George Szell: The Warner Recordings 1934-1970 (Warner)
George Szell’s commitment to musical truth made him an intimidating figure – even among the other formidable conductors of the 20 th century. His uncompromising quest for perfection drew performances of exalted quality from soloists and orchestras. In particular, his long tenure as The Cleveland Orchestra’s Music Director from 1946 to his death in 1970 established it firmly as one of the world’s great ensembles. This 14-disc set encompasses Szell’s entire legacy in releases from the label once known as HMV, then as EMI or Angel, and now as Warner. Beside such iconic recordings as Strauss’s Four Last Songs with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, two Brahms concertos with David Oistrakh and Mstislav Rostropovich, and the five Beethoven piano concertos with Emil Gilels, it includes several items making their first appearance on CD. Among these are recordings from the 1930s with the Vienna, Czech and London Philharmonic Orchestras, featuring cellist Pablo Casals and pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch. The set includes a Bonus CD— George Szell: A Memoir—an audio documentary with contributions from WCLV’s Robert Conrad—longtime radio host of The Cleveland Orchestra—featuring rehearsals with Gilels and interviews with Szell and, among others, TCO veterans Emilio Llinás and Joela Jones.