WOLFGANG SAWALLISCH: MILESTONES OF A LEGENDARY CONDUCTOR (10 CDS)

"Fire and reflection, temperament and discipline, clarity and passion" – the qualities music critic Karl Schumann used to characterize the young conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch (1923 - 2013). The 10 CDs in this first comprehensive collection of recordings from the first decade of his sensational career are ample proof of this.
They include his internationally renowned recordings of Richard Strauss and Carl Orff, the debut and later triumphs at the Bayreuth Festival, as well as the "golden years" as head of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra as Karajan’s successor. After studying music in Munich, Sawallisch's first practical experiences came as repetiteur and orchestra leader in Augsburg, assistant with Igor Markevitch in Salzburg, his debut with the Berlin Philharmonics (1953) and appointments as general music director in Aachen (until 58), Wiesbaden (58-60) and Cologne (60-63). From 1960 on he directed the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for ten years and from 1961-72 also the Philharmonic State Orchestra in Hamburg. In 1971 he returned as music director to the State Opera of his hometown Munich and also was its director from 1982 to 93. Sawallisch rounded off his international career as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1993.

CD 1
■ Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883)
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON
NÜRNBERG
1. Ouvertüre / Overture 9‘36
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER
2. Ouvertüre / Overture 9‘42
TANNHÄUSER
3. Ouvertüre / Overture 13‘51
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
4. Vorspiel, 1. Akt / Prelude Act one
12‘12
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
5. Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt / Siegfried’s
Rhine Journey 7‘06
6. Trauermarsch / Funeral March 8‘51
RIENZI
7. Ouvertüre / Overture 11‘56
Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele
(2-4) Live
Philharmonia Orchestra (1, 5, 6)
Wiener Symphoniker (7)
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1962 (3) 1961
(2, 7) 1957 (4) 1958 (1, 5, 6)
Total Time 73'36

CD 2
■ Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
SYMPHONY NO. 1 IN C MINOR, OP.
68
Sinfonie Nr. 1, c-Moll, op. 68
1. I. Un poco sostenuto – Allegro – Meno
allegro 13‘22
2. II. Andante sostenuto 9‘19
3. III. Un poco allegretto grazioso 4‘44
4. IV. Adagio – Più andante – Allegro
non troppo 16‘45
SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN F MAJOR, OP.
90
Sinfonie Nr. 3, F-Dur, op. 90
5. I. Allegro con brio 9‘10
6. II. Andante 9‘02
7. III. Poco allegretto 6‘01
8. IV. Allegro 8‘24
Wiener Symphoniker
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1962 (1-4)
1961 (5-8)
Total Time 76'53

CD 3
■ Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
SYMPHONY NO. 2 IN D MAJOR, OP.
73
Sinfonie Nr. 2, D-Dur, op. 73
1. I. Allegro non troppo 14‘47
2. II. Adagio non troppo 9‘39
3. III. Allegretto grazioso (Quasi
andantino) 5‘13
4. IV. Allegro con spirito 9‘21
5. ACADEMIC FESTIVAL OVERTURE,
OP. 80 9‘07
Akademische Festouvertüre
6. TRAGIC OVERTURE, OP- 81 12‘36
Tragische Ouvertüre
7. VARIATIONS ON AN THEME OF
HAYDN, OP. 56a 17‘01
Variationen über ein Thema von Joseph
Haydn
Wiener Symphoniker
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1959 (1-4)
1961 (5, 6) 1960 (7)
Total Time 77'59

CD 4
■ Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949)
INTERMEZZO
1. Walzerszene / Waltz Scene 7‘38
DER BÜRGER ALS EDELMANN, Suite
After Molière’s „Le Bourgeoise
Gentilhomme“
2. Ouvertüre / Overture 4‘09
3. Menuett / Minuet 1‘48
4. Der Fechtmeister / The Fencing
Master 1‘45
5. Auftritt und Tanz der Schneider /
Entrance and Dance 4‘58
of the Tailors
6. Das Menuett des Lully / Minuet of
Lully 2‘34
7. Courante 2‘28
8. Auftritt des Cleonte / Entrance of
Cléonte 4‘42
9. Vorspiel zum 2. Aufzug / Prelude, Act
2 (Intermezzo) 3‘17
10. Das Diner / The Dinner 10‘29
Philharmonia Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1958
Total Time 43'55

CD 5
■ Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949)
CAPRICCIO
1. Szene / Scene XIII: Andante con moto
– Interlude 3‘30
HORN CONCERTO NO. 1 IN E-FLAT
MAJOR
Konzert für Horn und Orchester Nr. 1,
Es-Dur
2. I. Allegro 5‘16
3. II. Andante 5‘01
4. III. Rondo: Allegro 4‘56
HORN CONCERTO NO. 2 IN E-FLAT
MAJOR
Konzert für Horn und Orchester Nr. 2,
Es-Dur
5. I. Allegro – Tranquillo 7‘50
6. II. Andante con moto 5‘19
7. III. Rondo: Allegro 5‘09
Dennis Brain horn
Philharmonia Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1956
Total Time 37'13
CD 6
■ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 –
1791)
SYMPHONY NO. 25 IN G MINOR, K.
183
Sinfonie Nr. 25, g-Moll, KV 183
1. I. Allegro con brio 8‘36
2. II. Andante 3‘58
3. III. Menuetto – Trio 3‘41
4. IV. Allegro 6‘15
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 14 IN E-FLAT
MAJOR, K. 449
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.
14, Es-Dur, KV 449
5. I. Allegro vivace 8‘55
6. II. Andantino 6‘36
7. III. Allegro ma non troppo 6‘34
SYMPHONY NO. 40 IN G MINOR, K.
550
Sinfonie Nr. 40, g-Moll, KV 550
8. I. Molto allegro 7‘09
9. II. Andante 8‘01
10. III. Menuetto. Allegro – Trio 4‘33
11. IV. Allegro assai 5‘06
Friedrich Gulda piano
Concertgebouw Orkest Amsterdam
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen Aug. 2, 1958,
Live, Mozarteum Salzburg
Total Time 69'30

CD 7
■ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 21 IN C
MAJOR, K. 467
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.
21, C-Dur, KV 467
1. I. Allegro maestoso (Cadenza:
Busoni) 15‘09
2. II. Andante 7‘40
3. III. Allegro vivace assai (Cadenza:
Busoni) 7‘16
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 22 IN E-FLAT
MAJOR, K. 482
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.
22, Es-Dur, KV 482
4. I. Allegro (Cadenza: Hummel) 13‘52
5. II. Andante 9‘38
6. III. Rondo: Allegro 10‘44
Annie Fischer piano
Philharmonia Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1958
Total Time 64'28
CD 8
■ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 3 IN G
MAJOR, K. 216
1. I. Allegro 9‘28
2. II. Adagio 7‘51
3. III. Rondo: Allegro 6‘38
■ Carl Maria von Weber (1786 – 1826)
OBERON
4. Ouvertüre / Overture 9‘25
EURYANTHE
5. Ouvertüre / Overture 8‘49
DER FREISCHÜTZ
6. Ouvertüre / Overture 9‘51
■ Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
(1809 – 1847)
VIOLIN CONCERTO IN E MINOR, OP.
64
7. I. Allegro molto appassionato 12‘16
8. II. Andante 8‘02
9. III. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro
molto vivace 6‘26
Johanna Martzy violin (1-3, 7-9)
Philharmonia Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1958 (4-6)
1954 (1-3, 7-9)
Total Time 79'10

CD 9
■ Johann Strauß, Sohn (1825 – 1899)
1. AN DER SCHÖNEN BLAUEN
DONAU, op. 314 9‘47
2. ROSEN AUS DEM SÜDEN, op. 388
9‘13
3. WEIN, WEIB UND GESANG, op. 333
5‘52
4. KÜNSTLERLEBEN, op. 316 9‘26
5. FRÜHLINGSSTIMMEN, op. 410 5‘49
6. KAISERWALZER, op. 437 10‘20
Wiener Symphoniker
conductor / Dirigent Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1960
Total Time 50'43
CD 10
■ Carl Orff (1895 – 1982)
CARMINA BURANA
Cantiones profanae cantoribus
cantandae comitandibus
instrumentis atque imaginibus
magicis
Weltliche Gesänge zu singen von
Solisten und Chor mit Begleitung
von Instrumenten und magischen
Bildern
Profane songs to be sung by singers
and chorus accompanied by
instruments and magic tableaux
FORTUNA IMPERATRIX MUNDI
1. O Fortuna 2‘44
2. Fortune plango vulnera 2‘45
I. PRIMO VERE
3. Veris leta facies 3‘28
4. Omnia Sol temperat 2‘04
5. Ecce gratum 2‘35
UF DEM ANGER
6. Tanz 1‘47
7. Floret silva 3‘12
8. Chramer, gip die varwe 3‘06
mir
9. Reie 1‘53
10. Swaz hie gat umbe 0‘31
11. Chume, chum geselle 1‘28
min
12. Swaz hie gat umbe 0‘31
13. Were diu werlt alle min 0‘58
II. IN TABERNA
14. Estuans interius 2‘26
15. Olim lacus colueram 3‘12
16. Ego sum abbas 1‘34
17. In taberna quando sumus 3‘16
III. COURS D’AMOUR
18. Amor volat undique 3‘14
19. Dies, nox et omnia 2‘18
20. Stetit puella 1‘50
21. Circa mea pectora 2‘03
22. Si puer cum puellula 0‘56
23. Veni, veni, venias 0‘57
24. In trutina 1‘48
25. Tempus est iocundum 2‘06
26. Dulcissime 0‚36
BLANZIFLOR ET HELENA
27. Ave formosissima 1‘43
FORTUNA IMPERATIX MUNDI
28. O Fortuna 2‘41
Agnes Giebel Sopran / soprano
Paul Kuèn Tenor Marcel Cordes
Bariton / baritone Kinderchor
Kölner Rundfunkchor (Leitung /
Chorus Master Bernhard Zimmermann)
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfoniorchester
conductor / Dirigent
Wolfgang Sawallisch
recorded / aufgenommen 1956
Total Time 57'48