Product Description PRESENTATION & PACKAGINGChampagne style box - lift off lid, with luxury gold-wrap outer box;Black and gold CD wallets, with recordings arranged chronologically by composer, starting with Haydn and ending with Khachaturian and Kodály); 200pp softcover perfect-bound book, approx. 200mm x 110mm, landscape orientation. FIVE essays are provided, each of approx. 1500 words, respectively by Dr. Silvia Kargl of the Wiener Philharmoniker Historisches Archiv, by long-term Decca producers Christopher Raeburn, Erik Smith and John Culshaw, and by Paul Moseley/Raymond McGill of Decca;All note content in English, German and Japanese.The book presents the majority of the original album sleeves, as well as photographic images, contracts and even letters, all of which together offer a comprehensive overview of the Decca-WP relationship across several decades.Designed and art directed by UMGIs Matt Read, whose work for Decca includes the remarkable Solti / Ring Deluxe Edition of 2012 and the Britten Complete Works of 2013, among many others. Conductors including: Abbado, Bernstein, Boskovsky, Boult, Bohm, Chailly, Dohnányi, Dorati, Haitink, Karajan, Kertesz, Kondrashin, Khachaturian, Kleiber, Knappertsbusch, Krauss, Krips, Kubelik, Maazel, Mehta, Monteux , Münchinger, Reiner, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Schuricht, Stein, Solti, Szell, WalterPianists: Gulda, Backhaus, Curzon, Ashkenazy, Schiff THE PROPOSITION64 CDs of orchestral and concerto recordings, starting 64 years ago, handsomely presented and imaginatively curated. A document of a label-orchestra relationship, of famous venues and of the art of classical recording. Few labels can claim to be so associated with a city as inextricably as Decca is with Vienna. No history of classical recordings would be complete without a chapter documenting how both Decca and the WP worked to perfect the art of recording in the citys great concert halls, most notably in the famous Sofiensaal. Classic Recordings:Bruno WALTER Mahler Das Lied von der Erde (1952)Erich KLEIBER - Beethoven Eroica Symphony (1959)Pierre MONTEUX Haydn Recordings (1960)Herbert von KARAJAN - Beethoven, Holst and Richard Strauss RecordingsKarl BÖHM - Bruckner Symphony No. 3 (1970) & Symphony No. 4 (1974), Four Last Songs (Lisa Della Casa, 1953)Sir Georg SOLTI - Verdi Requiem (1968)Zubin MEHTA - Mahler Symphony No. 2 (1975) Sir Charles MACKERRAS and Richard CHAILLY - Janácek RecordingsClemens KRAUSS Richard Strauss RecordingsGeorge SZELL - Beethoven Egmont (1970)Willi BOSKOVSKY Johann Strauss / New Year s Concert (1979) Includes THREE complete symphonic cycles:BEETHOVEN Monteux, Kleiber, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Solti, AbbadoBRAHMS Mehta, Schuricht, Böhm, KerteszBRUCKNER Mehta, Abbado, Solti, Stein, Maazel, Böhm (this is WPs only complete Bruckner cycle, recorded 1965-1974) 5 Perspectives producers, archivists and record executives from Vienna and London. Dr. Silvia Kargl (WP Archivist) documents the orchestras unparalleled tradition. Three essays by the three great Decca producers Christopher Raeburn, Erik Smith and John Culshaw add the perspective of engineers, producers and executives, while Raymond McGill (Catalogue Consultant) and Paul Moseley (MD Decca Classics) tell it from today s viewpoint.A document of a tradition. As long-term Decca producer Christopher Raeburn summarises: There is a definite tradition in Viennese playing and interpretation as exemplified by the Vienna Philharmonic, and the collaboration with DECCA has done much to preserve this quality. Review To my ear, in the right conditions and with the right conductor, it is the best orchestra in the world... --John Culshaw, Decca ProducerThe glory of this version stems from the quality of the playing, its refinement in every department, the glow of tone encouraged by the acoustic of the Sofiensaal, Decca's regular venue in Vienna, and the flexible, lyrical style which comes naturally to Viennese performers. --Gramophone (original review) on Mahler Symphony No. 2 (MehtaThe VPO plays with towering commitment and the recording further helps to convey the sense of the music's vaulted splendour. --Gramophone on Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (BöhmThe glory of this version stems from the quality of the playing, its refinement in every department, the glow of tone encouraged by the acoustic of the Sofiensaal, Decca's regular venue in Vienna, and the flexible, lyrical style which comes naturally to Viennese performers. --Gramophone (original review) on Mahler Symphony No. 2 (MehtaThe VPO plays with towering commitment and the recording further helps to convey the sense of the music's vaulted splendour. --Gramophone on Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (BöhmThe glory of this version stems from the quality of the playing, its refinement in every department, the glow of tone encouraged by the acoustic of the Sofiensaal, Decca's regular venue in Vienna, and the flexible, lyrical style which comes naturally to Viennese performers. --Gramophone (original review) on Mahler Symphony No. 2 (MehtaThe VPO plays with towering commitment and the recording further helps to convey the sense of the music's vaulted splendour. --Gramophone on Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (BöhmThe glory of this version stems from the quality of the playing, its refinement in every department, the glow of tone encouraged by the acoustic of the Sofiensaal, Decca's regular venue in Vienna, and the flexible, lyrical style which comes naturally to Viennese performers. --Gramophone (original review) on Mahler Symphony No. 2 (MehtaThe VPO plays with towering commitment and the recording further helps to convey the sense of the music's vaulted splendour. --Gramophone on Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (Böhm
P**B
Opened it to find a most beautiful presentation box
Just received the purchase this afternoon. Opened it to find a most beautiful presentation box! The contents of this box is truly extraordinary. The conductors listed are indeed the finest in the recording history of this great orchestra. The individual cardboard paper sleeves are dark with gold lettering. The book is gorgeous as well. A very sophisticated box on every level. This is very nostalgic, as I grew up listening to the conductors included in this collection. A world renown orchestra as well! Listening to cd #61 which contains Janacek. A marvelous recording. Treat yourself to this beautiful testament of great artistry that is the VIENNA PHILHARMONIC, I have several box sets but none have moved me the way this box does.
K**R
Great Classical Collection
I am still working my way through this collection and thoroughly enjoy it. The sonics are fine and the performances so far wonderful. Years ago when CDs first came out the high prices limited most collections. Now one can easily afford the best music the world has ever created. With pop given over to low quality streaming we can keep the wonders of inexpensive great classic music out own secret.Compared to most low cost collections the packaging is a cut above.
C**N
WOW!
WOW! Great to have these recordings, however would have liked other recordings included. Beggars can't be choosers I suppose
T**E
Five Stars
This is a real treasure trove of magnificent recordings!
R**L
Great collection.
You get a lot for your money with this wonderful CD collection.
P**T
One of the great music collection.
Good set. I recommend every classic music lovers
A**A
good!
oh! good!
F**V
The symphonies were excellent -- performance-wise and sound-wise
I agree with the previously posted review of this magnificent box set. I've been progressing through the discs in no particular order, though I did start out with disc number 1, which presented three Haydn symphonies, two of my favorites -- the "Surprise" and the "Clock" -- conducted by Pierre Monteux, a French conductor not known for Haydn interpretations. The symphonies were excellent -- performance-wise and sound-wise. It proved an inviting start through the journey that is this stellar box set. (By the way, the third Haydn symphony on disc 1 is the "London" conducted by Karajan in March, 1959, a time when that conductor was not known for the oddities that plague his later digital era recordings.)Highlights abound through this set. Notable are the two Mahler "Das Lied von der Erde" recordings, both essential, one by Bruno Walter and the other by Leonard Bernstein. I've long cherished both on LP and now it's good to have them on CD.There are also complete symphony sets of Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruckner by notable conductors as Monteux, E Klieber, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Solti, and Abbado in the Beethoven; Mehta, Schuricht, Böhm, and Kertész in the Brahms; and Abbado, Böhm, Maazel, Solti, Mehta, and Horst Stein in the Bruckner.The music ranges from the classical period with generous samplings of Haydn, Mozart, and Cherubini, through the Romantic period -- Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Wagner, Mahler, into the twentieth century with works from Sibelius, R Strauss, Holst, Schoenberg, Berg, Bartok, Boris Blacher, and Korngold.As well, for those who enjoy it, there is quite a generous dose of "light Viennese classics" from the likes of Eduard Strauss, Johann Strauss I and II, Joseph Strauss, and Nicolai.And so much more.Most remarkable, though, is that every recording I've sampled -- and thus far that has included some two dozen of the discs -- proved wonderful. (The pizzicato string movement of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony under Maazel was stunning!) You can't really go wrong with this eclectic set, whether you're new to classical music and are looking for a good sampler collection, or whether you're an old hand at this and want to fill gaps in an already well established collection -- someone like me. Everyone is sure to find much to revel about in this set of Wiener Philharmoniker discs. (I'm looking forward to hearing Mehta's reading of Franz Schmidt's Symphony No. 4 and Gottfried von Einem's "Philadelphia Symphony", both on CD 39.) Did I mention that all five of Beethoven's Piano Concerti are included, too? Featuring Ashkenazy, Gulda, and Curzon! And Dvorak's Ninth is represented in two recordings, one by Kertész, the other by Kondrashin.And the 109 page booklet accompanying the set and providing information on the recordings and artists and cover art and recording process is a real plus to the collection. About my only complaint is that the booklet fits so well into its special pocket in the box shell that I have just a bit of trouble extracting it. But the content makes any struggle well worth the trouble.So, what are you waiting for? If you enjoy classical music and want to hear it from the instruments of some of the best musicians who ever gathered to make a band -- the Wiener Philharmoniker -- and what a band it is! -- you gotta get this.Me? I think I'll listen next to Mackerras's reading of Janáček's "Taras Bulba". Or maybe Solti's go at Elgar's "Enigma Variations". Or ... Did I mention that the biggest problem you'll have with this set is deciding what to listen to next?
