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Pierre Monteux (Richard Itter Collection)
MP3 Album:
The great French conductor Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) was naturally considered a specialist of his native country’s music, though he would never allow this to restrict him. This new set of previously unpublished recordings seeks to set the record straight, with a strong representation of German repertoire, notably Brahms’ Symphony No.3 with the Boston Symphony, which he never recorded commercially, in a rare ‘live’ performance from the 1956 Edinburgh Festival. More Brahms featuring two celebrated virtuosos – the Violin Concerto with the French violinist Zino Francescatti, and the Double Concerto where he is joined by his compatriot Pierre Fournier, both ‘live’ recordings from the Royal Festival Hall in 1955. Both are previously unpublished.
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The Dream of Gerontius
Filmed in colour from Canterbury Cathedral in 1968, this DVD represents the only existing film of Sir Adrian Boult conducting The Dream of Gerontius. Sir Adrian Boult championed Elgar’s music throughout his life, following the composer’s prophetic words in a letter to the conductor: ‘I feel that my reputation in the future is safe in your hands’. Featuring a stellar cast of soloists including Dame Janet Baker, this performance is redolent of Sir Adrian Boult’s ‘commendable energy and typical humanity’ (The Gramophone Guide review of Boult’s 1975 studio recording of The Dream of Gerontius). This DVD also features a 60-minute documentary on Sir Adrian Boult produced by the BBC in 1989 to celebrate the centenary of his birth.
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Great Symphonies
MP3 Album:
Beethoven’s Ninth and Mendelssohn’s “Italian” are two of the great symphonies to appear in this collection, which also features works by Tchaikovsky, Schumann and Brahms, among others. With renowned conductors including Sir Adrian Boult and Gennadi Rozhdestvensky at the helm, these expertly remastered recordings represent an excellent addition to any symphony-lover’s collection.
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Wilhelm Furtwängler
MP3 Album:
Beethoven
Symphony No.9
Irmgard Seefried/Rosette Anday/
Anton Dermota/Paul Schöffler
Wiener Singakademie/Wiener
Philharmoniker/Wilhelm Furtwangler
GROßER SAAL, MUSIKVEREIN, WIEN
30 MAY 1953
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Yuri Bashmet
MP3 Album:
Brahms: Symphony No.3
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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 ‘Pathétique’
Novaya Rossiya State Symphony Orchestra
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Klaus Tennstedt / Boston Symphony Orchestra
MP4 Video Download:
This rare audiovisual footage presents Klaus Tennstedt at the height of his very special relationship with the Boston Symphony Orchestra during his prime recording period. Joyous Mozart is combined with evocative Mahler, both performed with the greatest sensitivity and conviction. The ICA Classics Legacy series represents an historic account of performances by some of the world’s greatest artists. This DVD features only the second public release of a full-length symphonic work with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Klaus Tennstedt and the third DVD available with this mighty conductor. 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.
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William Steinberg / Boston Symphony Orchestra
MP4 Video Download:
Steinberg was much admired for his sterling musicianship; the breadth of his repertory, which included much contemporary music; the clarity and precision of his technique; his wit and pipe-smoking geniality; and the collegial relationships he established and maintained with his musicians.
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Klaus Tennstedt / Boston Symphony Orchestra
MP4 Video Download:
Tennstedt duly made his US debut in December 1974, conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra in an all-Brahms programme and then in Bruckner's Symphony No.8. A legend was born and a career was made. One headline the next day ran: "Bruckner – Tennstedt – BSO – Once in a Lifetime."
