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Pianist Clifford Curzon joins the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Szell for this recording of Brahms'Piano Concerto No. 1.
This 1962 recording of Brahms's massive First Concerto was an instant classic when originally released. Pianist Clifford Curzon, Conductor George Szell and the London Symphony Orchestra unite for a Truly Stunning Performance! Clifford Curzon gets to the heart of the music, capturing the high drama of the symphonic opening movement, and his rapt concentration makes a profound effect in the Adagio, famous for his controversially slow tempo.

As intended, this album presents alto sax specialist Paul Desmond as never featured before, with the backing of a string orchestra. The record, filled with such beautiful jazz standards as "My Funny Valentine," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and "Body and Soul," is very rich in texture, yet subtle and mellow overall in mood. It's unyielding purpose: to soothe the souls of its listeners. Desmond's style and tone shine with an alluring quality, and the record is filled with melodies that don't fail to stimulate the sophisticated jazz listener.

From the poet of the piano, Frederic Chopin, comes a compilation of some of his most memorable moments – both for solo piano and for piano with orchestra. Here is Frédéric Chopin's Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21; Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise, Op. 22 & Grand Polonaise Nocturne In C Sharp Minor, Op. Posth. Tamás Vásáry plays piano. Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) conducted by Janos Kulka. A superb performance, recorded in 1963 at Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin.

In the 1950s and early '60s, producer Norman Granz perfected the songbook approach to album production by having vocalist Ella Fitzgerald interpret large segments of the standard jazz repertoire. In a frankly stated effort to expand the listening audience for this great body of work, Granz also asked Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson to churn out numerous instrumental songbooks albums under his own name with various combos. By the end of the decade, these included Oscar's newly reconfigured trio with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen. Like its companion albums, Peterson's Richard Rodgers Song Book was never intended as a set of exercises in soul-searching profundity. Instead what you get are simple, straightforward, well-played appreciations of great American songwriting.

This disc coupling David Oistrakh’s magical & magisterial performances of Bruch’s Scottish Fantasia & Hindemith’s Violin Concerto. The performances themselves are superlative – Jascha Horenstein leads the London Symphony in a detailed accompaniment for Oistrakh’s expressive performance of Bruch’s Fantasia, & Paul Hindemith himself leads the LSO in an aggressive accompaniment for Oistrakh’s muscular performance of his own concerto.

Pianist Clifford Curzon joins the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Szell for this recording of Johannes Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15. This 1962 recording of Brahms's massive First Concerto was an instant classic when originally released.

In July of 1955 when the music in this album was recorded, none of the principals concerned had any idea that the tapes would one day find themselves on the market. The purpose was merely to record material suitable for demonstrations. As a result the performers were under no strain whatever, and the playing clearly shows a spontaneity and vitality that one seldom hears outside of live and informal performances. In keeping with the nature of the music, intimate microphone placement was employed with the result that certain extra-musical sounds are clearly audible at times.