyment, precision and lucidity. This is a carefully chosen medley of Spanish music which, interestingly enough, was mostly written by non-Spanish composers. All in all, this has become a legendary recording, which caused quite a stir even in its mono version. The FFSS version ranks among the very best recordings ever issued.

Recording: December 1956 and January 1957, Kingsway Hall, London by Gordon Parry / Production: Erik Smith

España! Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol / Granados: “Andaluza” Danza española No. 5 / Chabrier: “España” / Moszkowski: Spanish Dances Book 1 - London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ataúlfo Argenta

1. Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol
2. Granados: “Andaluza” Danza española No. 5
3. Chabrier: “España”
4. Moszkowski: Spanish Dances Book 1

This title is not eligible for further discount.

The very fact that Manuel de Falla composed his ballet El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) for the ambitious impresario Serge Diaghilev and his epoch-making Ballets Russes indicates the historical importance of this work. Although the Impressionistic character of the musical language reflects his studies with Debussy, the composer never once renounces his native origins. Overflowing with the thrilling rhythms and electrifying melodies of Spanish folkmusic, this work achieved worldwide popularity virtually overnight.

As so often before in this genre, the Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet proves once again in this DECCA recording that he is a power to be reckoned with. The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande executes the slightest nuance, the most exquisite of figures and gentlest lyrical tone with meticulous precision. Powerful rolls of thunder, the click of castanets, lively rhythms and rich sonority conjure up a picture of fiery Spanish temperament so tangibly before our eyes that any comment on the recording quality appears almost superfluous. In a nutshell: this record is, quite simply, incredibly good

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Debussy, Fauré, Schoenberg and Sibelius were all under the spell of the Belgian symbolist Maurice Maeterlinck and set his play Pelléas et Mélisande to music in one form or another. Fauré’s incidental music was the second work, following Debussy’s opera, to be based on the tragic story of love, jealousy, death, and forgiveness. Fauré’s veiled, ambiguous harmonies and compositional style reflect in a quite amazing fashion the atmosphere at which Maeterlinck so often only hinted. The Suite op. 80 which Fauré himself put together and orchestrated is quite rightly called his symphonic masterwork. Here, as again in the Prelude to his only complete opera, Pénélope, one can experience the ecstatic, romantic, and – at the same time – refined and delicately woven musical language which often appears somewhat melancholy and veiled. His arching melodies, frequently inspired by Gregorian chant, are tinged with an archaic charm which is also to be found (though less obviously) in his suite Masques et bergamasques. Ernest Ansermet is in his element here conducting the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande who follow their founder’s every wish and let the colours on the composer’s palette shine out with delicate brilliance. Debussy’s Petite Suite is a fitting work to complement Fauré’s little-known symphonic aspect. This recording is like a precious gem and deserves a place on every collector’s shelf.

1. Prélude (Op. 80)
2. La Fileuse (Op. 80)
3. Malto Adagio (Op. 80)
4. Siciliene (Op. 80)
5. Pénélope (Prelude)
6. Overture (Op. 112)
7. Menuet (Op. 112)
8. Gavotte (Op. 112)
9. Pastorale (Op. 112)
10. En Bateau (Petite Suite)
11. Cortege (Petite Suite)
12. Menuet (Petite Suite)
13. Ballet (Petite Suite)

This title is not eligible for further discount.

As is always the case with Wagner’s music and solemn, noble or divine happenings take place on the stage, the large brass instruments in orchestra pits all over the world are called upon to give their utmost. The idea of having a wind ensemble to perform the most magnificent-sounding passages is, therefore, not as far-fetched as it might seem. Wagner too appreciated the colourful sound which a wind-and-brass ensemble can produce, as is proved by the fact that in his 'Ring' cycle he introduced a complete 'wind band' consisting of 33 players.

Fennell and the Eastman Wind Ensemble treat the arrangements with such care and respect that no one will miss the delightfully warm carpet of sound of the strings in the original version. Where lyrical sentiment is called for, the high woodwinds play airily and precisely and are supported by a sonorous, organ-like base which gradually builds up to dramatic musical exuberance. Even when the highest dynamic range has been reached, no particular register is dominantly in the foreground but blends in to produce powerful, harmonious surges of sound. These arrangements bring together dynamic agility, complete transparency and musicality. One really cannot wish for more Wagner than is offered on this LP.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

The Eastman Wind Ensemble is a model of a modern wind band and thanks to its flexible instrumental formation it has no problem with performing both older and more modern scores. Thus it is no wonder that four highly different composers are united in this album. Percy Grainger’s gripping arrangements of English folk melodies are happily found alongside Roger’s Japanese Dances and Milhaud’s wanderings through French provinces. And as an encore there are late-Romantic harmonies penned by the young Richard Strauss. Because all these works are original compositions, 'Winds in HiFi' is an excellent introduction to music for wind instruments.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

HANDEL/WATER MUSIC/MINUET FROM ''THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD''/ROYAL FIREWORKS MUSIC/GEOPRGE SZELL - LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

This is an exact reproduction of the 1962 Decca stereo record.

Composed in the spirit of the Baroque, the Water Music and Royal Fireworks Music were written by the highly regarded George Frideric Handel on commissions from Kings George I and George II of England.

The remarkable première of the Water Music – a suite of instrumental airs, fanfares, dances, and other delights – was played in 1717 by musicians in a barge who entertained the King and his entourage on a banquet held on board the royal barge which travelled up and down the river Thames. According to reports at the time, Handel’s new work was greeted with unanimous acclaim. Music appeared equally fitting for the solemn but festive commemoration of a peace treaty. The Royal Fireworks Music – originally scored for brass, oboes and bassoons, plus timpani and the bizarre serpent horn – was composed in 1749 for the victory gala in London’s Green Park celebrating the Peace of Aix-La-Chapelle.

In both pieces Georg Szell and the London Symphony Orchestra conjure up the full splendour of baroque tonality. Orchestra and conductor are clearly in a festive mood. The strings show rare form, lush and radiant. The brass are brilliant but never shrill. The atmosphere is transparent, the spatial effects are impressive.

For the outstanding quality of this recording we are indebted not least to its inspired recording engineer, Kenneth E. Wilkinson.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

This is the recording that truly established Henry Mancini as both an innovator and a household name. While he had already nabbed an Oscar nomination, this soundtrack to the hit 1959 television series with its jazz score logged ten weeks at the top of the charts and remained a top seller for almost two years. While Blake Edwards' detective show may not have proved an enduring favorite, the music certainly has. Of course, the memorable Peter Gunn theme is the anchor here. The bass and drums interlocking provided hits for artists as diverse as Ray Anthony, Duane Eddy, Deodato and The Art of Noise. Mancini was working with some of the best musicians in the business with special mention going to trumpeter Pete Candoli, saxman Ronnie Lang and pianist Johnny T. Williams, who would later own his own truckload of awards as composer John Williams.

Originally issued on RCA Living Stereo the is another fine re-issue from the Speakers Corner label.

1. Peter Gunn
2. Sorta Blue
3. The Brothers Go to Mother's
4. Dreamsville
5. Session at Pete's Pad
6. Soft Sounds
7. Fallout!
8. The Floater
9. SLow and Easy
10. A Profound Gass
11. Brief and Breezy
12. Not from Dixie

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Track Listing

1. Robert McBride: Mexican Rhapsody
2. Ron Nelson: Savannah River Holiday
3. Lyndol Coleman Mitchell: Kentucky Mountain Portraits
4. Charles G. Vardell: Joe Clark Steps Out

This title is not eligible for further discount.

With the sixties British blues boom, which included acts such as John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, early Fleetwood Mac, and The Rolling Stones, a number of attempts were made to record the original blues masters such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker (actually the tradition was continued in the nineties by John Lee Hooker with his 'The Healer' project) with some of the young upcoming 'white' blues players. Unfortunately many of the projects lacked real impact (usually the recordings were done on the cheap, over short periods, with most of the young musicians simply too intimidated by their idols to offer any real creative input), however these sessions with the great Howlin' Wolf proved to be one of the exceptions. Although pushing 60, and suffering from heart and kidney problems, the 'Wolf' was still in imposing form, and with backing musicians including his own superb guitarist Hubert Sumlin, Eric Clapton (one of the main catalysts of the sessions – along with producer Norman Dayron), Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Ian Stewart, Stevie Winwood, plus numerous drop in guests, the resulting sessions produced 'blues gold'.

1. Rockin' Daddy
2. I Ain't Superstitious
3. Sitting on Top of the World
4. Worried About My Baby
5. What a Woman!
6. Poor Boy
7. Built for Comfort
8. Who's Been Talking?
9. Red Rooster
10. Do the Do
11. Highway 49
12. Wang Dang Doodle

This title is not eligible for further discount.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

This 1967 recording originally released on Decca and reissued by Speakers Corner features the composer himself conducting two of his most popular works. Aram Khachaturian, the most well-known of all Armenian composers, believed that art should be closely bound to the people and indeed it was a pre-requisite for his own creative inspiration. Largely uninfluenced by the manifold trends of the 20th century, Khachaturian’s works reflect the folk heritage of his native country. In the two richly orchestrated ballets, which he himself later arranged into suites, we find the musical spirit and customs of an ancient culture. In particular the unrestrained exuberance of the Sabre Dance from Gayaneh has contributed to the immense popularity of this suite. The ballet Spartacus could be described as a monumental historical drama and made Khachaturian one of the Soviet Union’s most highly honoured composers.

That a slave uprising can not only be expressed in music but can also take place on an international dimension is admirably demonstrated by the maestro personally in this recording where Khachaturian takes on the role of leader of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Even today Wagnerites still rave about the legendary Bayreuth recording of Parsifal whose lengthy score when conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch lasted a whole LP more than his fellow conductors’ recordings. But even taken at such a leisurely tempo, no one thought of looking impatiently at the clock. Just sit back and listen to the present recording of Wagner Preludes and you certainly won’t find this surprising. Bar for bar the maestro picks out even the finest particles of the musical structure and gives his Munich ensemble time and space to conjure up a delightful timbre. Just note the warmth and presence of the wind instruments – only Otto Klemperer managed to achieve comparable results in his recordings of the 1960s. Whatever sort of sound the engineers had had in mind for this recording on the Westminster label, they managed to get fairly close to the acoustical ideal of the Bayreuth Festival opera house. Luckily they were not tempted by the possibility of reproducing spectacular lateral effects which abounded in the early days of stereophony. The Wagner coming out of the loudspeakers is dry, analytical and quite, quite natural.

1. Die Meistersinger: Prelude
2. Tannhauser: Overture
3. Tristan Und Isolde: Prelude and Liebostod
4. Parsiful: Prelude

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Smetana’s symphonic poem “Má Vlast“ consists of several individual compositions which the composer put together at a later date to form a cycle and is one of the greatest testimonies to Czech national music. The Bohemian countryside and sagas are reflected in the tone poem From “Bohemia’s Woods and Fields“, while the programmatic “Moldau“ occupies a rightful place among the most outstanding works to have been written in the late 19th century. Thanks to its popular folk melodies, its clearly structured and recognizable “programme“, and brilliant orchestration, the work has never failed to arouse the enthusiasm of a wide public. Rafael Kubelik conducted numerous first-class orchestras both in the concert hall and in the recording studio, and won a deserved reputation as the Smetana connoisseur. He is to be congratulated on his choice of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for this recording: gentle and transparent in the gossamer-light orchestral passages, powerful and smooth when playing as a full tutti. This thoroughly satisfying performance is further enhanced by its excellent recording technique and is to be recommended to all collectors.

1. Vysehrad
2. Vltava (Moldau)
3. Sarka
4. From Bohemia's Meadows and Forest
5. Tabor
6. Blanik

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Haven't we always known that blasphemous laughter will land us in trouble? Just think what happened in the monastic whodunit 'The Name of The Rose' in which a god-fearing monk did his utmost to hide a book about laughter from curious eyes and so turned into a serial killer in old age. Actually, carnival merrymaking monks went unpunished in medieval times when they turned strict Christian values upside down once a year and celebrated a so-called 'Feast of the Ass' in their hallowed halls. First, a Boy-Bishop would be chosen from among the lower orders and choir boys who would read a burlesque, mock mass to hoots of laughter from the revelers. Meanwhile, other monks played cards and dice at the altar, burned incense made of dung and old shoe soles and sang dirty songs. The Clemencic Consort has reconstructed the music for a lifelike 'Asses Mass' from medieval manuscripts. Among profane songs, contrapuntal, polyphonic verses and melodies with an accompaniment based on fifths, we hear Gregorian chant accompanied by the growl, rattle and rasp of historical instruments.

1. Introitus
2. Ceremmnie De La Remise De La Crosse Au Maitre De La Fete
3. La Messe Des Anes Et Des Buveurs
4. Procession De La Fete Dieu

This title is not eligible for further discount.

All the composers in the world who write their own Folia don’t keep a close account of what they are doing. They mature patiently like the tree that does not haste his sap; they soak up everything and remain confident in the torments of spring, without anxiety that they might not know another spring. And spring comes and a quiet weariness overcomes them, even if they are patient, carefree and calm, as if all eternity lay before them. They can then love their Folia and their solitude; they endure the pain it causes them and succeed in investing the sound of their complaint with beauty.

1. Fons vitae/Dementia praecox angelorum Supra solmamirevt
2. Extravagans/Laurea minima/In vitro
3. Oratio pro-folia/Fama volat Citrus - Hesperides
4. Principalis. Fermescens/Inica exacta Adverso flumine
5. Parsimonia aristocraciae
6. Subtilis/De profundis - Extra muros
7. Vulgaris - Sine populi notione Vagula et blandula
8. Nordica et desolata/Aurea mediocritas
9. Nobilissima/Degradans et corruptae
10. De pastoribus/Mathematica dies irae /Crepuscularis/Sine nomine/Tristis est anima mea/Equites fortis armaturae/Audaces fortuna juvat/Sine praeputium/Ecclesiastica
11. Theatralis et hipocritae/Ruralis Alter indica perfecta
12. De Tolerentia aetherea/Fuga ficta et carrus triumphalis

This title is not eligible for further discount.

Born in 1881, George Enescu led the life of a globetrotter. Although he became acquainted with all manner of schools and styles during his thorough studies in Vienna and Paris, it was invariably folk music that provided him with the most important source of inspiration. Thanks to their freshness and impressive thematic invention, the two Roumanian Rhapsodies have remained firm favourites to this day. Nothing in the music appears to demand great effort or mental struggle. The colourful mixture of lyrical and spirited passages seems completely natural and homogeneous, offering sheer delight for the ears right up to the final chord. Enescu’s carefree ‘hits’ serve as an ideal introduction to two orchestral heavyweights by Franz Liszt, which undoubtedly are to be counted as 'state of the art' works in this particular genre. Antal Dorati conducts the London Symphony Orchestra with a firm hand and complete concentration – as is demanded by this tightly knit score –, always managing to find the perfect balance between timbral force and transparency. Of course one can find elsewhere these compositions being performed faster, louder and with questionable sensational effects. But if you are looking for a faithful interpretation of the score, musicality and natural sound, then this is the recording for you.

1. George Enesco: Two Roumanian Rhapsodies, Opus II (No.1 in A Major/ No. 2 in D Major)
2. Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 / Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3

This title is not eligible for further discount.