This CD in our 'Legendary Recordings' series is the first in a projected set of archive recordings by Ferenc Fricsay. A clear orchestral tone, boundless...

This CD in our 'Legendary Recordings' series is the first in a projected set of archive recordings by Ferenc Fricsay. A clear orchestral tone, boundless musical energy and tireless attention to musical form - these are what characterise Fricsay's work with the Berlin orchestra whose rich tradition has continued since 1993 under its new name, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Fricsay conducted this orchestra for thirteen years. He shaped its distinctive sound and laid the foundations for open-minded programme planning which always moved with the times. All this, together with his artistic philosophy, left a lasting mark on the orchestra. This CD presents two examples of Fricsay's work with the orchestra in Berlin: the unique collaboration with the French pianist Alfred Cortot, who interprets Schumann's Piano Concerto in the spirit of a Fantasia, and his performance of Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, which under his baton becomes a drama in sound. For every production marked with our home page now includes a 'Producer's Comment' from our producer, Ludger Böckenhoff. His immediate impressions, jotted down live during the production process, reveal the thoughts going through his mind as he works on the musical material, revealing how he hears and experiences the music.It's a subjective impression, giving a close and excitingly vivid insight into the production process. In order to preserve the authentic flavour, we have resisted the temptation to reword this production diary in the style of language more usually employed for press releases. The first of these 'Producer's Comments', referring to this CD, can be found here .