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VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - A SEA SYMPHONY TELARC CD-8058.
Robert Spano conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a superb performance of the magnificent Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams, with acclaimed soloists Christine Goerke (soprano) and the young American Brett Polegato (baritone). In this symphony, Vaughan Williams sets texts by the American poet Walt Whitman in a true choral symphony of four movements: A Song for All Seas, All Ships; On the Beach at Night, Alone; Scherzo: The Waves; and the final, grand movement, The Explorers. This is a splendid recording of a powerful and poetic work by one of Britain’s finest composers.
HAYDN - THE ‘LONDON SYMPHONIES’ BERLIN CLASSICS 0002502CCC
The famous conductor Gunther Herbig emigrated to the USA in 1984. He had previously worked in both Berlin and Dresden, and the recordings of all twelve of Josef Haydn’s ‘London Symphonies’ in this great-value four CD set were made in Dresden between 1972 and 1977. They were widely praised at the time of their original release even though the conductor was being officially cold-chouldered at the time for political reasons. The exceptional acoustics of the Lukaskirche give added warmth and depth to the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra’s performances, and the music is enhanced by the clarity and analytical transparency of Herbig’s approach.
SIBELIUS - SYMPHONIES 1 & 5 TELARC CD80246.
On these outstanding recordings made in 1989 and 1990, the acclaimed Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and its conductor, Yoel Levi, perform two masterworks by Jean Sibelius: his sombre Symphony No. 1 and the popular Symphony No. 5. Recording quality is first-class throughout and the Romanian-born Yoel Levi encourages the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to reveal all the passion and intensity inherent in these sublime compositions. ‘The recording has a truly superb ambience with delightful stereo separation. The word 'luscious'...comes to mind’ - High Performance Review.
MYASKOVSKY - COMPLETE SYMPHONIC WORKS, VOL 8 OLYMPIA OCD 738.
This is the latest release in Olympia’s acclaimed series featuring the entire symphonic output of the prolific Russian composer Nikolai Myaskovsky. All his 27 symphonies, plus twelve other symphonic works, will eventually appear on the 17 discs in this definitive series. The two symphonies here were composed in the 1920s - the period of Myaskovsky's greatest international success. He was especially pleased with the orchestration of his monumental (52 minute) 8th Symphony, which features much folk-inspired material and which was enthusiastically received. The single movement Symphony No.10 was inspired by Pushkin's poem 'The Bronze Horseman', which describes a catastrophic flood of the River Neva in St. Petersburg. Among the shortest of Myaskovsky's symphonies, it fully makes up for this by means of its volume, beauty of sound and contrapuntal mastery. Also currently available, and well worth seeking out, are Volumes 6 and 7 in the series (OLYMPIA OCD 736 and OCD 737).
EUGEN JOCHUM IN CONCERT, 1944-1948 MUSIC & ARTS CD-1100(2)
The German music critic Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt commented in 1982 on Jochum's seriousness as a musician: ‘The devout Jochum was never inclined to external business. The word 'star' cannot be used for him. But he found everywhere that his musicianship attained approval and recognition.’ Eugen Jochum's repertoire excelled in the German classics and he is perhaps best known for his Bruckner interpretations. This excellent double CD collection features a superb 1944 recording of Bruckner’s Third Symphony with the Orchestra of the Hamburg State Theater. Also included on this valuable addition to the discography are Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Mozart’s Symphony No. 33 (both with the Berlin Philharmonic). All these performances reveal the conductor's fine control and ever more subtle interpretations. ‘This is a stunning set - beautifully transferred, and the performances are Jochum at his best’ - Henry Fogel.
MAHLER - SYMPHONY NO. 6 ‘TRAGIC’ TELARC 3CD-80586.
Benjamin Zander brings passion and impeccable musicianship to Mahler’s grand Symphony No. 6 in A minor, the ‘Tragic’. This three-CD set includes a discussion disc intended for the lay listener, in which Zander takes the listener through the score movement by movement revealing the meaning of the piece. For the Finale, Mahler conceived a hero assailed by three ‘hammer blows of fate, the last of which fells him as a tree is felled’. The composer apparently identified with this ‘hero’ so strongly that he was too frightened to conduct well at the symphony’s premiere, and later became so superstitious that he refused to conduct the final ‘hammer blow’ and suppressed it from the score. Since there is such controversy over the movement order and the inclusion of the final hammer blow, this excellent recording makes both versions available on a single disc for the first time.
SIBELIUS/TUBIN - CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TELARC CD-80585.
Paavo Jarvi became Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in September 2001 and has introduced new repertoire to the CSO, including Nordic music and works from his native Estonia. This fine new recording features Estonian composer Eduard Tubin’s Symphony No. 5 and the Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius. Tubin was one of the most important and influential Estonian composers of the 20th century and his music, like that of Sibelius, is deeply rooted in his native folk music. Sibelius’s Second Symphony was written during the USSR’s occupation of Finland in 1901 and, along with Finlandia, is among his best-known works. ‘...majestic, beautifully detailed, yet with such breadth of feeling that it was utterly gripping from beginning to end’ - Cincinnati Enquirer.
BARBIROLLI CONDUCTS SIBELIUS DUTTON CDSJB 1018.
Sir John Barbirolli conducts his beloved Halle Orchestra in typically warm performances of four Sibelius Symphonies (Nos. 1, 2, 5, and 7) as well as The Swan of Tuonela. The historic recordings on these two fascinating CDs were made between 1949 and 1957 and have been superbly remastered from the original masters.
BARBIROLLI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT & BRAHMS DUTTON CDSJB 1020.
Sir John Barbirolli had a particular affinity for Brahms and Schubert, and conducted their works to great critical acclaim. As a young cellist, he gained knowledge and practical experience of their instrumental and chamber works, and later became familiar with their orchestral works. This recording from the Barbirolli Society features the wonderful Halle Orchestra in Schubert’s Ninth Symphony (‘The Great’) as well as his Rosamunde Overture. Brahms’s magnificent Third Symphony is accompanied by his Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, with Andre Navarra (cello) and Alfredo Campoli (violin). This double CD also finds room for the Scherzo from Mendelssohn’s Octet Op. 20.
MUSIC OF ALAN HOVHANESS CRYSTAL CD805.
Alan Hovhaness conducts the Sevan Philharmonic and the accomplished North Jersey Wind Symphony in performances of two of his own compositions, both of which featured in Carl Sagan’s television show ‘Cosmos’. The works are his powerful Symphony No. 19 (subtitled‘Vishnu’), and the profound Requiem and Resurrection, written for brass choir and percussion. ‘The music conveys something above and beyond brilliant playing.’ - Fanfare.
BRAHMS - SYMPHONIES ANDANTE 69948 71973 2 9.
This monumental four CD collection is a rare opportunity to compare the interpretations of Brahms' four symphonies by legendary maestros and ensembles of the 20th century, including Arturo Toscanini with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwängler with the Vienna Philharmonic. The magnificent Concertgebouw Orchestra, directed by incisive Willem Mengelberg, give a particularly fine interpretation of the Third Symphony in the earliest recording here (dated 1932). Not to be missed.
LANGGAARD - SYMPHONIES 4 & 5 DACAPO 8.224215.
The Danish composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952) wrote 16 symphonies, all of which are original and thought-provoking. Symphony No. 4 is an ‘autumn diary’ with evocations of various weather types and the related human moods. Symphony No. 5 is much more extroverted and is programmatically associated with a fantasy world, a ‘Nordic’ summer landscape dominated by heroic and legendary moods. The fourth symphony exists in two different forms, both of which are performed on this outstanding CD by the Danish National Radio Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Dausgaard.
HAMERIK - SYMPHONIES NOS. 5 AND 6 DACAPO 8.224161.
Asger Hamerik wrote seven symphonies, four operas and several major works for choir and orchestra, with stylistic affinities with both Gade and Berlioz. He also composed some stylish chamber music. All his work is typified by a rare elegance in the handling of musical and technical features. During his lifetime (1843- 1923) he was possibly the best known Danish composer after Niels W. Gade. On this interesting CD Thomas Dausgaard conducts the Helsinborg Symphony Orchestra in compelling performances of Asger Hamerik’s Symphony No. 5 in G minor (‘Symphonie sérieuse’) and Symphony No. 6 in G major (‘Symphonie spirituelle’).
GEORGE LLOYD - SYMPHONY NO. 4 ALBANY TROY 498.
In this extremely valuable new release, re-issued in splendid SACD format from Albany’s back catalog, George Lloyd conducts the Albany Symphony Orchestra in a 1987 performance of his own magnificent Fourth Symphony (‘Arctic’). This was completed in 1946, being partly inspired by dreadful experiences and injuries the composer endured when the ship he was serving on was torpedoed during the Second World War and many of his musician colleagues died . The Symphony was first performed in 1981, and like all his music is a vindication of Lloyd’s unshakeable optimism and refusal to accept defeat. This is an inspiring work from a composer who is still too often neglected.
MOZART - SYMPHONIES NOS. 28-41 BERLIN CLASSICS 0094732BC-0094762BC.
In the 1960s and 70s Ottmar Suitner recorded all the later symphones of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the Staatskapelle Dresden. The superb recordings on these four CDs (available sparately) clearly show his wish to make a personal statement by establishing a clear, almost chamber-music-like Mozartian style. This is a most valuable addition to the Suitner discography and one that is sure to please connoisseurs.
MAHLER - SYMPHONY NO. 6 BERLIN CLASSICS 0094612BC. Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony is often considered not one most accessible works and is less often heard in the concert hall than many of his other compositions. This wonderful new recording is all the more welcome, therefore, and the performance by the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Saarbrucken under their regular conductor Gunther Herbig is first-rate. Herbig tackles the the ‘problem child’ with a tonal intensity which stirs the passions and fully brings out Mahler’s powers of instrumentation..
BRUCKNER - SYMPHONY NO. 1 BERLIN CLASSICS 0094662BC.
This outstanding recording, released for the first time on CD, was made in 1965 by the legendary Czech conductor Vaclav Neumann with Gerwandhausorchester at the Leipzig Heilandskirche. The clearly audible enthusiasm of the musicians is perfectly matched with the innovative sophistication of Anton Bruckner’s individual if somewhat neglected symphony. Well worth waiting for.
MINJIN: LALO AND SARASATE CLAUDIO CB5256-2.
Born in South Korea, MinJin became the youngest scholar ever to be accepted at the Purcell School of Music in London at the age of seven. She won the Premier Mozart International competition in Italy at the age of eleven and the following year made her debut as violin soloist with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra in Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, a wonderfully impressionistic work that features on this ravishing CD played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth. Also included are works by Pablo Sarasate (Concert Fantasie on Carmen), the American William Kroll (Banjo & Fiddle arr. John Bradbury), Sergey Prokofiev (the brilliant Sonata for Solo Violin in D) and Francisco Tárrega (Recuerdos de la Alhambra, arr. Ruggiero Ricci). ‘MinJin has exceptional natural talent, mature musicality and mastery of the violin’ - Sir Georg Solti.
MAHLER - SYMPHONY NO. 3 AUDITE 23.403.
The renowned Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Women’s Chorus, conducted by the great Rafael Kubelik, perform one of Gustav Mahler’s masterpieces, his Symphony No. 3. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, under Kubelik’s direction, gives a suitably forceful performance and the choir’s singing is exceptional. A full English text is included with the sleeve notes.
MAHLER - DAS LIED VON DER ERDE AUDITE 95.491.
In this outstanding live recording dating from 1970, Rafael Kubelik conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (‘The Song of the Earth’). In this exciting performance of the symphony for tenor and alto voices, the soloists are the superb Janet Baker and Waldemar Kmentt. A full English text is included with the CD. ‘The polyphony of timbres at the work’s conclusion will be remembered as one of the greatest and most moving achievements of Rafael Kubelik and his orchestra’ - Suddeutsche Zeitung.
SHOSTAKOVICH - SYMPHONIES 1 & 5 OMEGA OCD 1031.
The State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, conducted by Kiril Kondrashin, gives a fine reading of Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Symphony. Yevgeny Mravinsky, another conductor closely associated with the composer, recorded this definitive first performance of the Symphony No. 5 in 1956. Brought together here, they make this a profoundly moving and satisfying CD.
MAHLER - SYMPHONY NO. 6 REAL SOUND RS 953-0186.
The versatile Thomas Sanderling conducts the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in this fine performance on two CDs of Gustav Mahler’s monumental Sixth Symphony. The conductor and orchestra admirably combine to bring out the true majesty and form of this remarkable masterpiece.
CHARLES OSBORNE - SYMPHONY IN A FLAT ZC MUSIC ZC-9005.
Charles Osborne’s hugely impressive Symphony in A flat (his ‘Souls’ Symphony) is a wonderfully melodic work that contains a profound message of hope and understanding. This inspiring and accessible music is sensitively played by the Bulgarian National Symphony Orchestra under their conductor Metodi Matakiev. ‘Stunning, impassioned and beautifully conceived’ - The Advocate.
KUBELIK CONDUCTS MAHLER TAHRA TAH 419.
In this live recording, made in June 1951, Rafael Kubelik conducts the Concertgebow Orchestra of Amsterdam in a stirring performance of one of Beethoven’s greatest masterpieces, his Symphony No. 5. Both orchestra and conductor appear in fine form.
JOSEF JONSSON - SYMPHONIES NOS. 1 & 2 PHONO SUECIA PSCD 720.
Josef Jonsson became an influential twentieth century Scandinavian composer despite his severe handicap, writing intimate songs and grandiose orchestral music that deserves to be much better known outside his native country. With his forceful and individual musical language he paints a broad Nordic fresco in his monumental first symphony, while the second is more concentrated, airy and vivacious. In this exciting new Swedish recording of both works the fine Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Lu Jia.
BRAHMS - SYMPHONIES 1,2, 3 AND 4 REAL SOUND RS 054-0041.
All four of the symphonies composed by Joannes Brahms, along with his Tragic Overture, are included on this great value 4 CD set. The excellent Philharmonia Orchestra is conducted by Thomas Sanderling and there are generous, informative notes on all the works.
MATTHUS - SYMPHONY NO. 2 BERLIN CLASSICS 0094522BC.
As well as being productive and popular composer of opera scores, East German born Siegried Matthus is also a noted symphonist. His Second Symphony and Cello Concerto (also included on this excellent CD) were written in the 1970s and reveal Matthus’s idiosyncratic interpretation of Classical form. The composer conducts the Orchester der Komischen Oper Berlin and the soloist in the concerto is the fine cellist Josef Schwab.
ROBERT BRUCE - SYMPHONY IN B FLAT THE BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY
The composer Robert Bruce was born in Scotland in 1915 and brought up in a musical family in Berkshire, England. His lyrical, sometimes tragic, Symphony in B flat is played here by the excellent Czestochowa Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Jerzy Swoboda.
ELGAR/PAYNE - SKETCHES FOR SYMPHONY NO. 3 NMC DO53.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Davis, perform Edward Elgar’s powerful Third Symphony, brilliantly completed by Anthony Payne some thirty years after the composer’s death. A separate disc from NMC (D052) contains Elgar’s complete sketches played as he left them and Anthony Payne’s commentary describes the often difficult reconstruction process. This magnificent addition to the repertoire should be heard even by those who disapprove of ‘tinkering’.
RUED LANGGAARD - SYMPHONIES 9-11 DACAPO 8.224182.
The idiosyncratic Danish composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952) was an odd, lonely figure whose music ranged from the German Romantic tradition to fragmented modernism. On this brilliantly recorded CD the Danish National Radio Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Dausgaard, performs three remarkable symphonies. The delightful Ninth, subtitled ‘From Queen Dagmar’s City’, (the city being Ribe), was composed in 1942, and this recording features the actual bells of Ribe cathedral. The Symphony No. 10 ‘Yon Hall of Thunder’ (1944) clearly shows the influence of Richard Strauss and Scriabin. Symphony No. 11 ‘Ixion’, also written in 1944, is only just over six minutes long and consists entirely of a heavily scored, demented waltz. This is a fine introduction to an important and fascinating composer. ‘It's a real ear-opener; and the recordings are exellent’ - The Independent.
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC (1957-1963) ANDANTE 4996.
Rich in historical and musical significance, the performances in this luxury 4 CD collection feature the Vienna Philharmonic at its finest. Herbert von Karajan conducts Bruckner's Eighth Symphony, a work which has enjoyed a close association with the orchestra since its 1908 Vienna premiere. Dmitri Mitropoulos leads Mahler's Ninth Symphony and Karl Bohm brings a personal touch to the tone poem Death and Transfiguration by his close friend Richard Strauss. As with all Andante's magnificent series of reissues this anthology utilizes the ‘CAP 440’ digital remastering process, developed by a team of musicians, musicologists and recording experts to restore the sonic quality of period recordings made by some of the 20th century's most prominent musicians.
MOYZES - SYMPHONIES NOS. 11 & 12 MARCO POLO 8.225093.
Alexander Moyzes was one of the leading Slovak composers of the early twentieth century. His music was influenced by the folk music of his native country and by the work of late romantic composers such as Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. His individual yet highly accessible style is well demonstrated on this recording of two of his fine late symphonies. The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra is lovingly conducted by Ladislav Slovak. ‘Moyzes’ case could not be better represented than by these forcefully enraptured readings’ - Fanfare.
DVORAK - SYMPHONIES 7, 8 AND 9 REAL SOUND RS 953-0137.
On this excellent double CD collection, Julian Kovatchev conducts the Orchestra of the Giuseppe Verdi Theatre in Trieste in splendid performances of three of Antonin Dvorak’s greatest symphonies. These include perhaps his most beautiful, the Seventh, as well as the melodic Eighth and his most popular symphony, the Ninth (‘From the New World’). All are sensitively played by one of Italy’s leading orchestras.
TIME PIECES - NORTH TEXAS WIND SYMPHONY KLAVIER K11122.
The brilliant North Texas Wind Symphony, conducted by Eugene Migliaro Corporon, play works by young American composers such as Cindy McTee (the spiky Timepiece), Daniel McCarthy (Chamber Symphony for Marimba, featuring Mark Ford), Robert Patterson (Stomp Igor, a spirited reaction to Stravinsky), Dana Wilson (Vortex, with Pamela Mia Paul on piano) and George Walker (Canvas). The ensemble also gives a fine performance of Gustav Holst’s superbly scored masterpiece, the First Suite in E-flat. This is another stunning recording by the North Texas Wind Symphony, in which their usual high level of musicianship is matched by an imaginative and exciting repertoire.
MAHLER - SYMPHONY NO. 4 TELARC 2CD-80555.
On this double CD Bernard Zander conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra and Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling in a richly detailed performance of Mahler’s lively Fourth Symphony. The conductor discusses the symphony in an entertaining and informative way on the included bonus CD. ‘Zander understands Mahler in practice as well as theory’ - Sunday Times.
COPLAND - THIRD SYMPHONY/MUSIC FOR THEATRE TELARC CD-80201.
The excellent Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Romanian born Yoel Levi, perform Aaron Copland’s Third Symphony, a masterpiece combining the composer’s abstract style with some of his most quintessentially American folk influences. The symphony ends with his famous rousing Fanfare for the Common Man. Copland’s Music for Theatre was never intended for stage use, its name being chosen simply to conjure up the atmosphere of sophisticated, big-city theatrical entertainment when it was written in the jazz era of the 1920s. ‘Well-played and expertly recorded’ - Billboard.
RACHMANINOFF - SYMPHONY NO. 2 TELARC CD-80113.
The catastrophic failure of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s First Symphony, written in a 1897, plunged him into despair and it was not until 1901 that he was able to complete another large-scale work (his Second Piano Concerto). His Second Symphony had to wait until 1908 for its first performance, conducted by the composer in St Petersburg, and has been one of his most popular works ever since. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Andre Previn in this sensitive recording from the 1980s.
TCHAIKOVSKY - SYMPHONY NO.1 REAL SOUND RS 51-0060.
The Sofia Festival Orchestra, conducted by the Sofia-born Julian Kovatchev, perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony (‘Winter Dreams’) as well as the always delightful suite derived from The Nutcracker ballet.
SCHUBERT AND MENDELSSOHN K & K ISBN 3-930643-81-2.
The New Symphony Orchestra Sofia was founded in 1991 by the music critic Julia Hristova, its current president, as an alternative organisation to the state subsidized cultural institutions in Bulgaria. It recruits young musicians, offering them professional experience and the chance to share their skills and play many kinds of music. The two popular works on this recording are Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 (‘The Unfinished’) and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 (‘Scottish’), and the able conductor is Petko Dimitrov.
BEETHOVEN - SYMPHONIES NOS. 1 & 2 OPUS3 CD 19504.
The great Finnish conductor Okku Kamu presides over the world-class Stockholm Sinfonietta in this superb recording of two early Beethoven symphonies. These excellent performances of familiar works are fresh and lively enough to make them a valuable addition to the recordings already available.
STOKOWSKI CONDUCTS SHOSTAKOVICH PEARL GEMM CDS 9066.
Legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski directs the Philadelphia Orchestra and the NBC Symphony Orchestra in rousing and intense performances of Shostakovich’s First, Fifth and Seventh (‘Leningrad’) symphonies. ‘Really very special... tremendous atmosphere...an electrifying performance...’ - Gramophone.
MAHLER - SYMPHONY NO. 5 BERLIN CLASSICS 0017202BC.
The great conductor and teacher Hans Swarowsky did valuable educational work with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in the early post-war years, and maintained his connection with the city as conductor of the Vienna State Opera from 1959. This sensitive 1971 recording with the Vienna Symphony of Gustav Mahler’s Fifth has a compelling inner logic that bears comparison with all other recordings of this popular work.
FURTWANGLER AND BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” TAHRA FURT 1060-1062
On this highly imaginative triple CD the legendary Wilhelm Furtwangler, arguably the greatest conductor of all time, conducts three recordings of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (the “Eroica”), all of them with the superb Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The first recording is dated 19/20 December 1944, the second 10,11,12 & 17 November 1947, and the third (live) version was captured on 7 December 1952. These historic treasures show a truly magnificent conductor at work and it is fascinating to hear how the maestro’s interpretation and technique developed over those eight years.
KARL ANCERL - ENCORES TAHRA TAH 405- 406.
In superb live performances on these two CDs Karel Ancerl conducts the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 104, recorded 7 July 1970), the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam (Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2, recorded 26 February 1969), the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra twice (Bedrich Smetana: My Country and the Batered Bride overture, recorded 21 September 1959, and Jan Hugo Vorisek: Symphony in D minor, recorded 26 June 1966). This is a rare chance to hear a master conductor at his finest.
HERMANN ABENDROTH IN PRAGUE TAHRA TAH 378/380
In 1951-52, Hermann Abendroth toured Czechoslovakia with the orchestra of Radio Leipzig. On that occasion, Supraphon recorded Brahms’ First and Second Symphonies as well as Beethoven’s Ninth. (Supraphon also recorded the Brahms Third with the Radio Prague orchestra). Abendroth was raised in the musical traditions of the late romantic era and this excellent set also includes a rare Odeon 78rpm recording dating from 1942, with the Brahms Fourth and the Gewandhaus of Leipzig. These are outstanding performances by a conductor who is perhaps the most underrated of all.
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