Legacy

Leinsdorf’s recordings of Mahler’s symphonies on RCA Victor became benchmarks for both sound and performance quality. Intense, warm and expressive, this rendition of Mahler’s First Symphony is a deeply personal account, whilst Till Eulenspiegel - a party piece during Leinsdorf’s tenure - is performed with great precision and finesse by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The ICA Classics Legacy series represents an historic account of performances by some of the world’s greatest artists. This DVD features some of the earliest televised concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and their Music Director, Erich Leinsdorf. While the material has been restored using the greatest care and state-of-the-art techniques, certain visual artefacts and distortions remain in some instances due to the age of the film. Despite this, it remains of exceptional musical interest and historic value and is released here for the first time on DVD.

The BSO’s Music Director for seven seasons, Leinsdorf had a long and distinguished career, having worked at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Cleveland Orchestra and Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in addition to his tenure at the BSO. A particular favourite of Leinsdorf’s, the Schumann is powerful and precise under his direction, whilst the Good Friday Music is a warm and sensitive rendition from a great Wagnerian conductor. Schubert’s Ninth Symphony is a new addition to his discography.