Judged to perfection, Jochum's mass series holds in exquisite balance the choral line, the perfect tempo and a keen feeling for the works' spiritual dimension. ~ James Jolly, Gramophone 1000th issue
100 Greatest Recordings (Gramophone Magazine) / Rosette Winner (Penguin Guide)

Some months ago, the daily Greek newspaper "To Vima" gave away a collection of 20 CDs, called "Dimitri Mitropoulos - Retrospective". It is a compilation of recordings that Mitropoulos did for Columbia and RCA (now Sony BMG). I think some of them are not in the Sony catalogue at the moment. Here is the third box, discs 11-15. Included are: Shostakovich 1st Violin Concerto (w David Oistrakh) and Samule Barber's opera "Vanessa", with the cast of world premiere, which took place at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 15, 1958, in a production designed by Cecil Beaton. It was of course conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos.

I think the title says them all. Just some info about these recordings: ... Casals cut Bach's Cello Suites in four sessions from 1936 to 1939. They remain one of the touchstones of recording. He never rerecorded them in the studio again.... Casals always insisted that he was more attracted to ensemble than solo work. In 1905 his passion coalesced into a trio with violinist Jacques Thibaud and pianist Alfred Cortot. The three toured and concertized for one month each year until 1934, when their union was fractured by politics. Their repertoire was limited to 33 works, of which they recorded six in London from 1926 to 1928 – the first trios of Schubert, Schumann and Mendelssohn, the Beethoven "Archduke," Haydn's G Major and Beethoven's "Kakadu" Variations ... In 1929, as an extension of his trio activity, he cut a magnificent set of the Brahms "Double" Concerto with Thibaud on violin and Cortot conducting Casals' own orchestra ... A legendary recording of the Dvorak Cello Concerto followed in 1937 ... Among his few other solo recordings with orchestra is the 1945 Elgar Cello Concerto with Boult leading the BBC Symphony.
Not my rip, no logs, however all discs are "accuraterip" verified to be ok.

Some months ago, the daily Greek newspaper "To Vima" gave away a collection of 20 CDs, called "Dimitri Mitropoulos - Retrospective". It is a compilation of recordings that Mitropoulos did for Columbia (now Sony). I think some of them are not in the Sony catalogue at the moment. Here is the second box, discs 6-10. Included are: Mahler's first and Rachmaninov's The Isle Of The Dead with the Minneapolis SO, excerpts of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Ballet, Shostakovich's fifth, Mussorgsky's Night On Bald Mountain and the historic performance of Skalkottas' 4 Greek Dances with the New York Philharmonic.

Some months ago, the daily Greek newspaper "To Vima" gave away a collection of 20 CDs, called "Dimitri Mitropoulos - Retrospective". It is a compilation of recordings that Mitropoulos did for Columbia (now Sony). I think some of them are not in the Sony catalogue at the moment. Here is the first box, discs 1-5. Included are: Mozart's Don Giovanni (disc 1-3), Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony and Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kije Suite" & Piano Concerto no.3, with Mitropoulos as soloist and conductor.

Coleman Hawkins' 1957 session for Riverside, aside from an oral documentary record in a short-lived series, was his only recording for the label under his name. Yet producer Orrin Keepnews had the good sense to invite the legendary tenor saxophonist to pick his own musicians, and Hawkins surprised him by asking for young boppers J.J. Johnson and Idrees Sulieman in addition to the potent rhythm section of Hank Jones, Oscar Pettiford, Barry Galbraith, and Jo Jones. The two days of sessions produced a number of strong performances, with Hawkins still very much at the top of his game, while both Johnson and Sulieman catch fire as well.

The first of two Vee Jay label dates by the acclaimed modern jazz bassist Paul Chambers is a fine exercise in hard bop, split between showcasing his compositions and famous standards. Alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard are on the front line, perhaps for the only time in their storied careers, and work well for the most part. Pianist Wynton Kelly and either drummers Philly Joe Jones or Jimmy Cobb complete the quintets. The advantage in buying this reissue is that the second CD is comprised exclusively of outtakes from the originally issued tracks, and many of them have extended solos.

This recording has prime Coltrane from his sideman days of the late 1950s. The Bethlehem set is the Art Blakey Big Band album recorded in December 1957, plus 14 outtakes and one previously unissued piece from those sessions. It also includes four tracks from an all-star date called Winner's Circle. It may make marketing sense to put the reissue under Coltrane's name, but to do so implies that he dominates the music. He does not. His playing, particularly in the longer solos allowed by seven quintet tracks, compares with his best of the period, but it is just one of the reasons to have this collection. There are important contributions from Blakey and a cross-section of 16 other musicians from the top of the New York jazz scene.

A new phase in Sonny Rollins' career began in 1957. He started what was at the time an almost blasphemous trend of recording for a number of different labels. His pioneering spirit yielded a few genre-defining albums, including this disc. His performances were also at a peak during 1957 as Down Beat magazine proclaimed him the Critics' Poll winner under the category of "New Star" of the tenor saxophone. This newfound freedom can be heard throughout the innovations on The Sound of Sonny. Not only are Rollins' fluid solos reaching newly obtained zeniths of melodic brilliance, but he has also begun experimenting with alterations in the personnel from tune to tune.

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins' last Riverside album was reissued on this Original Jazz Classics CD. Jamming in a pianoless trio with bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Max Roach, Rollins is very creative, stretching out on his lengthy "Freedom Suite," clearly enjoying investigating the obscure Noel Coward melody "Someday I'll Find You," turning the show tune "Till There Was You" into jazz, and finding beauty in "Shadow Waltz" and "Will You Still Be Mine?" A near masterpiece.

The timeless Way out West established Sonny Rollins as jazz's top tenor saxophonist (at least until John Coltrane surpassed him the following year). Joined by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne, Rollins is heard at one of his peaks on such pieces as "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)," his own "Way out West," "There Is No Greater Love," and "Come, Gone" (a fast stomp based on "After You've Gone"). The William Claxton photo of Rollins wearing Western gear (and holding his tenor) in the desert is also a classic. The Contemporary re-release appends three bonus tracks, all of them alternate takes.

The last of the classic Sonny Rollins albums prior to his unexpected three-year retirement features the great tenor with pianist Hampton Hawes, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne (all bandleaders for Contemporary Records during this era) on an unusual but inspired list of standards. Rollins creates explorative and often witty improvisations on such songs as "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody," "You," "In the Chapel in the Moonlight," and roaring versions of "I've Found a New Baby" and "The Song Is You." Great music.

Sonny Rollins, one of jazz's great tenors, is heard at his peak with a piano-less trio. Not only did Rollins have a very distinctive sound but his use of time, his sly wit, and his boppish but unpredictable style were completely his own by 1957. An excellent follow to a legendary album.

This CD is often magical. Sonny Rollins is heard at his peak with a pair of piano-less trios (either Wilbur Ware or Donald Bailey on bass and Elvin Jones or Pete La Roca on drums) stretching out on particularly creative versions of "Old Devil Moon," "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," "Sonnymoon for Two," and "A Night in Tunisia," among others. Not only did Rollins have a very distinctive sound but his use of time, his sly wit, and his boppish but unpredictable style were completely his own by 1957.

This unusual album mostly has Rollins in an all-star quintet with trombonist J.J. Johnson, pianist Horace Silver, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Blakey, but Thelonious Monk sits in on his ballad "Reflections" and on "Misterioso" both Silver and Monk get to take contrasting solos. Of the other selections, Rollins' two originals ("Why Don't I" and "Wail March") are worth reviving, and he finds something new to say on "Poor Butterfly" and an uptempo "You Stepped Out of a Dream."