The Wooden Prince and The Miraculous Mandarin are – together with the earlier opera Bluebeard’s Castle – the only stage works by Béla Bartók. They stand apart from the more abstract and often more explicitly folk-related character of the music that we primarily associate with the composer. They are nevertheless major achievements that in different ways highlight Bartók’s imaginative use of the modern orchestra. Set in an enchanted forest, The Wooden Prince is based on a fairytale-like libretto featuring a prince and princess.

Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 2013, Sakari Oramo has a special affinity with the music of his compatriot the Finnish composer Sibelius, which this recording admirably demonstrates.

In terms of genre, Allan Pettersson was uniquely single-minded: during his entire career as a composer (1953–80) he produced only a dozen or so works that were not symphonies. By name, Violin Concerto No. 2 is one of these, but it is fair to say that it straddles the divide. Pettersson himself remarked: ‘In reality my work was a Symphony for violin and orchestra. From this results the fact that the solo violin is incorporated into the orchestra like any other instrument.’ It should therefore not come as a surprise that Christian Lindberg has chosen to include this massive 53-minute work in his acclaimed and award-winning series of Pettersson’s symphonies, realised in collaboration with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra.

„Ravel's magnificent "choreographic symphony" was the musical preserve of two great French conductors, Pierre Monteux and Charles Munch. Munch recorded the work twice for RCA, and this is the earlier of his two versions. Neither is better than the other. To the composer's customary brilliance of sound, Munch added an almost physical urgency and impact. Listening to this colorful performance, you can really hear stuff happening from one moment to the next. The actual plot is irrelevant to your enjoyment. What stays with you is a sense of movement, of thrills and chills on the way to a gloriously happy ending.“ (David Hurwitz)

“Technically flawless, Kozhukhin combines wisely the brilliance and power of his playing with a masterful sense of form, maturity, and a very unique sensitivity.”

Der 1895 geborene Münchener Carl Orff gehört zu den faszinierendsten Erscheinungen des Musikschaffens im 20. Jahrhundert. Große Bekanntheit erlangte er durch seine „Carmina Burana“, einem Werk von fulminanter Ausstrahlungskraft. Neben diesem Werk vereint das Triptychon „Trionfi“ noch „Catulli Carmina“ und „Trionfo di Afrodite“, die in dieser Edition ebenfalls unter Herbert Kegels musikalischer Leitung zu erleben sind.

The British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham was renowned for his interpretations of French repertoire. This Carmen was recorded in France with a Spanish singer – Victoria de los Angeles – as Bizet’s gypsy; she exudes both charm and seduction.

Buddy DeFranco is generally credited with leading the way for jazz clarinetists from the exciting era of swing to the exhilarating age of bop. Along the way he has set the example for all jazz musicians for technical brilliance. Improvisational virtuosity and creative warmth. He is one of the most imaginative clarinetists playing today.