Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 Bernstein

The 2nd of September 2010 marks Maestro Seiji Ozawa’s 75th birthday.
This new 11-CD set presents Seiji Ozawa in a wide variety of symphonic repertory with the orchestra’s with which he has been most closely associated since the early 1970s – from the San Francisco Symphony in 1972 in a programme of music centred round Romeo and Juliet, through his twenty-nine years at the Boston Symphony, to the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics and the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Japan – a celebration of a truly international Maestro.

The 2nd of September 2010 marks Maestro Seiji Ozawa’s 75th birthday. This new 11-CD set presents Seiji Ozawa in a wide variety of symphonic repertory with the orchestra’s with which he has been most closely associated since the early 1970s – from the San Francisco Symphony in 1972 in a programme of music centred round Romeo and Juliet, through his twenty-nine years at the Boston Symphony, to the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics and the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Japan – a celebration of a truly international Maestro.

I got this 10 cd set from a friend last christmas. This is truly a wonderful collection of works from very well known composers. The 10 cds cover a wide range of classical eras and styles, and they come in excellent packaging. Each disc is in its own seperate case, and all ten cases are put in a small yet sturdy cardboard box. The length of playing time on each disc varies from ~57 min to ~67 min, with most discs lasting longer than an hour. In addition, the inner flap of the cover case also provides a short yet informative biography of each composer. This disc set serves as a great way to begin for new classical music listeners. All the composers are well known and also new listeners of classical music may have even listened to a few pieces of the works.
J.W. "thak007" – Amazon

The intent of this set is pretty clear from the titles of each of the six discs: Meditations; Orchestral Fireworks; Invitation to the Dance; Nocturne; Pomp & Circumstance; Grand Opera. This is mood or 'theme' music designed to provide either a background or a sequence of 'tasters' initiating the person who comes fresh to classical music with a sampling from the 'great and the good'. True the 'great and the good' are all from the core repertoire; not even a scintilla of Janacek, Nielsen, Adams, Reich which is a shame.

Sony Classcial celebrates the art of Sviatoslav Richter (1995-1997) – one of the 20th century’s greatest pianists – with the first-ever release of his complete Columbia Masterworks and RCA Victor live and studio recordings in an 18 CD original jacket edition, underneath Richter’s legendary five October 1960 Carnegie Hall recitals.

A luxurious and authoritative 64CD orchestral and concerto set, celebrating one of the world’s great orchestras and their 64-year relationship with Decca Classics. Few labels can claim to be so associated with a city as inextricably as Decca is with Vienna. No history of classical recordings would be complete without a chapter documenting how both Decca and the WP worked to perfect the art of recording in the city’s great concert halls, most notably in the famous Sofiensaal.

A fitting tribute to Mischa Maisky, who celebrates his 60th birthday on 10 January 2008, and also the 25th anniversary of recording with Deutsche Grammophon - not to mention his 30-year partnership with Martha Argerich.