Beethoven: Symphonies nº 1 & 7 - Giulini, La Scala PO (1992)

From Davide, who says:

One very beautiful recording of the Giulini Scala Beethoven cycle, 1st and 7th (1992). Highly recommended for all the fans of the distinguished Italian Maestro, with his unique tempi and phrasing.

Bartók: Kossuth, Concerto for Orchestra - Blomstedt, San Francisco Sym (1995)

Davide's first treat for 2012:

The first and last orchestral masterpieces by our beloved Béla Bartók in a splendid 1995 release from the Blomstedt decade at the wonderful, warm-toned San Francisco Symphony. The Swedish Maestro keeps the right approach through these two very different works of the Hungarian genius' immense art. A Gramophone reference.

Reviews at Gramophone
http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/July%201995//732992/CD+Bart6k+Concerto+for+Orchestra,+Szl+16.+Kossuth+(1903).+San+Francisco+Symphony+Orchestra+Herbert+ftlornstedt
and ClassicsToday
http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=11810

FLACS and covers

Bruckner: Symphony nº 5 - C von Dohnányi/Cleveland Orch (1993)

This was Davide's Christmas rip for Chamaeleo (and all the rest of us have a chance to hear it as well).

Hommage à Scott Ross (orgue et clavecin)

Time here for some earlier music again, I think.

These are part of the French Institut National de l'Audiovisuel's INA/mèmoire vive series, released from their incredibly rich recording archive. They're beginning to disappear from the catalogue; hope to find a few more before they're introuvable.

Ross plays Bull, Blow, de Cabezón, Correa de Arauxo, P de Araujo, Frescobaldi, Scheidt, JS Bach and d'Anglebert on the first CD (organ; recorded 1974-75), and Forqueray, Duphly and JS Bach on the second (harpsichord; recorded in several sessions in 1979, 1981 and 1983). The set was issued in 1999.

Out of print, as far as I can tell. One file per disc, .flac+cue (small covers and a tracklist in the first folder; scans in a separate link -- see comments).

Rachmaninov: Piano concerto nº 3 in D minor Op30 - Sgouros/Simonov, Berlin Phil (1983)

From Davide:

This one is a favourite lost recording of mine. Greek forgotten mega-virtuoso Dimitris Sgouros was 15 and at the peak of a promising career which alas didn't last for the same obscure reasons which brought to unexpected oblivion the name of too many pianists... pressure? Sudden fame when still too young to cope with lots of engagements in the concert halls of the world instead of - say - playing football in the courtyard with your pals? Who knows....

Sure enough, this stunning recording from 1983 (here ripped from the Japan CD of the time) shows a superb technique, an intense musicality, paired with a youthful energy which has the Berliner Philharmoniker (no less) struggling to catch up with! The Karajan orchestra, here conducted by Yuri Simonov, is a pleasure to listen to, displaying a full tone warmer sound than in the DG recordings of the same golden years. My Neapolitan friend Giorgia Tomassi, who won the Rubinstein Competition back in 1992 with this very piece, loved it too! Enjoy!

Granados: Goyescas/La Maja dolorosa - Berthold, Medina (1992)

One more from Davide's library of "extinct" recordings.

His comment:
A true masterpiece of the Spanish piano literature – Granados’ Goyescas. This is indeed a most beautiful ultra-rare CD by the German virtuoso Beate Berthold. Born in 1964, we know very little of her. She put out three albums in the early 90s for EMI (1 Rachmaninov/Tchaikovsky solo works and 1 Chopin) and this one here. She was, and I guess still is, a beautiful woman and a superb musician, and well worth listening to before she's forgotten. None of her albums (boasting a stunning recorded sound too) have ever been re-published by EMI. So here's a good chance from 1992 to have her playing for us all the sublime piano suite by the Catalan Maestro. The disc is even more precious as it features the three tonadillas of the Maja dolorosa, where Berthold is joined by Argentinian soprano Graciela Medina - Here’s the APEs and scans…

Brahms: Symphony nº 1 - Abbado/Wiener Philharmoniker (1973)

The next of Davide's LPs:

Here's the agile and passionate Brahms 1st with the young Abbado and the Vienna Philharmonic from 1973 (DG).