This 20 CD box set brings together some of the greatest performances taken from the BBC archives which were featured in the best-selling series BBC Legends, launched in 1998. The collection features classic recordings by stellar artists including Mstislav Rostropovich, Arturo Toscanini, Emil Gilels, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Sir Thomas Beecham, Dennis Brain, Evgeny Mravinsky, David Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter.
Volume 1 of the Legends series is no longer available, making this set of 20 CDs highly sought after by collectors. Highlights include: Toscanini s incandescent Beethoven in London in 1938 Horenstein s pioneering Mahler s Symphony of a Thousand in stereo from 1959 the legendary Mravinsky conducting Shostakovich s greatest symphony in 1960 in stereo with the Leningrad Philharmonic in London Richter s early recitals from 1961 and electrifying Liszt concertos Rostropovich performing the European premiere of Shostakovich s Cello Concerto No.1 in 1961 Dennis Brain, arguably the greatest horn player of the 20th century Emil Gilels, the celebrated Russian pianist in London in 1957 Dame Janet Baker, one of Britain s most revered singers performing Schubert David Oistrakh, the doyen of violinists playing the Brahms and Tchaikovsky concertos from 1960 and 1961 Rubinstein, the composer s greatest interpreter playing Chopin accompanied by Giulini in 1961 Beecham conducting his favourite lollipops Kempff, that poet of the piano playing Schubert in 1972 the legendary Michelangeli in 1961 performing Beethoven and Chopin sonatas and Rozhdestvensky conducting the European premiere of Shostakovich s Symphony No.4 in 1960 in stereo.
The majority of the recordings have won important magazine awards and nominations in worldwide publications, such as Fanfare Magazine US , Fono Forum Germany , Record Geijutsu Japan , Diapason Monde de la Musique France , Gramophone s Editor s Choice Richter, Kempff, Brain and the Gramophone Historic Award Winner 2005 Annie Fischer in the UK.
Contents:
CD 1 JASCHA HORENSTEIN
Mahler: Symphony No.8
London Symphony Orchestra stereo
CD 2 EVGENY MRAVINSKY
Shostakovich: Symphony No.8
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra stereo
CD 3 EMIL GILELS
Scarlatti: Sonatas
Schumann: Sonata No.1
Prokofiev: Toccata
Tchaikovsky Bach
CD 4 ARTURO TOSCANINI
Beethoven: Missa solemnis
BBC Symphony Orchestra
CD 5 SVIATOSLAV RICHTER
Chopin: Ballade No.3, Scherzo No.4, 4 Mazurkas, Barcarolle
Debussy: 10 Preludes from Book 1
CD 6 SVIATOSLAV RICHTER
Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos.1 2, Hungarian Fantasy
Chopin: Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante
London Symphony Orchestra/Kirill Kondrashin
CD 7 CARLO MARIA GIULINI
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6
Philharmonia Orchestra
CD 8 MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No.1
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra/Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Schumann: Cello Concerto
London Symphony Orchestra/Benjmain Britten
Haydn: Trio XV:16 with Emil Gilels Leonid Kogan
CD 9 DENNIS BRAIN
Beethoven, Dukas, Marais, Mozart Brahms
CD 10 IGOR MARKEVITCH
Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini
Mussorgsky: Songs with Galina Vishnevskaya
Stravinsky: Rite of Spring
London Symphony Orchestra stereo
CD 11 JANET BAKER
Schubert: Lieder stereo
CD 12 CLIFFORD CURZON
Liszt: Sonata in B Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
Haydn: Andante and Variations
Schubert: 3 Impromptus
CD 13 DAVID OISTRAKH
Tchaikovsky Brahms Violin Concertos
CD 14 ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN
Chopin: Piano Concerto No.2
Philharmonia Orchestra/Giulini
Chopin: Ballade No.1 Op.23, Scherzo Op.54, Andante spianato Grande Polonaise brillante, etc
CD 15 PIERRE MONTEUX
Cherubini: Anacreon Overture
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Debussy: Ib ria
Schumann: Symphony No.4
Berlioz: Marche Hongroise
BBC Symphony Orchestra / London Symphony Orchestra
CD 16 SIR THOMAS BEECHAM
Chabrier: Gwendoline Overture Espa a
Mozart: Divertimento K131
Delius: Brigg Fair
Saints-Sa ns: Le rouet d Omphale
Berlioz: Royal Hunt and Storm
Massenet Debussy
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
CD 17 WILHELM KEMPFF
Schubert: Piano Sonata D566 Impromptu D935 No.2
Brahms: 4 Ballades Op.10 Intermezzos
Schumann: Sonata No.2 stereo
CD 18 ARTURO BENEDETTI MICHELANGELI
Scarlatti: Sonatas
Beethoven: Sonata No.32
Clementi: Sonata Op.12 No.1
Chopin: Sonata No.2
CD 19 ANNIE FISCHER
Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata 32 Variations
Chopin: Scherzo No.3
Mozart: Sonata No.14
Kod ly: Dances of Marossz k
Haydn: Andante and Variations Hob.XV11.6 stereo/mono
CD 20 GENNADI ROZHDESTVENSKY
Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 Katerina Ismailova Suite
Philharmonia Orchestra stereo
