Booklet Notes:Tracklisting in English, French, German.
Rozhdestvensky was the first Russian conductor to be appointed head of major Western orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra 1978-81 and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra from 1981.
These London recordings from 1978 are an illustration of his work at that time.
A close friend of Shostakovich, he was his favoured interpreter and championed his works. Considered a great interpreter of Russian orchestral music, the beauty of these recordings is no surprise.
"The Soviet conductor…brought to the music an easy command and a dramatic sensibility." The New York Times
"Gennady Rozhdestvensky, one of Russia's true masters of the baton…His engagement of the orchestra is equally masterful. With his subtle hands and explicit wand, he draws each player into the focus of his interpretive intent." The Globe and Mail
"One of the great eccentrics of the podium." The Guardian
