George Szell - The Complete Columbia Album Collection - Box Set 106CDs

Label : Sony
Format : Ape
Cover : Yes

Coinciding with the orchestra's centenary in 2018, Sony Classical is excited to announce one of the most ambitious reissue projects of recent times, a comprehensive collection of the Clevelanders recordings made under the baton of their iconic fourth music director. These span the period between 1947 a year after Szell (born in Budapest in 1897) inherited a fine provincial orchestra from Erich Leinsdorf and began transforming it into the elite ensemble it remains to this day and 1969, a year before his sudden death shocked the musical world. Szell's dream was to create an ensemble that combined the Americans purity and beauty of sound and their virtuosity of execution with the European sense of tradition, warmth of expression and sense of style, in the words of his biographer Michael Charry. That he fulfilled that dream is amply documented in the huge discography that fills Sony s new mega-box of 106 CDs, recordings that are prized for their stylistic rightness, clarity of structure, rhythmic tension, and transparency of texture (The New Yorker). Contained in this vast box are rare mono recordings, some of which have never before appeared on CD. There are also the recordings Szell made in the early 1950s as guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic, including the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto with Vladimir Horowitz. There are the pianist George Szell’s outstanding chamber music recordings, including Mozart with the Budapest Quartet. There are also substantial interviews with the maestro. But the main attraction of this stupendous new set is the prospect of having all the Szell-Cleveland repertoire under a single roof for the first time and in optimal sound with 92 recordings remastered from the original analogue tapes using 24 bit / 192 kHz technology.

· The first ever collection of George Szell’s Complete Recordings for Columbia Masterworks on 106 CDs

· Symphonies, overtures and other orchestral works, concertos and chamber music, recorded from 1946 to 1969

· 92 recordings remastered from the original analogue tapes using 24 bit / 192 kHz technology

· An all-embracing survey of George Szell’s recorded achievements with The Cleveland Orchestra, spanning some 23 years of recording

· Includes collaborations with Robert Casadesus, Rudolf Firkušný, Leon Fleisher, Gary Graffman, Vladimir Horowitz, Rudolf Serkin, Zino Francescatti, Isaac Stern, Joseph Szigeti, Pierre Fournier, Leonard Rose and Judith Raskin, and recordings with the New York Philharmonic and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra

· Hard-cover illustrated coffee table book with an essay by Jürgen Kesting, photos from the Cleveland Orchestra archives, full discographical notes and work index

· Facsimile LP sleeves and labels

CD 1:

Dvořák-Szell - Slavonic Dance no.1 in C major, op.46 no.1

Dvořák-Szell - Slavonic Dance no.3 in A flat major, op.46 no.3

Dvořák-Szell - Slavonic Dance no.8 in G minor, op.46 no.8

Dvořák-Szell - Slavonic Dance no.10 in E minor, op.72 no.2

Dvořák-Szell - Slavonic Dance no.15 in C major, op.72 no.7

Smetana (orch. Szell) - String Quartet no.1, JB1:105 "From My Life"

CD 2:

Beethoven - Symphony no.4 in B flat major, op.60

Schumann - Symphony no.4 in D minor, op.120

CD 3:

Mozart - Symphony no.39 in E flat major, K543 (1947 mono version)

Haydn - Symphony no.92 in G major "Oxford"

CD 4:

Haydn - Symphony no.4 in A major, op.90 "Italian"

Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber

R Strauss - Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, op.28

CD 5:

Dvořák - Symphony no.9, op.95 "From the New World"

CD 6:

Liszt - Piano Concerto no.2 in A major, S125 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Weber - Konzertstück in F minor, op.79 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 7:

Schumann - Symphony no.2 in C major, op.61

CD 8:

Brahms - Piano Concerto no.1 in D minor, op.15 (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

CD 9:

Bach-Szigeti - Violin Concerto in G minor, BWV1056 (transcr. Joseph Szigeti) (Joseph Szigeti, violin)

Handel - Violin Sonata in D major, HWV371 (Joseph Szigeti, violin; Carlo Bussotti, piano)

Tartini - Violin Concerto in D minor, D45 (cadenzas: Szigeti) (Joseph Szigeti, violin)

Tartini - Violin Sonata in G major, B.G19 (Joseph Szigeti, violin; Carlo Bussotti, piano)

Bach - Violin Concerto no.2 in E major, BWV1042 (Zino Francescatti, violin)

CD 10:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.24 in C minor, K491 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.26 in D major, K537 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 11:

Dvořák-Kurz-Firkušný - Piano Concerto, op.33 (Rudolf Firkušný, piano)

Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme, op.33 (Leonard Rose, cello)

CD 12:

Beethoven - Symphony no.5 in C minor, op.67

Schubert - Symphony no.8 in B minor "Unfinished", D759

CD 13:

Haydn - Symphony no.88 in G major, Hob.I:88

Haydn - Symphony no.104 in D major, Hob.I:104

CD 14:

Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, op.46

Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, op.72

CD 15:

Mozart - Symphony no.40 in G minor, K550 (1955 mono version)

Mozart - Symphony no.41 in C major, K. 551 "Jupiter" (1955 Mono Version) (1955 Mono Version)

CD 16:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.10 in E flat major, K365/316a (cadenza: R. Casadesus) (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.12 in A major, K414/385p (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 17:

Wagner - Die Walküre, Act III: The Ride of the Valkyries

Wagner - Die Walküre, Act III: Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music

Wagner - Siegfried, Act II: Forest Murmurs

Wagner - Götterdämmerung, Prologue: Siegfried's Rhine Journey

Wagner - Götterdämmerung, Act III: Siegfried's Funeral March and Final Scene

CD 18:

Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op.43 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

Franck - Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra, FWV46 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

Delius - Prelude to "Irmelin"

CD 19:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.17 in G major, K453 (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.25 in C major, K503 (cadenza: R. Casadesus) (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

CD 20:

Brahms - Symphony no.1 in C minor, op.68 (1957 stereo)

CD 21:

Beethoven - Symphony no.3 in E flat major, op.55 "Eroica"

CD 22:

Schubert - Symphony no.9 in C major, D944 "The Great"

CD 23:

R Strauss - Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, op.28

R Strauss - Don Juan, op.20

R Strauss - Death and Transfiguration, op.24

CD 24:

Haydn - Symphony no.97 in C major, Hob.I:97

Haydn - Symphony no.99 in E flat major, Hob.I:99

CD 25:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.20 in D minor, K466 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.18 in B flat major, K456 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 26:

Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien, op.45

Borodin - Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor)

Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio Espagnol, op.34

Mussorgsky - Khovanshchina: Dawn on the Moskva River

CD 27:

Brahms - Piano Concerto no.1 in D minor, op.15 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

CD 28:

J Strauss II - Die Fledermaus Overture, op.362

Auber - Overture to Fra Diavolo

Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro, K492: Overture

Smetana - Overture to The Bartered Bride

Rossini - La gazza ladra: Overture

Berlioz - Roman Carnival Overture, op.9

Mozart - The Impresario Overture, K486

CD 29:

Dvořák - Symphony no.8 in G major, op.88

CD 30:

Walton - Partita for Orchestra

Mahler - Symphony no.10

CD 31:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto no.4, op.58 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.25 in C major, K503 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

CD 32:

Dvořák - Symphony no.9 in E minor, op.95 "From the New World"

CD 33:

Tchaikovsky - Symphony no.5 in E minor, op.64

CD 34:

Beethoven - Symphony no.7 in A major, op.92

CD 35:

Prokofiev - Symphony no.5 in B flat major, op.100

CD 36:

Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor, op.16 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

Schumann - Piano Concerto in A minor, op.54 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

CD 37:

Dvořák - Symphony no.7 in D minor, op.70

CD 38:

Mozart - Symphony no.35 in D major, K385 "Haffner"

Mozart - Symphony no.39 in E flat major, K543

Mozart - Symphony no.40 in G minor, K550

CD 39:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.22 in E flat major, K482 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.23 in A major, K488 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 40:

Schumann - Symphony no.1 in B flat major, op.38 "Spring"

Schumann - Manfred Overture, op.115

Schumann - Symphony no.2 in C major, op.61

CD 41:

Schumann - Symphony no.3 in E flat major, op.97 "Rhenish"

Schumann - Symphony no.4 in D minor, op.120

CD 42:

R Strauss - Don Quixote, op.35 (Pierre Fournier, cello)

CD 43:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto no.1 in C major, op.15 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

CD 44:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto no.2 in B flat major, op.19 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

Beethoven - Piano Concerto no.3 in C minor, op.37 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

CD 45:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto no.5, op.73 "Emperor" (Leon Fleisher, piano)

CD 46:

Beethoven - Symphony no.9 in D minor, op.125 "Choral"

CD 47:

Beethoven - Symphony no.8 in F major, op.93

CD 48:

Stravinsky - Firebird Ballet Suite

Walton - Symphony no.2

CD 49:

Schubert - Symphony no.8 in B minor "Unfinished", D759

Haydn - Symphony no.92 in G major "Oxford"

CD 50:

Mozart - Clarinet Concerto in A major, K622 (Robert Marcellus, clarinet)

R Strauss - Horn Concerto no.1, op.11 (Myrom Bloom, horn)

CD 51:

Wagner - Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Love Death

Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act I

Wagner - Tannhäuser: Overture

CD 52:

Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, op.64 (Zino Francescatti, violin)

Bruch - Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor, op.26 (Zino Francescatti, violin with NYP/Schippers)

CD 53:

Beethoven - Symphony no.6 in F major, op.68 "Pastoral"

CD 54:

Brahms - Piano Concerto no.2 in B flat major, op.83 (Leon Fleisher, piano)

CD 55:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.26 in D major, K537 "Coronation" (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.27 in B flat major, K595 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 56:

Bartók - Piano Concerto no.1, Sz.83 (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

Prokofiev - Piano Concerto no.4 in B flat major, op.53 (Rudolf Serkin, piano with Philadelphia O./Ormandy)

CD 57:

J. Strauss II - The Blue Danube Waltz, op.314

J. Strauss II - Pizzicato Polka in C major

Josef Strauss - Delirien Waltz, op.212

J. Strauss II - Voices of Spring, op.410

Josef Strauss - Austrian Village Swallows, op.164

J. Strauss II - Perpetuum Mobile, op.257

CD 58:

Mendelssohn - Symphony no.4 in A major, op.90 "Italian"

Mendelssohn - The Hebrides Overture, op.26 (Fingal's Cave)

Weber - Oberon, J306: Overture

CD 59:

Debussy - La Mer, L109

Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé Suite no.2, M57b

Ravel - Pavane pour une infante défunte, M19

CD 60:

Beethoven - Symphony no.4 in B flat major, op.60

Beethoven - Leonore Overture no.3, op.72b

CD 61:

Smetana - Má Vlast, JB1:112: II. Vltava

Smetana - The Bartered Bride, JB1:100

Dvořák - Carnival Overture, op.92

Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, op.46: nos. 1 & 3

Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, op.72: nos. 2 & 7

CD 62:

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition

Liadov - The Enchanted Lake, op.62

CD 63:

Mozart - Symphony no.33 in B flat major, K319

Mozart - Divertimento no.2 in D major, K131

Mozart - Symphony no.28 in C major, K200 (189k)

CD 64:

Mozart - Violin Concerto no.1 in B flat major, K207 (Isaac Stern, violin)

Mozart - Violin Concerto no.5 in A major, K219 "Turkish" (Isaac Stern, violin)

Mozart - Violin Concerto no.3 in G major, K216 (Isaac Stern, violin)

CD 65:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.19 in F major, K459 (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.20 in D minor, K466 (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

CD 66:

Mozart - Sinfonia concertante in E flat major, K364/320d (Rafael Druian, violin; Abraham Skernick, viola)

Mozart - Exsultate jubilate, K165 (158a) (Judith Raskin, soprano)

CD 67:

Beethoven - Symphony no.5 in C minor, op.67

Mozart - Symphony no.41 in C major, K551 "Jupiter"

CD 68:

R Strauss - Sinfonia Domestica, op.53

CD 69:

Barber - Piano Concerto, op.38 (John Browning, piano)

Schuman - A Song of Orpheus: Fantasy for Cello and Orchestra (Leonard Rose, cello)

CD 70:

Brahms - Symphony no.3 in F major, op.90

Brahms - Variations on a Theme of Haydn in B flat major, op.56a

CD 71:

Beethoven - Symphony no.1 in C major, op.21

Beethoven - Symphony no.2 in D major, op.36

CD 72:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.21 in C major, K467 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.24 in C minor, K491 (cadenza: R. Casadesus) (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 73:

Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, op.46

Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, op.72

CD 74:

Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra, Sz.116

Janáček - Sinfonietta

CD 75:

Mahler - Symphony no.4 in G major (Judith Raskin, soprano)

CD 76:

Bizet - L'Arlésienne Suite no.1

Bizet - L'Arlésienne Suite no.2: IV. Farnadole

Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite no.1, op.46

Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite no.2, op.55: IV. Solveig's Song

CD 77:

Bruckner - Symphony no.3 in D minor (1889 edition)

CD 78:

Wagner - Der fliegende Holländer: Overture

Wagner - Eine Faust-Ouvertüre, WWV 59

Wagner - Lohengrin: Prelude to Act I

Wagner - Rienzi: Overture

CD 79:

Prokofiev - Piano Concerto no.3 in C major, op.26 (Gary Graffman, piano)

Prokofiev - Piano Concerto no.1 in D flat major, op.10 (Gary Graffman, piano)

Prokofiev - Piano Sonata no.3 in A minor, op.28 "From Old Notebooks" (Gary Graffman, piano)

CD 80:

Beethoven - Egmont Overture, op.84

Beethoven - Coriolan Overture, op.62

Beethoven - Overture "King Stephen", op.117

Beethoven - Leonore Overture no.2, op.72a

Beethoven - Leonore Overture no.1, op.138

Beethoven - Fidelio, op.72: Overture

CD 81:

Brahms - Symphony no.1 in C minor, op.68

CD 82:

Brahms - Symphony no.2 in D major, op.73

Brahms - Academic Festival Overture, op.80

Brahms - Tragic Overture, op.81

CD 83:

Brahms - Symphony no.4 in E minor, op.98

CD 84:

Brahms - Piano Concerto no.2, op.83 (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

CD 85:

Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Incidental Music, op.61

Schubert - Rosamunde, D797

CD 86:

Rossini - Il viaggio a Reims: Overture

Rossini - La scala di seta: Overture

Rossini - L'Italiana in Algeri: Overture

Rossini - Il Turco in Italia: Overture

Rossini - La gazza ladra: Overture

CD 87:

Brahms - Piano Concerto no.1 in D minor, op.15 (Rudolf Serkin, piano)

CD 88:

Haydn - Symphony no.93 in D major, Hob.I:93

Haydn - Symphony no.94 in G Major "Surprise"

CD 89:

Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber

Walton - Variations on a Theme by Hindemith

CD 90:

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.15 in B flat major, K450 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

Mozart - Piano Concerto no.17 in G major, K453 (Robert Casadesus, piano)

CD 91:

Mozart - Serenade no.13 in G major, K525 "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"

Mozart - Serenade in D major, K320 "Posthorn" (Bernard Adelstein, posthorn)

CD 92:

Wagner - Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla

Wagner - Die Walküre, Act III: Walkürenritt

Wagner - Die Walküre, Act III: Magic Fire Music

Wagner - Siegfried: Forest Murmurs

Wagner - Götterdämmerung: Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey

Wagner - Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Funeral Music and Final Scene

CD 93:

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto no.1, op.23 (Gary Graffman, piano)

CD 94:

Kodály - Háry János Suite

Prokofiev - Lieutenant Kijé Suite, op.60

CD 95-96:

Bruckner - Symphony no.8 in C minor (1890 edition)

CD 97:

Haydn - Symphony no.95 in C minor, Hob.I:95

Haydn - Symphony no.96 in D major "Miracle"

CD 98:

Haydn - Symphony no.97 in C major, Hob.I:97

Haydn - Symphony no.98 in B flat major, Hob.I:98

CD 99:

Mahler - Symphony no.6 in A minor "Tragic"

CD 100:

Smetana - Má Vlast, JB1:112: II. Vltava

Smetana - Má Vlast, JB1:112: IV. From Bohemian Fields and Groves

Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Incidental Music, op.61

CD 101:

Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act I

Wagner - Rienzi: Overture

Wagner - Tannhäuser: Overture

Wagner - Der fliegende Holländer: Overture

Weber - Der Freischütz, op.77: Overture

Weber - Oberon, J306: Overture

CD 102:

Beethoven - Symphony no.6 in F major, op.68 "Pastoral"

CD 103:

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto no.1 in B flat minor, op.23 (Vladimir Horowitz, piano)

CD 104:

Mozart - Piano Quartet in G minor, K478 (George Szell, piano)

Mozart - Piano Quartet in E flat major, K493 (George Szell, piano)

CD 105:

Mozart - Violin Sonata in F major, K376 (Rafael Druian, violin; George Szell, piano)

Mozart - Violin Sonata in G major, K301/293a (Rafael Druian, violin; George Szell, piano)

Mozart - Violin Sonata in E minor, K304/300c (Rafael Druian, violin; George Szell, piano)

Mozart - Violin Sonata in C major, K296 (Rafael Druian, violin; George Szell, piano)

CD 106:

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

Joy to the World

Pat-a-pan

George Szell talks with Columbia Records producer Paul Myers about Music, Musicians and his Life as Conductor

George Szell Speaks

George Szell in Interview, Winter 1964/65

George Szell in Interview, Summer 1966

George Szell in Interview, Autumn 1966

George Szell in Interview, Spring 1967

Tracklist : George Szell - The Complete Columbia Album Collection