BBC LEGENDS - Volume II
ICA CLASSIS 5141 (20 disks)
BUY NOW FROM ARKIVMUSIC

Some time ago this site mentioned an important multi-disk set from ICA Classies, BBC Legends, that contains many major live performances from the BBC (REVIEW). Now we have a second volume, of equal interest. Here is a brief listing of contents:.

CD 1 - DAVID OISTRAKH - Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 / (Philharmonia Orchestra / Gennady Rozhdestvensky)
CD 2 - SIR THOMAS BEECHAM - Sibelius Symphony No. 2. Dvorak: Symphony No. 8 (BBC Symphony / Royal Philharmonic)
CD 3 - SVIATOSLAV RICHTER - Haydn, Prokofiev
CD 4 - ARTUR RUBINSTEIN - Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 2. Mozart: Concerto No. 23. Music of Brahms, Schubert, Chopin and Villa-Lobos.
CD 5 - CLAUDIO ARRAU - Beethoven Sonata No. 12, Schumann Fantasy in C. Schoenberg Three Pieces.
CD 6 - ARTURO TOSCANINI - CHERUBINI: Anacreon Overture. MOZART: Symphony No. 36. BEETHOVEN Sympiony No. 7 (BBC Symphony Orchestra)
CD 7 - DAME MYRA HESS - SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto. Bach / Mozart (BBC Sympiony Orchestra . Sir Malcolm Sargent)
CD 8 - ANDRES SEGOVIA - Galilei, De Visée, Bach, Schubert, Tansman, Villa-Lobos, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Granados
CD 9 - CARLO MARIA GIULINI - BRAHMS Symphny No. 1. Verdi, Mussorgsky.
CD 10 - KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD - Grieg. Wagner. (BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Malcolm Sargent)
CD 11 - GEZA ANDA - Beethoven Sonata No. 7. Schumann Symphonic Etudes. Brahms Paganini Variations
CD 12 - IGOR STRAVINSKY - Agon, Symphny in Three Movements.
CD 13 - BORODIN QUARTET - Borodin Quartet No. 2. Shostakovich Quartet No. 8. Ravel Quartet.
CD 14 - BENJAMIN BRITTEN - Mahler Symphony No. 4. Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 4 (Joan Caryle, sop. London Symphony Orchestra / English Chamber Orchestra).
CD 15 - VICTORIA DE LOS ANGELES - Scarlatti, Handel, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Stravinsky, Ravlle, Duparc, Halffter, Berlioz, others (Gerald Moore, piano. BBC Symphony Orchestra/Rudolf Schwartz)
CD 16 - YEHUDI MENUHIN / BENJAMIN BRITTEN - Haydn, Schubert, Debussy sonatas
CD 17 - EDUARD VAN BEINUM - Beethoven Symphonies 2 and 7 (Philharmonia Orchestra)
CD 18 - PIERRE MONTEUX - Ravel Le Tambeau de Couperin. Brahms Symphony No. 3. Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms. Falla Three-Cornered Hat Dance (BBC Symphony Orchestra / London Symphony Orchest ra).
CD 19 - SIR WILLIAM WALTON - Symphony No. 1 . Cello Concerto. (Pierrre Fournier, cello. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
CD 20 - WALTER GIESEKING - Debussy Suite Bergamasque. RAVEL: Sonatine. SCHUMANN: Kreisleriana).

Treasures abound here, and audio, sometimes in stereo, is of highest quality except in the Flagstad concert where there are some pitch problems. Some of these important performances have been previously issued; now here they are as part of a collection at a most reasonable budget price. Also included are interviews and memories of Kirsten Flagstad and Carlo Maria Giulini. Don't miss this one!

R.E.B. (February 2018)