im Moto

2013 marked the 100th anniversary of recording between the Berliner Philharmoniker and Deutsche Grammophon, two giants in music. DG celebrated by releasing a hugely successful limited edition 50 CD Centenary Edition, with content chosen by public vote. New for 2014 is a more bite-size box 8 CDs honouring the same iconic relationship between label and orchestra, at a fantastic price. The featured maestros at the helm of the orchestra include Karajan, Abbado, Rattle, Böhm, Giulini, Kubelik and Furtwängler.

13 September 2019 marks the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann, one of the most important musicians of the 19th century: a virtuoso pianist and composer, more and more of whose works are now being recorded. The pieces on this album, which has been intelligently compiled by pianist Yaara Tal, tell their own story of the friendships and impossible loves which gravitated around the Schumanns.

The likelihood is that Bruno Walter designed his transcriptions of Mahler’s First and Second Symphonies for public performance. Dynamics, phrasings and accents have been dropped in with forensic clarity, a concentration of detail unnecessary had the purpose merely been to demonstrate the broad outlines of Mahler’s works to potential interested parties. These transcriptions were meant to spread the word, reaching out to audiences during a time when performances of Mahler symphonies were still rare events.

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.