Herbert von Karajan: Mozart, Ravel, Tchaikovsky [Clara Haskil; Philharmonia Orchestra; Herbert von Karajan] [Ica Classics: ICAC 5142]

This release has been sourced from the Richard Itter archive. The collection is very important for collectors because it has never been released before onto the market. Herbert von Karajans association with the Philharmonia Orchestra started in 1948 and continued to 1960. Despite this long relationship, there are practically no live recordings from Londons Royal Festival Hall of Karajan and the Philharmonia caught on the wing. Karajans live Philharmonia account of Tchaikovskys Symphony No.4 in 1955 is an unrestrained version of his studio recording of 1953 which The Gramophone descibed as phenominal, a record in a thousand. Ravels Rapsodie espagnole was played in London just prior to Karajans Philharmonia tour of the USA in Autumn 1955 and was thought at the time to be even more sensuosly beautiful than his widely praised studio account with the Philharmonia from 1953. The Mozart concert is important because it features the Romanian pianist Clara Haskil (1896-1960) with whom Karajan had an extraordinary rapport. Since they were both contracted to different companies, they never recorded together which makes this memento of their collaboration especially valuable. Furthermore, this live 1956 London performance of the Jupiter Symphony also fills an important gap in Karajans Philharmonia discography, since a studio recording begun in August 1953 was never completed.