World's Greatest Symphonies (10 CDs)

This ten CD box set contain major symphonies from composers such as Beethoven, Berlioz, Brahms, Bruckner, Dvorák, Haydn, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Tchaikovsky, nineteen original works in total. Top orchestras from Europe and the United States demonstrate the high standard of their art, led by conductors of world renown: Bernstein, Karajan, Klemperer, Szell, Furtwängler, and Toscanini. The demands in terms of sound these masterpieces present, have been met brilliantly by the engineers working on these recordings and many of them have hardly been surpassed until today. Making the nineteen works in this CD box the ideal foundation for a collection of the major symphonies in classical music, both musically and technically.

CD 1:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Op. 55, in E flat major, Eroica, I Allegro con brio
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Op. 55, in E flat major, Eroica, II Marcia funebre (Trauermarsch): Adagio assai
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Op. 55, in E flat major, Eroica, III Scherzo & Trio: Allegro vivace
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Op. 55, in E flat major, Eroica, IV Finale: Allegro molto, poco andante. Presto

Leonard Bernstein, New York Stadium Symphony Orchestra, 1953

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Op. 90, in A major, Italian, I Allegro vivace
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Op. 90, in A major, Italian, II Andante con moto
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Op. 90, in A major, Italian, III Con moto moderato
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Op. 90, in A major, Italian, IV Saltarello. Presto

Sergiu Celibidache, Berlin Philharmonic, 1953 (Live)

CD 2
Dvorak: Symphony No. 4, Op.95, in E minor, From the New World, I Adagio. Allegro molto
Dvorak: Symphony No. 4, Op.95, in E minor, From the New World, II Largo
Dvorak: Symphony No. 4, Op.95, in E minor, From the New World, III Scherzo. Molto vivace
Dvorak: Symphony No. 4, Op.95, in E minor, From the New World, IV Allegro con fuoco

Rafael Kubelik, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1951

Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, 0p.68, in F major, Pastoral, I. Erwachen heiterer Gefühle bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande: Allegro non tropo
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, 0p.68, in F major, Pastoral, II. Szene am Bach: Andante molto mosso
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, 0p.68, in F major, Pastoral, III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute: Allegro
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, 0p.68, in F major, Pastoral, IV. Gewitter, Sturm: Allegro
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, 0p.68, in F major, Pastoral, V. Hirtengesang. Frohe, dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm: Allegretto

Herbert von Karajan, Philharmonia Orchestra, 1953

CD 3
Berlioz: Symphony fantstique, Op. 14, Episode de la vie d'un artiste, I Reveries Passions - (Dreams, Passions / Träume Leidenschaften) Largo. Allegro agitato e appassionato assai
Berlioz: Symphony fantstique, Op. 14, Episode de la vie d'un artiste, II Un bal (A Ball) Valse. Allegro non troppo
Berlioz: Symphony fantstique, Op. 14, Episode de la vie d'un artiste, III Scène aux champs (Scene in the Country) Adagio
Berlioz: Symphony fantstique, Op. 14, Episode de la vie d'un artiste, IV Marche au supplice (March to the Scaffold) Allegretto non troppo
Berlioz: Symphony fantstique, Op. 14, Episode de la vie d'un artiste, V Songe dune nuit du Sabbat (Dream of a Sabbath Night) Larghetto. Allegro

Igor Markevitch, Orchestre Lamoureux, Paris, 1961

Prokofiev: Symphony classique, Op. 25, I Allegro
Prokofiev: Symphony classique, Op. 25, II Larghetto
Prokofiev: Symphony classique, Op. 25, III Gavotte. Non troppo allegro
Prokofiev: Symphony classique, Op. 25, IV Finale. Molto vivace

Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra, 1951 (Live)

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Op. 74, in B minor, Pathetic, I Adagio. Allegro non troppo
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Op. 74, in B minor, Pathetic, II Allegro con grazia
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Op. 74, in B minor, Pathetic, III Allegro molto vivace
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Op. 74, in B minor, Pathetic, IV Finale: Adagio lamentoso. Andante

Evgeny Mravinsky, Leningrad Philharmonic, 1965

Haydn: Symphony No. 103 in E flat major, With the drum-roll, I Adagio. Allegro con spirito
Haydn: Symphony No. 103 in E flat major, With the drum-roll, II Andante
Haydn: Symphony No. 103 in E flat major, With the drum-roll, III Minuet / Menuett. Trio
Haydn: Symphony No. 103 in E flat major, With the drum-roll, IV Finale: Allegro

Sir Thomas Beecham, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1959

CD 5
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K 551, Jupiter, I Allegro vivace
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K 551, Jupiter, II Andante cantabile
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K 551, Jupiter, III Menuetto. Allegro. Trio
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K 551, Jupiter, IV Molto allegro

Karl Bohm, Berlin Philharmonic, 1962

Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D major, K 504, Prague, I Adagio. Allegro
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D major, K 504, Prague, II Andante
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D major, K 504, Prague, III Finale: Presto

Sir Georg Solti, London Symphony Orchestra, 1961

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, Op. posth., D 759, Unfinished, I Allegro moderato
Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, Op. posth., D 759, Unfinished, II Andante con moto

Wilhelm Furtwangler, Berlin Philharmonic 1952

CD 6
Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38, Spring, I Andante un poco maestoso. Allegro molto vivace
Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38, Spring, II Larghetto
Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38, Spring, III Scherzo: molto vivace
Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38, Spring, IV Allegro animato e grazioso

George Szell, Cleveland Symphony 1956

Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, Organ Symphony, I Adagio. Allegro moderato
Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, Organ Symphony, II Poco adagio
Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, Organ Symphony, III Allegro moderato. Presto
Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, Organ Symphony, IV Maestoso. Allegro

Andre Cluytens, Henriette Rogel, organ, Orchestra de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, Paris, 1956

CD 7
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, The Titan, I Langsam. Schleppend (Wie ein Naturlaut). Im Anfang sehr gemächlich
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, The Titan, II Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell. Trio. Recht gemächlich
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, The Titan, III Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, The Titan, IV Stürmisch bewegt

Bruno Walter, Bayerischer Staatsorchester, 1950, Live

Hindemith: Symphony Mathis the Painter, I Angel Concert
Hindemith: Symphony Mathis the Painter, II The Entombment
Hindemith: Symphony Mathis the Painter, III The Temptation of St. Antony

Paul Hindemith, Berlin Philharmonic, 1959

CD 8
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, I Un poco sostenuto. Allegro
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, II Andante sostenuto
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, III Un poco allegretto e grazioso
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, IV Finale: Adagio. Piú andante. Allegro non troppo, ma con brio

Hans Schmitt-Isserstedt, Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks, Hamburg, 1967, Live

Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, Rhenish-Symphony, I Lebhaft (Vivace)
Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, Rhenish-Symphony, II Scherzo, sehr mäßig (Molto moderato)
Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, Rhenish-Symphony, III Nicht schnell (Moderato)
Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, Rhenish-Symphony, IV Feierlich (Maestoso)
Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, Rhenish-Symphony, V Lebhaft (Vivace)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Bamberger Symphony, 1975

CD 9
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major (Version 1878/80, rev. 1886), Romantic, I Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major (Version 1878/80, rev. 1886), Romantic, II Andante quasi allegretto
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major (Version 1878/80, rev. 1886), Romantic, III Scherzo: Bewegt. Trio: Nicht zu schnell, keinesfalls schleppend
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major (Version 1878/80, rev. 1886), Romantic, IV Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell

Otto Klemperer, Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorcheser, 1954, Live

CD 10
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 with final chorus on Schiller's Ode to joy, I Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 with final chorus on Schiller's Ode to joy, II Molto vivace. Presto
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 with final chorus on Schiller's Ode to joy, III Adagio molto cantabile. Andante moderato
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 with final chorus on Schiller's Ode to joy, IV Adagio presto. Allegro ma non troppo. Rezitativo O Freunde, nicht diese Töne. Allegro assai

Erich Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic Singverein der Gesellschafter der Musikfruende, 1956

Hilde Guden, Sieglinde Wagner, Anton Dermoto, Ludwig Weber