Leopold Stokowski - Stokowski Plays the 20th Century (2017)

Tracklist
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CD1
01. Symphony No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 42 "Ilya Muromets": I. Wandering Pilgrims (Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor): Andante sostenuto
02. Symphony No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 42 "Ilya Muromets": II. Solovey the Brigand
03. Symphony No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 42 "Ilya Muromets": III. With Vladimir Fair Sun
04. Symphony No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 42 "Ilya Muromets": IV. Prowess and Petrifaction of Il'ya Muromets
05. Petrushka Suite: I. Russian Dance
06. Petrushka Suite: II. The Shrovetide Fair
07. Petrushka Suite: III. Wet Nurses' Dance
08. Petrushka Suite: IV. Peasant and Bear
09. Petrushka Suite: V. Dance of the Gipsy Girls
10. Petrushka Suite: VI. Dance of the Coachmen and Ostlers
11. Petrushka Suite: VII. The Masqueraders
12. Schelomo

CD2
01. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: I. Moderato
02. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: II. Allegretto
03. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: III. Largo
04. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: IV. Allegro non troppo
05. Le poeme de l'extase (The Poem of Ecstasy), Op. 54, "Symphony No. 4"
06. Escales: I. Rome-Palerme
07. Escales: II. Tunis-Nefta
08. Escales: III. Valencia


Leopold Stokowski was among the most important and influential conductors of the 20th century - famed for the richly seductive sound of his ensembles, he was also a tireless promoter of new music, premiering key works from composers including Mahler, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. Born April 18, 1882 in London, Stokowski later studied at the Paris Conservatory, and upon relocating to the U.S. in 1905 signed on as organist and choirmaster at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City. Four years later he began his conducting career with the Cincinnati Symphony, and in 1912 he accepted the helm of the Philadelphia Orchestra and transformed it into one of the most celebrated ensembles in the world. In 1917 the orchestra made its first recording, Brahms' Hungarian Dance #5; in the decades that followed, Stokowski made over 700 records, among them the score to Walt Disney's 1940 masterpiece Fantasia (in which he also appeared). He also introduced over 400 new compositions in either world or U.S. premieres; among the most notable were performances of Mahler's Symphony #8, Prokofiev's Symphony #6, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #4, Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps, and Vaughan Williams' Symphony #9. Additionally, Stokowski was a pivotal force in popularizing the music of Bach, although his transcriptions were often highly controversial. Although Stokowski exited from full-time duties in Philadelphia in 1936, he conducted part of each season for several years thereafter; he founded the All-American Youth Orchestra in 1940, and between 1942 and 1943 co-conducted the NBC Symphony Orchestra alongside the legendary Arturo Toscanini. Although in later years he refused long-term conducting projects, he enjoyed brief tenures with many of the world's most famous ensembles, and in 1962 also founded New York's American Symphony Orchestra, a group for aspiring young talent. After cutting his final recordings in May 1977, Stokowski died on September 13 of that year; he was 95 years old.

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