George Szell was born in Hungary. He grew up in Vienna, where he studied composition with Eusebius Mandyczewski and piano with Richard Robert. • He also studied piano in Prague with J.B. Foerster. Already as a child he played the piano and composed with passion. Already at the age of 17, he led the Berliner Philharmoniker with a program that included one of his own compositions. • As a conductor he held important positions from the first conductor of the Berlin State Opera to the General Music Director of the „Deutsche Oper“ and the „Philharmonie in Prague“. • He also conducted the „Scottish Orchestra in Glasgow“ while maintaining a firm collaboration with „Residentie Orkest in The Hague“. • He finally conducted the Metropolitan Opera during the Second World War. In 1946 - after Szell finally became an American citizen, he became Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra. He conducted the Cleveland Orchestra for over than 20 years. • During the last two years of his life, he also worked as a music consultant and guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic.
This box includes recordings with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam.
Works:
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Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
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Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
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Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
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Brahms: Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90
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Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88
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Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World'
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Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
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Haydn: Symphony No. 88 in G major
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Haydn: Symphony No. 97 in C major
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Haydn: Symphony No. 104 in D major 'London'
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Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream - incidental music, Op. 61
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Mozart: Divertimento in D major, K131
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Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K491
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Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K503
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Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major, K537 'Coronation'
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Mozart: Symphony No. 33 in B flat major, K319
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Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 1 in B flat major K207
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Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, K211
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Schubert: Die Zauberharfe (The Magic Harp), D 644 - Overture
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Schubert: Rosamunde, D797: Ballet Music No. 2
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Schubert: Rosamunde, D797: Entr'acte No. 1
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Schubert: Rosamunde, D797: Entr'acte No. 3
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Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
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Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38 'Spring'
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Schumann: Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61
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Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
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Weber: Konzertstück in F minor, Op. 79 for piano & orchestra