Phase 4 Stereo Concert Series (CD)

A comprehensive 40 CD overview of some of the most sonically-spectacular albums ever made, from a period when Decca enjoyed a clear technological lead over its competitors.

INCEPTION: ‘Phase 4 stereo’ was created in 1961 as an American subsidiary of Decca, and steered to success by New Yorker Tony D’Amato. 200 classical releases were eventually released within this label, with the first major classical releases 50 years ago in 1964.

IMMEDIACY OF SOUND & A WIDE SOUND SPECTRUM: Using Decca’s 20-channel mixing desk, the label aimed to deliver an immediacy of sound which new recording and the LP techniques permitted, and thus give listeners an experience they would not obtain anywhere else, either in the concert hall or from other labels. Phase 4 vividly expanded the scope and spectrum of recorded sound.

THE TECHNOLOGY: A 4 track, 20 channel console mixer built especially by Decca. Each channel (recorded independently) of the console had equalisation and reverb/echo (electronic or chamber), and each channel was assignable to any of the 4 tracks of an Ampex tape recorder. For the early to mid-sixties this was state-of-the-art.

THE MUSIC:
The collection includes no less than 11 discs featuring works which are first international CD releases.

Phase 4 stepped into the classical arena in 1964 with the launch of the ‘concert series’, releasing over 200 albums in the series. Drawn largely from the concert series, this set shows Phase 4 in its prime – big classical works requiring large scale orchestras, ripe for the display of spectacular sound engineering feats. Big classical symphonies sit alongside major piano and violin concertos. 

Film / Movie scores include Rózsa’s Music from Ben Hur, Music from the Great Hitchcock Movie Thrillers and Bernard Herrmann’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

There are also big band specials, light classics from Arthur Fielder and Ketèlbey, Stokowski’s brilliant orchestral transcriptions and music which grabbed headlines back in the day – such as the Yellow River Concerto (first international CD release), probably the world’s most popular piece of Chinese-originated orchestral music.

A BONUS CD in this set is Bob Sharples' 'Battle Stereo'. It took one year to produce, and required assistance from London’s crop of engineers to funnel all ten tape tracks down to the final two with the British Grenadier Guards and Her Majesty’s Horse Guards providing the soundtrack to what could be a motion picture about war.

THE ARTISTS:
As well as its distinctive sound, Phase 4 was known for its range of loyal and charismatic artists. These included:

- The legendary Leopold Stokowski (star of Disney’s Fantasia), who made several Phase 4 recordings, dating from the final years of his long and brilliant career and capturing his unique magic.

- Phase 4 stalwart Stanley Black, who excelled in every field imaginable from Latin-American to theatre, film and to classical.

- Antal Doráti who conducted the best-selling Peter and the Wolf, featuring Sean Connery as narrator.

- Academy Award-winner Bernard Herrmann, whose score of 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' had a lasting impact across Hollywood.

Contents:
CD 1
John Philip Sousa
[1] The Stars and Stripes Forever
[2] El Capitán
[3] The High School Cadets
[4] Washington Post
[5] The Picadore
[6] The Invincible Eagle
[7] Semper Fidelis
[8] Manhattan Beach
[9] The Liberty Bell 
[10] The Thunderer
[11] King Cotton
[12] Hands across the Sea      
The Band of the Grenadier Guards
Lt Col Rodney Bashford
 
CD 2
George Gershwin
[1] Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Grofé)
Stanley Black (piano)
London Festival Orchestra / Stanley Black
     
[2] An American in Paris
London Festival Orchestra / Stanley Black
      
[3] Variations on “I got rhythm”   
David Parkhouse (piano)
London Festival Recording Ensemble / Bernard Herrmann

CD 3
Aram Khachaturian
[1-3] Spartacus — Ballet Suite
[4-8] Masquerade — Ballet suite
[9-13] Gayaneh — Ballet Suite
London Symphony Orchestra / Stanley Black
  
CD 4
Spectacular Dances
[1] Slavonic Dance, op.46 no.1 Dvorák    
[2] ‘Du und du’ — waltz, op.367 (Die Fledermaus) Johan Strauss II 
[3] Dance of the Russian sailors (The Red Poppy) Glière   
[4] Dance of the hours (La Gioconda) Ponchielli   
[5] Danse macabre, op.40 Saint-Saëns    
[6] Hungarian dance no.5 Brahms     
[7] Miller’s dance & Final dance
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Stanley Black
     
[8] Slavonic dance, op.46 no.8º Dvorák    
[9] Waltz (The Sleeping Beauty) Tchaikovsky   
[10] Dance of the tumblers (The Snow Maiden) Rimsky-Korsakov
[11] Invitation to the dance Weber, orch. Berlioz   
[12] Dance of the comedians (The Bartered Bride) Smetana
London Symphony Orchestra / Stanley Black

[13] Comedians’ galop (The Comedians) Kabalevsky
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Stanley Black  

CD 5
[1] Ravel: Boléro
[2] Borodin: Polovtsian Dances (Prince Igor — compl/orch. Rimsky-Korsakov & Glazunov)
[3-7] Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol, op.34
[8] Tchaikovsky: Capriccio italien, op.45     
London Festival Orchestra & Chorus / Stanley Black

Rimsky-Korsakov – first international CD release

CD 6
Franz Liszt
[1-3] Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat major, S124
[4-9] Piano Concerto No.2 in A major, S125
Ivan Davis (piano)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Downes

Sergey Rachmaninov
[10-12] Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18
Ivan Davis (piano)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Henry Lewis

Rachmaninov – first international CD release

CD 7
Antonín Dvorák
[1-4] Symphony No.9 in E minor, op.95 “From the New World”
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Antal Dorati

Zoltán Kodály
[5-10] Háry János — Suite
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Antal Dorati
 
CD 8
Carl Orff
Carmina Burana
[1-2] Fortune, empress of the world
[3-5] Spring
[6-10] On the green
[11-14] In the Tavern
[15-23] The court of love
[24] Blanchefleur and Helen
[25] Fortune, empress of the world
Norma Burrowes (soprano), Louis Devos (tenor), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
Brighton Festival Chorus, Southend Boys’ Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Antal Dorati

CD 9
Sergey Prokofiev
[1-5] Peter and the Wolf, op.67 (Narrative revised by Gabrielle Hilton)
Sean Connery (narrator)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Antal Dorati

Sergey Prokofiev
[6-10] Lieutenant Kijé — Symphonic Suite, op.60
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Antal Dorati

Benjamin Britten
[11-16] The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, op.34
Sean Connery (narrator)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Antal Dorati

CD 10
Gioachino Rossini / Ottorino Respighi
[1-9] La Boutique fantasque — Ballet suite
[10-13] Suite Rossiniana
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Antal Dorati

CD 11
The Magnificent voice of Eileen Farrell
[1] You’ll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers, Hammerstein)  
[2] Bless This House (Brahe)      
[3] I Got Dat Feelin’ (Arlen)      
[4] Climb Ev’ry Mountain (Rodgers, Hammerstein)   
[5] Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve seen (Traditional, arr.Sharples)
[6] If I Could Tell You (Firestone)     
[7] If I Loved You (Rodgers, Hammerstein)    
[8] Trees (Rasbach)       
[9] We Shall Overcome (Carawan)     
[10] The Lord’s Prayer (Malotte)     
[11] Deep River (Traditional, arr.Sharples)    
[12] Peace of Mind (Paul)      
Eileen Farrell (soprano)
London Festival Orchestra and Chorus / Robert Sharples

First international CD release
  
CD 12
Fiedler Encores
Jean Sibelius
[1] Finlandia, op.26 no.7       
Edvard Grieg
[2-5] Peer Gynt Suite No.1, op.46
[6] Peer Gynt Suite No.2, op.55 - Solveig’s Song     
Antonín Dvorák
[7] Slavonic Dance in C, op.46 no.1    
Bedrich Smetana
[8] Má vlast - 2. Vltava (The Moldau)      
Ralph Vaughan Williams
[9-11] English Folk Song Suite (transcribed Gordon Jacob)
Charles Ives
[12] Variations on “America” (orchestrator: William Howard Schuman)
Boston Pops Orchestra / Arthur Fiedler

CD 13
George Gershwin
[1] Girl Crazy — Suite (orch. Leroy Anderson)  
[2] Oh, Kay! — Overture (orch. Don Rose)   
[3] Funny Face — Overture (orch. Don Rose)  
[4] Let ‘em Eat Cake — Overture (orch. Don Rose) 
[5] Of Thee I Sing — Overure (orch. Don Rose)  
[6] Of Thee I Sing — “Wintergreen for President” (orch.Walter Paul)
[7-9] 3 Preludes (arr. Gregory Stone)
[10] Rhapsody No.2 for piano & orchestra (arr. Robert McBride)
Ralph Votapek (piano)
Boston Pops Orchestra / Arthur Fiedler

CD 14
Johann Strauss II
Waltzes
[1] An der schönen, blauen Donau, op.314 (The Blue Danube) 
[2] Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald, 215 (Tales from the Vienna Woods)
[3] Frühlingsstimmen, op.410 (Voices of Spring)  
[4] Künstlerleben, op.316 (Artist’s Life)   
[5] Rosen aus dem Süden, op.388 (Roses from the South)  
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[6-13] The Nutcracker — suite, op.71a
The Boston Pops Orchestra / Arthur Fiedler

CD 15
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake, op.20
[1] Introduction: Moderato assai — allegro ma non troppo — Tempo I 
[2-18] Act One
[19-29] Act Two
 
CD 16
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake, op.20
[1-18] Act Three
[19-24] Act Four
Ruggiero Ricci (violin)
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Anatole Fistoulari

First international CD release of complete Swan Lake

CD 17
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[1-3] Violin Concerto in D major, op.35
Felix Mendelssohn 1809-1847
[5-6] Violin Concerto in E minor, op.64
Ruggiero Ricci (violin)
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Jean Fournet
 
CD 18
Music from the Great Hitchcock Movie Thrillers
[1] Psycho (A narrative for orchestra)   
[2] Marnie       
[3] North by Northwest     
[4] Vertigo Prelude — The nightmare — Scène d’amour
[5] A portrait of ‘Hitch’ (from The Trouble with Harry)
London Philharmonic Orchestra / Bernard Herrmann
 
CD 19
Bernard Herrmann
[1] Journey to the Centre of the Earth    
[2] The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad     
[3] The Day the Earth Stood Still     
[4] Fahrenheit 451       
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Bernard Herrmann

CD 20
Georges Bizet
Carmen — excerpts
[1] Prélude     
[2] L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) 
[3] Près des remparts de Séville  
[4] Les tringles des sistres tintaient  
[5] Nous avons en tête une affaire!  
[6] Mêlons! Coupons!    
[7] C’est toi! C’est moi!   

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[8-11] Symphony No.6 in B minor, op.74 “Pathétique”

Marilyn Horne - Carmen
Maria Pellegrini - Frasquita
Gwyneth Griffiths - Mercédès
Michele Molese - Don José
David Bowman - Dancaïre
Francis Egerton - Remendado
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Henry Lewis

First international CD release of Bizet & Tchaikovsky

CD 21
Ludwig van Beethoven
[1-5] Symphony No.6 in F major, op.68 “Pastoral”
Richard Strauss
[6] Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, op.28   
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Henry Lewis

First international CD release of Beethoven & Strauss

CD 22
Richard Strauss
[1] Tod und Verklärung, op.24  
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[2] Francesca da Rimini, op.32 Fantasy after Dante
Sergey Prokofiev
[3-5] Piano Concerto No.3 in C major, op.26
Israela Margalit (piano)
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Lorin Maazel

All first international CD releases

CD 23
Gustav Mahler
[1-4] Symphony No.1 in D major “Titan”
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Erich Leinsdorf

Richard Wagner
[5] Tannhäuser — Overture and Venusberg Music  
London Symphony Orchestra / Erich Leinsdorf
 
Wagner first international CD release

CD 24
Americana
[1] Battle Hymn of the Republic (Traditional, arr.Black)   
[2] America the Beautiful (Ward)      
[3] Hoe Down (Traditional, arr. Black)     
[4] Beautiful Dreamer (Foster, arr. Shaw)    
[5] Oklahoma (Rogers, Hammerstein)    
[6] Mademoiselle from Armentières (Carlton) — When Johnny Comes Marching Home
[7] Camptown Races (Foster, arr. Black)  
8] Carry me back to the Lone Prairie (Robison)    
[9] Blow the Man Down (Traditional, arr. Black)    
[10] The Whiffenpoof Song (Pomeroy, Galloway, Minnigerode)  
[11] Ask not (Willson)      
Robert Merrill (baritone)
London Festival Orchestra & Chorus / Stanley Black

CD 25
Georges Bizet
[1-7] Carmen — Suite
[8-12] L’Arlésienne — Suite
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Charles Munch

CD 26
Jacques Offenbach (arr. Manuel Rosenthal)
[1-21] Gaîté parisienne — Ballet
Ottorino Respighi
[22-25] Pines of Rome
[26-29] Fountains of Rome
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Charles Munch

CD 27
Flamenco puro ‘live’
[1] Llano gitano       
[2] La piedra escrita       
[3] Giralda de Sevilla       
[4] De Badajoz a Madrid      
[5] Agua, viento, nieve e frio      
[6] Ay mi Romera       
[7] El burdon y la prima      
[8] Feria di Sevilla       
[9] Fiesta de Triana y Jerez
Paco Pena & His Group      
Barrilito • Manuel Sota ‘El Sordera’
Faiquillo de Córdoba • Margarita

CD 28
Albert William Ketèlbey
[1] In a Monastery Garden      
[2] Wedgwood Blue       
[3] In the Mystic Land of Egypt     
[4] Bells across the Meadows      
[5] In a Chinese Temple Garden     
[6] Sanctuary of the Heart      
[7] ‘Appy ‘Ampstead       
[8] The Phantom Melody      
[9] In a Persian Market      
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus / Eric Rogers

Violin Encores
[10] Hejre Kati, op.22 (Hubay, arr.Sax)    
[11] Berceuse de Jocelyn (Godard, arr.Sax)    
[12] Valse sentimentale, op.51 no.6 (Tchaikovsky, arr.Sax)
[13] Fêtes tziganes (Sternhold)     
[14] Méditation (Thaïs — Massenet, arr.Sax)   
[15] Im chambre séparée (Heuberger, Waldberg, Léon, arr.Sax) 
[16] Intermezzo (Garden scene — Much Ado About Nothing) (Korngold) 
[17] None but the lonely heart (Tchaikovsky, arr.Sax)  
[18] Czárdas (Monti, arr.Sax)     
Josef Sakonov (violin)
London Festival Orchestra

CD 29
Miklós Rózsa
Music from Ben Hur
[1] Fanfare to Prelude       
[2] Star of Bethlehem and Adoration of the Magi   
[3] Friendship        
[4] The Burning Desert      
[5] Arrius’s Party       
[6] Rowing of the Galley Slaves     
[7] Parade of the Charioteers      
[8] The Mother’s Love      
[9] Return to Judea       
[10] Ring for Freedom      
[11] Lepers’ search for the Christ     
[12] Procession to Calvary      
[13] Miracle and finale      
National Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus / Miklós Rózsa

CD 30
Ludwig van Beethoven
[1] Egmont Overture, Op.84
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
     
[2-5] Symphony No.9 in D minor, op.125
Heather Harper (soprano), Helen Watts (contralto), Alexander Young (tenor), Donald McIntyre (bass)
London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

CD 31
Hector Berlioz
[1-5] Symphonie fantastique, op.14
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

[6] La Damnation de Faust, op.24 Ballet des Sylphes 
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
   
[Maurice Ravel
[7] Fanfare pour “L’Eventail de Jeanne”
Hilversum Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
  
[8-10] Daphnis et Chloé — Suite No.2
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

CD 32
Modest Mussorgsky
[1-8] Pictures at an Exhibition (Symphonic transcription by Leopold Stokowski)
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

[9] Boris Godunov (Symphonic synthesis by Leopold Stokowski)
L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Leopold Stokowski
  
[10] Night on the Bare Mountain (Orch. Leopold Stokowski)
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
 
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[11] Ouverture solennelle “1812”, op.49    
Band of the Grenadier Guards, Royal Philharmonic Chorus & Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
 
CD 33
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
[1-4] Scheherazade, op.35
Erich Gruenberg (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

[5-9] Capriccio espagnol, op.34
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
 
Alexander Borodin
[10] Polovtsian Dances (Prince Igor — compl/orch. Rimsky-Korsakov & Glazunov)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus / Leopold Stokowski

CD 34
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[1-4] Symphony No.5 in E minor, op.64
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

Alexander Glazunov
[5-6] Violin Concerto in A minor, op.62
Silvia Marcovici (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

CD 35
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[1-9] Swan Lake, op.20 — selections
[10-18] The Sleeping Beauty, op.66 — selections
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

[19] Romeo and Juliet — Fantasy Overture after Shakespeare
L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Leopold Stokowski
  
[2] Marche slave, op.31
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

CD 36
Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons, op.8
[1-3] Concerto No.1 for violin and strings in E major, RV 269 - “La primavera” (“Spring”)
[4-6] Concerto No.2 for violin and strings in G minor, RV 315 - “L’estate” (“Summer”)
[7-9] Concerto No.3 for violin and strings in F major, RV 293 - “L’autumno” (“Autumn”)
[10-12] Concerto No.4 for violin and strings in F minor, RV 297 - “L’inverno” (“Winter”)
Hugh Bean (violin)
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

First international CD release

CD 37
Richard Wagner
[1] Die Walküre — The Ride of the Valkyries  
[2] Götterdämmerung — Dawn and Siegfried’s Rhine Journey (Barry Tuckwell horn)
[3] Götterdämmerung — Siegfried’s Death and Funeral Music 
[4] Das Rheingold — Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla  
[5] Siegfried — Forest Murmurs     
[6] Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg — Prelude to Act 1  
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

CD 38
Orchestral Transcriptions
Johann Sebastian Bach
[1] Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 565   
[2] Prelude in E flat minor (Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 853) 
[3] Mein Jesu, was für Seelenweh (Schemelli Gesangbuch, BWV 487) 
[4] Wir glauben all’ an einen Gott (Chorale prelude for organ, BWV 680)
[5] Chorale (“Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn”) — Easter Cantata, BWV 4 
[6] Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582    
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski

William Byrd
[7] Pavan “The Earl of Salisbury” and Galliard (after Francis Tregian) 
Jeremiah Clarke
[8] Trumpet voluntary (Howard Snell solo trumpet)    
Franz Schubert
[9] Moment musical No.3 in F minor, D780     
Frédéric Chopin
[10] Mazurka in A minor, op.12 no.4      
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[11] Chant sans paroles, op.40 no.6      
Henri Duparc
[12] Extase (David Gray: solo horn)
London Symphony Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
      
Sergey Rachmaninov
[13] Prelude in C sharp minor, op.3 no.2     
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski
 
CD 39
Central Philharmonic Society
[1-4] Yellow River Concerto
Based on the Great Song of the Yellow River by Xian Xinghai, arr. by Yin Chengzong, Chu Wanghua, Liu Zhang & Sheng Lihong
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Elgar Howarth

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
[5-7] Piano Concerto No.21 in C major, K467
Ilana Vered (piano)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Lawrence Foster

Yellow River Concerto first international CD release
 
CD 40
Ludwig van Beethoven
[1-3] Piano Sonata No.21 in C major, op.53 “Waldstein”
Franz Schubert
[4-7] Fantasy in C major “Wanderer”, D760
Igor Stravinsky
[8-10] Three Movements from Petrouchka
Ilana Vered (piano)

All first international CD releases