From the earliest days of his career, Anthony Collins (1893–1963) earned a reputation as a musician of parts: violist, conductor, arranger and composer. He had led the viola section of the London Symphony Orchestra under Beecham and Mengelberg before swapping bow for baton in the 1930s, and by then had already begun to promote the […]
Five substantial pieces of ‘classic’ Delius are brought together on this remarkable and heartfelt tribute to the English composer (who spent very little of his actual career in England!). These mono recordings with the LSO and Anthony Collins are true legends and for the Eloquence reissue have been remastered for optimum enjoyment. They represent Decca’s […]
The name Anthony Collins (1893-1963) probably doesn’t mean a great deal to the majority of younger collectors but for quite a few serious Sibelius aficionados his 1950s Decca recordings hold cult status. Collins’s readings possess a red-blooded fervour and thrusting energy to which many will rightly respond.
The second volume of Anthony Collins’s Sibelius cycle for Decca, expertly remastered for this reissue, brings the final three symphonies plus all the shorter works of Sibelius from Collins. As a bonus, Thomas Jensen’s Karelia Suite, trim, taut and vivid, brings the set to a blazing finish.
Returning Decca’s pioneering recording of Façade to the catalogue, this generous collection of English music includes further gems from the Decca catalogue of orchestral pieces by Walton and two marches, by Bax and Bliss, respectively, to mark royal occasions in connection with Queen Elizabeth II. The liner notes include one written by Dame Edith Sitwell […]
No composer wrote better for wind instruments than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and it is our good fortune that most of his output in this sphere has survived to delight us. Many of these recordings feature legendary soloists and conductors with the London Symphony Orchestra. The Belgian player Henri Helaerts (1907–2001) was principal of the Orchestre […]
Friedrich Gulda has become something of a cult figure in the music world. This 2CD set presents him in Mozart recordings – both concertos and solo works – largely for Decca, with one item, the Piano Concerto No. 17, recorded for Amadeo. Born in Vienna in 1930, Gulda began formal lessons aged seven with Felix […]
Four of Tchaikovsky’s most popular orchestral works make their appearances here in historic Decca and Philips recordings appearing internationally on CD for the first time. Most travellers to Italy content themselves with writing postcards. Tchaikovsky, on the other hand, wrote a popular symphonic work. His Capriccio italien was inspired by impressions made upon the composer […]
