MUSIC

‘Petrushka’ is a story of a Russian traditional puppet made of straw and with a bag of sawdust as his body, but who comes to life and develops emotions. Here we have Stravinsky conducting his own music. The most superior recording of ‘Petrushka’ is recorded in 1960 by Stravinsky himself with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. The second part of this album is ‘Octet For Wind Instruments’, a chamber-music composition by Igor Stravinsky, completed in 1923. The octet is scored for an unusual combination of woodwind and brass instruments: flute, clarinet in B and A, two bassoons, trumpet in C, trumpet in A, tenor trombone, and bass trombone. It was recorded in 1962, New York City.

…Italian Serenade In G Major/Hollywood S.Q. + K.Reher
1-LP Holland
Classical
‘String Quartet In C Major/Italian Serenade In G Major’ performed by Hollywood String Quartet with Kurt Reher on cello, recorded on 26 December 1953, Hollywood.

High Quality
‘Don Giovanni’ comes from the autumn of 1959. Otto Klemperer was slated to conduct this recording (and Sir Thomas Beecham had been strongly considered), but three days into the sessions, he fell ill. Producer Walter Legge lost no time in securing Carlo Maria Giulini. Giulini was an excellent choice. He was a “singer’s conductor,” and he was sensitive to both the score’s drama and its comedy. It’s a middle-of-the-road interpretation in the best way: neither excessively serious nor too frothy, and it is always stylish.