In 1961, at age 86, Pierre Monteux was appointed chief conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra on a 25-year contract. It was typical of his sense of humour that he chose to sign a contract of this length at this time in his life, but there is no doubt that the brief period he enjoyed […]
During the 1950s, Karl Böhm made a handful of orchestral recordings for Decca with the Wiener Philharmoniker of music by, among others, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms Schubert and Weber. The Brahms Symphony is performed with sweep and with classical poise and the music is clearly in the Viennese players’ blood (after all, they premiered the symphony […]
During the 1950s, Karl Böhm made a handful of orchestral recordings for Decca with the Wiener Philharmoniker of music by, among others, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Weber. Reappearing here, for the first time on CD internationally, are his swift recordings of Beethoven’s Eighth and of two Schubert symphonies (Nos. 5 and 8). Never imposing his […]
In addition to recording the Bach Violin Concertos with Henryk Szeryng, Neville Marriner and the Academy also recorded two LPs of arrangements (made by Christopher Hogwood) of harpsichord concertos. These colourful arrangements are for oboe, flute and violin in various combinations. They were issued originally on two Argo LPs to great critical acclaim and are […]
The partnership of Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is possibly the most recorded of all partnerships in recorded classical music. This collection brings together three of their very first recordings: ‘A Recital’, ‘A Second Recital’ and ‘Italian Concertos’, the three LPs receiving their first complete release on CD. The first […]
The partnership of Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is possibly the most recorded of all partnerships in recorded classical music. This collection brings together three of their earliest concerto recordings: ‘Baroque Trumpet Concertos, ‘Recital for Strings and ‘18th Century Flute Concertos’, the three LPs receiving their first complete release on CD. […]
Behind the stuffed shirts and the stiff upper lips of the Victorian era, dwelt some admirable spirits, none perhaps more admirable than Albert, Prince of Saxe, Coburg and Gotha, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria. Among this collection of songs by him are some which could take their place worthily in any recital of Lieder of […]
Long out of the catalogue, Marriner’s (Philips) recording of Bach’s B Minor Mass, with an array of splendid soloists, returns to circulation. Its coupling is the first release on CD of this recording of the deeply moving Cantata BWV 56 ‘Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen’. It was one of two (extant) Bach cantatas for […]
‘Music All Powerful – Music to entertain Queen Victoria’ provides a delightful flashback of the British Royal Family and is the first release on CD of a delightful Argo LP. It offers solo songs, unaccompanied and accompanied choral songs and a handful of instrumental numbers such as would have been performed for and during Queen […]
Westminster Abbey is a royal church, founded in 1065 by King Edward the Confessor, who was buried in the original Norman building only a few days after its consecration. Almost exactly two centuries later, in 1269, his body was ‘translated’ or removed to its present resting-place in the shrine east of the High Altar. It […]
Roy Goodman’s recording of the Allegri Miserere (in David Willcocks’ edition, sung in English) was its first, made in March 1963. Although reissued countless times, the complete Argo recording from which it emanates – Evensong for Ash Wednesday – has never before been released complete. Consisting of hymns, psalms and readings, this is a regular […]
Sir Adrian Boult made a selection of Decca recordings in the 1950s and 60s ranging from Baroque repertoire (Bach, Handel) to the music of the 20th century – most notably the first eight Vaughan Williams symphonies. Coupled together for the first time on CD are his two major Handel recordings for Decca – of the […]
