Ernest Ansermet’s complete Decca recordings of Frank Martin. The Swiss conductor regarded his countryman, Frank Martin as one of the two great composers of his time. He rejected the atonal system of music as ‘without musical meaning’ and even, late in life, turned against Igor Stravinsky whom he had championed earlier in his career. In […]
A newly compiled, generous, 4CD collection of high-octane Russian orchestral masterpieces, celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the firebrand musicianship of Dutch maestro Edo de Waart. ‘In my profession,’ remarked Edo de Waart in a 1990 interview, ‘you need the affrontery to believe you have an alternative with something to say […]
What could be more fun than discovering the colours of classical music by visiting a zoo? A menagerie of birds and beasts come to life on this delightful collection – a perfect way to introduce to the wonderful world of classical music.
The perfect introduction to ballet music as little ballerinas take their first steps into the magical world of ballet. From sugar plums to fairy princes and skating couples to waltzing flowers, each track is carefully selected to delight young listeners.
In March 1959 and May 1963, respectively, Vera Lynn and Kenneth McKellar – two of Decca’s best-selling exclusive artists – went into the studio to record albums of nursery rhymes. Simply but deliciously scored with several touches of humour, the two collections were brought together by Decca in 1976 and issued as “The Wonderful World […]
‘La Mer’ was a signature work for Ernst Ansermet. He made four recordings of Debussy’s trilogy of symphonic sketches through the course of his career. The first and second of them, from 1947 and 1951, have been made available in new remasterings by Eloquence (482 5007 and 480 0127 respectively). Now they are joined by […]
Russian music was always a fundamental part of Ansermet’s vast repertoire. Of course, he spent seven years as conductor with the famous Ballets Russes during a particularly glorious period for the company. Formed in 1907 by Serge Diaghilev, the Ballets Russes brought a breath of fresh air to artistic creativity at the beginning of the […]
A first release on CD for the first recording in stereo (and entirely complete) of Mussorgsky’s tragic chronicle of faith, rebellion and repression in 17th-century Russia. With this and six companion issues, Eloquence makes available for the first time on CD the seven complete Russian operas recorded in 1955 by Decca with the company of […]
In the words of the composer and critic, Virgil Thomson, the unique sonorities of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under its founder-director, Ernest Ansermet, were ‘smooth as a seashell, iridescent as fine rain, bright as the taste of a peach’. Ever since its foundation in 1918, the OSR had been coached and trained with […]
Ansermet’s invigorating and unsentimental way with Haydn has been documented on Eloquence with reissues of the Paris symphonies (480 1942) and the Symphonies Nos. 22 & 90 (480 0378). What Ansermet loved about Haydn above all was his ability to ‘express afresh every time, in so satisfying and charming a way, his moral health and optimism.’ […]
Dating from May 1956, this recording of the ‘Posthorn’ Serenade was made in what became the Indian Summer of Eduard van Beinum’s recorded legacy with the Concertgebouw. The orchestra was on song and entirely at one with their music director in this chamber-music repertoire as may already be heard in the Bach suites recorded the […]
A newly remastered collection of Decca and Philips recordings made by under-rated Dutch conductor in Austro-German classics, Eduard van Beinum, including a little-known account of Beethoven’s ‘Prometheus’ Overture. The ballet music which Beethoven wrote to complement his overture was as little-heard in 1952 as it is now. Eduard van Beinum recorded eight numbers from the complete […]
