THE GREAT CONDUCTORS (30 CDS)

A remarkable 30-CD collection brings together 30 world-class conductors representing the cream of crop - including Herbert von Karajan, Arturo Toscanini, Otto Klemperer, Pierre Monteux, Eugene Ormandy, Bruno Walter, Sir Thomas Beecham, Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowski, Sir Georg Solti and George Szell.

In classical music, the 20th century was the era of the conductor. Before then enthusiastically received soloists dominated the scene and only after World War II stage directors began commanding attention, too, at least in the world of opera. Still, charismatic conductors stood at the helm of orchestras, which they themselves had moulded into ensembles of international renown. Furtwängler in Berlin, Ormandy in Philadelphia, Reiner in Chicago, Mitropoulos in New York, Mravinsky in Leningrad, Münch in Boston, Ansermet in Geneva, Barbirolli in Manchester, and Toscanini with his NBC Symphony Orchestra are a few of the famous partnerships in this very Special Edition.

The Vienna Philharmonic can be heard under Clemens Krauss, Rafael Kubelik, Erich Kleiber, Erich Leinsdorf, Lorin Maazel, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Wilhelm Furtwängler, and the latter is also one of three conductors - the others are Karl Böhm and Rudolf Kempe - in charge of the Berlin Philharmonic. The diverse repertoire also paints a vivid picture of the concert life in Europe and the US during this period - covering mostly the 1950s and 60s - that has never been available in such a collection before.

ERNST ANSERMET:(1883-1969)

BIZET : (1960) Carmen. Prelude. Gipsy song and dance. Prelude Act 3 & 4.

DELIBES:(1958) Coppelia. Prelude introduction, Mazuka. Waltz act one.

DUKAS:(1957) La Peri.

TCHAIKOVSKY:(1959) Swan Lake Act one ballet.
STRAVINSKY:(1959) Rite of Spring. Part One.

JOHN BARBIROLLI:(1899-1970)

ELGAR: Symphony No 1

Enigma Variations. Excerpts.

Theme (Andante).

1 C.A.E. (The composers wife)

V. R.P.A (Richard Penrose Arnold)

VI. Ysobel (Isobel Fitton)

VII. Troyte (Troyte Griffith).

VIII W.N. (Winifred Norbury)

IX. Nimrod (A.J Jaeger)

X Intermezzo: Dorabella (Dora Penny)

XIV. Finale E.D.U. (The composer) Halle Orchestra (1956). 

THOMAS BEECHAM:(1879-1961)

HAYDN:(1879-1961) Symphony No 100, 101 & 103. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1958/59. 

LEONARD BERNSTEIN:(1918-1990)

DVORAK: Symphony No 9. New York Stadium Orchestra. 1953

GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue, Leonard Bernstein, piano, Columbia Symphony Orchestra 1959

BERNSTEIN: On the Town, Ballet music. "On the town Orchestra 1947

KARL BOHM: (1894-1981)

MOZART: Symphony No 35, 38 & 41

ANDRE CLUYTENS: (1905-1967)

BIZET: L' Arlesienne Suite 1 & 2. Orchestra National de la Radiodiffsion Francaise. 1953

SAINT-SAENS: Symphony No 3. Organ symphony. Henriette Roget (Organ). Orchestre de la Societe des concerts du Conservatoire, Paris. 1955

ANTAL DORATI (1906-1988)

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV:(1959) Capriccio Espanol. 

TCHAIKOVSKY: (1954) Capriccio Italian. Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Overture 1812

FERENC FRICSAY (1914-1963)

RAVEL:(1959) Bolero

BERLIOZ:(1956) Roman Carnival.(1956)

DUKAS: Sorcerer's Apprentice

PROKOFIEV:(1953) Symphonie Classique

BORODIN:(1956) From the Steppes of Central Asia.(Arr Glasunov)

MUSSORGSKY:(1956) A night on the bare Mountain. (Arr Rimsky-Korsakov).

WILHELM FURTWANGLER (1886-1954)

SCHUBERT: (1952)Symphony No 8. Berlin Philharmoniker

BEETHOVEN:(1952) Symphony No 6. Vienna Philharmonic

HERBERT VON KARAJAN (1908-1989)

BEETHOVEN NO 3 "EROICA" (1953). Philharmonia Orchestra

RUDOLF KEMPE (1910-1976)

BRAHMS:(1975) Symphony No 1. Munchner Philharmoniker

WAGNER:(1951) Lohengrin Prelude Act 1. Bayerischen Staatsoper, Munchen.(1956)

Die Meistersinger of Nurnberg. Prelude Act 1 & 3. Berliner Philharmonic.

ERICH KLEIBER (1890-1956)

BEETHOVEN No 9.(1956) Hilde Gulden Soprano. Sieglinde Wagner mezzo. Anton Dermota. Tenor. Ludwig Weber. Bass. Vienna Philharmonic.

OTTO KLEMPERER (1885-1973)

BRUCKNER: (1954) Symphony No 4.Version 1878/80 rev 1886.

HINDEMITH: Nobilissma visione Kolner Rundfunk SinfonieOrchester. LIVE

CLEMENS KRAUSS:(1893-1954)

RICHARD STRAUSS: (1950)Thus Spake Zarathustra; Till Eulenspiegels Merry Pranks; Don Juan

JOHANN STRAUSS: (1954) The Blue Danube waltz.

RAFAEL KUBELIK:(1914-1996)

SMETANA:(1960) Ma Vlast- My country. Vysehrad, Moldau, Sarka, from Bohemias Meadows and Forests, Tabor, Blank.

ERICH LEINSDORF: (1912-1993)

WAGNER: (1961)Die Walkure Prelude Act 2. London Symphony Orchestra.(1958) Ride of the Valkyries and Magic Fire music (Concert version)

LOHENGRIN: Prelude Act 3

TANNHAUSER: Overture

DIE MEISTERSINGER: Dance of the Apprentices and Procession of the Masters

GOTTERDDAMMERUNG: Siegfried's Funeral March. Concert Arts Symphony Orchestra

MOZART: (1961) Don Giovanni. Overture. Vienna Philharmonic.

PONCHIELLI: (1958) Dance of the Hours. Concert Arts Symphony Orchestra.

LORIN MAAZEL: (1930-2014)

MANUEL DE FALLA:(1958) Dances from the three cornered Hat. Radio-symphonie orchester Berlin.

ARAM KHACHATURIAN: Gayaneh. Excerpts from the Ballet. Spartacus.

STRAVINSKY:(1958) The Firebird. Radio-symphony- Orchestra Berlin.

IGOR MARKEVITCH:(1912-1983)

BERLIOZ:(1961) Symphonie Fantastique

BIZET:(1961) Carmen Suite No 2. Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux, Paris

DMITRI MITROPOULIS:(1891-1960)

PROKOFIEV:(1956) Lieutenant Kije, symphonic suite

SHOSTAKOVICH:(1952) Symphony No 5. New York Philharmonic.

PIERRE MONTEUX:(1875-1964)

STRAVINSKY:(1960) Petrouchka. Compete Original version from 1911. Boston Symphony Orchestra.

DEBUSSY:(1961) Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.

RAVEL:(1961) Rhapsodie Espagnole, Pavane for a dead Princess

EVGENY MRAVINSKY (1903-1988)

TCHAIKOVSKY:(1956) Symphony no 6. This is a powerful intense performance deeply felt. he last two movements are very fine indeed and the final is deeply moving, without letting the control slip. GLAZUNOV: Symphony No 4. it is a charming and well composed symphony, but distinctively Russian which Mravinsky makes the most of.

CHARLES MUNCH (1891-1968)

RAVEL: (1957)La Valse. TCHAIKOVSKY: For Strings in C Major. BARBER: Adagio for Strings. Medeas Meditation and dance of Vengeance. ELGAR: Introduction and Allegro. Boston symphony Orchestra.

EUGENE ORMANDY (1899-1985)

RESPIGHI:(1958) Pini di Roma.(1957) Fontane di Roma. (1960) Feste Romane. La Boutique Fantasque. Philadelphia Orchestra. 

FRITZ REINER (1888-1963)

RICHARD STRAUSS: (1958) Der Rosenkavlier. Waltzes arranged by Reiner. (1954); Ein Heldenleben. Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

WOLFGANG SAWALLISCH (1923-2013)

WAGNER:(1961) The Flying Dutchman Overture. Rienzi Overture. Tannhauser Venusberg music (Paris version). Siegfried Siegfried Idyll. Vienna Philharmonic.(1957) Tristan und Isolde. Prelude Act 1 and 3. Bayreuth Festival orchestra. LIVE. 

GEORGE SOLTI (1912-1997)

MENDELSSOHN: (1952) Symphony No 3. London Symphony Orchestra (1958); Symphony No 4. Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI (1882-1977)

HOLST:(1956) The Planets. Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

ENESCU: (1960) Roumanian Rhapsody No 1

LIZST: Hungarian Rhapsody No 2, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra.

GEORGE SZELL:(1897-1970)

MENDELSSOHN:(1957) A Midsummer Night's Dream Excerpts.

SCHUBERT: Rosamunde - Excerpts.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Amsterdam.

ARTURO TOSCANINI (1867-1967)

MUSSORGSKY:(1951) Pictures at an exhibition. Arr Ravel.

SIBELIUS:(1952) En Saga.

TCHAIKOVSKY:(1951) The Nutcracker. The flowers dance.

VON WEBER:(1951) Invitation to the Ball.

BRAHMS:(1953) Hungarian dances.

BRUNO WALTER:(1876-1962)

MAHLER:(1950) Symphony No 1. Bayerisches Staatorchester. LIVE.

MOZART:(1952) Symphony in G minor K 550. Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. Live.