This collection represents some of the greatest performances taken from the BBC archives which were featured in the best-selling series BBC Legends, launched in 1998.

The Legends series is no longer available, making this set of 20 CDs highly sought after by collectors. This important set is being offered at a reduction of around 70% of the original selling price – a bargain complete with luxurious presentation box and full track listing, recording information etc. Highlights include: Toscanini’s incandescent Beethoven in London in 1938; Horenstein’s pioneering Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ in stereo from 1959; the legendary Mravinsky conducting Shostakovich’s greatest symphony in 1960 in stereo with the Leningrad Philharmonic in London; Richter’s early recitals from 1961 and electrifying Liszt concertos; Rostropovich performing the European premiere of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No.1 in 1961; Dennis Brain, arguably the greatest horn player of the 20th century; Emil Gilels, the celebrated Russian pianist in London in 1957; Dame Janet Baker, one of Britain’s most revered singers performing Schubert; David Oistrakh, the doyen of violinists playing the Brahms and Tchaikovsky concertos from 1960 and 1961; Rubinstein, the composer’s greatest interpreter playing Chopin accompanied by Giulini in 1961; Beecham conducting his favourite ‘lollipops’; Kempff, that poet of the piano playing Schubert in 1972; the legendary Michelangeli in 1961 performing Beethoven and Chopin sonatas; and Rozhdestvensky conducting the European premiere of Shostakovich’s Symphony No.4 in 1960 in stereo.

The majority of the recordings have won important magazine awards and nominations in worldwide publications, such as Fanfare Magazine (US), Fono Forum (Germany), Record Geijutsu (Japan), Diapason & Monde de la Musique (France), Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice (Richter, Kempff, Brain) and the Gramophone Historic Award Winner 2005 (Annie Fischer) in the UK.

Artists

Joyce Barker (Magna Peccatrix), Beryl Hatt (Mater Gloriosa), Agnes Giebel (Una Poenitentium), Kerstin Meyer (Mulier Samaritana), Helen Watts (Maria Aegyptiaca), Kenneth Neate (Doctor Marianus), Alfred Orda (Pater Ecstaticus), Arnold van Mill (Pater Profundus), Emil Gilels (piano), Zinka Milanov (soprano), Kerstin Thorborg (contralto), Koloman von Pataky (tenor), Nicola Moscona (bass), Sviatoslav Richter (piano), Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Leonid Kogan (violin), Dennis Brain (horn), Wilfrid Parry (piano), Cyril Preedy (piano), Max Salpeter (violin), Galina Vishnevskaya (soprano), Janet Baker (mezzo), Graham Johnson (piano), Martin Isepp (piano), Geoffrey Parsons (piano), Clifford Curzon (piano), David Oistrakh (violin), Arthur Rubinstein (piano), Wilhelm Kempff (piano), Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano), Annie Fischer (piano)

London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Chorus, BBC Choral Society, Hampstead Choral Society, Emanuel School Boys' Choir, Orptington Junior Singers, Goldsmith's Choral Union, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Dennis Brain Wind Ensemble, English String Quartet, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jascha Horenstein, Evgeny Mravinsky, Arturo Toscanini, Kyrill Kondrashin, Carlo Maria Giulini, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Benjamin Britten, Igor Markevitch, Norman del Mar, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pierre Monteux, Sir Thomas Beecham