Classical Vinyl Records

Rapsodie Espagnole
Pavan for a Dead Princess

Sergey Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Isle of the Dead, Op. 29

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

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Track Listing:
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)

Janos Starkers 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. Starkers full-bodied sound and technical brilliance are complemented by his finely chiselled interpretation that lends immense expression to Bachs 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 Bachs Cello Suites are polyphony for a solo instrument.

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This title is not eligible for discount.

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

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 Michelangelis 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 Beethovens famous compositions and in which the pianists amazing sensitivity penetrates even the smallest detail.

This is an exact reproduction of the 1979 Deutsche Grammaphon release.

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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 Michelangelis 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 Beethovens famous compositions and in which the pianists amazing sensitivity penetrates even the smallest detail.

This is an exact reproduction of the 1979 Deutsche Grammaphon release.

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

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

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This title is not eligible for discount.

Reiners 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.

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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.

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Track Listing:
1. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op. 15
2. Maestoso
3. Adagio
4. Rondo: Allegro non troppo

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.

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Track Listing:
1. Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, op. 38
2. Allegro Non Troppo
3. Allegretto Quasi Minuetto
4. Allegro

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

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.

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This title is not eligible for discount.

Track Listing:
1. Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77

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 Oistrakhs violin is well suited to this music which was inspired by Scotland.

David Oistrakh demonstrates his versatility in this performance of Hindemiths 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.

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This title is not eligible for discount.

Track Listing:
1. No. 3 C Sharp Minor, Op.39: Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp 2. Minor, Op.39
3. Rhapsody, Op.79: No.1 Agitato In B Minor
4. Rhapsody, Op. 79: No. 2 Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro In G Minor
5. Toccata, Op. 11
6. Jeux D'Eau: Tres doux
7. Barcarole In F Sharp Major, Op. 60
8. Hungarian Rhapsody No.6:

History has proven no one had a better grasp on Coplands 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 lovingly re-mastered from the original tapes by Speakers Corner in Germany and pressed on ultra-quiet, pristine 180g vinyl. Doratis versions have long been considered the finest readings of these performances and this LP is all the proof youll need; as these are the most rapt and fluent readings of these performances caught on tape. Our highest recommendation!

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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

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Track Listing:
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

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 Bruchs Kol Nidrei, performed with verve and a good portion of romantic, melting sweetness, which allows this evergreen to flourish.

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

To capture Dvoráks 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.

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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 discount.

As is always the case with Wagners 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.

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This title is not eligible for discount.

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 premiere 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.

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

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Track Listing:
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

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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

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Track Listing:
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

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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.

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Smetanas 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 Bohemias 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.

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

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.

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Track Listing:
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

All the composers in the world who write their own Folia dont 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.

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Track Listing:
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

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Track Listing:
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

Mahler: Symphony No. 3 - The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Georg Solti

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This title is not eligible for discount.

After the success of the new pressing of Mahlers First Symphony (MUSD-SC-6113), it was high time that the Resurrection-Symphony became available on LP once more. And the result is most impressive. One can only hope that the complete Mahler cycle will one day be resurrected in vinyl.

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This title is not eligible for discount.

This title is not eligible for discount.

Track Listing:
1. Allegro (Symphony No. 6, Opus 42)
2. Salve Regina
3. Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, Opus 7
4. Triptyque, opus 51

Felix Mendelssohn composed the concert overture to A Midsummer Nights Dream in 1826 while the remaining incidental music, composed for a performance of Shakespeares famous play, was written many years later. His well known Wedding March and the other important numbers of A Midsummer Nights Dream are included in this sought-after DECCA recording. This composition is Mendelssohns most important stage works and a great favourite, which explains why it is so frequently performed (especially the overture) and recorded. World-class musicians like the soloists Jennifer Vyvyan, Marion Lowe and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Peter Maag, and supported by the Womens Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, give a masterly performance of this delightful work which offers an insight into Mendelssohns early and late compositional styles. The quality of the performance leaves nothing to be desired and the listener is carried away to a world of dreams, not only during a summer night.

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Track Listing:
1. Overture Opus 21
2. Scherzo Opus 61 No. 1
3. 'You Spotted Snakes' Opus 61 No. 3
4. Intermezzo Opus 61 No. 5
5. Nocturne Opus 61 No. 7
6. Wedding Marche Opus 61 No. 9
7. Dance Of The Clowns Opus 61 No. 11
8. Finale Opus 61 No. 12

Amazing lightness, warmth of tone and perfect intonation are the hallmarks of the soloist and London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peter Maag in the clarinet concerto, which Mozart completed only a few weeks before his death. The two horn concertos heard here were also written during Mozarts final creative period in Vienna. Just one hearing is enough to let them be remembered for all time for these concertos employ to the full the horns rich and widely varied range of expression. Broad arching melodies, tripping runs and merry hunting calls in the final movements guarantee musical enjoyment, and for this we owe our thanks to both the past and present masters of their instruments in this delightful recording.

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From what one hears, apparently only a few music lovers enjoy listening to Eine kleine Nachtmusik. Far too often has it been performed routinely rather than being filled with life. This recording is quite different: living up to his reputation, Karl Münchinger proves that this favourite can be imbued with significance.

The historical roote of the serenade lie in the suite which consists of varied contrasting dance movements. In the spirit of this tradition, Münchinger offers a clear and unfussed interpretation which is absolutely credible and has a freshness rarely heard. The ensemble plays both cheerfully and and wittily. In A Musical Joke, Mozart parodies amateurish composers of his own era, and the orchestra quite obviously participates in the fun.

This LP is distinguished by its musical and tonal balance and is one of DECCAs best sound recordings.

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This Mass is, of course, not merely performed but celebrated, as the Berlin RSO under its Principal Conductor Ferenc Fricsay has so admirably demonstrated in this recording. Precise entries, strict tempi, a polished orchestral timbre and vocal soloists so brilliant one might think they were standing in ones own front room lend this recording top marks for musical quality and repertoire value.

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The C major Concerto sparkles brightly with its thrilling, virtuoso part-writing and transparent, almost chamber-like instrumental ensemble. Details left only fleetingly touched and casual phrasing will be sought in vain in this highly analytical interpretation of Mozart?s musical intentions. The listener will do well here to forget the popular concept of a fun-loving, high-spirited Mozart and to recognize the ardent, passionate side of the composer.

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Track Listing:
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 20 in D Minor
Allegro
Romance
Rondo

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
Allegro maestoso
Andante
Allegro vivace assai

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This title is not eligible for discount.

This is a Speakers Corner re-issue of the original Decca release that is the same in every detail.

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MUSSORGSKY/PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION/BYRON JANIS/MINNEAPOLIS SYM ORC (2LP 180g)

This two-LP set includes as a very special bonus the piano-only version of Pictures at an Exhibition cut at 45 RPM. This is how this work was originally composed though no recording of that version has previously been released. The full symphonic version of Pictures at an Exhibition is cut here at 33 1/3. The orchestral version of Mussorgskys musical picture gallery has always been one of the most popular works ever heard in concert halls all over the world. Originally written for the piano, the unsuccessful composer never heard the work in all its symphonic glory, although many of his contemporaries had often been tempted to arrange his works. As early as 1891, ten years after his death, Mikhail Tushmalov a pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov presented a first version. However, it is Maurice Ravels orchestral version from 1922 that remains unsurpassed to this day. His arrangement amalgamates the original force and angularity of the piano with the brilliance of a modern orchestra.The transparent and powerful performance by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra is complemented by an equally fascinating version from one of Mercurys main pianists, Byron Janis. In listening to the two interpretations one after the other it becomes clear as to how closely Ravel remained true to the original version while still managing to imbue his genial orchestral version with his own tonal conception. The solo piano recording, released for the first time on vinyl, will certainly be of special interest to record collectors.

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Track Listing:
1. Gnomus
2. Il Vecchio Castello
3. Tuilleries, Disput D'Enfants Apres Jeux
4. Bydlo
5. Ballet of the Chickens in Eggs
6. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle
7. Limoges
8. Catacombs
9. The Hut on the Fowl's Legs
10. The Great Gate at Kiev

As is widely known, ballet suites are the 'little sisters' of large ballet compositions that have been compiled by the composer mostly at a later date for performance in the concert hall. Prokofievs Romeo and Juliet is another story however. Strangely enough, his two Suites were given their first performance before the premiere of the complete ballet. The applause can still be heard echoing through the world of music. This music is one of the pillars of a good record collection - and with good reason. Both Suites contain a wealth of delightful melodies that are given substance by colorful harmonic writing. Just how ideal Prokofiev can sound is brought to us by Stanislaw Skrowacziewski and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. In the first Suite he lets his musicians sweep with elan through the Burlesque, the splendor of the Love Theme is full of lyrical intensity and rises to a forceful climax filled with sharp dissonances in Death of Tybalt. The Second Suite, too, is of the very highest standard, both from an artistic and recording point of view. The characteristic themes and motifs are well contoured and brought to the fore while embedded in a fresh and natural carpet of sound which is sometimes filled with immense warmth. It is clearly noticeable that all participants have given much time and thought to this first-rate production. And the listener will certainly enjoy giving over a good portion of his leisure time to this delightful music.

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The composition is written in a traditional, four-movement form and is filled with highly expressive, lyrical themes, which are broadly expanded and make full use of the orchestras registers and sound colouring. The outer movements act like a cyclical framework, with the theme of the first movement reappearing in the last movement where it is combined with new material and taken to a final boisterous apotheosis. Antal Dorati leads his orchestra through the depths of the score with a sure and steady hand, cautiously allowing them to revel in the often brittle melodies during moments of repose.

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Once again, Byron Janis - whose brilliant interpretations of Rachmaninoff's repertory have influenced whole generations of pianists - has made a benchmark recording in which he alagamates tremendous energy with great tranquility. He revels in the late-Romantic ecstatic harmonies, dazzles us with his transparent presentation of the internal structures, and displays great vigour in the weighty themes. The emotional middle movement is also glorious in that Janis enjoys to the full the interplay of passion and reverie with expansive chords and dark-hued tonalities.

Recording, April 1960 at the Northrop Memorial Auditorium, Minnesota, USA, by C.R. Fine and Robert Eberenz Production, Wilma Cozart-Fine and Harold Lawrence

Sergey Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

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Track Listing:
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18
Two Preludes For Piano Solo
E Flat Major, Opus 23, No. 6
C Sharp Minor, Opus 3, No. 2

This early stereo LP with the pianist Byron Janis and conductor Antal Dorati was and still is an enormous success, as is proved by the fact that it is regarded as a work of reference even in this age of the silver disc. Janis performs with a controlled passion, like a fine mechanic who watches with the greatest of care over the structural elements which have been entrusted to him. His playing is precise and lucid down to the smallest detail, even in the minutest trill. Dorati has his ensemble enter gently with punctilious timing and allows the fullness and energy of this late-romantic score to unfold before us. How wonderful that this particular 'Rach 3' is available once again to eager audiophile listeners!

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Among the innumerable recordings of Maurice Ravels Boléro, the present one made by DECCA with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Ernest Ansermet is of particular note. The impressive mounting crescendo over an ostinato bass, leading through the work from the very first bar right up to the last note, goes hand in hand with ever increasing intensity and excitement and hardly permits the listener to draw a breath. As in the Boléro, Ravels La Valse, a choreographed poem for orchestra composed in 1920, is based on a single rhythmic idea, the Viennese waltz, which lends the work increasing impetus throughout the course of the music.

Although Arthur Honeggers Pacific 231, composed in 1923 and dedicated to Ernest Ansermet, is more modern and has a more complex structure, here too a great arc of tension determines the progress of the music until shortly before the end. The orchestra accelerates in tempo and then decelerates due to the motivic writing towards the end thus evoking the sound of a locomotive: the Pacific 231 namely. The great success of the first performance of Paul Dukass L'Apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerers Apprentice) in 1897, a scherzo composed in 1895 and based on a ballad by Goethe, certainly comes as no surprise when one listens to this recording by the OSR under Ansermet. The composition is filled with a wealth of surprising moments which are presented here with exactitude and subtlety in even the tiniest detail.

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Track Listing:
1. Bolero (Ravel)
2. Pacific 231 (Honegger)
3. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Dukas)
4. La Valse (Ravel)

Ravels ballet music Ma Mère lOye, originally written for piano, four hands, was inspired by Charles Perraults fairy tale. Ravel mostly wrote music for small forms which is reflected by the short movements of the suite. The world renowned Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, led by the conductor best suited to this kind of music, Ernest Ansermet, bring out the vivacious and colourful elements of the work. The orchestras timbre is well suited to the gentle shading of the music, as is shown in the final Jardin féerique. Completed by Debussy in 1899, the three Nocturnes reveal the aesthetics of a composer who put Nature above Art. Debussy endeavoured to achieve a natural flow and consistency in his music without slavishly copying the sounds of nature. Although Nuages (Clouds), Fêtes (Festivals) and Sirènes (Sirents) are night pieces, they are seen with a view to light and shadow: two optic conditions that influence the music. The artists give an amazingly transparent and differentiated performance of the music. The present recording should not be missed by any lover of Impressionist music.

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Track Listing:
1. Prélude et Danse du Rouet (Ravel)
2. Pavane da la Belle au bois dormant (Ravel)
3. Petit Poucet (Ravel)
4. Laideronnette Impératrice des Pagodes (Ravel)
5. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Ravel)
6. La jardin férique (Ravel)
7. Nuages (Debussy)
8. Fêtes (Debussy)
9. Sirènes (Debussy)

One of the Best Mercury Living Presense LPs of All Time Now Available on 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl from Speakers Corner!

The common practice in concert houses today of performing early music on modern orchestral instruments is owed largely to the endeavors of Ottorino Respighi. His free transcription of Renaissance works for the lute (1932) opened the way to the rediscovery of forgotten rhythms and timbres. Although Respighi altered the structure of the music by dissecting phrases right down to their basic elements, re-ordering them and redefining their sonority by the use of heavy brass and timpani, the art of the ancient maestri remained unscathed. Cadences and harmonic idioms are given a modern coloring at the most, but are never destroyed. Antal Dorati and his famous Philharmonia Hungarica have all that is needed to bring the score to life. Even in opulent passages the individual instruments can be heard distinctly. This works particularly well in the first two suites in which each movement is treated to a process of refinement by means of differing orchestration. That the third suite, written purely for stringed instruments, soars away, just like the proverbial Aeolian harp is only to be expected from this orchestra.

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Track Listing:
Suite 1 for Orchestra
Suite 2 for Orchestra
Suite 3 for Strings

It was Respighis fascination with ancient dances and songs that inspired him to write his bird suite. His great love for such music makes itself felt in every single movement of this work. While Respighi imbued each of the bird portraits with his very own sound colouring typical of his time, there is an original masterpiece by a Renaissance or Baroque composer lurking in the background.

The marchlike 'Intrada', based on a piece by Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710), is further refined by a gradual building-up of the instrumental apparatus and comes to a final climax full of pomp and glory in which the brass are given prominence. Ornithological elements are easily identified in the movements which follow: the doves cooing and billing is are underlined by a sighing, rhythmic base; the hen is heard clucking with a characteristic motif, and the song of the nightingale is brought to us by the flute over a mysterious murmuring on the low strings. The cuckoo is then heard, followed by a repeat of the initial theme, thus bringing to perfect completion 'Gli Ucelli' ('The Birds'), a colourful bird show which knows no rival in modern music.

The 'Impressioni brasiliano' ('Brazilian Impressions') is also a seldom heard jewel in both the concert hall and on record. Although the three-movement work has a subtle rhythm which runs throughout the work, it is far removed from the well-known 'Europeanised' samba adaptations which are so often heard. The suite is remarkable for its tender, impressionistic colouring which demands to be heard time and time again.

Recording: July 1957 in Watford Town Hall, London, by C.R. Fine
Production: Wilma Cozart and Harold Lawrence

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How dull the world would be without fairy tales! In Slavonic countries, numerous generations have uttered these words and taken especial heed to pass on to their children the wonderful stories which all begin with the words Once upon a time .... In this country, such matters seem to be of less importance when one considers how rare it is to see a Russian fairy-tale opera on the programme.

If you do not happen to have tickets for the Bolshoi Theatre in your pocket, then you really must listen to the Orchestral Suite from The Tale of Tsar Saltan: a delightful 20 minutes of highlights from one of operas masterworks. Introduced by a blaring fanfare in every case, each of these wonderfully expressive musical gems is filled with highly original melodies, exquisite rhythms and brilliant orchestration.

The B Side offers a foretaste of a Russian Midsummer Nights Dream: based on Ukrainian folk melodies, the Overture to May Night evokes a vivid picture of elves and water-nymphs.

The Russian Easter Festival Overture, with its liturgical elements, provides a contrast to the lyrical fairy-tale music and rounds off this delightful Rimsky-Korsakov portrait which no music lover should fail to include in his collection.

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Track Listing:
1. Tsar's Departure and Farewell (Op. 57)
2. Tsaritsa and her son afloat in the cask (Op. 57)
3. The Three Wonders (Op. 57)
4. May Night
5. Russian Easter Festival, Op. 36

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Although Gioacchino Rossini wrote 39 operas, they are rarely heard today with the exception of The Barber of Seville. Many of his overtures have, however, remained extremely popular. This record presents five of them which were composed between 1812 and 1829. Rossinis orchestral works are famous for the magic of the almost inevitable Rossini crescendo. The composer is said to have been so disheartened by the failure of his last opera William Tell that he gave up composing, and took his talents into the kitchen. He was an excellent cook and one can well imagine how the rich melodic inspiration of his overtures was transferred to his menus.

Pierro Gambas masterly interpretations convey the structure of the compositions, while the London Symphony Orchestra certainly sets off the fireworks.

The sound quality has lost nothing of its brilliance and musically the recordings are of a very high standard, clear and animated.

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Track Listing:
1. The Thieving Magpie
2. The Silken Ladder
3. The Barber of Seville
4. Seimramide
5. William Tell

The cello has always been held in high esteem for its warm, noble timbre and range of expression. So it is no wonder that numerous solo pieces have been written for the instrument. In this recording, the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, together with the great Benjamin Britten at the piano, have left the accustomed pathway to perform three less well-known but nevertheless excellent works from the 19th and 20th century.

Robert Schumanns Fünf Stücke im Volkston allows the cellist to bring out the whole beauty of his instrument. Well-paced tempi, a crystal-clear tone, and an exquisitely precise piano part emphasize the unique character of this music a work which points the way towards modern times. The mysterious tonal and harmonic world of the Impressionists is evoked by Debussys Sonata for Piano and Cello. Written in the aftermath of the First World War, it reflects human tragedy and a feeling of oppression and anxiety.

Brittens Cello Sonata was tailormade for Rostropovich and dedicated to the great cellist. The two musicians, both of them technical perfectionists, provide an inspired performance beginning with the thrilling dialogue of the very first bars, via a lyrical elegy, right up to the gripping Finale in 6/8 time. To sum it up: top marks for music, tonal quality and choice of repertoire.

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Track Listing:
I See Everybody's Baby
Little Jazz
Basin Street Blues
I Remember Harlem
Rockin' Chair
Easter Parade
Roy's Riff
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
Baby What's the Matter With You
Yard Dog
Sweet Lorraine
Jumbo the Elephant

This is Schuberts longest symphony, and its music has been described as heavenly. The symphony is typically and specifically Schubertian in its form, occupying a position in the history of music between Beethoven, Bruckner and Mahler right on the threshold which separates classicism from romanticism. It is hard to say if Josef Krips ever succeeded in making a finer recording. The presentation has a direct, unforced spontaneity, confirming that Krips had an intuitive understanding of Schuberts compositions. The orchestra plays with dynamic vivacity without ever sounding aggressive. The interpretation of the two final movements is delightful in its airy exhilaration: swaying in a dance-like rhythm, tripping lightly through virtually every key there is, and in between, in the Scherzo, the gravity of the trio. The Finale, again, is merry in character with triplets rushing past, and the listener revels in every single repetition as the magnificence of this work reveals itself. The inspired orchestra does full justice to the music and renders an interpretation in the Viennese tradition at its very best. This recording simply cannot be surpassed in terms of performance or sound quality it is a must not only for the lover of Schuberts music.

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Track Listing:
1. First Movement: Andante
2. First Movement: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
3. Second Movement: Andante Conmoto
4. Third Movement: Scherzo
5. Fourth Movement: Allegro Vivace

In the summer of 1819, Franz Schubert stayed in the Austrian town of Steyr where he began work on the composition of the five-movement Piano Quintet in A major, op. 114 (D 667) which was commissioned by the cellist Sylvester Paumgartner. The work was completed in the autumn and soon achieved great popularity under the name of Trout Quintet, which it owes to the Andantino fourth movement a set of variations on the song of the same name. The work has remained highly popular right up to the present day and so it comes as no surprise to find this highly praised recording, made with such renowned artists as the pianist Clifford Curzon, the violinist Willi Boskovsky and other members of the Vienna Octet, being released once again. The ensembles refreshing performance reflects the sparkling lightness and virtuosity of the work. The well-balanced recording with its full tone certainly deserves a place in every music lovers collection.

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Shostakovich Symphony #5 from the Original Mercury Living Presence Master Tapes!

One of the most fascinating aspects of Dmitri Shostakovich's music was and still remains his aesthetic ambiguity, the likes of which is almost impossible to find in modern music. The Fifth Symphony in particular is regarded as an excellent example of how, during Stalin's regime, Shostakovich outwardly remained true to the regulations concerning art while still managing not to forfeit his own artistic freedom and identity. Conceived in a classical vein, the work is filled with powerful motion and Russian song, even going almost as far as late-Romantic transfiguration. But this idyll is deceptive. Again and again the apparent harmony is disrupted by biting sarcasm: the spirited main theme of the first movement soon stiffens into a march-like farce, while in the untroubled second movement a shrill motif in the winds tears apart the cheerful mood. Skorwacziewski amalgamates the contrasting tender sweetness of the violins and the violence of the attacking wind instruments in his precise and sparing interpretation, which is free of sugary expression and forced dynamics. This Speakers Corner pressing, from the original Mercury Living Presence analog master tapes will blow you away!

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SIBELIUS/VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MINOR, OP. 47/TCHAIKOSKY/SERENADE MELANCOLIQUE, OP. 26/RUGGIERO RICCI/FJELSTAD-LSO

The violin had got me completely under its spell; for ten years it was my greatest wish to become a great violin virtuoso «, confessed Finlands national composer Jean Sibelius in later years. Although he began a career as a violin virtuoso too late, as a composer he profited enormously from his intimate knowledge of the instrument and the possibilities it offered. This is particularly apparent in his Violin Concerto with its wonderful synthesis of virtuosic expression and technical bravura, its classical symphonic form, its outward effects and inner substance. This late-Romantic, brilliantly coloured work is certainly one of the most rewarding for every soloist. A specialist in the field of 19th-century bravura pieces and master of an effortless technique and suppleness, the great American violinist Ruggiero Ricci certainly possessed all the requirements for a brilliant performance of this concerto. And Øivin Fjeldstad is the perfect partner for Ricci in more ways than one in this wonderfully lively recording: thanks to his training as both a conductor and a violinist, he ensures a perfect balance between soloist and orchestra; and as a Norwegian he is, of course, completely au fait with Scandinavian repertoire, and guarantees both here and in other recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra a truly nordic touch.

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Track Listing:
1. Sibelius-Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47
2. Tchaikovsky-Serenade Melancolique Op. 26
3. Scherzo from Souvenir d'm lieu cher, Op. 42

Janos Starker, whose elegant style and impeccable musicianship are the delight of audiences the world over, performs the Schumann, Lalo and Saint-Saens Cello Concertos on 35mm film. This LP was pressed on the world's quietest vinyl at Pallas in Germany. Any Starker fan or fan of the cello needs this record!

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Track Listing:
1. Robert Schumann: Concerto for cello and orchestra in A minor, op. 129
2. Édouard Lalo: Concerto for cello and orchestra in D minor

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Track Listing:
Teil:Introduction
Thema
Variations I-III
Variations IV-X
Finale

Ernest Ansermet's long friendship with Igor Stravinsky enabled him to witness the birth of some of the composer's most important creations. This proved to be of incalculable worth in his interpretation of the works he premiered for Stravinsksy.Here Ansermet directs the OSR in a performance of Stravinsky's The Firebird. It is the composer's first major ballet, brought him world fame and continues to gain in popularity to this day. The story, which combines the motifs of several Russian fairy tales with a magic Firebird, a vanishing castle, an evil magician, and a hero who saves the maiden inspired Stravinsky to write some of his most fascinating and mysterious music.

The OSR is fully equal to its fine reputation. Ernest Ansermet's competence as an interpreter is evident throughout. Acoustically, this pressing offers advantages over the original. Here the orchestra resonates with a full, natural and mellow sound that blossoms into a veritable garden of tonality extending around and behind the loudspeakers. This new edition of Stravinsky's The Firebird is a true stereophonic delight.

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That art cannot be mechanized, but demands freedom and belongs to all mankind is a lesson that had to be learned by the emperor of China in Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale. The emperor imprisoned a nightingale in a golden cage so that he alone could enjoy its song. An inventor's attempt to imitate the nightingale's song by means of a mechanical bird brought the emperor only a short-lived pleasure: the cogwheels wore down, and the bird's music became a farce. But it was not only the birdsong, which suffered. The emperor became ill and took to his bed. Only the song of the real nightingale can bring him back from death's door. Stravinsky set the fairytale to music in a symphonic poem which is filled with colorful sound of the Far East. Characteristic for the powerful musical language of this early work are reminiscences of stylistic elements from The Rite Of Spring and The Firebird. The repertoire on this LP is enhanced by a sonorous Scherzo, the mock tango, and the dramatic and far too rarely performed Etudes for Orchestra.

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Track Listing:
1. Scherzo a la Russe
2. Fireworks
3. Tango
4. Four Etudes fro Orchestra
5. The Song Of The Nightingale (Symphonic Poem)

EMI made the recording in both stereo and quadraphonic, an early attempt at surround sound for the now defunct SQ vinyl format. HiQ has used the superior balance of the stereo master tapes.

"If anyone still has a lingering suspicion that a former Hollywood film composer and jazz pianist might compromise on musical standards, let him hear this... with superb recording which allows for inner clarity in a rich texture, with fine discipline and sharp rhythmic pointing (sforzandos meticulously observed), the musical qualities are reinforced... this is a record to satisfy the most discriminating..." - Edward Greenfield, Gramophone, July 1973.

Features:
180g Audiophile Vinyl
Cut from original stereo EMI Master Tapes at EMI's Abbey Road Studios
Original album artwork

Musicians: London Symphony Orchestra Andre Previn

Track Listing:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
1. 1812 Overture, Op. 49
2. March Slave, Op. 31
3. Romeo & Juliet - Fantasy Overture

Although he has lived in the USA since 1929 and even took on American citizenship in 1942, Nathan Milstein is often referred to as perhaps the last Russian among all Russian violinists due to his art of playing - which is governed wholly by intellect. This does not mean that Milstein plays in an academic or cool manner, his art is thoughtful and controlled - in the very best sense of the meaning. And this should certainly not be equated with deliberateness. On the contrary. Milstein's tremendous virtuosity, particularly in the fiendishly difficult final movements of Tchaikovsky's and Mendelssohn's concertos, takes both works to new heights. Although never a forceful presence since he employs relatively little vibrato and thus achieves a slender tone, Milstein's playing is filled with amazing assertion and luminance, and is quite fascinating for its extraordinary purity. And this is precisely what enhances his interpretation of these two great classical concertos, lending them a legendary grace, a feeling of rightness - that there is no other way. The Vienna Philharmonic, with their great tradition, provide support of the first order, and Claudio Abbado proves once again that he is a more than circumspect master of the baton.

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Track Listing:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 35

Allegro Moderato
Canzonetta Andante
Finale Allegro Vivacissimo

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 64

Allegro molto Apassionato
Andante
Allegretto non troppo - allegro molto vivace

The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, led by its conductor of many years standing, Ernest Ansermet, is very much at home in Russian repertoire and masters the occasional immense difficulties of the score with bravado. The DECCA team has once again proved its worth and leaves any nuts which still need to be cracked to the hi-fi equipment the airy strings, the delicate triangles, the thrill of cymbals clashing, and the wooden clack of the castanets. And if, by an amazing coincidence, the heating should fail when you are listening to this record, there is no reason to worry this music is guaranteed to warm the cockels of your heart and keep Jack Frost from the door.

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Not even the man behind the microphone, Werner Wolf, can recall making this recording - although a yellowed recording protocol discloses carefully noted details about the recording venue and date. No wonder that the tapes never got made into records. It is not with a little pride and much joyful anticipation that the announcement can be made: the record is spinning on the turntable at last.

And at long last a gap in Fricsays repertoire can be closed. Specially recommended: listen to the wonderful clarity of the upper strings which is preserved even in the softest passages.

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Track Listing:
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 (Pathetique)
Satz: Adagio - Allegro non troppo
Satz: Allegro con grazia
Satz: Allegro molto vivace
Satz: Finale. Adagio lamentoso

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Track Listing:
1. Swan Lake

Recordings of Tchaikovskys late symphonies with the Leningrad Philharmonic under Mravinskij were a legend even in the days of mono recording technique. It comes as no surprise therefore to learn that Tchaikovsky fans were overjoyed when these three great symphonies were released at last on the Yellow Label in top hi-fi quality at the beginning of the Sixties. Masterful performances, as thrilling as live recordings, now became available recordings which were far superior to all others on the market. Even when the purported miracle of digital recording technique began to take over and industrial record production had become a matter of course, Mravinskys recordings were still available in a 2CD set. There are reasons enough to re-release the Fifth Symphony as an individual LP, without going into lengthy discussions about which of Tchaikovskys late symphonies is the most important. Those who treasure a mono version or a Mravinsky recording from an unknown source in their collection are now given the opportunity to compare their version with the present re-release. All others can congratulate themselves on possessing a milestone recording, a true work of reference, for no other Mravinskij sounds better than this one.

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Track Listing:
1. Satz: Andante - Allegro Con anima
2. Satz: Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza
3. Satz: Allegro moderato
4. Satz: Finale: Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace

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Three famous and famous-sounding Ballets by Stravinsky, all conducted by Antal Dorati and packaged together here by Speakers Corner. This extensive 180g Import 3 LP Box Set also includes a slip case and deluxe 12 page booklet.

Stravinsky Ballets Dorati Included Works:

Mercury SR90216 Stravinsky: Petrouchka/Dorati/The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Petrushka was born of Stravinsky’s vision of a long-haired musician hammering indiscriminately at the piano keys and engaging in a furious contest with the orchestra answering with vehement protests and acoustic fisticuffs. As was the case with The Rite of Spring and The Firebird, Sergei Diaghilev and his Russian ballet had their share in ensuring that the “burlesque” in the four scenes would be suitable for the stage.

The clown-doll Petrushka revels in his spiteful teasing and pranks at the Shrovetide fair. The orchestra contributes swirling dance figures, blaring brass and scurrying strings to his high-spirited clownery but then the Moor enters and dances with the Ballerina, arousing jealousy in Petrushka. Although the clown-doll does not survive this bitter-sweet story, he triumphs at the end, his ghost mocking the crowd at the fair.

This highly inventive music combines folksong, popular music and the waltz, all bounded together by exhilating rhythms which are often taken to thunderous extremes. With its outstanding sound, this recording is a must-have in any Stravinsky collection.

Mercury SR90226 Stravinsky: The Firebird/Dorati/The London Symphony Orchestra. The Firebird can almost be described as a work of fate, since it is not only the first of several ballets that Stravinsky wrote for Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes but also marks his international breakthrough as a composer. In comparison with his other earlier stage works, the ecstatic, sharply contoured Rite of Spring for example, The Firebird, with its melodic character, is a far gentler work altogether. There are unmistakable reminiscences of the musical language of Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky as well as snatches of late-Romantic harmonies; all this lends the music the charm of the Russian tradition.

In his performance, Dorati chooses the golden mean in that he has his ensemble produce a highly colorful but by no means glaring sound. Thus the listener is given the opportunity to follow the development of the finely chiselled motifs which are so characteristic of this early composition. Happily, the chamber-music-like transparency is preserved even in the loud, more exposed passages and the sound leaves the loudspeakers with a sprightly, athletic tread.

Mercury SR90253 Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring/Dorati/The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. While he was finishing the score of The Firebird, the idea came to Stravinsky for a pagan, ritual scenario. The background history of Le Sacre du printemps is well known: while the modernists praised the work, the conservative public thought they were being hoaxed. The reason for their irritation and the scandalous fiasco of the premiere is still audible to this day. Stravinsky carries the aggressive, hammering rhythms to the extreme, casting them in atonal harmonies which feed on the alternation between a red-hot and a mild mixture, as Stravinsky put it.

Dorati urges on his ensemble with robust tempi, and the orchestra is quick to respond to all the refinements of the tightly knit movement. It appears to cope effortlessly with the extremes of contrast and manages to amalgamate the rhythmic excesses with the tenderness of the numerous tiny motifs and figures which seem to sprout like flowers out of hard rock. The excellent recording technique captures both the extreme loudness and the finely pulsating tones, resulting in a sound in which no detail goes unheard. The listener can be sure that this Stravinsky deserves the rating excellent both for the interpretation and for the sound.

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The LP's are pressed on Classic's 200g Super Vinyl Profile making it possible to get every nuance out of the non-distorted grooves that make SVP sound superior to all other records on the market today. Authentic tip on construction jackets with all original artwork and labels add to this must have deluxe LP edition as part of the Classic Everest 35MM LP Series.

The LP's are pressed on Classic's 200g Super Vinyl Profile making it possible to get every nuance out of the non-distorted grooves that make SVP sound superior to all other records on the market today. Authentic tip on construction jackets with all original artwork and labels add to this must have deluxe LP edition as part of the Classic Everest 35MM LP Series.

Une symphonie imaginaire is Minkowskis own collection of 17 orchestral pieces from 11 of Rameaus operas, compiled into a dramatic cycle that represents both the world of French Baroque dance music and the origins of French symphonic music. What emerges is a programme that is as dramatic as it is delightful and easily accessible!

With this recording the musical universe of Rameau is captured in an entirely new programme concept by one of the most popular interpreters of French Baroque music. Marc Minkowski has collected about 20 orchestral pieces from 11 of Rameaus operas and has put them together into a dramatic cycle that represents both the world of French Baroque dance music and the origins of French symphonic music.

Track Listing:
1. Overture
2. Scène funèbre
3. Air tendre
4. Premier Tambourin / Deuxième Tambourin
5. Air tendre pour les Muses
6. Contredanse
7. Air gracieux
8. Gavottes pour les Heures et les Zéphirs
9. Orage
10. Prélude
11. 1. La poule
12. Musette tendre en rondeau, Tambourin en rondeau
13. Ritournelle
14. Rigaudons
15. Danse des Sauvages
16. Entrée de Polymnie
17. Chaconne

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Track Listing:
1. First Movement: Reveries, Passions
2. Second Movement: Un Bal
3. Third Movement: (Sceneaux Champs)
4. Third Movement: (Sceneaux Champs)
5. Fourth Movement: Marche Au Supplice
6. Fifth Movement Song D'Une Nuit De Sabbat

The program for this Sony debut features Lang Langs first-ever recording of Beethoven sonatas: The famous Appassionata, a milestone in the piano literature, is paired with the composers youthful "C Major Sonata Op. 2, No. 3." Virtuosity of a different order is displayed in Albénizs impressionistic memories of his native Spain in Book 1 of Iberia. The program closes with one of Prokofievs explosive War Sonatas, the revolutionary "Seventh Sonata." Finally, to celebrate the Chopin Bicentennial we hear three encores of this Polish geniuss most popular works: the Aeolian Harp Etude, the Heroic Polonaise in A-flat Major, and the sparkling "Grande Valse Brillante No. 2."

Hottest artist on the classical music planet - New York Times

Track Listing:
1. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; I. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; II. Adagio
3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; III. Scherzo (Allegro)
4. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; IV. Allegro assai
5. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"; I. Allegro assai
6. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"; II. Andante con moto
7. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"; III. Allegro ma non troppo
8. Iberia, Book I; I. Evocación
9. Iberia, Book I; II. El puerto
10. Iberia, Book I; III. Fête-dieu à Seville
11. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83; I. Allegro inquieto - Andantino - Allegro inquieto - Andantino - Allegro inquieto
12. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83; II. Andante caloroso - Poco più animato - Più largamente - un poco agitato - Tempo I
13. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83; III. Precipitato
14. Étude Op. 25, No. 1 in A-Flat Major
15. Polonaise No. 6 in A-Flat Major, Op. 53 "Heroic"
16. Grand Valse Brillante No. 2, Op. 34 No. 1 in A-Flat Major

Side A: (Rashomon – Music by Fumio Hayasaka)
1. Rashom

Side B: (Ikiru - Music by Fumio Hayasaka)
1. "Ikiru" title track
2. Petition Tub Is Turned
3. Sign of the Waiting Room
4. Diagnosis
5. Recollection
6. Gondola Cafe Song
7. Strip Show
8. Watanabe and I
9. Paths Toward Home
10. Mitsuo Irritation
11. Citizen Manager Seat of an Empty Seat
12. Happy Birthday
13. Gondola Park Song
14. "Ikiru" Ending

LP 2 - (Seven Samurai - Music by Fumio Hayasaka):

Side A:
1. "Seven Samurai" title track
2. To The Little Watermill
3. Kanbei & Katsushiro - Kikuchiyo's Mambo
4. Rikichi's Tears - White Rice
5. Two Search For Samurai
6. Extraordinary Man
7. Morning Departure
8. Seven Men Completed
9. Katsushiro & Shino
10. Katsushiro, Come Back
11. In The Forest Of The Water God
12. Wheat Field
13. Interlude
14. Harvesting

Side B : (Seven Samurai - Music by Fumio Hayasaka / Record of a Living Being – Music by Masaru Sato)
1. Farm Village Scenery
2. Weak Insects Into Samurai Ways
3. Flag
4. Magnificent Samurai
5. Kikuchiyo Rises To The Occasion
6. Tryst
7. Manzo & Shino
8. Rice Planting Song
9. "Seven Samurai" Ending
10. "Record of a Living Being" title
11. Guitar into the Night
12. Suromanho
13. Surorunha
14. Manbomerankoria
15. Star music
16. Ahirumanho
17. "I Live in Fear" end title

LP 3 - (The Throne of Blood – Music by Masaru Sato)

Side A:
1. "The Throne of Blood" Title
2. War Drum
3. Light
4. Rush
5. Old Woman Of The Straw Hat (Unused)
6. It Strangely Disappears
7. Ancient Battlefield
8. Wandering In Fog
9. Fireside
10. Disturbing Coincidence
11. Northern Castle
12. Hunting Contest

Side B:
1. Provocation-Separation
2. Prisoner Of Delusion
3. Promotion
4. Horrid Feeling
5. Crazed Dance
6. Confused Position
7. Line Of Great Lords At The Funeral
8. Entry Of The War Castle
9. Conception (Original Version)
10. To Its Strange Cause (Unused)
11. Phantom Warrior
12. The Great Army Comes
13. Great Army 1 (Tympani)
14. A Sign
15. Spiderhand Forest Moves 2
16. "The Throne of Blood" Ending

LP 4 - (The Hidden Fortress – Music by Masaru Sato)

Side A:
1. "The Hidden Fortress" Titles
2. Fallen Warrior's Death
3. Burnt Ruins Of Autumn Moon Castle
4. Flight
5. Money!
6. Mysterious Mountain Man 1
7. Good Idea To Go Cross Country
8. Road To The Hidden Fortress
9. Useless Work
10. Escaping Woman
11. Rokurota, To The Cave
12. Riding In The Indicated Direction
13. Setting Off
14. Gestured Excuse
15. Reliable Ally 1

Side B:
1. Reliable Ally 2
2. Over The Black Smoke
3. Adept On Horseback
4. Spear Match
5. Line Of Firefighters
6. Firefighters
7. Highland Haunting
8. Going Downhill
9. Firefighters' Song
10. Execution Draws Near
11. Treasonous Pardon - Pass Crossing
12. Two Bad Men In Prison
13. 'The Hidden Fortress" Ending

40th Anniversary Collection

Track Listing:
1. Classic Concertos
2. Chopsticks
3. Die Fledermaus
4. Strauss Waltzes
5. Gershwin Medley
6. I'll Be Seeing You
7. Mexican Fanfare
8. Fire Dance
9. Stardust
10. Chopin Nocturne In E Flat
11. Claire De Lune
12. Cats Clown Medley

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Track Listing:
1. Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A major (Enesco)
2. Rumanian Rhapsody No. 2 in D. major (Enesco)
3. The Soldier's March (Stravinsky)
4. Soldier At The Brook (Stravinsky)
5. Pastorale (Stravinsky)
6. The Royal March (Stravinsky)
7. The Little Concert (Stravinsky)
8. Three Dances: Tango, Waltz, Ragtime (Stravinsky)
9. The Devil's Dance (Stravinsky)
10. The Great Chorale (Stravinsky)
11. The Devil's Triumphal March (Stravinsky)

Judson Griffin,Melissa Graybeal, violas

Richard Myron, double bass

Stephen Hammer, oboe

And the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra and the Smithsonian String Quartet

Track Listing:
Side 1 Serenade in D major
Side 2 Serenade in D major (cont'd)
Side 3 Quartet in D major for flute & strings
side 4 Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major for violin and viola
side 5 Quartet in G minor for fortepiano and strings
side 6 Quartet in Eflat major for fortepiano and strings
side 7 Trio in E flat for clarinet, viola and fortepiano
side 8 Ein Musikalischer Spass in F major
side 9 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in G major
side 10 String Quartet in D major
side 11 Quartet in A major for clarinet and strings
side 12 concerto in A major for basset clarinet

Placido Domingo as Goya

Featuring:

Dione Warwick
Gloria Estefan
Seiko Matsude
Richie Havens

Puccini: Rurandot
Donizetti: La Fille du Regiment
Puccini: Tosca
Puccini: La Boheme
Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Leoncavallo: Mattinata

Side Two

de Curtis: Torna a Surriento
Donizetti: La Favorita
Bizet: Carmen
Bellini: I Puritani
Verdi: Il Travatore

1. Silent Night
2. Shepherd's Pipe Carol
3. Fantasia on I Saw Three Ships
4. Greensleeves
5. Zither Carol
6. The Holy Boy
7. Patapan

Side Two

1. Past Three O'clock
2. Sinfonia From The Christmas Oratorio
3. Ave Maria
4. Chorale From The Christmas Oratorio
5. I Wonder As I Wander
6. Sheep May Safely Graze
7. Jesus Christ The Apple Tree
8. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

The tape recording was made at a speed of 30 inches-per-second, using a transport modified to produce exceptionally good motion: a specially developed constant-velocity recording curve was employed for improved signal-to-noise ratio. The lacquer masters were made directly from the original tape, thus avoiding further transfer degradation. The result is a recording of exceptional clarity, naturalness and freedom from vices prevalent generally in the art. - original liner notes

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Track Listing:
Symphonic Dances for Orchestra
Non Allegro
Andante con Moto: Tempo di Valse
Lento Assai; Allegro Vivace
Vocalise for Orchestra, Op. 34, No. 14

1. Joy To The World
2. When Jesus Was A Little Child
3. Away In The Manger
4. There Shall A Star From Jacob
5. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
6. Watts Nativity Carol

Side Two

1. O Holy Night
2. What Child Is This?
3. Beautiful Saviour
4. Far, Far Away On Judea's Plains
5. Tell Us, Shepherd Maid
6. The Holy City/Silent Night
7. I Heard The Bells

1. Deck The Halls
2. We Three Kings
3. Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
4. Coventry Carol
5. Good King WEnceslas

Side Two

1. Christmas Sweet
2. Wassail
3. Carol Of The Birds
4. I Saw Three Ships
5. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Side B:
1. Spatiodynamisme I
2. Spatiodynamisme II
2. Spatiodynamisme III

Yo La Tengo have worked with a huge variety of artists from different genres over the years. In 1997 they released the Autumn Sweaters Remix EP, featuring remixes from Tortoise, Kevin Shields and μ-Ziq. In 1999, they released the Danelectro Remixes, with remixes by Kit Clayton and Nobekazu Takemura. During the early 2000s, the band performed with members of legendary free jazz combo Other Dimensions In Music as well as members of the Sun Ra Arkestra. In 2010, the band presents an EP of remixes of Here To Fall, the lead track from last year's Popular Songs, by De La Soul, RJD2 and Pete Rock.

Here To Fall is the most popular track from Popular Songs, a couple having a tense conversation about the future over the background of menacing, descending chords and distorted wa-wa guitar. Each of these legendary hip hop performers has taken the track and the story and made it their own. Maseo from De La Soul strips the song to its core only to add driving guitars and a heavy groove. RJD2's take is as cool and atmospheric as you'd expect. It is the EP's closer that truly takes the song to the next level, Pete Rock's remix is dusky, minimal, abstract and hypnotic, carving the song down to the discrete elements of the human relationship, then dropping a verse about Yo La Tengo themselves.

Track Listing:
1. Here To Fall- Album Version
2. Here To Fall- De La Soul Remix
3. Here To Fall- RJD2 Mix
4. Here To Fall- Pete Rock Remix

Ataulfo Argenta's famous stereophonic demonstration record "España!", with the London Symphony Orchestra made at Kingsway Hall in January 1957, features Spanish-themed music by mostly non-Spanish composers.

This title is not eligible for discount.

Track Listing:
1. Rimsky-Korsakov - Cappricio Espangol, Op. 34
2. Granados - Andaluza, Danza Espanola
3. Emmanuel Alexis Chabriere (1841-1894)- Espana

Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the Original Analog Master Tapes & Pressed at RTI! Numbered Deluxe Laminated Gatefold Jackets! Only 2500 Numbered Limited Edition Copies Worldwide! This timeless gem is performed by L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Ernest Ansermet. This is a performance to be known as 'one of the greats.' The composition, Three-Cornered Hat was premiered by Ansermet, and with its lively rhythms, subtle narratives, dynamic development, and vivid contrast and tone-colors, this version is a masterly performance that none other appears able to exceed. The performance illustrates an ethnic taste that is rich in wild beauty in a truly vivid and dynamic way, while highlighting the lyricism of Falla's music in a sophisticated, uncompromising manner. The solo singing by the young Berganza is also worth listening to.

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Track Listing:

I like the amplitude and keen, spicy attack of the R.P.O. sound even more on the H.M.V. record. - Gramophone, 1959

When we try to show our grandchildren why Beecham was for us so godlike a musician...we shall certainly pull this record from the rack. - Gramophone, 1959

Track Listing:
1. Wedding March
2. Ingrid's lament
3. In the Hall of the Mountain King
4. Morning
5. Ase's Death
6. 1st Arabian Dance
7. Solveig's Song
8. Anitra's Dance
9. Return of Peer Gynt (Storm Scene)
10. Wiegenlied

1. Opening Dance
2. Poll's Solo and Pas de Deux
3. Belaye's Solo
4. Pas de Trois
5. Finale

Scene II:

6. Poll's Solo
7. Jasper's Solo

Scene III:

8. Belay's Solo and Sailor's Drill
9. Poll's Solo
10. Entry of Belaye with Blanche as Bride
11. Reconciliation
12. Grand Finale

High Quality Pressing

Import from Germany

The term "chamber music" alone makes one think that such music is created just for a private circle of listeners. In many cases, however, public figures or great virtuosos were the dedicatees of compositions for small instrumental ensembles. Mozart wrote his Oboe Quartet K. 370 for Friedrich Ramm, the first oboist in the Bavarian Elector's orchestra. Heinz Holliger treads in Ramm's footsteps in this recording and proves to be a worthy follower with his rich sound and prominent demeanor. With fitting demureness, the ensemble allows room for the delicate, long-held tones, which the glass harp specialist Bruno Hoffmann conjures up with his nimble fingers - ranging from fine as a hair to bright as a bell.

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Track Listing:
Quartet in F major, K.370

Allegro
Adagio
Rondeau (Allegro)

Adagio and Rondo, K. 617
Quintet in C minor, K. 406

Allegro
Andante
Menuetto in Canone
Allegro

Bonus 7" 45rpm Disc: An intimate performance of the Rückert Lieder sung by Susan Graham with Michael Tilson Thomas on piano. Exclusively available in the Ultimate Mahler Collection. Not sold individually.

Features:
Limited to 1000 sets
Numbered
22 180g vinyl LPs, each housed in luxuriously designed, separate jackets
Bonus 7" 45rpm disc of Rückert Lieder by Susan Graham & Michael Tilson Thomas exclusive to this box set
Mastered by Kevin Gray at AcousTech Mastering
Hardbound book with extensive liner notes, bios and texts in three languages, plus archival photographs
Special outer shipping box for extra protection
Over 18 hours of music

Musicians:
Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano
Laura Claycomb, soprano
Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano
Anthony Dean Griffey, tenor
Thomas Hampson, baritone
Elza van den Heever, soprano
Katarina Karneus, mezzo-soprano
Quinn Kelsey, baritone
Sergei Leiferkus, baritone
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-soprano
James Morris, bass-baritone
Thomas Moser, tenor
Yvonne Naef, mezzo-soprano
Marina Shaguch, soprano
Stuart Skelton, tenor
Erin Wall, soprano
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
Pacific Boychoir
San Franciso Girls Chorus
San Francisco Symphony
Michael Tilson Thomas, director

Selections:
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
1. Symphony No. 1
2. Symphony No. 2
3. Symphony No. 3
4. Symphony No. 4
5. Symphony No. 5
6. Symphony No. 6
7. Symphony No. 7
8. Symphony No. 8
9. Symphony No. 9
10. Adagio from Symphony No. 10
11. Kindertotenlieder
12. Das klagende Lied
13. Das Lied von der Erde
14. Songs with Orchestra
15. Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
16. Rückert -Lieder
17. Selections from Des Knaben Wunderhorn

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Track Listing:
Side 1

1st Mov.: Andante sostenuto -
Moderato Con Anima

Side 2

2nd Mov.: Andantino In Modo Di Canzona
3rd Mov.: Scherzo (Allegro)
4th Mov.: Finale (Allegro Con Fuoco)

The velvet-smooth, highly sonorous strings play with delicately shaded dynamics and impressive spatiality, while the wonderfully gentle winds transport the listener to the atmosphere of the concert hall. Theres no escaping this music; once you have sat down to listen to it, it will hold you enraptured right up to the very last note.

This excellent DECCA recording, now available in a limited edition, will surely be sold out within no time!

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Track Listing:
1. Prelude, Op. 23, No. 1
2. Morning Mood, op. 23, No. 13
3. The Death of Ase, Op. 23, No. 12
4. Anitra's Dance, Op. 23, No. 16
5. In the Hall of the Mountain King, Op. 23, No. 7
6. Ingrid's Abduction and Lament, Op. 23, No. 4
7. Arab's Dance, Op. 23, No. 15
8. Peer Gynt's Home-Coming, Op. 23, No. 19
9. Solvejg's Song, Op. 23, No. 11
10. Dance of the MOuntain King's Daughter, Op. 23, No. 8

One of the most versatile musicians of the 20th century, Bernstein was a great interpreter of the music of that era. Greatly moved by Shostakovichs music, he was one of the Soviet composers greatest champions. The Second Piano Concerto is often referred to as a fiery and youthful work, making it a perfect fit for the mercurial Bernstein. The performance captured here has the same consuming passion we know from his famous recording of Gershwins Rhapsody In Blue. It may well be the works definitive recording.

Another work that will forever be associated with Bernstein as both pianist and conductor is Ravels Concerto in G. This jazzy and uplifting piece is a perfect playmate for the Shostakovich concerto. No one brought more to this work than Bernstein, who had been playing it with the New York Philharmonic since 1944. Like Ravel, Bernstein was greatly inspired by jazz and its clear (especially on this new LP!) that Bernstein understood the mood and syncopation of the piece like few before him.

Impex Records new LP is a stunning time-capsule for classical record production during the golden era of early stereo: minimally miked, full of natural ambience and incredibly dynamic. The Shostakovich concerto was recorded in the enormous Colorama Ballroom of the Saint George Hotel, the location where Bernstein recorded Rhapsody In Blue and Tchaikovskys Romeo And Juliet. The Ravel was recorded on April 7th, 1958 in the magical acoustics of the 30th Street studio. We know the acoustics of this room from such famous recordings as Kind Of Blue, Time Out, Highway 61 Revisited, Barbara Streisands debut album, not to mention countless other records by Bernstein, Bruno Walter, and Simon and Garfunkel. - Robert Mr. Record Pincus

Track Listing:
1. Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 101
2. Piano Concerto in G Major

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Track Listing:
1. Allegro Moderato
2. Dumka (Elegie). Poco Allegretto
3. Furiant. Presto
4. Finale. Tema Con Variazioni. Allegretto Grazioso, Quasi Andantino

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Track Listing:
1. Danzas Espanolas Op. 37, No. 10 Danza triste G-Dur No. 2778 (Welte-Mignon Catalogue No.)
2. Danzas Espanolas Op. 37, No. 7 Valencia o Calesera G-Dur No. 2779
3. Danzas Espanolas Op. 37, No. 5 Andaluza e-Moll No. 2780
4. Goyescas, Primera Parte, No. 3, El Fandango de Candil (Dance By Candlelight) No. 2785
5. Valses poeticos Op. 10, No. 2781
6. Piece de Scarlatti, No. 2782
7. Goyescas, Primera Parte, No. 4 Quejas o la Maja y el Ruisenor (The Lady and the Nightengale) No. 2786

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Track Listing:
Side 1: Symphony No. 1 in C Major op. 21
1. Adagio Molto - Allegro con brio
2. Andante cantabile con molto
3. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace
4. Finale. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace

Side 2: Symphony No. 2 in D Major op. 36
1. Adagio - Allegro con brio
2. Larghetto
3. Scherzo. Allegro
4. Allegro molto

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Track Listing:
Side 1: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor op. 67
1. Allegro con brio
2. Andante con moto

Side 2
1. Allegro
2. Allegro

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Track Listing:
1. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Andante molto moto
3. Allegro
4. Allegro
5. Allegretto

That the work can be beautifully performed without resorting to venturesome experiments is shown by the PCPO and soloist Daniel Gaede, who focus on authenticity and straightforwardness in their reading, without pledging themselves to a scholastic performance practice as preached by some Baroque gurus. The colourful constant change from good-humoured playing together to 'contesting' with one another is filled with the sheer joy of music-making that is free of mannerisms and whims. These performers demonstrate just how smoothly a four-wheeled Baroque motor can run: it purrs, sings, murmurs, accelerates and slackens without juddering in the least. This recordings forte is found in the light-hearted simplicity and naturalness of the playing and the finely balanced analogue sound recording.

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Track Listing:
Side 1
Concerto No. 1 La Primavera / Spring
1. Allegro
2. Largo e Pianissimo
3. Allegro

Concerto No. 2 L'Estate / Summer
4. Allegro ma non molto
5. Adagio
6. Presto

Side 2
Concerto No. 3 L'Autunno / Autumn
1. Allegro
2. Adagio molto
3. Allegro

Concerto No. 4 L'Inverno / Winter
4. Allegro non molto
5. Largo
6. Allegro

At long last, the present recording on the audiophile Tacet label brings light into the darkness surrounding this Night Music. The Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra performs standard works with an emotional freshness and over the years has deservedly become a welcome guest at concert venues all over the globe. Wojciech Rajski's Mozart is unaffected and flows freely with lively tempi. He easily deals with the disparity between the lightness of this effervescent music and its elaborate compositional technique which is characteristic for this mature work. It goes without saying that Tacet's tube-only recording technique guarantees a more than adequate reproduction of this top artistic performance.

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Track Listing:
Side 1: Serenade in G
1. Allegro
2. Romance. Andante
3. Menuetto. Allegretto
4. Rondo. Allegro

Side 2: Divertimento in D
1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Presto

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Track Listing:
1. Peter Tchaikovsky: Melody Op.42, No.3
2. Rodion Schtschedrin: In the Style of Albeniz
3. Jules Massenet: Meditation from Thais
4. Franz Schubert: Ave Maria Op.52, No.6
5. Richard Drigo: "Valse Bluette," Air de Ballet
6. Moritz Moszkowski: Spanish Dance No.2, Op.12
7. Edward Elgar: Salut d'Amour Op.12
8. Charles-Auguste de Beriot: Scene de Ballett Op.100
9. Manuel M. Ponce - Jascha Heifetz: Estrellita (My Little Star), Mexican Serenade

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Track Listing:
1. Concerto Grosso op.6 No. 7 d Major
2. Battalia a 10
3. Concerto alla Rustica G Major
4. La Musica Notturna della strade di Madrid
5. Sinfonia F Major

Richter and Rostropovich devote themselves to their task with verve and freshness. The two early works are marked by the rich and full sound of the cello and an elegantly performed piano part, while the two Russian musicians foster a contemplative, introverted style in the A major Sonata. This respectful approach also lends itself well to the C major Sonata where the free, fantasia-like character with wide-ranging shading is shown off to advantage.

Beethovens break with the traditional sonata-form layout is carried to extremes in the D major Sonata, where the cello ignores the powerful theme on the piano in the first movement. The works brittleness is effectively revealed by the two musicians in the transition from the sensitive Adagio to the austere, freely worked final Fugato, while their resolute and analytical approach to the work and technical prowess on their instruments is highly rewarding.

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Track Listing:
1. Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 1 in F, Op. 5 No. 1
2. Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 No.2
3. Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 3 in A, op. 69
4. Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 4 in C, op. 102 No. 1
5. Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 5 in D, op. 102 No. 2

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Track Listing:
1. Concerto I - F major BWV 1046
2. Concerto II - F major BWV 1047
3. Concerto III - G major BWV 1048
4. Concerto IV - G major BWV 1049
5. Concerto V - F major BWV 1050
6. Concerto VI - B flat major BWV 1051

The work originally consisted of four pieces: Granada, Cataluna, Seville and Cuba. The editor Hofmeister republished the Suite española in 1912, after Albeniz's death, but added Cadiz, Asturias, Aragon and Castile. The other pieces had been published in other editions and sometimes with different titles (Asturias was originally the prelude from the suite Chants d'Espagne).

The four pieces that Hofmeister added do not exactly reflect the geographical region to which they refer. A clear example of this is Asturias (Leyenda), whose Andalusian Flamenco rhythms have little to do with the Atlantic region of Asturias. Opus 47, the number assigned by Hofmeister, does not have any chronological relation to any of Albénizs other works, since the opus numbers of the pieces were randomly assigned by publishers and Albéniz himself. Despite the spurious nature of the Suite española, however, it has become one of the most performed of Albéniz's piano works, a favorite of both pianists and audiences.

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Track Listing:
Side 1
1. Castilla (Seguidillas)
2. Asturias (Leyenda)

Side 2
1. Aragon (Fantasia)
2. Cadiz (Cancion)

Side 3
1. Sevilla (Sevillanas)
2. Granada (Serenata)

Side 4
1. Cataluna (Corranda)
2. Cordoba

Once again Herbert von Karajan proves himself a distinguished tour guide through the wistful, secretive and bleak sound world through which Strauss has his questing hero wander. And the Berlin Philharmonic thank him with captivating, meltingly beautiful violins, deep growling basses, and steely winds. One recalls with pleasure the legendary leading violinist Michel Schwalbé, who plays the solo part with immense feeling and profundity. Enhanced by a perfected analogue recording technique, this disc is a wise choice when it comes to Strauss.

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Track Listing:
1. Von den Hinterweltlern
2. Von der großen Sehnsucht
3. Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften
4. Das Grablied
5. Von der Wissenschaft
6. Der Genesende
7. Das Tanzlied
8. Nachtwandlerlied

Although Sviatoslav Richter never recorded the complete cycle of Preludes and Fugues, the present recording with his personal selection is one of the most distinguished interpretations of these works. Richters refined performance brings out the strict form found within the modern compositional style, allowing the biting sarcasm or ludicrous melodies to sparkle, and explores archaic rhythms. But Richter, the experienced romanticist, is also a master of Schumannesque expression in the form of languid melodiousness in the middle range of the keyboard. At long last this hard-to-find, yet easy to listen to, recording is available once more.

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Track Listing:
1. Adagio - Allegro Non troppo, No. 14 in E Flat Minor
2. Allegretto - Allegretto, No. 17 in A Flat
3. Allegretto - Allegro Molto, No. 15 in D Flat
4. Andante - Adagio, No. 4 in E Minor
5. Andante - Allegro, No. 12 in G Sharp Minor
6. Adagio - Moderato Con Moto, No. 23 in F

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Track Listing:
1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
2. Allegretto
3. Presto - Assai Meno Presto
4. Allegro Con Brio

Latin Grammy-Winning LP Possesses One of the Most Realistic-Sounding Performances of Cello and Piano That You'll Ever Hear

Recorded on Vacuum-Tube Microphones: No Compression or Limiting Used in the Process

Virtuosic Violinist Performs the Music of Piazzolla, Ginastera, Bragato, Golijov, and Schifrin

Cellist Antonio Lysy has performed as soloist worldwide, in major concert halls, appearing with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras of London, Camerata Academica of Salzburg, Zurich Tonhalle, the Zagreb Soloists, Orchestra di Padova e il Veneto, Israel Sinfonietta, and in Canada with the Montreal, Toronto, Symphony Orchestras, and Les Violons du Roi. He has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yuri Temirkanov, Charles Dutoit, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and Sandor Vegh.

Track Listing:
1. Pampeana, Rhapsody No. 2, Op. 21
2. Graciela Y Buenos Aires
3. Triste, from Cinco Canciones Populares Argentinas, Op. 10
4. Zamba, from Cinco Canciones Populares Argentinas, Op. 10
5. Omaramor
6. Oblivion
7. Punena No. 2, Op. 45
8. Milonga del Angel
9. Le Grand Tango
10. Pampas

The Mendelssohn was recorded at No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road in 1958 and the Bruch dates from the earliest days of stereo (1956) recorded at Londons famous Kingsway Hall venue.

Produced and engineered by the legendary Victor Olof and Christopher Parker (Mendelssohn) and Lawrance Collingwood and Robert Arnold (Bruch).

The album features original album artwork and is pressed on 180g vinyl to audiophile standards.

Track Listing:
Side One:
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
1. Allegro molto appassionato
2. Andante
3. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace

Side Two:
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in g minor, Op. 26
1. Allegro moderato
2. Adagio
3. Finale (Allegro energico)

Recorded on 20, 21 & 23 September 1960 (Symphony No.5) and 5 & 6 January 1959 (Finlandia) at Londons famous Kingsway Hall venue. Produced by Walter Legge and Engineered by Douglas Larter (Harold Davidson Finlandia).

Cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original stereo analogue master tapes with the Neumann VMS80 lathe fed an analogue pre-cut signal from a specially adapted Studer A80 tape deck with additional playback head.

Track Listing:
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Side One:
Symphony No.5 in E flat major, Op.82
1. First Movement: Tempo molto moderato - Allegro moderato Presto
2. Second Movement: Andante mosso, quasi allegretto

Side Two
Symphony No.5 in E flat major, Op.82, (cont.)
1. Third Movement: Allegro molto
Tone Poem
2. Finlandia, Op.26

This famous LP was recorded at the Kingsway Hall, London on May 10-11, 1962, except for the Tallis Fantasia which was recorded in the sonorous acoustic of the medieval Temple Church in the City of London a week later. The latter venue was suggested by the American composer and conductor Bernard Herrmann, a friend and admirer of Barbirolli since Sir Johns years in New York.

From Herrmann's website: Herrmann insisted that it must be done in a stone building not a studio. So Herrmann suggested the Temple Church. The recording session was started at midnight to avoid traffic noise. According to Ursula Vaughan Williams (the composers widow): "Coats and bags and thermos flasks were piled round the effigies of Crusader Knights. Bernard was there, listening to the balance, listening to the music, and the resulting record is by far the best ever made of the work."

Produced by the legendary Victor Olof and engineered by Harold Davidson and Neville Boyling (Tallis).

The album features the original album artwork and is pressed on 180g vinyl to audiophile standards.

Track Listing:
Side One:
Edward William Elgar (1857-1934)
1. Introduction and Allegro for strings, Op. 47
2. Serenade in e minor, Op. 20
Side Two:
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
1. Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
2. Fantasia on "Greensleeves"

This classic LP of the Bach Concertos was recorded when Menuhin was in his early 40s and in his prime and the LP has been newly cut at EMIs Abbey Road Studios from the original stereo EMI Master Tapes.

The Bach A minor and E minor Concertos were recorded at Londons famous Kingsway Hall venue on the 7th & 8th of October 1958, and the Double Concerto (with the legendary French violinist Christian Ferras) recorded on 8 July 1959.

Produced and engineered by Peter Andry and Robert Gooch. The album is pressed on 180g vinyl to audiophile standards and features the original album artwork.

Track Listing:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Side 1:
Violin Concerto in A minor
1. Allegro - Andante
Double Concerto in D minor
2. Vivace - Largo ma non tanto
Side 2:
Double Concerto in D minor
1. Allegro
Concerto in E Major
2. Allegro - Adagio - Allegro assai

In celebration of his piano hero's bicentenary, Lang Lang has selected some of the most famous, virtuosic and poetic solo pieces, concluding with a stunning recording of the Piano Concerto No. 1 - accompanied by the Vienna Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev.

Track Listing:
Side 1
1. Romance "O pourquoi donc" in E Minor, S. 1690
2. La campanella in G-Sharp Minor from Grandes études de Paganini, S 141/3
3. Consolation No. 3 in D-Flat Major, S. 172

Side 2
4. Grand Galop chromatique in E-Flat Major, S. 219
5. Liebestraum No. 3 in A-Flat Major, S. 541/3
6. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 in D-Flat Major, S. 244/6

Side 3
1. Un sospiro in D-Flat Major from Trois études de concert, S. 144/3
2. Rakoczy March from Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15 in A Minor, S. 244/15
3. Ave Maria, S. 558

Side 4
4. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: I. Allegro maestoso
5. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: II. Quasi adagio - Allegretto vivace - Allegro animato
6. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: III. Allegro marziale animato

Wunder, the audience favorite at the 2010 Chopin International Competition, has recently signed an exclusive recording agreement with Deutsche Grammophon. His first recording for the label yielded this solo Chopin recital. With his elegant, cultivated and at the same time unpredictable playing, great stage presence and friendly open personality, Wunder is sure to make his musical presence felt starting here.

Track Listing:
LP1
1. Allegro maestoso
2. Scherzo (Molto vivace)
3. Largo
4. Finale (Presto non tanto)

LP2
1. Polonaise No. 7 in A flat, Op. 61 Polonaise-Fantaisie
2. Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
3. Andante spianato and Grande polonaise in E flat, Op. 22

2
1. Sonata III in Do maggiore (C major)
2. Sonata IV in Si bemolle maggiore (B flat major)