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Serge Koussevitzky

Bach H. Nguyen | MA | 08/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Serge Koussevitzky was one of the most important of Russian classical directors in the first half of 20th century. He was the director of Berlin Philharmonic in 1908. A year later, he came back to Moscow and established the famous Koussevitzky Orchestra. In 1921, he came to Paris and founded the Concert Symphoniques Koussevitzky Orchestra. From 1924 to 1949, he was director of Boston Symphony Orchestra. In Boston, he developed the Tanglewood Festival, and Concert Hall (now is the Bershire Music Center). He was also one of persons who had built up a strong foundation for American classical music. Leonard Bernstein was one of his students.



This box set contains some major of Koussevitzky's works at BSO from 1928 to 1947. The sound is mono (of course), but clear and sharpness. Here you can see Koussevitzky gave the standard for Russian music, like the symphonies of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgky, and Rachmaninov, especially in Francesca da Rimini of Tchaikovsky. Beside, you can "feel" the difference of German classical (Symphonies of Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, and Strauss' work) from Russian side, it's so different to other German directors (like Walter, Mahler...).



Strongly recommend!"