Sergiu Celibidache’s relationship with the Münchner Philharmoniker lasted from 1979 until the Romanian-born conductor’s death in 1996. Believing in unusually lengthy, detailed rehearsals and in achieving a state of transcendence in the concert hall, Celibidache moulded the Bavarian orchestra into an ensemble to rival the Berliner Philharmoniker, which he had conducted more than 400 times in the years following World War II. This 49-CD set, which reflects (though not exclusively) Celibidache’s particular dedication to Austro-German repertoire, includes seven of Bruckner’s symphonies in interpretations of characteristic expansiveness and spirituality.

Celibidache was without question one of the most important and original conductors in recent memory. He was a perfectionist who disliked what he perceived to be the synthetic sounds created in the modern recording studio, preferring the immediacy of the concert and the interaction with a live audience. This 49-CD box celebrates the  extraordinary legacy of his collaboration with the Müncher Philharmoniker portraying the excitement and atmosphere of their live performances.

It includes all the recordings from the 4 previous EMI/Warner boxes: Bruckner Symphonies 3-9…; symphonies from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Brahms; French & Russian music; sacred music and opera. And as a bonus CD Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony recorded in 1948 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

These recordings are highly valuable and have been in the top sales of EMI Classics and Warner Classics catalogue since their release. The Bruckner cycle is particularly well-known and acclaimed.

Celibidache was Musical Director of the Müncher Philharmoniker between 1979 and his death in 1996. Heavily influenced by Buddhism he is renowned for creating exceptional and life-altering experiences for his audiences through his perfect balancing of sonic and spatial considerations.

Contents:

CD 1
Haydn
Symphony No.103 in E flat ‘Drum Roll’
Symphony No.104 in D ‘London’

CD 2
Mozart
Symphony No.40 in G minor K550
Haydn
Symphony No.92 in G ‘Oxford’

CD 3-8
Beethoven
Symphony No.2 in D Op.36
Symphony No.4 in B flat Op.60 (1987 recording)
Symphony No.3 in E flat Op.55 ‘Eroica’
Symphony No.4 in B flat Op.60 (1995 recording)
Symphony No.5 in C minor Op.67
Symphony No.6 in F Op.68 ‘Pastoral’
Symphony No.7 in A Op.92
Symphony No.8 in F Op.93
Symphony No.9 in D minor Op.125 ‘Choral’

CD 9
Schubert
Symphony No.9 in C D944 ‘Great’

CD 10-12
Brahms
Symphony No.1 in C minor Op.68
Symphony No.2 in D Op.73
Symphony No.3 in F Op.90
Symphony No.4 in E minor Op.98

CD 13
Schumann
Symphony No.2 in C Op.61
Brahms
Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn Op.56a

CD 14
Schumann
Symphony No.3 in E flat Op.97 ‘Rhenish’
Symphony No.4 in D minor Op.120

CD 15
Weber
Oberon: Overture
Wagner
Parsifal: Good Friday music (Act III)
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act I & Liebestod

CD 16
Wagner
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act I
Siegfried Idyll
Götterdämmerung: Funeral March
Tannhäuser: Overture

CD 17-28
Bruckner
Symphony No.3 in D minor (1888/89, ed. Nowak)
Symphony No.4 in E flat ‘Romantic’ (ed. Haas)
Symphony No.5 in B flat (1878, ed. Haas)
Symphony No.6 in A (ed. Haas)
Symphony No.7 in E (ed. Haas)
Te Deum (1883/84, ed. Peters)
Symphony No.8 in C minor (1890, ed. Nowak)
Symphony No.9 in D minor (ed. Nowak) plus rehearsal excerpts
Mass No.3 in F minor

CD 29
Rossini
Guillaume Tell: Overture
Semiramide: Overture
La scala di seta: Overture
La gazza ladra: Overture
Verdi
La forza del destino: Overture
Mozart
Don Giovanni: Overture

CD 30
Berlioz
Le Carnaval romain, Op.9
Mendelssohn
Die Hebriden Op.26
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Op.21
Schubert
Rosamunde D644
Smetana
Má vlast: II Vltava
J Strauss II
Die Fledermaus: Overture

CD 31
Debussy
La Mer
Images for Orchestra: No.2 ‘Ibéria’

CD 32
Milhaud
Concerto for marimba, vibraphone and orchestra Op.278
Suite française Op.248
Roussel
Petite Suite Op.39
Suite in F Op.33

CD 33
Mussorgsky orch. Ravel
Pictures at an Exhibition
Ravel
Boléro

CD 34-37
Tchaikovsky
Symphony No.4 in F minor Op.36
The Nutcracker: Ballet Suite Op.71a
Symphony No.5 in E minor Op.64
Symphony No.6 in B minor Op.74 ‘Pathétique’

CD 38
Rimsky-Korsakov
Scheherazade Op.35

CD 39
Prokofiev
Symphony No.1 in D Op.25 ‘Classical’
Symphony No.5 in B flat Op.100


CD 40
Shostakovich
Symphony No.1 in F minor Op.10
Symphony No.9 in E flat Op.70
Barber
Adagio for Strings Op.11

CD 41
Bartók
Concerto for Orchestra Sz116 plus rehearsal excerpts

CD 42–23
JS Bach
Mass in B minor BWV232

CD 44
Mozart
Requiem in D minor K626

CD 45–47
Verdi
Messa da Requiem
Brahms
Ein deutsches Requiem Op.45

CD 48
Fauré
Requiem Op.48
Stravinsky
Symphony of Psalms

CD 49 Bonus: Berlin 1948
Prokofiev
Symphony No.1 in D Op.25 ‘Classical’
- Berliner Philharmoniker