Leopold Stokowski: Complete Decca Recordings - Phase 4 Stereo | Decca 4832504

Leopold Stokowski: Complete Decca Recordings - Phase 4 Stereo

Label: Decca

Cat No: 4832504

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 23

Genre: Orchestral

Release Date: 12th January 2018

Contents

Artists

New Symphony Orchestra of London
London Symphony Orchestra
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Hilversum Radio Philharmonia Orchestra
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor

Leopold Stokowski

Artists

New Symphony Orchestra of London
London Symphony Orchestra
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Hilversum Radio Philharmonia Orchestra
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor

Leopold Stokowski

About

Leopold Stokowski’s complete Decca/Phase 4 recordings presented together for the first time marking the 40th anniversary of his passing.

Includes the album ‘Inspiration’, recorded by Decca for RCA.

All recordings presented with original artwork and programming.

New essay by Stokowski life-long admirer and Stokowski expert Jon Tolansky.

Includes bonus audio documentary with excerpts from rare recordings, rehearsals, recollections from collaborators and a private interview with the maestro.

Especially effective at projecting the unique Phase 4 experience were the recordings made by legendary conductor, Leopold Stokowski. It was the perfect musical marriage; at the same time, Phase 4 perfectly captured to the full the maestro’s unique imagination. “More tone! More tone!” was a favourite admonition of the Maestro to his orchestras – though what he did to obtain that ‘Stokowski Sound’ was only in part quantifiable: his brilliance as an orchestrator; strong and broad vibrato and free bowing from the strings; free breathing for the brass and woodwind; knife-edged precision of attack; and absolute perfection of ensemble. The rest was down to a telepathic communication of something less tangible that was surely down to the power of mesmerism.

A relentless innovator, Stokowski experimented with orchestral seating, famously lining up the string basses across the rear of the stage and, in an early instance, massing all the violins on the left side of the orchestra and the cellos on the right. One of the first modern conductors to give up the use of the baton, Stokowski employed graceful, almost hypnotic, hand gestures to work his magic. In his pursuit of that “spontaneous, impulsive expression” he had a fundamentally different musical outlook to his contempories (and even sometimes his own musicians). Although, regardless of whether or not they agreed with his interpretations they greatly admired his results; he commanded one of the largest audience followings in conducting history, and his influence as a popularizer of classical music was worldwide.

Contents:

CD 1 Inspiration
Beethoven: Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur ('Die Himmel rühmen des Ewigen Ehre'), op.48 no.4
trad.: Deep River
Handel: Ombra mai fu (from Serse)
Humperdinck: Abendsegen 'Abends will ich schlafen gehn' (Hänsel und Gretel)
JS Bach: Cantata BWV 147 'Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben': Jesu, bleibet meine Freude
Rachmaninov: Vocalise, op.34 no.14
trad.: Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Wagner: Begluckt darf nun dich 'Pilgrims' Chorus' (from Tannhäuser)
JS Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze, from Cantata BWV 208
Tchaikovsky: Lord’s Prayer (from Nine Sacred Pieces for mixed chorus)
Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (Orphée et Euridice): Dance of the Blessed Spirits
- Norman Luboff Choir, New Symphony Orchestra of London
    Leopold Stokowski

CD 2
Rimsky Korsakov: Scheherazade, op.35
- London Symphony Orchestra

CD 3
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Debussy: Préludes, Book 1: no.10 La cathédrale engloutie
- New Philharmonia Orchestra

CD 4 Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake, op.20 Suite
Sleeping Beauty, Suite, op.66a
- New Philharmonia Orchestra

CD 5
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
- Hugh Bean (violin), New Philharmonia Orchestra
    
CD 6 Wagner
Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried: Waldweben (Forest Murmurs)
Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla
Götterdämmerung: Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Death & Funeral March
- London Symphony Orchestra

CD 7
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 in E minor, op.64
- New Philharmonia Orchestra

CD 8
Handel: Messiah (highlights)
- London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra

CD 9
Mussorgsky: A Night on the Bare Mountain
Tchaikovsky: Marche slave, op.31
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite
- London Symphony Orchestra

CD 10
Beethoven: Symphony No.9 in D minor, op.125 'Choral'
- London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra

CD 11
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, op.14
- New Philharmonia Orchestra

CD 12
Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet - Fantasy Overture
Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov - A Symphonic Synthesis (arr. Stokowski)
- L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

CD 13
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, op.49
Borodin: Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances
Stravinsky: Pastorale
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

CD 14
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C minor, op.67
Schubert: Symphony No.8 in B minor, D759 'Unfinished'
- London Philharmonic Orchestra

CD 15
Debussy: La Mer
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No.2
Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust, op.24: Ballet des Sylphes
Ives: Orchestral Set No.2
Messiaen: L'Ascension (Quatre meditations pour l'orchestre)
- London Symphony Orchestra

CD 16
Ravel: Fanfare from L'Eventail de Jeanne
Franck: Symphony in D minor
- Hilversum Radio Philharmonia Orchestra

CD 17
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Overture
Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A minor, op.82
- Silvia Marcovici (violin), London Symphony Orchestra

CD 18
Brahms: Symphony No.1 in C minor, op.68
Tchaikovsky: Marche slave, op.31
Chopin: Mazurka No.13 in A minor, op.17 no.4 (arr. Stokowski)
Schubert: Moments Musicaux, D780: No.3 in F minor (arr. Stokowski)
Byrd: Pavana "The Earle of Salisbury"  (arr. Stokowski)
Tchaikovsky: Chant sans paroles, op.40 no.6 (arr. Stokowski)
Clarke: Trumpet Voluntary 'Prince of Denmark's March' (arr. Stokowski)
Duparc: Extase (arr. Stokowski)
Rachmaninov: Prelude op.3 no.2 in C sharp minor (arr. Stokowski)
- London Symphony Orchestra

CD 19
Elgar: Enigma Variations, op.36
- Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

CD 20 JS Bach arr. Stokowski
Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
Prelude in E flat minor, BWV 853
Mein Jesu! was fuer Seelenweh, BWV 487
Chorale Prelude BWV 680 'Wir glauben all an einen Gott' ('Giant Fugue')
Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn from Cantata BWV 4
Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 582
- Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

CD 21
Scriabin: Symphony No.4 - 'Le Poème de l'extase', op.54
- Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Rimsky Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol, op.34
Dvorak: Slavonic Dance No.2 in E minor, op.46 no.2
- New Philharmonia Orchestra
    Leopold Stokowski

CD 22
Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A major, op.92
Beethoven: Egmont Overture, op.84
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

CD 23
Documentary, incl. rehearsal excerpts and interview

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

Error on this page? Let us know here

Need more information on this product? Click here