Great collaborations and iconic soloists Superb partnerships are celebrated in commemorative sets this month
He was one of 20th century music’s most formidable characters and in George Szell – The Warner Recordings, 1934-70 (Warner Classics 9029526718) we’re treated to some 36 years of material. The 14-disc set takes in the conductor’s entire back catalogue of recordings for HMV and the few years prior to the start of his celebrated tenure with the Cleveland Orchestra. Naturally that orchestra features, alongside the LSO, LPO, Vienna and Czech Philharmonics. Though Szell is the title attraction, the list of guest artists is eye-opening – from Pablo Casals and Emil Gilels to Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-dieskau.
Fischer-dieskau also makes an appearance in Murray Perahia plays Brahms and Schubert (Sony Classical 19439788352). The pair’s Winterreise is one of many gems featured on this eight-disc collection celebrating the master pianist. Late solo piano works make up the bulk of the selection, with further guests in the shape of Georg Solti partnering for Haydn variatons, and the Amadeus Quartet in Brahms’s Piano Quartet.
Another great name is celebrated in Ida Haendel – The Decca Legacy (Eloquence 484 1688). The violinist, who passed away in July, was a shining star in her early years and remained much-loved as a great musical communicator. Her early recordings for the label loom large in this six-disc set, including first appearances on CD of her Tchaikovsky, Saint-saëns, Dvoˇrák and Mendelssohn concertos. Bonus delights include a previously unreleased 1997 recording of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending with the LPO and Roger Norrington, plus a live recording from the 1982 Huberman Festival.
As we move out of ‘Beethoven Year’, there are still plenty of notable releases, including Beethoven – The Complete Sonatas for Violin/ Cello and Piano (HM HMX2908873.78). The sixdisc set features recordings made by Isabelle Faust (violin), Jean-guihen Queyras (cello) and Alexander Melnikov (piano) for the label between 2008 and 2013. Alongside all of the composer’s duo works for those instruments, the musicians band together for excellent recordings of Piano Trios Nos 6 and 7.