Leopold Stokowski’s eminence as one of the truly great conductors of the 20th century over a career spanning more than six decades is exemplified in this set, which features live performances in stereo of symphonies and other works he conducted in concert during his final years and which, in many cases, he had premiered on record as well. In one of the many outstanding reviews of these live concerts, the distinguished Times critic William Mann wrote of the 1963 ‘Proms’ premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No.2: “A performance which was superb by any standards, meticulously loyal, noble and deeply felt out of long and thoughtful experience”. The set has been newly remastered to reflect Stokowski’s instructions on how he wanted his recordings to sound.
Works:
•Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
• Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
• Falla: El Amor Brujo
• Mahler: Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection'
• Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78
• Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole
• Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
• Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
• Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 8 in D minor
• Scriabin: Le Poème de l’extase, Op. 54
• Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 H. 48
• Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34
• Klemperer: Das Ziel: Merry Waltz
• Deryck Cooke, Leopold Stokowski: Leopold Stokowski in Conversation with Deryck Cooke