Stokowski’s The Russians brings together the NBC Symphony Orchestra in live and broadcast recordings made in New York in 1941-43. Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges is represented by three excerpts, alongside Shostakovich’s Sixth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s The Storm and The Tempest. This is a programme with much to offer beyond familiar orchestral showpieces: the Sixth’s long opening Largo and two fast movements present a particularly unusual symphonic journey, while the Tchaikovsky performances preserve repertoire Stokowski never recorded commercially. Together, these works offer an opportunity to explore the conductor’s Russian interests through performances from his comparatively brief NBC tenure.
The collection also places Stokowski’s work as an arranger beside his advocacy of contemporary music. His Symphonic Synthesis from Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov brings operatic drama into the concert orchestra, while his own orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition offers an alternative to the familiar Ravel version. Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky adds mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel and the Westminster Choir to the NBC forces in the American première of 7 March 1943. Its origins in Eisenstein’s film and its wartime performance give this account particular historical interest. Across two full discs, the collection provides ample scope to compare Stokowski’s treatment of symphony, dramatic adaptation and choral writing within one programme.
We celebrate Verdi's 213th birthday with 10% off all his music at Pristine. The anniversary falls on 10 October 2026, and offers a welcome reason to explore a catalogue that encompasses complete operas, vocal recitals, orchestral excerpts and the Requiem. From the concentrated confrontations of his operatic writing to the interplay of soloists and chorus, Verdi gives performers unusually rich opportunities to combine musical line with dramatic character. Pristine’s collection brings together different generations of singers and conductors, making it rewarding territory for discovering an unfamiliar interpretation as well as returning to a favourite work.