Igor Markevitch – Un Veritable Artiste (9 CD box set, APE)

Performer: Raymond Droulez, André Remond, Aurele Nicolet, Fritz Demmler, Suzanne Cotelle
Conductor: Igor Markevitch
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Franz Joseph Haydn, Domenico Cimarosa, Franz Schubert, et al.
Audio CD
SPARS Code: A-D
Number of Discs: 9 CD box set
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 2.03 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338 1. Allegro vivace
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338 2. Andante di molto più tosto allegretto
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338 3. Minuet in C major, K. 409 (383f)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338 4. Finale; Allegro vivace
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 38 in D major (“Prague”), K. 504
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 35 in D major (“Haffner”), K. 385
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Work(s) Sinfonia in G major: 1. Allegro
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Work(s) Sinfonia in G major: 2. Andante
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Work(s) Sinfonia in G major: 3. Allegro
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Sinfonia Concertante for violin, cello, oboe, bassoon & orchestra, H. 1/105
Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
with Raymond Droulez, Andre Remond, Georges Ales, Emile Mayousse
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Concerto for 2 flutes & orchestra in G major
Composed by Domenico Cimarosa
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Fritz Demmler, Aurele Nicolet
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 3 in D major, D. 200
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Leonore Overture No. 3 in C major, Op. 72b
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 3 in E flat major (“Eroica”), Op. 55
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony of the Air
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Interview with Igor Markevitch
Composed by Spoken Word
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

# Symphony No. 6 in F major (“Pastoral”), Op. 68
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Fidelio, overture, Op. 72c
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Namensfeier (Name-Day Celebration) Overture for orchestra in C major, Op. 115
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Die Weihe des Hauses (Consecration of the House), overture for orchestra, Op. 124
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony of the Air
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Alto Rhapsody, for alto, male chorus & orchestra, Op. 53
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, USSR Symphony Orchestra
with Irina Arkhipova
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Tragic Overture, in D minor, Op. 81
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, USSR Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Psalmus Hungaricus, oratorio for tenor, chorus, children’s chorus ad lib, orchestra & organ, Op. 13
Composed by Zoltan Kodaly
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, USSR Symphony Orchestra
with Robert Ilosfalvy
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Lohengrin, opera, WWV 75 Prelude to Act 1
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Lohengrin, opera, WWV 75 Prelude to Act 3
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Tannhäuser, opera, WWV 70 Overture
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Tannhäuser, opera, WWV 70 Venusberg Music
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Siegfried Idyll, for small orchestra in E major, WWV 103
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Excerpt
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 2 in E flat major
Composed by Charles Gounod
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Petite Suite, pieces (5) for orchestra (orchestration of Jeux d’enfants Nos. 6, 3, 2, 11, 12)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# La Mer, symphonic sketches (3) for orchestra, L. 109
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Danses sacrée et profane, for chromatic harp & string orchestra, L. 103
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
with Suzanne Cotelle
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Symphony No. 6 in B minor (“Pathétique”), Op.74
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

# Francesca da Rimini, symphonic fantasy for orchestra in E minor, Op. 32
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conducted by Igor Markevitch

Brilliant “Artiste” Rescued From The Vaults

Now that Deutsche Grammophon is part of Universal, we have seen some interesting things happen, and not all of them bad. What I’m referring to in this case is the new “Original Masters” Limited Edition Box Set series. Finally, the classical music world has taken a page out of the jazz reissue handbook — put out a quality product featuring rare recordings but make its availability limited, and people will snatch it up.

Now in its second round of the “Original Masters” box sets, DG has chosen to follow-up on the success of the “Great Conductors of the Century” series. They have just released two glorious 9-disc collections of the performances of conductors Igor Markevitch and Ferenc Fricsay, the vast majority of which have been previously unavailable on CD.

This particular set, “Un Veritable Artiste,” showcases some of the numerous recordings made by the great conductor Igor Markevitch for Deutsche Grammophon and Philips, many of which have been rare (and expensive) collector’s items for years. As the track information is non-existent above, I will try to be of assistance.

The first disc contains Mozart’s 34th and 38th Symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic (BP) from 1954, and Mozart’s 35th Symphony (1957) and Gluck’s Sinfonia in G Major (1958) with the Orchestre Lamoureux, Paris (OLP).

Disc two features Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante (OLP, 1957), Cimarosa’s Concerto for Two Flutes with flutists Aurele Nicolet and Fritz Demmler (BP, 1954) and Schubert’s 3rd Symphony (BP, 1954).

Discs three and four are all Beethoven, with the exception of an insightful 15-minute, 1957 interview with Markveitch. Here we get Leonore III Overture (OLP, 1958), 3rd Symphony (Symphony of the Air, 1956-57), 6th Symphony (OLP, 1957), and the Coriolan, Fidelio, Name Day and Consecration of the House Overtures (all OLP, 1958).

Disc five is all Brahms — the 1st Symphony with Symphony of the Air (1956), and the Alto Rhapsody (with the Russian State Academy Choir) and Tragic Overture with the USSR State Symphony Orchestra (both 1963).

Disc six continues with Brahms, his 4th Symphony (OLP, 1958), and ends with Kodaly’s Psalmus Hungaricus with tenor Robert Ilosfalvy (RSA Choir & USSR SSO, 1963).

Disc seven focuses on orchestral music from the operas of Wagner. Here we have the Preludes to Acts I and III of Lohengrin and the Tannhauser Overture (all OLP, 1958), and Venusberg Music from Tannhauser, Siegfired-Idyll and The Ride of the Valkyries (all BP, 1954).

Disc eight features all French fare with Gounod’s 2nd Symphony and Bizet’s Jeux d’enfants (both OLP, 1957), and Debussy’s La Mer and Deux Danses (both OLP, 1959).

The final disc, number nine, wraps things up with Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony (BP, 1953) and Francesca da Rimini (OLP, 1959).

Despite the fact that many of these recordings are in mono (mostly the pre-1957 ones), the first rate performances more than compensate for any audio shortcomings. The stereo performances are the warm, glowing and brilliant accounts that vintage collectors have appreciated for years.

Well, I guess the consolidation of the music industry isn’t so bad after all, as long as I can look forward to more reissues like Igor Markevitch: Un Veritable Artiste.