This batch was largely orchestral music again. It started with an old LP of mine: James Galway ‘The Man with the Golden Flute’ playing assorted pieces which showcase the instrument. One track is a bit notorious: a Moto Perpetuo by Paganini which was allegedly spliced together from several takes with the flautist’s breaths in different places so that he appears not to breathe during it. I quote the sleeve note: ‘the idea of transcribing the work for solo flute would seem an impossibility. To our knowledge this work has never been played on the flute before.’ (!)
Then there were some symphonies: Brahms 1 with the Berlin Phil and Böhm, Mendelssohn’s Scottish (and ‘Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage’) with the LPO and Haitink, and a personal favourite, Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique with the Hallé and James Loughran. This last boasts the most tasteless sleeve of any LP in our collection, worthy of an Athena poster circa 1970. I can’t decently describe it but it is reproduced here.
A must-have recording for any collection is the Du Pré/ Barbirolli account of Elgar’s Cello concerto; the Sea Pictures with Janet Baker on the other side could be left alone as we already have that on CD. Moving eastwards, there’s Tchaikovsky’s Violin concerto and Capriccio italien with Ferras and the Berlin Phil again, this time with Karajan. Finally a Supraphon of the Glagolitic Mass.