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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Conductors of 20th Century= Best Reissues of the 21st, April 2 2003
It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more notice on Amazon and in other places, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances!This particular CD, Volume 18, features the great Carlo Maria Giulini. Unlike many of the conductors featured in this series, Giulini CDs have been readily available, though some of the better ones have drifted out of print over the years. As a result, you would think there wouldn't be any worthwhile unreleased material left. Well, guess again -- the folks at EMI have dusted off some classics from the vault for this reissue. As the track information above is erroneous, allow me to mention that disc one features Rossini's "Tancredi Overture" (Philharmonia Orch, 1964), Beethoven's 7th Symphony (Chicago SO, 1971), a live recording of Ravel's "Ma Mere L'oye" (Bavarian RSO, 1979) and Bizet's "Jeux d'enfants" (Philharmonia, 1956). Disc two is even stronger with a live performance of Beethoven's "Egmont Overture" (RAI Torino SO, 1968), Mahler's orchestration for Schumann's "Rhenish" (Philharmonia, 1958), Stravinsky's 1919 "Firebird" Suite (Philharmonia, 1956), and a live J. Strauss' "Emporer" Waltz (Vienna SO, 1974). Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances previously unreleased on CD (or ever!) doesn't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Chances are, since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor isn't even in your collection. And that would truly be a shame.
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See all 15 tracks on this disc
