Dvorak: Carnival Overture, Op. 92

A thrilling collection of Overtures and Preludes (with some popular orchestral pieces thrown in for good measure) from Zubin Mehta. As a showman of the best variety, his recordings remains one of the Decca catalogue's richest legacies, and more than half of this collection is being released on CD for the first time.

Zubin Mehta, at the age of only twenty-six, became the youngest person ever to head a major American Orchestra.

In sixteen years as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic he elevated the orchestra to international top rank.

These acclaimed concerts from 1977 with works from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries show them at their best, fully proving Mehta’s words:

"Not only do we play great music together, but we are individually proud of one another.”

Zubin Mehta

Picture format Blu-ray: 1080i Full HD 16:9

Sound format Blu-ray : PCM Stereo

Region code: 0

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Running time: 110mins

Many of the titles on this 2CD set formed couplings to Kertész’s celebrated LSO Dvorak symphony cycle for Decca. Collected here, over two generously-filled CDs, are all of the Overtures and Tone Poems of Dvorak that Kertész recorded. The fantastical, sometimes gruesome fairy tales of Erben exercised a curious fascination over Dvořák and three of his series of four Erben-inspired symphonic poems are recorded here in interpretations that capture every nuance and thrill of the stories. Also included is Kertész’s celebrated recording of the Symphonic Variations, full of invention through the 27 variations, and the Scherzo capriccioso, with its unmistakable Bohemian flavour.

This year, we celebrate the thirty-year conducting career of Neeme Järvi with Chandos Records, as well as the conductor’s own seventy-fifth birthday.

We mark the occasion with this two-disc set of highlights, featuring a varied selection of concert hall rarities and core classics, along with some popular showpieces and examples of Järvi’s championing of Estonian and American music.

In the course of his conducting career, Järvi has amassed a distinguished discography of more than 440 recordings, well over 150 of them for Chandos.

Järvi has a rare ability to galvanise an orchestra into giving an interpretation of exceptional vigour and drive. Gramophone said of his recently concluded Halvorsen series (from which La Mélancolie and Bojarernes Indtogsmarsch are taken): ‘Järvi finds in the music a drama and pathos that might come as a revelation even to the composer.’

Also on this disc is the ‘Jester’s Dance’ from Tchaikovsky’s The Snow Maiden, a personal favourite of the conductor’s, and one that Järvi often performs as an encore at his many concerts around the world.

This CD combines two recordings of the 1980s both made in Oxford. The first was an LP of Oxford Town Hall which was Gerard Brooks first recording for Priory of orchestral transcriptions (PR 186). The second was a cassette only issue of the new Mander organ in Magdalen College ( PRC 209). Due to space restrictions only about half of this recital is included. A CD then of contrasts and still, to our knowledge, the only commercial recording of the Town Hall Willis.

Sony Classical ORIGINALS offer listeners outstanding enjoyment, authentically recapturing the fascination of legendary recordings from the age of long-playing records and preserving worthwhile releases from two labels with particularly long and distinguished traditions: RCA Red Seal and Columbia Masterworks. These superb recordings by great artists have enjoyed international acclaim ever since they were first released. Showered with critical plaudits, they are part of the 20th century’s cultural legacy. All have been remastered and carefully restored using the latest studio technology in order to reproduce the original interpretations as faithfully as possible. The CD covers are taken over from the original LPs. The original introductions and LP labels are also reproduced in full, making Sony Classical ORIGINALS unique documents in the history of recorded sound.

Featuring original LP cover artwork in full size and reproduction of original labels in mini LP design.

Contains original liner notes in 3 languages (English, French and German) Jewel case packaging with fully coloured booklets.

The Sony Classical Originals bring together for the first time at the Mid Price the greatest recordings from across all of the labels which are part of the Sony Classical umbrella, and are a perfect starting point for any classical collector.