Andre Cluytens - R. Strauss & Wagner & Smetana - Japan 2 SACD Hybrid Digipak

Credits:

Andre Cluytens

Description:

This 2-CD set brings together a rare special-edition recording by Klyuchants with the Vienna Philharmonic, along with two other valuable albums—including works by Wagner, a composer he excelled at—for a total of three albums! For this release, the recordings have been newly remastered from the original analog master tapes in his home country This 2-disc set brings together a classic album titled “An Invitation to the Symphony,” featuring highlights from famous symphonies and other works, along with two original albums—each containing two tracks—from R. Strauss and *My Homeland*, both recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1958. It also includes a collection of Wagner overtures and preludes—a genre in which he excelled— (recorded in 1959 with the Paris Opera Orchestra)—all of which are being released on SACD for the first time. “Invitation to the Symphony” is a particularly rare recording, as it is the only work other than Beethoven’s that Klyutants ever recorded (apart from the sessions with the Vienna Philharmonic for EMI, the only other recording is “Humperdinck: Hänsel and Gretel,” which has already been reissued as part of this series). The high-quality restoration has brought back the elegant sound of that era. For this release, the master was digitized at 192 kHz/24-bit from the original analog master tapes in Germany, and the SACD and CD layers were mastered separately. Includes new liner notes. This is a collection worthy of permanent preservation. The renowned Belgian conductor André Cluytens (March 26, 1905 – June 3, 1967) was born into a family of conductors dating back to his grandfather’s generation. Thanks to the rigorous training he received from his father, his exceptional conducting skills, and his innate musicality, he steadily built a successful career in Europe. He appeared as a guest conductor with two of the world’s premier orchestras: he served as a guest conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic from 1952 to 1966 and with the Vienna Philharmonic from 1955 to 1958. It is particularly noteworthy that he accompanied Karl Schuricht on the Vienna Philharmonic’s first North American tour in 1956, conducting 19 performances. The recordings of “An Invitation to the Symphony,” made December 9–18, 1958, Smetana’s two works recorded on December 1 of that same year, and Richard Strauss’s two works recorded on January 14, 16, and 17 of that year—all stem from the excellent relationship between the two conductors. “An Invitation to the Symphony” is a unique, original album featuring recordings of eight movements selected from famous symphonies. Such projects date back to the pre-war SP record era, and even during the monaural LP era, the Boston Pops Orchestra, conducted by Fiedler, made recordings of this program. The “Invitation to the Symphony” released by EMI UK in 1958 as an early stereo LP (catalog number: ASD304) was produced based on these precedents. However, the performance was not pop-oriented but rather serious and authentic. The fact that they enlisted Klyuchants, who was at the peak of his popularity and artistry, and the Vienna Philharmonic—the world’s finest orchestra—demonstrates the novelty of this project and the producers’ ambition. In Japan, it was released as a stereo LP (catalog number: ASC5020) in February 1961. (1/3)