27 April 2020 will mark Guido Cantelli’s centenary. Arturo Toscanini discovered him during a 1948 rehearsal at La Scala and invited him to conduct the NBC Symphony in New York in January 1949. Widely considered as Toscanini’s heir, the very demanding Cantelli was invited by most prestigious orchestras in the world including New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, La Scala, Philharmonia Orchestra... He tragically died in a plane crash on 24 November 1956 at the age of 36, just after having been named artistic director of La Scala. The complete recordings he did for EMI (now Warner) – which represent a large part of his recorded legacy – are here complemented by a documentary by Jon Tolansky and by a Beethoven Fifth Symphony rehearsal session released for the first time. All the recordings but 78rpm have been remastered in HD from original tapes.

Contents:

CD 1

1-4. Tchaikovsky - Symphony no.5 in E minor, op.64
- Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Milano
Recorded: 23 & 26.IX.1950, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London (1-4) · MONO
Producer: David Bicknell (1-4), unknown (5-9)
Balance engineer: Robert Beckett (1-4)
Originally released as ALP 1001

5. Rossini - L’assedio di Corinto: Overture
6-9. Casella - Paganiniana, op.65
- Orchestra Stabile Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma
Recorded: 9 (5), 13-14 (6-9) V.1949, Teatro Argentina, Rome · MONO
Originally released as DB11324 (5), DB11334 (6-9)

CD 2

1. Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet: Fantasy Overture
2. Wagner - Siegfried Idyll
- Dennis Brain (horn)
3-6. Mendelssohn - Symphony no.4 in A major, op.90 ‘Italian’
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 12 (3-6), 13 (1), 16 (2).X.1951 (1), No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London · MONO
Producers: Lawrance Collingwood (1, 3-6) & David Bicknell (1-6)
Balance engineer: Douglas Larter
Originally released on DB21373-5 (1), ALP 1086 (2), Testament SBT 1173 (3-6)

CD 3

1-4. Tchaikovsky - Symphony no.6 in B minor, op.74 ‘Pathétique’
5. Rossini - La gazza ladra: Overture
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 22 (5), 22-25 & 28 (1-4) X.1952, Royal Festival Hall, London · MONO
Producers: Lawrance Collingwood & David Bicknell
Balance engineer: Douglas Larter
Originally released on ALP 1042 (1-4), Testament SBT 1034 (5)

CD 4

1-4. Schumann - Symphony no.4 in D minor, op.120
5-8. Brahms - Symphony no.1 in C minor, op.68
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 15 & 21 (1-4) & 21–22 (5-8) V.1953, Kingsway Hall, London · MONO
Producer: Lawrance Collingwood
Balance engineer: Douglas Larter
Originally released on BLP 1044 (1-4), ALP 1152 (5-8)

CD 5

1. Ravel - Pavane pour une infante défunte
2-4. Falla - El sombrero de tres picos: 3 Danzas
5. Debussy - Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
6. Dukas - L’Apprenti sorcier
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 24–25.X.1952 Royal Festival Hall, London (1); 1 (2-4, 6), 8-9 (5) VI.1954, Kingsway Hall, London · MONO
Producer: Lawrance Collingwood (1, 5), David Bicknell (1-6)
Balance engineer: Harold Davidson (1, 5), Robert Beckett (2-4, 6)
Originally released on ALP 1207

7-9. Franck - Symphony in D minor
- NBC Symphony Orchestra
Recorded: 6.IV.1954, Carnegie Hall, New York · STEREO
Producer: John Pfeiffer
Balance engineer: Leslie Chase
Originally released on ALP 1219

CD 6

1-3. Debussy - La Mer
4-7. Debussy - Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien
8-9. Debussy - Nocturnes: Nuages & Fêtes
10-12. Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé: Suite no.2
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 4 & 8.VI (4-7), 13–14.IX.1954 (1-3), 4 & 6.VIII.1955 (8-12), 28.V.1956 (10-12), Kingsway Hall, London · MONO
Producers: David Bicknell & Lawrance Collingwood
Balance engineer: Robert Beckett (4-7), Douglas Larter (1-3, 8-12)
Originally released on ALP 1228 (1-7), BLP 1089 (8-12)

CD 7

1-2. Schubert - Symphony no.8 in B minor, D759 ‘Unfinished’
3-6. Mendelssohn - Symphony no.4 in A major, op.90 ‘Italian’
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 12, 13 & 16 (3-6), 18 (1-2) VIII.1955, Kingsway Hall, London · MONO (3-6), STEREO (1-2)
Producer: Lawrance Collingwood
Balance engineer: Christopher Parker (1-2), Neville Boyling (1-6)
Originally released on ALP 1325

CD 8

1-4. Brahms - Symphony no.3 in F major, op.90
5-8. Mozart - Ein musikalischer Spaß, K522 (A Musical Joke)
9-12. Mozart - Symphony no.29 in A major, K201
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 8, 9, 12, 16 & 18 (1-4), 18 (5-8) VIII.1955, 28–31.V.1956 (9-12) Kingsway Hall, London · STEREO
Producer: Lawrance Collingwood
Balance engineers: Christopher Parker (5-8), Neville Boyling (1-8), Douglas Larter (8-12)
Originally released on BLP 1083 (1-4), ALP 1461 (5-12)

CD 9

Beethoven
1-4. Symphony no.7 in A major, op.92
5-7. Symphony no.5 in C minor, op.67 (movements I-III)
8-10. Recording sessions of Symphony no.5 (movements I-III)
- Philharmonia Orchestra
Recorded: 28–31.V (1-4), 31.V & 1, 4 & 5.VI (5-10) 1956, Kingsway Hall, London · STEREO (1-7), MONO (8-10)
Producer: Lawrance Collingwood
Balance engineer: Douglas Larter
Originally released on ASD 254 (1-4), Testament SBT 1034 (5-7)
World premiere release (8-10)

CD 10: Remembering Guido Cantelli
Written, narrated and produced by Jon Tolansky

1. Introduction
Beethoven - Symphony no.5: Finale – Narration

2. Introduction – first recordings
Narration – Casella - Paganiniana

3. Cantelli’s impact
Narration – Hugh Maguire and Hugh Bean
Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet

4. Cantelli’s perfectionism
Narration

5. Mendelssohn
Symphony no.4 ‘Italian’: Finale

6. Recording sessions
Narration – Gareth Morris, John Cave and Hugh Bean – Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé: Suite no.2 in rehearsal

7. The Philharmonia and Cantelli
Narration – Hugh Bean – Debussy - La Mer: Jeux de vagues

8. Recording sessions
Narration – Hugh Bean – Brahms - Symphony no.3: F inale

9. Cantelli’s impact on the audience
Narration – Bernard Dennis-Browne – Beethoven - Symphony no.5: Scherzo in rehearsal – in performance

10. Cantelli’s final recording and death
Narration – Bernard Dennis-Browne – Beethoven - Symphony no.5: Finale