The German conductor Otto Klemperer (1885-1973) was born in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland). He studied at the Frankfurt Conservatory, then at Berlin's Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory, where he took lessons in composition and conducting from Pfitzner, making his debut in Berlin in 1906 with Offenbach's Orphée aux enfers. On Mahler's recommendation he became chorus master then conductor at Prague's German Theatre (1907-10); between 1910 and 1917 he worked at the opera houses of Hamburg, Bremen and Strasbourg; he was musical director at Cologne (1917-24), Wiesbaden (1924-27) and Berlin's Kroll Opera (1927–31), but left Nazi Germany in 1933, eventually settling in the USA, where he became conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1933-39).

As a musician, as a man of ideals, and as a true world citizen, Yehudi Menuhin made an extraordinary mark on his era. The Menuhin Century commemorates the 100th anniversary of his birth on 22 April 1916.

When this album was originally released in 1966, it marked the first time all four of Tchaikovsky suites for orchestra were collected on one package. Antal Doráti directs the New Philharmonia Orchestra on a very generous recording, running over two hours, boasting spectacular sound considering the age of the performances.

Daniel Barenboim, the New Philharmonia Orchestra and Jacqueline du Pre deliver lush interpretations of these cello concertos by Schumann and Saint-Saëns. The musicians display finesse and delicacy. These are the definitive performances, absolutely a must-own.

Albéniz's Suite Española has undeservedly stayed under the radar. Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos' orchestral transcriptions of Albéniz's captivating melodies are colorful but always tasteful. The recording should be an important discovery for listeners interested in classical Spanish music. The sound serves the music just about perfectly. This SACD is sonically electrifying.

In the online discussions about the best recorded versions of the Mozart symphonies there is little reference made to Otto Klemperer, although at one time his EMI recordings of the last several Mozart symphonies were considered the epitome. His various recordings have been available in one form or another ever since his first LPs came out in the late 1950s. These are marvellous performances of the Symphonies No. 38 & 39, deeply considered and played to perfection by the Philarmonia Orchestra. In the last two symphonies power and elegance stand side by side.

This is one of the definitive performance of Mahler’s "Das Lied Von Der Erde". One of the great recordings of the century, the album features the sophisticated insight of renowned conductor Otto Klemperer. The singers are superb and the orchestras are in peak form. Ludwig’s angelic vocals flow effortlessly while Wunderlich delivers powerful and articulate phrasing. With lavish instrumentation, the remastered sound captures every nuance.

Modest Mussorgsky was a man of great friendships and great loyalties. When his friend the Russian painter Victor Hartman died in 1873 of a heart ailment at the age of thirty-nine, Mussorgsky's grief knew no limits.