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.’ (!)<\/p>\n
Then there were some symphonies: Brahms 1 with the Berlin Phil and Böhm, Mendelssohn’s Scottish<\/i> (and ‘Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage’) with the LPO and Haitink, and a personal favourite, Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique<\/i> 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>.<\/p>\n A must-have recording for any collection is the Du Pré\/ Barbirolli account of Elgar’s Cello concerto; the Sea Pictures<\/i> 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<\/i> with Ferras and the Berlin Phil again, this time with Karajan. Finally a Supraphon of the Glagolitic Mass<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 … Continue reading