Historical
Recordings over 50 years old.
A huge catalogue featuring many of the greatest artists of the 20th Century.
Made up of the following series:
Great Cellists - Great Conductors - Great Opera Recordings
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Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
RecommendedVladimir Horowitz (piano)
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
Awards:
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Penguin Guide, Rosette
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Building a Library, November 2022, Also Recommended - Tchaikovsky
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Great Violinists - Kaufmann
RecommendedLouis Kaufman (violin), Peter Rybar (violin)
Winterthur Symphony Orchestra, Clemens Dahinden
this is avowedly old-school Vivaldi; indeed, the oldest on disc. Recorded in 1947, this is the first-ever recording of The Four Seasons; Louis Kaufman is worlds away from Alessandrini's account... —
Awards:
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Penguin Guide, Rosette
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A 1950s benchmark and a record that forever altered the way we hear Bach's Goldberg Variations, Glenn Gould's 1955 CBS recording, elegant and exuberant, a fast-lane excursion that occasionally... —
Awards:
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Presto Recording of the Week, 26th March 2007
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Special offer. Bellini: I Puritani
RecommendedMaria Callas, Aurora Cattelani, Carlo Forti, Angelo Mercuriali, Rolando Panerai, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, Giuseppe di Stefano
Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan, Tullio Serafin
Awards:
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Building a Library, January 2005, Budget Choice
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Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky
Recommended1940 & 1946 Recordings
Philharmonic-Symphony of New York, Igor Stravinsky
Invaluable new transfers of Stravinsky on top form as a conductor. This electrifying performance is the finest of his Rite of Spring recordings, and the 1945 Firebird Suite is gripping. —
Awards:
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Building a Library, March 2013, First Choice
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The LSO plays out of its skin for the composer; Falstaff is brilliantly characterised, the Symphony has serious intensity. Fair sound for the vintage, with some harshness in the Symphony. —
Awards:
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Presto Recording of the Week, 16th February 2009
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Building a Library, October 2016, Historic Choice
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Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto Nos. 1 & 4 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
RecommendedSergey Rachmaninov (piano)
Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, Leopold Stokowski
Awards:
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Building a Library, January 2003, Historic Choice
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Rachmaninov: The Edison Recordings, April 1919
Pianists - Solo Piano Recordings, Vol. 4
Sergey Rachmaninov (piano)
These archival gems are a must listen. Sergei Rachmaninov’s brilliance cuts through the constant crackle on these fledgling Edison recordings; the background fizz becomes a comfort rather than... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, July 2017, Editor's Choice
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Verdi: Rigoletto
RecommendedRobert Merrill (Rigoletto), Roberta Peters (Gilda), Jussi Björling (Il Duca), Anna Maria Rota (Maddalena), Giorgio Tozzi (Sparafucile)
Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Jonel Perlea
[On the original release in 1956] under Perlea, the orchestral playing is firm and dramatic, well balanced with the voice. The music is well paced. Björling’s tone is a constant pleasure. He... —
Awards:
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Presto Favourites, Recommended Recording
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Schumann: Piano Quintet & Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 2
RecommendedClifford Curzon (piano)
Budapest String Quartet
Awards:
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Building a Library, April 2008, Budget Choice
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