This week we visit Vienna’s historic Redoutensaal for one of Erich Kleiber’s finest achievements on record — his 1955 stereo Le Nozze di Figaro with the Vienna Philharmonic and State Opera Chorus. It was the first truly complete Figaro on LP, preserving the recitatives and unfolding with an unhurried grace that The Gramophone hailed as “beautifully acted, leisured and graceful.” Decca’s early stereo sound brings the listener right into the room, every ensemble clear and alive with natural warmth.

Kleiber’s cast is a dream team of mid-century Mozartians: Cesare Siepi’s virile and intelligent Figaro, Alfred Poell’s commanding Count, Lisa Della Casa’s radiant Countess, Hilde Gueden’s sparkling Susanna, and Suzanne Danco’s pure, poised Cherubino. With its luminous balance of wit, beauty and humanity, this remains one of the most enduring Figaros on record — a model of clarity and proportion from a conductor who believed, in his own words, that Mozart’s music must always let “the light shine through.”

We also mark the 65th anniversary of the death of Dmitri Mitropoulos with a 15% discount on all his recordings at Pristine.

This week, Pristine brings together for the first time the complete acoustic recordings of Sir Thomas Beecham — a fascinating portrait of the young maestro before the microphone era. Made between 1910 and 1918, these rare discs capture Beecham in the early blaze of his career, leading his own orchestra and shaping the sound of British music long before Toscanini, Boult or Stokowski ever entered a studio. Sixteen of these performances were never remade, and none appear in Warner’s forthcoming “Mono Era” box.

From the sparkling Die Fledermaus Overture to Beecham’s only Firebird recording — also the earliest Stravinsky on record — this is a treasure trove of musical history brought vividly back to life. Expertly restored by Mark Obert-Thorn, these performances reveal the energy, imagination and wit that made Beecham a legend. Hear where it all began — over a century later, they still leap from the grooves with unmistakable vitality.

We also celebrate Johann Strauss's 200th birthday with a 10% discount on all our recordings of the Waltz King.

This week at Pristine we continue our celebration of Shostakovich’s legacy, fifty years after his death, with two electrifying 1952 recordings by Dimitri Mitropoulos and the New York Philharmonic. Zino Francescatti brings effortless brilliance to Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, his luminous tone and poetic phrasing perfectly complemented by Mitropoulos’s alert, colourful accompaniment. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, born amid danger and political repression yet acclaimed as a triumphant act of survival, receives a performance of striking power, intensity and conviction.

Both sessions, captured at Columbia’s legendary 30th Street Studio, show Mitropoulos and his orchestra at their incandescent best. Newly restored in glorious Ambient Stereo XR sound, these performances leap vividly back to life — thrilling documents of artistry, courage and sheer musical brilliance.

We also celebrate Chopin with a 10% discount on all our recordings of his music this week.