Canfield Discographic Encyclopedia Of Classical Composers

The intent of any discography is comprehensiveness, aiming to include every recording within its chosen area, and to list all the important details of each. The discography, New York Philharmonic: The Authorized Recordings, 1917-2005 is no exception. Author James H. North has compiled more than 1500 commercial recordings made by the New York Philharmonic from 1917 to 2005. A fifteen-page Introduction serves as a general history of New York Philharmonic recordings, discussing issues such as the importance of recordings, the orchestra's relationships with various recording companies, the venues used, recordings of interest which were not made (and why they were not), and the record-labeling systems used by Columbia/CBS/Sony, the Philharmonic's long-term business partner. The entries are presented in chronological order of recording sessions and contain important details such as music played, performers, session dates and venues, recording companies and producers, first release dates, and all issues of the recording, including 78- and 45-rpm discs, Long-Playing records, and Compact Discs. Three appendixes catalog the entries by composer, conductor, and soloists respectively, referring the reader to the appropriate entry in the main listing. Two additional appendixes further illustrate the New York Philharmonic's history, one by describing the 78-rpm records made for class use by Ginn and Company during the mid-1920s, the other listing the twenty-five 'Young People's Concerts,' written and conducted by Leonard Bernstein and broadcast worldwide on television from 1958 to 1970, now available on VHS and DVD.

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936): An Annotated Bibliography provides documentation and annotation of all of this great composer's articles, books, theses, and dissertations with references to Respighi and his music published during the last century throughout the world. Lee G. Barrow provides a comprehensive general index as well as both a discography and an index of Respighi's compositions.

This discography addresses all the recordings made by The Boston Symphony Orchestra and by the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. Each entry contains complete details of the recording session and work, including all the soloists and choruses, as well as issued discs and tapes in many formats. The material is cross-referenced in indexes organized by composer, conductor, and soloist. In addition to commercial recordings, this volume has separate sections on recordings issued by the U.S. government, recordings made by BSO musicians under other ensemble names, and 'pirate' recordings of BSO concerts and broadcasts.

An important extra in the book is a survey of Kostelanetz's career and on evaluation of his achievements, contributed by noted radio historian Dick O'Connor. A foreword by Barbara Haws, archivist and historian of the New York Philharmonic, completes this invaluable reference. --Book Jacket.