Product description

Few record labels from the dawn of the LP era are recalled with more admiration and affection than Westminster Records – its first records from 1950 established Westminster as a pioneering source, exploring new and exciting corners of repertoire.

The Westminster box gives a cross-section of Westminster’s activity in all genres, from solo piano recordings (Jörg Demus, Paul Badura-Skoda, Clara Haskil, Egon Petri) to complete operas (Handel’s Rodelinda with Teresa Stich-Randall, Maureen Forrester, Alexander Young, conducted by Brian Priestman, receiving its CD premiere) to orchestral recordings by the legendary conductors Hermann Scherchen and Artur Rodzinski. Many of these albums have never been released internationally before on CD.

The box set includes:
- 40 CDs with original cover art sleeves
- 100-page booklet

Tracklist:

Beethoven: Symphonies No.3 "Eroica" & No.6 "Pastorale"

Beethoven: Symphonies No.2 In D, Op. 36; No.4 In B Flat, Op.60 & No.8 In F, Op.93

Beethoven: Symphony No.9 "Choral"

Haydn: Symphony No.45 In F Sharp Minor "Farewell"; Symphony No.100 In G Major "Military"

Mozart: Symphonies No. 39 In E Flat, K.543; No.40 In G Minor, K.550; No.41 In C, K.551 "Jupiter"

Holst: The Planets, Op.32 / Vaughan Williams: Fantasia On Greensleeves; Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis [ CD 6 ]

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Part 1) [ CD 7 ]

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op.71 (Part 2); Symphony No.4 In F Minor,

Bruckner: Symphony No.8 In C Minor (Part 1) [ CD 9 ]

Bruckner: Symphony No.8 In C Minor (Part 2) / Wagner: Lohengrin - Prelude;

Mahler: Symphony No.1 In D; Symphony No.2 In C Minor [ CD 11 ]

Mahler: Symphony No.2 In C Minor [ CD 12 ]

Glière: Symphony No.3 "Ilya Murometz" [ CD 13 ]

Beethoven: Wellington's Victory, Op.91 / Orff: Entrata / Gabrielli: Canzon Primi Toni [ CD 14 ]

Mozart: Piano Concerto No.20, K.466 / Scarlatti, D.: 11 Sonatas [ CD 15 ]

Mozart, W.A.: Piano Concerto No.22, K.482; Piano Sonata No.16, K.570 & Piano Sonata No.8, K.310 [ CD 16 ]

Rachmaninov: Concerto No.2 Pour Piano En Ut Mineur, Op.18; Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op.43 [ CD 17 ]

Brahms: Violin Concerto In D, Op.77 / Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op.35 [ CD 18 ]

Mozart, W.A.: String Quintet No.3 In G Minor, K.516; String Quartet No.23 IN F, K.590 "Prussian No.3" [ CD 19 ]

Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 18 No.4 & Op.59 No.3 "Razumovsky" [ CD 20 Schubert: String Quintet In C, D.956 [ CD 21 ]

Schubert: Octet In F Major, D.803 [ CD 22 ]

Mendelssohn: Octet In E Flat, Op.20 / Beethoven: String Quartet No.8 In E Minor, Op.59 No.2 "Rasumovsky No.2" [ CD 23 ]

Dvorák: String Sextet Op.48; String Quintet Op.97 [ CD 24 ]

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas No.8, Op.13 "Pathétique"; No.23, Op.57 "Appassionata"; No.29, Op.106 "Hammerklavier" [ CD 25 ]

Schubert: Fantasia For Piano In C, D.760 "Wanderer - Fantasie"; 6 Moments musicaux D.780; Impromptus Op.90 [ CD 26 ]

Franck: Prélude, Choral et Fugue; Prélude, Aria et Fugue / Fauré: Impromptus Op.31, 91, 102; Thème et variations, Op.73; Barcarolle Op.70; Noturne No.6, Op.63 [ CD 27 ]

Spanish Guitar Music [ CD 28 ]

Schumann: Frauenliebe und -leben, Op.42; Liederkreis, Op.39 / Respighi: Il tramonto [ CD 29 ]

Duparc: Opera Recitals And Songs [ CD 30 ]

Beethoven: Christus am Ölberge / Mozart, W.A.: An Chloë, K.524; Oiseaux, si tous les ans K.307/K.284d; Ridente la calma K.152; "Un moto di gioia" (Le nozze di Figaro) K.492; Das Veilchen K.476 [ CD 31 ]

Bach, J.S.: Mass In B Minor, BWV 232 (Part 1) [ CD 32 ]

Bach, J.S.: Mass In B Minor, BWV 232 (Part 2) [ CD 33 ]

Mozart: Requiem In D Minor, K.626 [ CD 34 ]

Händel: Rodelinda (Part 1) [ CD 35 ]

Händel: Rodelinda (Part 2) [ CD 36 ]

Händel: Rodelinda (Part 3) [ CD 37 ]

Berlioz: Roméo & Juliette (Part 1) [ CD 38 ]

Berlioz: Roméo & Juliette (Part 2); Symphonie fantastique [ CD 39 ]

Opera Arias [ CD 40 ]

Review

Scherchens Eroica rocks. Adopting what at the time (1958) seemed absurdly fast speeds in the outer movements, a funeral march bereft of excessive sentiment, top-to-bottom ensemble clarity, and a comparatively cavalier approach to ensemble discipline, it turns out that the old maestro actually beat many of todays period instrument folks at their own game. The whole performance whizzes by with boundless energy, and its great fun. --David Hurwitz, classicstoday.com