This new release brings together all but one of van Kempen’s recordings of Scandinavian works (he also recorded Grieg’s Symphonic Dances) and includes one particular rarity: his Sibelius Seventh Symphony. Clocking in at a little over 16 minutes, it remains one of the fastest – and most exciting – accounts of the work ever committed to disc.

Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suites were recorded with van Kempen’s own Dresden Philharmonic, with whom he made many memorable recordings for Grammophon/Polydor from the late 1930s through the early ‘40s.

The Sibelius Fifth was one of three recordings van Kempen made with the Concertgebouw Orchestra at a time when Grammophon was spotlighting guest conductors, including Karajan and van Beinum, appearing with Mengelberg’s ensemble for the first time on disc.

"Vladimir Horowitz gave his final piano recital of the season at Carnegie Hall last night. The full house and large stage audience heard his performances of Beethoven's Thirty-two Variations; Schubert’s G major Impromptu, Op. 90; Mussorgsky's “Pictures at an Exhibition”; Chopin’s F minor Ballade No. 4; “Serenade à la poupée” and “Etude pour huit doigts” by Debussy; Liszt's Funérailles and two Rachmaninoff Preludes." - NY Times, 3 April 1948

This superbly-preserved concert recording was made specially for Horowitz's own private collection by the Carnegie Hall Recording Company. Never previously released, it captures the pianist in his prime in superb sound quality, giving a 90-minute recital before a rapt audience.

In addition to the music noted by the Times, Horowitz played a number of encores, including Scarlatti, Mozart, more Chopin and - completely bringing the house down - his own stunning arrangement of Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever. Not to be missed!

This broadcast of Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier marked both a new arrival and a return that would prove to be a farewell. Georg Solti had burst onto the international musical scene the year before with his recording of Wagner’s Das Rheingold for Decca. Der Rosenkavalier was an auspicious choice for his Covent Garden opera debut since he had worked with Richard Strauss while in Munich after the war. Critics were impressed, praising ‘a rich orchestral performance that was full of dramatic élan’ as well as his ‘fluent, transparent, refined and rhythmically strong’ conducting. 

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, singing the Marschallin, was returning to Covent Garden after an absence of six years. Schwarzkopf became an international superstar based in Vienna during the 1950s and appeared in numerous recordings for EMI, including a well-received Der Rosenkavalier under Herbert von Karajan. Schwarzkopf became the greatest Marschallin of her day, combining a truly beautiful voice with the required pathos and attention to detail.

This previously unreleased live broadcast finds her with several years of experience already in the role, and preserves her wonderful ability to shape her voice to give added meaning to the text.