KARL BOHM: THE EARLY YEARS (19 CDS)

The Austrian conductor Karl Böhm is one of the towering conductors of the 20th Century. As the embodiment of the long Austro-German musical tradition, he helped to write musical history. This 19-CD set assembles all the extant recordings he conducted for EMI (notably its German Electrola label) over the period 1935 to 1949 in Dresden, Berlin, Vienna and London includes a number of rarities and the world premiere release of a version of Mozart’s Serenata notturna recorded in Vienna in 1947. It was during these years that Böhm cemented his reputation as a major conductor of Austro-German repertoire.Collectors will also be pleased to know that this set contains all the recordings that featured in the now-iconic series of Dresden-themed LP boxes released by EMI to mark Böhm’s 85th birthday in 1979.

Repertoire - The vast majority of the set is devoted to the mainstream Austro-German orchestral and operatic repertoire closely associated with Böhm. - It also includes shorter works (orchestral works or operatic arias) by other composers from Central Europe and from France, Italy and Russia - The 1947 Vienna recording of Mozart’s Serenata notturna has never before been released in any format. Performers - Among the soloists featured on the set are:

o Pianists

Walter Gieseking, Edwin Fischer, Wilhelm Backhaus

o Violinists Wolfgang Schneiderhan and Willi Boskovsky

o Singers Kirsten Flagstad, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Margarete Teschemacher, Christel Goltz, Elisabeth Höngen, Torsten Ralf, Set Svanholm, Paul Schöffler

o The orchestras Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden; Berliner Philharmoniker; Wiener Philharmoniker; Philarmonia Orchestra

Remastering - All the recordings in the set have been carefully remastered in 24BIT/96Khz from the best sources available - All the Dresden recordings have been remastered from the tapes prepared for the iconic LP boxes that EMI released to celebrate Böhm’s 85th birthday in 1979. - The digital master of the previously unreleased 1947 Vienna recording of the Serenata notturna has been created from a newly-manufactured positive metal master, taken from the original positive metal master that was found in the archive.

Bach, J S: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV1068: Air ('Air on a G String')
Beethoven: Egmont Overture, Op. 84
Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
Berger, T: Rondino giocoso for string orchestra, Op. 4
Berlioz: Rákóczi March (from La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24)
Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor
Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 6 in D flat major
Brahms: Hungarian Dances
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in Eb Major 'Romantic'
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major
Gounod: Gloire immortelle de nos aïeux (from Faust)
Humperdinck: Hänsel & Gretel Overture
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci: Intermezzo
Lortzing: Zar und Zimmermann Act III: Holzschuhtanz
Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana
Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
Mascagni: Inneggiamo, il Signor non è morto 'Easter Hymn' (from Cavalleria Rusticana)
Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor, K486
Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor, K486: Overture
Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K384
Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K384: Overture
Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, K447
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, K492: Overture
Mozart: Serenade No. 6 in D major, K239 'Serenata Notturna'
Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G major, K525 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik'
Mozart: Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K183
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 in D major, K385 'Haffner'
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551 'Jupiter'
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K219 'Turkish'
Nicolai, C O: Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor overture
Pfitzner: Symphony in C major, Op. 46
Puccini: Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano (from La Fanciulla del West)
Puccini: Tu che di gel sei cinta (from Turandot)
Reger: Variations and Fugue for Orchestra on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 132
Reznicek: Donna Diana Overture
Schmidt, F: Notre Dame - Intermezzo
Schubert: Marche Militaire, D733 No. 1
Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D759 'Unfinished'
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Smetana: The Bartered Bride Overture
Strauss, J, II: Die Fledermaus Overture
Strauss, J, II: Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437
Strauss, J, II: Morgenblätter Walzer, Op. 279
Strauss, J, II: Neue Pizzicato-Polka Op. 449
Strauss, J, II: Rosen aus dem Süden, Op. 388
Strauss, J, II: Tausendundeine Nacht, Op. 346: Intermezzo
Strauss, Josef: Sphärenklänge, Op. 235
Strauss, R: Der Rosenkavalier: Act III Waltz
Strauss, R: Don Juan, Op. 20
Strauss, R: Götter! Brüder im hohen Olympos! (from Daphne)
Strauss, R: Ist ein Traum, kann nicht wirklich sein (from Der Rosenkavalier)
Strauss, R: Mit ihren Augen voll Tränen (from Der Rosenkavalier)
Strauss, R: O wie gern blieb‘ ich bei dir (from Daphne)
Strauss, R: Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils
Strauss, R: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28
Strauss, R: Transformation scene from Daphne
Tchaikovsky: Capriccio italien, Op. 45
Verdi: Aida: Prelude
Verdi: Si, pel ciel (from Otello)
Wagner: Bridal Chorus 'Treulich geführt' (from Lohengrin)
Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer: Overture
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Overture
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act 3
Wagner: Freudig begrussen wir 'Entrance of the Guests' (from Tannhauser)
Wagner: Gesegnet soll sie schreiten (from Lohengrin)
Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3
Wagner: O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe (from Tristan und Isolde)
Wagner: Siegmund! Sieh' auf mich! (from Die Walküre)
Wagner: Tannhäuser: Overture
Wagner: Was duftet doch der Flieder (from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg)
Weber: Der Freischütz Overture
Weber: Oberon Overture
Weber: Was gleicht wohl auf Erden dem Jägervergnügen? (from Der Freischütz)