Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra

Carlo Maria Giulini, Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra – Mozart: Don Giovanni (1959/2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 02:42:00 minutes | 1,75 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Pristine Classical

lt seems incredible now that Carlo Maria Giulini was the third choice of conductor for this famed recording. First choice was Beecham, and when that fell through, Walter Legge, the producer, engaged Klemperer, who, though weakened by illnesses and accidents, began working on the recording, only to withdraw after three days because of pericarditis. Legge sent an SOS to the then relatively unknown Giulini, who responded positively, though, as the booklet tells us, with some trepidation. The rest is indeed history, as the whole ensemble proceeded to work like a dream, and produce what in this case is without question one of the supreme recordings of the twentieth century, and will surely never be surpassed on disc.

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