Hallé Orchestra

Hallé Orchestra & Sir John Barbirolli – Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 & Extraits de La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24 (Remastered) (1964/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:05:23 minutes | 2,38 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics

Born in London of Italian-French parents, Sir John Barbirolli (1899–1970) trained as a cellist and played in theatre and café orchestras before joining the Queen’s Hall Orchestra under Sir Henry Wood in 1916. His conducting career began with the formation of his own orchestra in 1924, and between 1926 and 1933 he was active as an opera conductor at Covent Garden and elsewhere. Orchestral appointments followed: the Scottish Orchestra (1933–36), the New York Philharmonic (1936–42), the Hallé Orchestra (1943–70) and the Houston Symphony (1961–67). Barbirolli guest conducted many of the world’s leading orchestras and was especially admired as an interpreter of the music of Mahler, Sibelius, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Delius, Puccini and Verdi. He made many outstanding recordings, including the complete Brahms and Sibelius symphonies, as well as operas by Verdi and Puccini and much English repertoire.

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Hallé Orchestra & Sir John Barbirolli – Bax: Symphony No. 3 – Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 (Remastered) (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:21:45 minutes | 1,48 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics

Saluting an extraordinary composer-conductor relationship, this collection presents almost all Elgar’s major orchestral works and the Sea Pictures in the classic recordings made by Sir John Barbirolli towards the end of his life. Barbirolli began as an orchestral cellist, and played under Elgar’s baton in the première of the Cello Concerto. Encouraged by Elgar, he moved into conducting and made his mark with the composer’s Second Symphony in 1927. Elgar’s music was to remain a talisman for the rest of Barbirolli’s life.

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Hallé Orchestra & Sir John Barbirolli – Sibelius: Symphony No. 1, Op. 39 & Suite from Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 46 (Remastered) (1973/2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 58:45 minutes | 2,25 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics

Sir John Barbirolli heads the Hallé Orchestra in this legacy performance of orchestral works from Jean Sibelius!

The Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 is characterized by its use of string and woodwind solos; the first movement opens with a long and discursive clarinet solo over a timpani roll; (this idea returns at the start of the fourth movement, fortissimo in the strings, with wind and brass chordal accompaniment), and subsequent movements include violin, viola, and cello solos.

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Hallé Orchestra & Sir John Barbirolli – Sibelius: Symphony No. 1, Op. 39 & Suite from Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 46 (Remastered) (1973/2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 58:45 minutes | 2,25 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics

Sir John Barbirolli heads the Hallé Orchestra in this legacy performance of orchestral works from Jean Sibelius!

The Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 is characterized by its use of string and woodwind solos; the first movement opens with a long and discursive clarinet solo over a timpani roll; (this idea returns at the start of the fourth movement, fortissimo in the strings, with wind and brass chordal accompaniment), and subsequent movements include violin, viola, and cello solos.

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Hallé Orchestra & Sir John Barbirolli – Elgar: Symphony No. 2, Op. 63 & Falstaff, Op. 68 (Remastered) (1964/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:30:35 minutes | 3,30 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics

29 July 2020 marks the 50th anniversary Sir John Barbirolli’s passing. He died at the age of 70, having been born in 1899 in London to parents of Italian and French origin.

A great British conductor notable for the warmth and generosity of his interpretations, and for his attention to detail, Barbirolli is especially closely associated with Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra, of which he became Permanent Conductor in 1943. He transformed the Hallé’s fortunes and remained closely associated with the orchestra for 27 years.

Barbirolli began his career as a cellist, going on to establish himself as a conductor in the UK in his twenties. He received his first contract with the New York Philharmonic as early as 1927 and went on to become Arturo Toscanini’s successor at the orchestra, remaining with it for seven seasons (1936-1943).

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