Rafael Kubelik truly remains a conductor for the here and now, with his classic recordings of Beethoven, Dvorak, Mahler, Janáček, Orff and Smetana cycles setting the gold standard. His approach to phrasing and keen attention to orchestral inner frameworks left no musical stone unturned. Kubelík is the last of the great conductors from Deutsche Grammophon's early stereo age to receive the "Complete Edition" treatment. This 64CD + 2DVD box set gathers the entirety of Kubelík's recordings for the Yellow label which are united for the first time in one package. All of the albums are presented with their original cover.
Continuing their Adagios series, the folks at Decca have combed the archives once again and assembled another soothing collection of beautiful melodies, Violin Adagios. This time the soulful sound of the violin takes center stage in a program of the most memorable slow-paced music written for the instrument. Opening with Kennedy's rendition of Massenet's mournful "Meditation" from Thaïs, the double-disc set continues with performances by legends like Arthur Grumiaux and Henryk Szeryng, along with newly minted stars such as Joshua Bell, Kyung-Wha Chung, and Leila Josefowicz. And all the essential composers – from Bach to Beethoven to Brahms – are represented, too, on this album in celebration of the violin, that most lyrical of instruments.Barnes & Noble
Terms such as “fastidious”, “intimate” and “quietly nuanced” have long been applied to the immensely respected Ingrid Haebler’s interpretations. She was a “purist” in the best sense of the word and has often said that she always sought to convey the essence of the music and the structure and the message of the work, without anything to disrupt it. With an imposing discography, Haebler was regarded by many as Philips’ “house pianist”. Decca now proudly presents her Complete Philips Recordings on 58CDs in tribute to this rare and special artist.
Mercury Living Presence is special in many ways - an American company, from the heyday of classical recording in the U.S. that reproduced some of the most sonically realistic recordings at the dawn of the stereo era. Precious few stereo LPs were pressed when these recordings were issued, and they became some of the rarest, most collectible classical discs ever. Mercury Living Presence continues to enjoy a special reputation as one of the most enterprising, prestigious and sonically-spectacular labels in the history of classical recording.
June 8, 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of robert Schumann, one of the most important romantic composers of the 19th century. To celebrate his vast and impressive output, Deutsche Grammophon and Decca have compiled this 35-CD box set of his most important masterworks. Though this is not a complete edition, it includes every major work and a number of rarities covering every aspect of Schumann’s output.