Karajan was a great Tchaikovsky conductor. Although he recorded the last three symphonies many times he did not turn to the first three until the end of the 1970s. There’s no doubt that the reason these early symphonies sound so fresh is because the Berlin orchestra was not over-familiar with them. The Tchaikovsky symphonies were recorded at the Philharmonie between October 1975 and February 1979 and are presented with their Slavonic March and the Capriccio Italien, both recorded in Jesus-Christus-Kirche in October 1966. The six symphonies span the whole of Tchaikovsky’s career as a composer, from 1866 until 1893, the year of his death.

Alba's album Brahms IV Segerstam concludes the series of symphonies by Johannes Brahms and Leif Segerstam. The last album of the four-part series includes Brahms' fourth symphony and the symphony number 295 composed by Segerstam in memory of conductor Ulf Söderblom. In his symphony "ulFSöDErBlom in Memoriam …" Segerstam plays with the name of the conductor, which includes the notes F, S, D, E and B. Brahms' fourth symphony was his last, and according to Segerstam, "the beginning of the symphony can be used to explain how music is born."

"This third [album] in the ALBA-TROSS-series of Brahms-Segerstam juxtapositions is an excellent tidbit of the contents of this unique project with [longbearded rascals] as musical musketeers…. the material has exploded into multiversic infinities…" as Leif Segerstam clearly says about this fabulous third release in the four album series with all four Brahms symphonies and four symphonies from Leif Segerstam’s over 320 symphonies. In this third album is presented Brahms’ third symphony and Leif Segerstam’s symphony no 294, “Songs of a UNICORN heralding…” with Horn obligato played by Tanja Nisonen. Leif Segerstam (b. 1944), conductor, composer, violinist, and pianist, is one of the most versatile musical talents in the Nordic countries.

This new release is the second in a four-release set from Alba which will feature all four of Johannes Brahms’ symphonies and four symphonies chosen from Leif Segerstam’s more than 300 symphonies. For this release, Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 and Segerstam’s Symphony No. 289 have been chosen. Brahms wrote his Symphony No. 2 in D major during a visit to Portschach am Worthersee in the summer of 1877.

This is first cd of four cd series with all four Brahms symphonies and four symphonies from Leif Segerstams´s almost 300 symphonies. Segerstam is one of the most versatile musical talents in the Nordic countries and one of the best conductors in the world. Segerstam has been chief conductor of Turku Philharmonic Orchestra since 2012. In that time Turku Philharmonic orchestra has raised to be one of the top orchestras in Finland.

Sir Colin Davis was instrumental in the development and success of LSO Live, including the label’s first Grammy award. He also played a huge part in the pre-eminence of the LSO across the globe for more than 50 years. A ‘master Sibelian’ his landmark cycle of the complete symphonies on LSO Live has been described as possibly "the finest Sibelius cycle on disc" by The Observer.

These performances are truly great and surprisingly well recorded too. Walter has masterful way to create maximum drama and profundity in the 2nd symphony without making much fuss, letting the music flow naturally and speak for itself. The final apotheosis is very powerful and awe-inspiring without resorting to Bersteinesque exaggeration. The first symphony is equally impressive, beautifully crafted and lavishing in orchestral colour. Definitely a must-buy for anyone after fine performances of the two symphonies.

It would be a sad day if Haydn and Mozart symphonies were only to be heard on period instruments, but with Sir Georg Solti and Sir Colin Davis jointly perpetuating the tradition of Haydn performances which Beecham created in the 78rpm era, with its combination of elegance and warm humanity, we need have no fears on this score.

El Alhambrismo es un movimiento surgido del culto a lo exótico promovido por los viajeros que visitan nuestro país y difunden la imagen de la España romántica. En concreto, el Alhambrismo musical del siglo XIX fue una moda, un tipo de sonoridad que enlaza con la tendencia pintoresquista y con la recuperación de ambientes de la música española de la primera mitad del siglo.

Very late in his career Sándor Végh came together with the world class orchestra renowned for its supremely Viennese interpretations of Mozart: the Vienna Philharmonic. It was not until 1991 that Végh and the orchestra worked together briefly, in the Konzerthaus in Vienna, and this led to a memorable concert during the Mozart Week, on 30 January 1992 in the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg. Two of the “late” Mozart symphonies were played, the Symphony in G minor, K. 550 and the Symphony in E flat major, K. 543. The recording of this legendary interpretation can be heard on the third CD in the edition.

2 CDs mit Leonard Bernsteins herausragenden Interpretationen der Haydn-Sinfonien mit dem New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Als erster US-Amerikaner war Leonard Bernstein von 1958-1969 Musikdirektor des New York Philhamonic Orchestra. In seinem Wirken als Dirigent fand er weltweit große Beachtung mit einem Repertoire, das von der Klassik bis zur Avantgarde reichte.

While still a controversial matter, there seems to be general agreement that Schubert's "Grand Duo" is a symphony that the composer failed to find time to orchestrate (or perhaps a piano reduction of one which he actually did orchestrate). In any case, there isn't a trace of piano style in the music, and in any of its various orchestral arrangements it makes a fully mature Schubert orchestral work. Raymond Leppard's performance is a very fine one, and it's excellently recorded. Along with a jaunty performance of the zippy Third Symphony, this disc makes a very appealing novelty.

The symphonic works featured on this 2CD set all come from a period during the second half of the eighteenth century that has come to be known as the “Age of Enlightenment” when Frederick the Second ruled over Prussia. Alongside acknowledged masterpieces by Mozart and Haydn, the program also includes pieces by Hasse, Graun and C.P.E Bach that are receiving their first ever recording. The music is performed by the rising stars of the Austrian Chamber Group “Modern Times_1800”.

The symphonies date from a more mature period of Darius Milhaud compositional life and confronts the listener with music he or she probably didn't expect if one is familiar with the more bizarre, witty, early music with its many influences by light music, like Le Boeuf sur le Toit and La Creation du Monde. The sixth symphony of Milhaud is definitively his greatest. It contains two slow and two fast movements. The slow movements (2/3rd of the music) are of an astonishing beauty! This music of wide open spaces is full of calmness, austerity, clarity, with beautiful changing harmonies and slowly spiralling melodies. The fast movements make a lively contrast to this.

In 1884, Antonín Dvořák undertook his first concert tour to England. This was to become a highlight of his career to date and brought him international recognition and economic security. It was a time of private and professional bliss. It is interesting to note, however, that the Seventh Symphony by no means reflects a consistently pastoral, idyllic atmosphere. On the contrary, the music often has a dramatic and sombre effect. It is possible that Dvořák was coming to terms with the blows of fate he had suffered: he had lost his mother and three children.