Igor Markevitch Tschaikovsky

This edition celebrates and marks the 50th anniversary (December 6, 1960) of the death of the great Romanian-born pianist.

Grumiaux' version remains to this day one of the best available. He and Markevitch conducting the Amsterdam Concertgebouw have a total mastery of the idiom, and the Concerto's sections unfold naturally and organically: it doesn't sound like "modern" music, but as a language entirely congenial to the performers. Tempos are middle-of-the road, close to the metronome marks, and nothing more is required to bring out the composition's searing lyricism. Grumiaux has a luminous tone, the perfect mix of radiant lyricism and despaired vehemence. Markevitch, the Concertgebouw Orchestra (glorious brass!) and the sonic engineers bring out a wealth of orchestral details from Berg's subtle and delicately intertwined textures, maybe not as much as the best modern versions

From the introductory notes by David Butchart: "In February 1954, as part of a promotional campaign, Deutsche Grammophon produced a now legendary 10-inch LP titled Musik … Sprache der Welt (Music - the Universal Language), that presented selections of its then current recordings. That LP, now a rare collector's item, consisted of extracts of works by the great composers. Each selection had a brief spoken introduction and was intended as a marketing tool for salesmen, to give - as Deutsche Grammophon wrote - "An impression of the breath and quality of our repertoire, a kind of calendar in sound". By reviving the title….we have developed this series to re-create the flavour and the spirit of those times at Deutshce Grammophon. The new 10-CD set of chronologically-ordered orchestral works - from Haydn to Bruckner - features familiar iconic recordings…"

In February 1954, as part of a promotional campaign, DG produced a now legendary 10-inch LP titled Musik … Sprache der Welt (Music - the Universal Language), that presented selections of its then current recordings. That LP, now a rare collector's item, consisted of extracts of works by the great composers.Each selection had a brief spoken introduction and was intended as a marketing tool for salesmen, to give - as Deutsche Grammophon wrote - "An impression of the breath and quality of our repertoire, a kind of calendar in sound". By reviving the title…. they developed this series to re-create the flavour and the spirit of those times. This 10-CD set of chronologically-ordered orchestral works - from Haydn to Bruckner - features familiar iconic recordings.

Great Conductors of the 20th Century is a joint venture between the production and licensing expertise of IMG Artists and the international marketing and distribution clout of EMI. Sixty volumes were planned with hopes for even more. Unfortunately, though, perhaps reflecting our leaner climate for classical projects, the producers now advise that only forty will be issued.

The most prestigious classic collection.
This collection contains 100 numbered CD containing various works of classic authors of the 16th century to the 20th century. It offers an exclusive window on classical music, for addressing styles and eras.

Today’s personality-cult pianists could, if they chose, learn a tremendous amount from these performances. Clara Haskil’s 1960 Paris recordings of Mozart’s two minor-key piano concertos, Nos. 20 (D minor) and 24 (C minor), have patrician nobility with no scene-stealing heroics. Both performances, incidentally, have been widely circulated, appearing most recently in the “Great Pianists of the 20th Century” series. This leaves concertos 9 and 19, and some shrewdly judged Scarlatti sonatas still out in the cold, but somehow I doubt that this reissue will signal any wider rehabilitation of Haskil’s discographic legacy.

This ten CD boxed set contains the first batch of releases in DG's "Musik…Sprache der Welt" series. Aside from a flimsy paperboard box/container and a booklet featuring an essay on DG's post-WWII recording activities, the packaging is identical to the single disc releases.

Gergiev's is a Rite of Spring with a difference. He stresses the primitive barbarism of Stravinsky's groundbreaking score–the strange wheezings of the winds, the wild yawps of the tubas, and the deep rumblings of the bass drum. It's a Rite that stands out at a time when so many internationalized western orchestras give the piece an overlay of sophisticated polish that can rob it of the shock factor that drove the audience at the Paris premiere to riot. There are also numerous personal touches that can be controversial, such as the pause before the final chord, which may bother some but which work in the context of the interpretation. Gergiev's Rite faces strong competition from recorded versions by Markevitch, Dorati, Monteux, and Stravinsky himself, but it's definitely among the top choices. The Scriabin's less compelling, though still fascinating. Gergiev's approach tends to sound sectional, as the overall line is subordinated to momentary thrills. –Dan Davis