Sviatoslav Richter was one of the greatest interpreters of the 20th century. Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier' Sonata was one of the main features of Richter's programming in the summer of 1975 in Prague London and Aldeburgh. This is the first time that this London recital has been issued commercially on CD in an authorized version and it is remastered here in excellent stereo.

BEETHOVEN: String Quintets (Complete)

Niklas Sivelov plays the Sonatas opus 2 by L. van Beethoven on a Graf Hammerklavier.

First volume of Beethoven's String Quartets survey by Narratio Quartet: the Six Quartets opus 18. Narratio Quartet plays on period instruments. But not only. They assume a radical position towards the performance practice. We experience a brand new listening thanks to the retrieval of long-time neglected attitudes: a more flexible concept of tempo, a restrained and cautious use of vibrato, the portamento as the main expressive tool. ?Two more boxes will follow: Middle String Quartets at the end of this year and Late String Quartets on Spring 2025

Whenever Gustav Mahler spoke of Beethoven, he did so with an air of reverence: "Among poets and composers of more recent times we can, perhaps, name but three: Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Wagner." And yet, Mahler the conductor considered Beethoven's scores primarily a challenge; material that needed adapting and adopting to the orchestras and concert halls of his time. Richard Wagner had already prepared Beethoven's scores and written about it in great detail. The balance of sound of the classical orchestra was off, and a return to previous states was out of the question, given the increased size of the concert halls. People knew of their existence, but it was not until 1927 that Erwin Stein, the composer, pianist, and music journalist active in Schoenberg's circles, was able to report that all of Mahler's conductor's scores, replete with his "Retuschen" (retouchings), had in fact survived.

SOMM Recordings is thrilled to announce Pierre Monteux Live, a two-CD set comprised entirely of first releases including never-before-issued performances led by the renowned conductor. Among these is a legendary 50th Anniversary performance of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring with the composer in attendance, given a half-century to the day after Monteux himself conducted the storied Paris world premiere! This recording captures an extraordinary moment of historical continuity: between 1913 and 1963 five decades elapsed in the evolution of 20th-century music, in the taste and understanding of the public and in the lives of both creator and pioneering interpreter. The concert was broadcast live on the BBC from the Royal Albert Hall and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra who referred to Monteux affectionately as their "Ma�tre". Both the devoted playing and the emotional audience acclaim are preserved in vividly present sound. This set also commemorates the revered conductor - on the 60th anniversary of his death and ahead of the 150th anniversary of his birth - with moving testimony from LSO musicians involved in the landmark Stravinsky concert. These interviews were recorded between 1992 and 1995 by this set's producer, Jon Tolansky, co-founder of Music Preserved and the author of documentary features on�composers and performers. Monteux is also heard speaking on tape here, in a�1955 interview and a 1959 rehearsal of the LSO in Dvorak's Seventh Symphony, providing a window onto the man's intellect, work ethic and rapport with fellow musicians. Rounding out this set are still more never-before-issued recordings of Monteux conducting the BBC Northern Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in music by Haydn, Weber and Beethoven, as well as works by Ravel, who, like Stravinsky, was a composer Monteux knew personally. To the highly discriminating players of the RPO of 1960, Monteux was a favourite guest conductor. As�with The�Rite of Spring, he represented a direct link to the origins of Daphnis and Chloe, another Ballets Russes production that Monteux led in it's world premiere. The�RPO's Principal Clarinet, Jack Brymer, remembered "this wonderfully energetic and meticulous little man" who "even in his eighties... had the touch of elegance, the humour, the exquisite good taste" and "could produce a sudden sforzato second to none by a tiny stab of his baton." The recordings of the performances in this album, all made privately off-air from various sources, have been fastidiously polished by Restoration Engineer Paul�Baily. His restoration of the recent Sir Adrian Boult Conducts (ARIADNE 5024-2) was honoured with the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Records Critics' Award) in the Historical Recordings�category.

The Austrian pianist and performance artist Friedrich Gulda (1930-2000) was highly acclaimed worldwide for his Beethoven interpretations. Here are two of his best early live recordings, in new digital restorations, along with some never-before-released Bagatelles from the family archive. Notes (in German and English) by Friedhelm Flamme, Gulda's biographer.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Freden (Leine) might only be a small dot on the map but the Internationale Fredener Musiktage have become an essential part of the German music festival landscape. Over the years the scenic Leine valley has turned into a sort of summer residence, where every individual artists's musical whims can draw on new strength and ispiration far from the metropolitan hustle and bustle. So it is not surprising that more and more top national and international musicians play in the Camerata Freden and join again each year to produce an exquisite festival ensemble.

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Fedoseyev/Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra.

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This double-disc collection features a complete concert which was given in the Musikverein in Vienna on January 17 1954, as well as the Third Symphony taken from a concert given on February 17, 1962. Hans Knappersbusch conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in this recording. He was known for his minimalistic rehearsals, and kept his repertoire small, conducting only his very favorite tunes, many of which were Beethoven. Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 4, his Seventh Symphony, and his Third Symphony are all included on this release.

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