This week’s release by violinist Joseph Szigeti is the first of a series which restores to circulation some of the most difficult-to-find recordings by one of the 20th Century’s greatest violinists. These recordings – particularly the ones made in the 1920s and ‘30s – represent Szigeti’s playing at its peak. In general, his later recordings were marked by slower tempi, a noticeably wider vibrato, and the aforementioned intonation issues. These earlier 78s, by contrast, are largely free of such concerns, and also feature much repertoire he never re-recorded.

Our first volume focuses on Baroque and Classical repertoire. Among the works he recorded at his very first session in 1908 had been the Preludio from Bach’s Partita No 3; and Szigeti continued to champion the composer and contemporaries like Handel and Tartini throughout his career. The Bach Double Concerto was recorded with Szigeti’s elder Hungarian compatriot, Carl Flesch, who was esteemed as both a violinist and pedagogue. The Mozart Concerto was the first of three classic disc collaborations with Sir Thomas Beecham.

"Horenstein's account of the Fourth is not naive or simple but probing and searching, an empathetic shaping of accent and expression that goes far beyond the facile view of the work as one of the "easy" Mahler symphonies. His phrasing makes both sense and sensibility where other conductors manage only to stress its beauty, and he can contain the musical tension in such a way that the essential logic of the work is realized as much at the beginning as at the end." - Misha Horenstein, sleevenotes

Our first release of 2021 concludes our four-CD series of Jascha Horenstein's late-1960s performances with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Taken from their very first concert together in January 1968, the disc begins with a lively and enthusiastic Mozart Symphony No. 35 ("Haffner") before a superb Mahler Symphony No. 4, with soprano soloist Jennifer Vyvyan. This is the only live Horenstein Mahler 4 recording, and is a perfect complement to his only studio recording, made nearly 3 years later. Essential listening!

"...As you listen to them, I think you will understand why the Philharmonic snatched him up to succeed Barbirolli. Rodziński whips up tremendous excitement coupled with flexible tempi; and his Cleveland recordings are particularly graced by the precision of ensemble he was able to develop during his decade there, as well as Columbia’s ahead-of-its-time recording onto wide-frequency range lacquer discs. (Just listen to our sample track, the 1812 Overture, and see if it doesn’t sound like a much later recording than 1941!) I found it all a very satisfying experience, and I hope you will, too." - Mark Obert-Thorn, producer

Our final release of 2020 features Artur Rodziński conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra in recordings made from 1939 to 1941. Works include symphonies from Tchaikovsky (4th), Franck and Sibelius (5th) as well as shorter overtures by Tchaikovsky.