Philips Stereo

This 50-CD collection of analogue albums aims to represent the heyday of Philips’ passion for great natural sound – the Stereo Years. There was a firm belief within the label’s team that recording technique was there to serve the music - the Musicians had their own views about how any given piece should be interpreted and how it should sound; the recording team’s job was to grasp that vision and make it a reality. This recording philosophy, combined with great artistry and visionary repertoire policy, created a special chapter in the history of classical music recordings that still inspires artists, sound engineers and collectors alike.

This 50-CD collection of analogue albums aims to represent the heyday of Philips’ passion for great natural sound – the Stereo Years. There was a firm belief within the label’s team that recording technique was there to serve the music - the Musicians had their own views about how any given piece should be interpreted and how it should sound; the recording team’s job was to grasp that vision and make it a reality. This recording philosophy, combined with great artistry and visionary repertoire policy, created a special chapter in the history of classical music recordings that still inspires artists, sound engineers and collectors alike.

The amazing thing isn't that violinist Arthur Grumiaux was such a splendid technician, although his technique was as flawless as Heifetz's. Nor is the amazing thing that Grumiaux was such a distinctive stylist, although one could always tell his performances by the cool intensity of his tone and the passionate restraint of his interpretations.

Richard Wagner - Der Ring Des Nibelungen
Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele / Karl Böhm
14xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 3,84 GB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Philips # 446 057-2 | Country/Year: Germany 1967, 2006
Genre: Classical | Style: Opera, Romantic

"Musikalisch dichte, klanglich prächtig ausbalancierte und das Primat der Sänger wahrende Aufnahme, deren Schönheit aus der Gesamtwirkung resultiert…Im Gesamteindruck setzt diese Aufnahme große Wagner-Tradition mit großer Bestimmtheit und Überzeugungskraft fort." ~Hermes Opernlexikon

Richard Wagner - Der Ring Des Nibelungen
Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele / Karl Böhm
14xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 3,84 GB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Philips # 446 057-2 | Country/Year: Germany 1967, 2006
Genre: Classical | Style: Opera, Romantic

"Musikalisch dichte, klanglich prächtig ausbalancierte und das Primat der Sänger wahrende Aufnahme, deren Schönheit aus der Gesamtwirkung resultiert…Im Gesamteindruck setzt diese Aufnahme große Wagner-Tradition mit großer Bestimmtheit und Überzeugungskraft fort." ~Hermes Opernlexikon

With the return of these stereo recordings by David Oistrakh and Lev Oborin (made in Paris in 1962), many collectors will find an automatic first choice. This new Philips set presents these accounts in fine digital transfers and has the benefit of having all 10 sonatas placed sequentially across four CDs. The performances are exceptionally fine, sometimes not as dramatic as Schneiderhan's (DG), it's true, but always intensely musical and natural… What you'll find here is a duo that devotes minute attentiveness to every passing detail, along the way conveying a powerful feeling of joyfulness and discovery. This is essential listening, and not just for violin devotees: this set belongs in everyone's collection!

Michael Jameson, ClassicsToday.com

Joseph Haydn the composer of symphonies, string quartets, piano trios, piano sonatas, and a plethora of other instrumental works was also Joseph Haydn the composer, director, and producer of operas. His employer, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, greatly enjoyed opera, and for nearly 20 years Haydn's full-time job was running the theater at Esterháza, the Prince's pleasure palace in Hungary. In the first decade, Haydn wrote 10 operas for his company, the most successful of which ran for 20 performances. In tone, they range from the comic to the semi-serious to the wholly serious, and in quality, they range between the operas of Gluck and Mozart.