Search - Alban Berg, Arthur Honegger, Leos Janacek :: The Vienna Philharmonic: 20th Century Music, Volume I

The Vienna Philharmonic has long been recognized as the world's standard-bearing orchestra for music of the late Classical and Romantic eras. In this unique three-CD set of previously unreleased live performances, the VPO applies its glorious sound to the masterpieces of the 20th century, from Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" (with Igor Markevitch conducting) and scores of the Second Viennese School (with Zubin Mehta and Karl Böhm) to Honegger's Fifth Symphony (Ansermet), Janácek's Sinfonietta (Kubelík), Franz Schmidt's Second Symphony (Leinsdorf) and Egon Wellesz's rarely heard "Prosperos Beschwörungen" (Haitink). Drawn from the archives of the VPO and Austrian Radio, these recordings ? dating from 1951 to 1985 ? were digitally mastered by Ton Eichinger Studio in Vienna for maximum sonic impact. Housed in an attractive, protective slipcase, the 112-page, hardbound companion book contains iconic images of the composers and rarely seen photos of the conductors in action. The extensive texts include an introduction by Pulitzer Prize?winner Tim Page, a scene-setting note by producer Gottfried Kraus, an essay by renowned critic/author Paul Griffiths ("The Vienna Philharmonic in the 20th Century: Tradition in the Present Tense") and detailed artist biographies from "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians." All the texts appear in English, French and German.