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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Sir Georg Solti conducts Mendelssohn & Brahms
plus: Georg Solti in interview (BONUS) TX: 19TH NOVEMBER 1972, OMNIBUS: THE GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE WORLD
“Solti’s energy, bordering on the electric, provided the dynamic force necessary to galvanise an orchestra and a city into realising its rightful place as a stellar international centre of commerce, industry and art. That was Solti’s gift to Chicago” (Gramophone). Internationally renowned for his opera conducting as musical director of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, particularly his interpretation of Wagner’s Ring cycle, Hungarian-born Sir Georg Solti was also a celebrated symphonic conductor. Taking up the post as director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1969, Solti remembered his early performances with the CSO as “an absolute joy” and would remain with them for 22 years, leading them in their debut European tour – of which the concert on this recording was the first fixture. Recorded in 1971, the film on this DVD is taken from the CSO’s appearance at the Edinburgh Festival in the same year: their first ever concert outside America. In a first filmed edition of this performance, Solti conducts the orchestra in Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture and Brahms’s Symphony No.1. His subsequent performances of the Brahms have been praised for their “dignity, energy and splendour”. With his sometimes Samurai-like gestures, Solti summons tremendous power, elegance and clarity from the Orchestra, which includes such legendary instrumentalists as Dale Clevenger, Adolph ‘Bud’ Herseth and Frank Miller, and which led critic William Mann to write: “I am tempted to describe it as the United States” most completely accomplished orchestra’. Of his relationship with the CSO, Solti remarked: “It’s a marvellous thing to be musically happily married. I am, and I know.” This is the first release of this material on DVD and is the first in a series of Solti/CSO releases to come from ICA Classics to celebrate Solti’s centenary. Sound format: Enhanced Mono DVD format: NTSC Picture format: 4:3 Running time: 67’ Subtitles: French/German Menu languages: English Booklet languages: E/F/G Region code: 0 Territory Restrictions: None “Not only is it a privilege to witness a seasoned outfit playing with such opulent tone, unbounded musicality and selfless application, the dynamic yet ever watchful Solti directs proceedings with consummate grip, attentiveness and pleasing strength of personality. Above all, there's an irresistable sense of a conductor and orchestra both acutely mindful and deeply proud of their distinguished heritage.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2013 “Solti is an uncomfortable conductor to watch. His arm movements make him jerk puppet-like, he is continually whisking his players into a lather, his face often contorted into lop-sided grimace. There is however wonderful clarity and energy to fuel the pulse of the music. The overture is thrilling, the violins skate like water-boatmen through those pianissimo string passages, the wind players achieve impeccable ensemble thanks to the flautist’s subtle direction” MusicWeb International, February 2013 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Sir Charles Mackerras conducts Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn
Recorded live in concert at the Royal Festival hall, these 2009 performances see the Philharmonia Orchestra capture the energy and profundity of Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony, led by Sir Charles Mackerras. Signum’s collection of live orchestral recordings with the Philharmonia continues to grow, this being the 14th release. Mackerras brought an extensive wealth and depth of understanding in his work as Principal Guest Conductor with the Philharmonia Orchestra – their disc of Mahler’s 4th symphony, released last year, was universally lauded by critics. “If there were no further releases in the series, the composer's final symphony would make a fine valedictory effort for Mackerras, who leads the Philharmonia seamlessly through the piece's emotional roller-coaster. The opening movement alone is a masterful journey...A brilliant recording.” The Independent, 3rd June 2011 ***** “the Mendelssohn here is unmissable and the Tchaikovsky very fine indeed Everything's perfectly placed in the first movement...the march-scherzo glows with unusual clarity...A Midsummer Night's Dream follows with perfect, contrasting lightness . Mackerras gives the lovers and mechanicals all the attentive energy of a young conductor...Post-Thomas Beecham, you won't hear a better performance of the overture than this.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2011 ****/***** “The symphony's first movement, especially, reaches a level of intensity that's seriously frightening, with astonishing virtuoso firepower from every corner of the orchestra.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2011 ***** “The symphony's first movement, especially, reaches a level of intensity that's seriously frightening, with astonishing virtuoso firepower from every corner of the orchestra.” Classic FM Magazine, September 2011 ***** “There is an immediacy and incisive, almost forensic clarity to this 2009 live performance that makes for tremendous drama at points of crisis...The late, great Sir Charles Mackerras's way with style shows itself in tiny details...So much of what Mackerras did was governed by an acute sense of what articulation can achieve - and this is a superb example.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2011 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Mendelssohn - Orchestral Works
The Decca Ansermet Legacy on Eloquence continues to garner the highest plaudits from publications all around the world and the latest batch presents the maestro’s recordings of four key Austro-German Romantics: Schubert, Weber, Mendelssohn and Schumann. This 2-CD set brings together all of Ansermet’s Mendelssohn and Schubert recordings for Decca. Adopting clarity and muscularity over homogeneity, Ansermet’s Mendelssohn has dalliance and grace, not to mention wit. The Schubert Rosamunde music is notable particularly for its gorgeously cradled B-flat Entr’acte as well as the Ballet Music No. 1, previously unpublished, possibly due to the limiting length of the LP side – the original LP coupling the Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream excerpts with Schubert’s Rosamunde. [Mendelssohn Symphony and Overtures] “…fresh, lovely and perceptive Mendelssohn playing, beautifully recorded” Gramophone [Midsummer Night's Dream & Rosamunde] “…enjoyable and musicianly performances…” Gramophone | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Mendelssohn - Symphonies Nos. 3 - 5 & Overtures
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| |  | XX'th Century Greatest Conductors: Golovanov & Furtwängler
Recorded 1943-1952 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Mendelssohn: Ein Sommernachtstraum - Overtüren
South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden, Hans Zender | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Furtwängler - The Early Recordings Voume 3
Berlioz: | La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24: Rákóczi March Recorded in 1930 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Mendelssohn: | A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture, Op. 21 Recorded on 13th June, 1929 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Hebrides Overture, Op. 26 Recorded in 1930 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra A Midsummer Night's Dream - incidental music, Op. 61 Recorded in 1929 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Erich Kleiber | Weber: | Der Freischütz Overture Recorded in June, 1935 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Der Freischütz Entr’acte Recorded in June, 1935 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65 (orchestrated Berlioz) Recorded in December, 1932 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra |
Volume 3 of The Early Recordings is a welcome reminder that Furtwängler’s musical sympathies went beyond Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner and Wagner, the composers with whom he is most closely associated. The remake of the overture to Weber’s Der Freischütz (Furtwängler’s 1926 recording is available on Naxos 8111003) smoulders with anticipation, a real theatrical prelude. Invitation to the Dance is lovingly turned at the opening and close, with plenty of heady excitement in between. Berlioz’s Hungarian (Rakoczy) March is nimble and athletic, remarkably ‘straight’ but thrilling in its own right. The account of the Overture to Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is notable for its translucent delicacy. Producer and Audio Restoration engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn | | | (also available to download from $8.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | The Beecham Collection - Royal Philharmonic OrchestraRPO - The early days
recorded 10-Nov-1946 “Difficult to believe that 45 years on from the death of Sir Thomas Beecham…previously unissued
Beecham recordings continue to appear…Somm’s latest Beecham Collection release devoted to a
November 1946 RPO concert given at Croydon’s Davis Theatre is something of a minor miracle...the
warmth of string lines in Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, the eloquence of
Wagner’s Meistersinger Act 3 Prelude and the drama of Mozart’s G minor Symphony…transcend
their fragile sound-frame.” The Gramophone | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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