Conductor: Sir Colin Davis
Number of Discs: 15
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Decca
Catalogue: 4785601
Release: 2013
Size: 4.7 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 1, BB 91, Sz. 83
01. 1. Allegro moderato – Allegro
02. 2. Andante
03. 3. Allegro molto
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2, BB 101, Sz. 95
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Adagio – Più adagio – Presto
06. III. Allegro molto
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3, BB 127, Sz. 119
07. 1. Allegretto
08. 2. Adagio religioso
09. 3. Allegro vivace
CD 02
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
01. 1. Allegro con brio
02. 2. Andante con moto
03. 3. Allegro
04. 4. Allegro
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”
05. 1. Allegro
06. 2. Adagio un poco mosso
07. 3. Rondo. Allegro
CD 03
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14, H 48
01. I. Rêveries – Passions (Largo) – Allegro agitato e appassionato assai – Religiosamente
02. II. Un bal. Valse (Allegro non troppo)
03. III. Scène aux champs (Adagio)
04. IV. Marche au supplice (Allegretto non troppo)
05. V. Songe d’une nuit de sabbat (Larghetto – Allegro)
06. Mussorgsky: A Night On The Bare Mountain
CD 04
Berlioz: Requiem, Op. 5 (Grande Messe des Morts)
01. 1. Requiem – Kyrie
02. 2. Dies irae – Tuba mirum
03. 3. Quid sum miser
04. 4. Rex tremendae
05. 5. Quaerens me
06. 6. Lacrymosa
07. 7. Domine Jesu Christe
08. 8. Hostias
CD 05
01. 9. Sanctus
02. 10. Agnus Dei
Berlioz: Te Deum, Op. 22
03. Te Deum
04. Tibi omnes
05. Dignare
06. Christe, rex gloriae
07. Te ergo quaesumus
08. Judex crederis
CD 06
Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
01. 1. Allegro maestoso
02. 2. Poco adagio
03. 3. Scherzo (Vivace)
04. 4. Finale (Allegro)
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 “From the New World”
05. 1. Adagio – Allegro molto
06. 2. Largo
07. 3. Scherzo (Molto vivace)
08. 4. Allegro con fuoco
CD 07
Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 “Enigma”
01. Theme (Andante)
02. 1. C.A.E. (L’istesso tempo)
03. 2. H.D.S.-P. (Allegro)
04. 3. R.B.T. (Allegretto)
05. 4. W.M.B. (Allegro di molto)
06. 5. R.P.A. (Moderato)
07. 6. Ysobel (Andantino)
08. 7. Troyte (Presto)
09. 8. W.N. (Allegretto)
10. 9. Nimrod (Adagio)
11. 10. Intermezzo: Dorabella (Allegretto)
12. 11. G.R.S. (Allegro di molto)
13. 12. B.G.N. (Andante)
14. 13. Romanza *** (Moderato)
15. 14. Finale: E.D.U. (Allegro – Presto)
Holst: The Planets, Op. 32
16. I. Mars, the Bringer of War
17. II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
18. III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
19. IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
20. V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
21. VI. Uranus, the Magician
22. VII. Neptune, the Mystic
CD 08
Haydn: Symphony in G, H.I No. 94 – “Surprise”
01. 1. Adagio – Vivace assai
02. 2. Andante
03. 3. Menuet (Allegro molto)
04. 4. Finale (Allegro di molto)
Haydn: Symphony No. 101 in D Major, Hob.I:101 “The Clock”
05. 1. Adagio – Presto
06. 2. Andante
07. 3. Menuet. Allegretto – Trio
08. 4. Finale. Vivace
Haydn: Symphony in D, H.I No. 104 – “London”
09. 1. Adagio – Allegro
10. 2. Andante
11. 3. Menuet (Allegro)
12. 4. Finale (Spiritoso)
CD 09
Reger: Variations And Fugue On A Theme By Mozart, Op. 132
01. Thema: Andante grazioso
02. Var. I. L’istesso tempo
03. Var. II. Poco agitato
04. Var. III. Con moto
05. Var. IV. Vivace
06. Var. V. Quasi presto
07. Var. VI. Sostenuto (quasi adagietto)
08. Var. VII. Andante grazioso
09. Var. VIII. Molto sostenuto
10. Fugue: Allegretto grazioso
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
11. 1. Allegro
12. 2. Turandot (Scherzo)
13. 3. Andantino
14. 4. Marsch
Stravinsky: Symphony in 3 Movements
15. 1. Allegro
16. 2. Andante – Interlude (L’istesso tempo)-
17. 3. Con moto
CD 10
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
01. Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde
02. Der Einsame im Herbst
03. Von der Jugend
04. Von der Schönheit
05. Der Trunkene im Frühling
06. Der Abschied
CD 11
Mozart: Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K.183
01. 1. Allegro con brio
02. 2. Andante
03. 3. Menuetto
04. 4. Allegro
Mozart: Symphony No. 32 in G, K.318 (Overture in G)
05. 1. Allegro – 2. Andante – 3. Tempo I
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-Flat Major, K. 450
06. I. Allegro
07. II. (Andante)
08. III. Allegro
Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.550
09. 1. Molto allegro
10. 2. Andante
11. 3. Menuetto (Allegretto)
12. 4. Finale (Allegro assai)
CD 12
Mozart: Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339
01. 1. Dixit Dominus Domino meo
02. 2. Confitebor tibi, Domine
03. 3. Beatus vir qui timet Dominum
04. 4. Laudate pueri Dominum
05. 5. Laudate Dominum omnes gentes
06. 6. Magnificat anima mea
07. Mozart: Kyrie in D minor, K.341
08. Mozart: Ave verum corpus, K.618
09. Mozart: Exsultate, jubilate, K.165
Mozart: Zaide, K.344 / Act 1
10. “Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben”
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, K.620 / Act 2
11. “Ach, ich fühl’s”
Mozart: Così fan tutte, K.588 / Act 2
12. Ei parte…Senti… – Per pietà, ben mio, perdona
CD 13
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 39
01. 1. Andante, ma non troppo – Allegro energico
02. 2. Andante, ma non troppo lento
03. 3. Scherzo. Allegro
04. 4. Finale. Quasi una fantasia
05. Sibelius: Finlandia, Op. 26
06. Sibelius: Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49
07. Sibelius: Tapiola, Op. 112
CD 14
Tippett: The Knot Garden / Act 1:”Confrontation”
01. “So, If I Dream”
02. “What Is It You Do To Flora?”
03. “You Can Pick Roses”
04. “If You Think We’re Waxworks, You Ought To Play”
05. “Ca – Ca – Caliban”
06. “O, You Stare In Horror”
07. “Do, Do Not, Do Not Torment Me”
Tippett: The Knot Garden / Act 2:”Labyrinth”
08. “Fear! What Do I Fear?”
09. “Flora: Flora, Love; Stop Crying”
10. “I Was Born In a Big Town”
Tippett: The Knot Garden / Act 3:”Charade”
11. “You Must Both Hold With Me”
12. “Ugh-Ugh-Ugh. -Whatever Is That?”
13. “Two Unruly Spirits Born!”
14. “Mel! O Crude, O Obscene”
15. “And What Are You, Mangus?”
16. “I Am No More Afraid”
17. “Goodbye Island: Goodbye Cave”
18. “Enough! Enough!”
CD 15
Stravinsky: The Firebird (L’oiseau de feu) – Ballet (1910)
01. Introduction
02. Kashchei’s enchanted garden
03. Appearance of the Firebird pursued by Ivan Tsarevich
04. Dance of the Firebird
05. Ivan Tsarevich captures the Firebird
06. Supplication of the Firebird
07. Game of the Princesses with the golden apples
08. Sudden appearance of Ivan Tsarevich
09. Round dance of the Princesses
10. Daybreak
11. Magic carillon, appearance of Kashchei’s guardian monsters and capture of Ivan Tsarevich
12. Dance of Kashchei’s retinue under the spell of the Firebird
13. Infernal dance of all Kashchei’s subject’s
14. Lullaby of the Firebird
15. Collapse of Kashchei’s palace and dissolution of all enchantments – Reanimation of the petrified prisoners – General rejoicing
Stravinsky: Orpheus – Ballet in 3 Scenes
16. 1st scene
17. 2nd scene
18. 3rd scene
Originally planned as an 85th birthday tribute, this set documents over 3 decades of exceptional artistry by the Sir Colin Davis, one of the musical pillars of the Philips label (now part of Decca Classics), who died Sunday 14th April 2013. He was a musician of incomparable integrity and class.
After signing to Philips exclusively in the mid-1960s, over more than three decades he then produced work for the label of the highest quality and range:
• the first (and still greatest) Berlioz cycle
• pioneering Tippett,
• superb Haydn and Mozart,
• plus top-ranking Sibelius, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Dvorak and Britten, and much else.His many recording orchestras included the English Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony, BBC Symphony, Royal Opera House, Royal Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony, Bavarian Radio and Dresden Staatskapelle, as well as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics.
His great Philips collaborators on disc include Stephen Kovacevich, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jon Vickers, José Carreras, Jessye Norman, Arthur Grumiaux and Claudio Arrau.
An extraordinary number of his recordings have achieved legendary status and are enduring staples of the catalogue. This set balances all his most important musical spheres as well as many of his most important artistic relationships with soloists, orchestras and opera houses around the world.
The booklet notes are in English, French and German with an excellent appreciation of his work for Philips by Jeremy Hayes.
For more than three decades, Colin Davis laid the groundwork for his legacy by recording his core repertoire for Philips, and these performances are still highly regarded by critics and fans alike. This 2013 box set from Decca brings together some of his most essential interpretations of works by Bartók, Beethoven, Berlioz, Dvorák, Elgar, Haydn, Hindemith, Holst, Mahler, Mozart, Mussorgsky, Reger, Sibelius, Stravinsky, and Tippett, and all are representative of Davis in his prime. The music is always intellectually focused and formally coherent, and Davis’ consistent pursuit of clarity and balance made many of these performances definitive; indeed, Davis’ readings of Berlioz, Mozart, and Sibelius are deemed essential by connoisseurs. In his long career, Davis recorded with many orchestras, among which were the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic, among many others, and his performances with such esteemed artists as Claudio Arrau, Stephen Kovacevich, Jessye Norman, and Kiri Te Kanawa are high points in his catalog. This sturdy box set contains 15 CDs, offering a mix of analog and digital recordings that still sound superb decades after they were recorded, thanks to the diligence and care of Philips’ engineers. Serious collectors will already own most of these recordings, but this is a terrific introductory set for newcomers because it presents some of Davis’ finest work in one convenient package.