Christoph von Dohnanyi - The Cleveland Years (40CD Box Set)

Showcasing Christoph von Dohnányi’s Cleveland years with Decca, this long-awaited set is released to mark his 95th birthday this September.  Born in Berlin in 1929 and still conducting today at age 94, Dohnányi is, with Herbert Blomstedt, one of the true grand masters of the orchestral business. Decca’s relationship with the Cleveland Orchestra and Dohnányi lasted from 1984 to 1997.

Dohnányi’s relationship with Cleveland is one of the world’s foremost orchestra/conductor partnerships, a collaboration Decca has captured on many critically acclaimed recordings praised not only for the clarity of their interpretative vision, but by their standard-setting sonics.

This Limited Edition set includes original jackets, session photos and an insightful and detailed note by Andrew Stewart.

MORE INFORMATION

Anyone taking over the reins of the Cleveland Orchestra had big shoes to fill, given the impact of the performances and recordings of George Szell – a partnership now synonymous with that Big Five among US orchestras. Lorin Maazel took over the reins from Szell in 1972, and in 1984 Christoph von Dohnányi, who had first guest-conducted the orchestra in December 1981, took on the leadership of the Cleveland from Maazel. Writing, at the time of this passing of the baton from Maazel to Dohnányi, the critic Thor Eckert Jr. wrote of Maazel leaving his successor ‘with the best orchestra, overall, in the United States, rivalled only by the Berlin Philharmonic and the Concertgebouw for virtuosity’. 

Born in Berlin in 1929 and still conducting today at age 94, Dohnányi is, with Herbert Blomstedt, one of the true grand masters of the orchestral business. Decca’s relationship with the Cleveland Orchestra and Dohnányi lasted from 1984 to 1997. Dohnányi and the orchestra continued to make recordings for Telarc following on from the Decca years.

Grandson of the composer Ernő von Dohnányi, he was nephew of the theologian and author, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who with Christoph’s father Hans was murdered by the Nazis for his resistance activities during the Second World War. After a brief period studying law, Christoph, like his grandfather, turned to music, finding a particular connection with music that was banned during his childhood.

TRACK LIST

CDs 1–5 MOZART

Symphonies 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41
Bassoon Concerto K.191 (David McGill)
Clarinet Concerto K.622 (Franklin Cohen)
Flute & Harp Concerto K.299
(Joshua Smith, Lisa Wellbaum)
Oboe Concerto K.314 (John Mack)
Serenade No.13 “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”
Sinfonia concertante K.364
(Daniel Majeske, Robert Vernon)

CD 6

BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
WEBER/BERLIOZ L’Invitation a la valse
CDs 7 & 8 SCHUMANN
Symphonies 1–4

CD 9

BRAHMS Violin Concerto (Joshua Bell)
SCHUMANN Violin Concerto (Joshua Bell)
CDs 10–16 BRUCKNER
Symphonies Nos. 3–9

CDs 17–22 WAGNER

Das Rheingold
(Robert Hale, Hanna Schwarz, Nancy Gustafson,
Eike Wilm Schulte, Thomas Sunnegårdh, Kim Begley,
Peter Schreier, Elena Zaremba, Franz-Josef Kapellmann,
Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Walter Fink, Gabriele Fontana,
Ildikó Komlósi, Margareta Hintermeier)
Die Walkure
(Poul Elming, Alessandra Marc, Alfred Muff,
Robert Hale, Gabriele Schnaut, Anja Silja, Karin Goltz,
Ruth Falcon, Susan Marie Pierson, Michèle Crider,
Penelope Walker, Katherine Ciesinski,
Susan Shafer, Sandra Walker)

CD 23 R. STRAUSS

Ein Heldenleben
Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche

CDs 24–28 MAHLER
Symphonies Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6 & 9

CD 29 SMETANA

Dvě vdovy (The Two Widows): Overture & Polka
Hubička (The Kiss): Overture
Libuše: Overture
Prodana nevěsta (The Bartered Bride):
Overture & 3 Dances (The Cleveland Chorus)
Vltava (The Moldau)

CDs 30–36

BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
Music for strings, percussion & celesta
DVOŘAK Symphonies 6, 7, 8 & 9・Scherzo capriccioso
Slavonic Dances Opp. 46 & 72
JANAČEK Rhapsody for Orchestra “Taras Bulba”
Capriccio (Mary Kay Fink, Joshua Smith, David Zauder,
Michael Sachs, Allen Kofsky, James DeSano, Steven Witser,
Thomas Klaber, Joela Jones)
LUTOSŁAWSKI Concerto for Orchestra ・ Musique funebre
MARTINŮ Concerto for string quartet & orchestra
(Bernhard Goldschmidt, Daniel Majeske,
Robert Vernon, Stephen Geber)
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No.10

CD 37 WEBERN

Fuga (Ricercata) aus dem Musikalischen Opfer (J.S. BACH)
Im Sommerwind・Passacaglia・5 Pieces Op.10・6 Pieces Op.6a
Symphony Op.21・Variations Op.30

CDs 38 & 39

CRAWFORD SEEGER Andante for Strings
IVES Orchestral Set No.2 (The Cleveland Chorus)
Symphony No.4 (The Cleveland Chorus, Jahja Ling)
Three Places in New England (Orchestral Set No.1)
The Unanswered Question (Michael Sachs)
RUGGLES Men and Mountains・Sun-treader
VARESE Ameriques

CD 40

BIRTWISTLE Earth Dances
HARTMANN Adagio (Symphony No.2)
SCHOENBERG 5 Orchesterstucke Op.16