Posted 8:09 PM by Gene

I'm finishing up the third of three Universal Original Masters sets I got from an eBay merchant. The first is of Eduard van Beinum, who introduced me to one of my utterly favorite symphonic works, the Britten Purcell Variations (better known under its wearyingly pedantic title Young Persons' Guide to the Orchestra, and sometimes polluted with a narration); it's almost impossible to find on CD though it's been issued twice. An outstanding Dutch conductor. The second was of Arthur Grumiaux, one of the great violinists of the last century; he makes the listener understand why the girls went wild over Paganini. I'm concluding with Josef Krips, best known (unfortunately) for cheapie Beethoven symphony sets but a man who, if lacking his own straightforward style, was straightforward in conducting great music, especially the Brahms Fourth and the Tchaikovsky Fifth. I heartily recommend all three sets -- and there are others to boot.