1901 - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18
[1] I Moderato
[2] II Adagio sostenuto
[3] III Allegro scherzando
Leif Ove Andsnes
Berliner Philharmoniker, Antonio Pappano
Recorded live: 3-4 June 2005, Philharmonie, Berlin

1905 - Debussy: La mer
[4] I De l'aube a midi sur la mer
[5] II Jeux de vagues
[6] III Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Philharmonia Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini
Recorded: 11-13 & 19 April 1962, Kingsway Hall, London

[7] 1907 - Delius: Brigg Fair (An English Rhapsody) 15.51
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham
Recorded: 31 October 1956 & 2 April 1957, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

One of the criteria for a Hall of Fame entry is availability, so this vast 16-CD set may not apply for long. It is unlikely to continue to be in print for years to come, so snatch it up while you can. Several of the performances above have been reissued many times and some, such as du Pré’s Elgar, Boult’s Planets, and Isserlis’s Protecting Veil, are regarded as classic recordings.

The set covers 96 years of “masterpieces,” from Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto of 1901 to Thomas Adès’ Asyla of 1997, and presents them in chronological order (as listed above). It is a handy and reasonably comprehensive overview of 20th-century music: useful as a reference, although notes are too scanty for serious study, and great fun to dip into. A plus is that the works are presented in their entirety, not excerpted—with the exception of the “Abschied” movement from Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (another “classic” performance from Christa Ludwig and Otto Klemperer).

The chronological layout brings up odd bedfellows: Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima shares a disc with Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story. And it comes as a surprise to realize that Vaughan Williams’s lark was ascending at around the same time Stravinsky stunned the Paris elite with his primitive rite.

With such a large collection, inevitably faults can be found. Are all these works truly “20th-century masterpieces”? Landowski’s Adagio cantabile, Khachaturian’s Masquerade, and Maw’s Dance Scenes probably don’t qualify, and while it is well known, Fanfare for the Common Man is hardly Copland’s masterwork. Surely Appalachian Spring would have been the obvious choice. Other notable omissions include Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Messiaen’s Turangalila-symphonie, and the American repertoire generally. Henze, Schnittke, and Birtwistle are composers who might have been more strongly represented than they are, but the later music in this set is of course limited by what EMI could find in their archive.

Performances are generally of a high standard, and some are outstanding. Examples include Beecham’s Delius (Brigg Fair) and Rostropovich in Dutilleux’s cello concerto, “Tout un monde lointain . . .”. Simon Rattle and his old Birmingham band get the lion’s share, but theirs are fine recordings, especially of Schoenberg, Webern, Adams’s short piece “The Chairman Dances” and Adès’s Asyla. Martha Argerich is the only soloist who doubles up: we get her Bartók and her light-fingered approach to Prokofiev’s First Piano Concerto. (Another odd choice, as the Prokofiev Third is arguably the composer’s masterpiece, and EMI holds some excellent versions of it, including Beroff, François, and Argerich herself. Maybe they needed something from the year of the First.)

Composers conduct their own works where possible. In the case of Lutos?awski’s Concerto for Orchestra, the result is a little rough, notably in the trumpet section. The EMI alternative was a tighter rendition under Ozawa, leading the infinitely superior Chicago SO. Still, having Lutos?awski on the podium makes it a historical document. Unfortunately, this policy is not consistent. Why didn’t they choose Tippett’s own performance of his Fantasia concertante, originally on Virgin Classics, instead of the cautious, rough-edged, and ancient recording with Barshai?

Nina Stemme’s singing of Strauss’s Four Last Songs is a fine modern recording, but, again, I am surprised by its inclusion when EMI had Schwarzkopf/Szell and Popp/Tennstedt at their disposal.

Nit-picking aside, I was delighted to become reacquainted with some old favorite performances. Giulini’s La mer, Frühbeck de Burgos’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain, and his 1966 Carmina burana were the recordings I learned these works from. To my mind, clouded perhaps by nostalgia, no one has ever touched Lucia Popp in Orff’s masterpiece, and I still prefer Raymond Wolansky’s abbot above all others. (Wolansky was an American baritone who spent his entire operatic career in Stuttgart. He died in 1998.) Milhaud’s La création du monde is an old friend too; as I indicated in a previous Hall of Fame review, it has been noticeably cleaned up in its “Great Recordings of the Century” restoration. This appears to be the same incarnation.

With neat packaging and an ultra-low price, this set is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a gift for some nascent music-lover, or even for yourself as a set of alternative performances. Musically speaking, the 20th century was not as forbidding as we were led to believe. ---FANFARE: Phillip Scott, arkivmusic.com

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[15] 1908-09 – Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde – Der Abschied
Christa Ludwig
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Recorded: 19-22 February 1964, Kingsway Hall & No.1 Studio, Abbey Road,, London

1909 - Schoenberg: 5 Orchestral Pieces, Op.16 (original version)
[1] I Vorgefühle (Sehr rasch)
[2] II Vergangenes (Mässige Viertel)
[3] III Farben (Mässige Viertel)
[4] IV Peripetie (Sehr rasch)
[5] V Das obligate Rezitativ (Bewegte Achtel)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle
Recorded: 19-21 December 1987 & 29 April 1988, Butterworth Hall, Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick

1909-10 - Webern: 6 Orchestral Pieces, Op.6 (revised version)
[6] I Langsam
[7] II Bewegt
[8] III Mässig
[9] IV Sehr mässig
[10] V Sehr langsam
[11] VI Langsam
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle
Recorded: 29 April 1988, Butterworth Hall, Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick

1911-12 - Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.1 in D flat, Op.10
[12] I Allegro brioso
[13] II Andante assai
[14] III Allegro scherzando
Martha Argerich
Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Charles Dutoit
Recorded: 29-31 October 1997, L'Église de St. Eustache, Montreal

Total approximate duration: 76.33

At time of writing, this 16-CD box set is available for a price of about £1.50 per disc. Considering it contains so many of the big hits and big hitters (both composers and performers) of 20th century concert music, that's absolutely staggering value for money. It may not be quite so appealing to connoisseurs who are already very familiar with the music, but for curious non-experts who may know some of the pieces but want to become better acquainted with a wider range, it's hard to think of a more comprehensive, and less expensive, way in.

Other reviewers have itemised the contents, so I won't repeat their work. They've also queried some of the selections. As a non-expert, I can't really comment on that (though I think the mix of the familiar and approachable with the more challenging is stimulating as well as well-judged), and no compilation is ever perfect, but to me, any serious quibbling seems mean-spirited given what's on offer here at this price. It does avoid the wilder shores of the post-war avant garde, but that probably makes it more accessible to a wider audience, and it's hard to see that as a bad thing.

If you're looking at this item and thinking it looks pretty good, well, it's outstandingly good, and you should order it without a moment's hesitation. You probably won't like everything, but you certainly won't regret it. Unreservedly recommended. ---Runmentionable, amazon.com

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1913 - Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps (1913 revised 1947)
Part one: The Adoration of the Earth
[1] Introduction
[2] The Augurs of Spring – Dances of the Maidens
[3] Ritual of Abduction
[4] Spring Rounds
[5] Ritual of the Rival Tribes
[6] Procession of the Sage
[7] Adoration of the Earth
[8] Dance of the Earth
Part two: The Sacrifice
[9] Introduction
[10] Mystic Circles of the Maidens
[11] Glorification of the Chosen One
[12] Evocation of the Ancestors
[13] Ritual of the Ancestors
[14] Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Recorded: 30 August – 1 September 1987, Watford Town Hall

[15] 1914 - Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Sarah Chang
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Recorded: 17-18 December 1994, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

1915 - Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E flat, Op.82
[16] I Tempo molto moderato – Allegro moderato – Presto
[17] II Andante mosso, quasi allegretto
[18] III Allegro molto – Un pochettino largamente
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Paavo Berglund
Recorded: 18-19 December 1986, Culture Hall, Helsinki

Total approximate duration: 77.28

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1916 - Falla: Noches en los jardines de España
[1] I En la Generalife
[2] II Danza lejana
[3] III En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba
Gonzalo Soriano
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Recorded: 3, 4 & 8 January 1963, Salle Wagram, Paris

1918 - Holst: The Planets, Op.32
[4] Mars, the Bringer of War (Allegro)
[5] Venus, the Bringer of Peace (Adagio)
[6] Mercury, the Winged Messenger (Vivace)
[7] Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (Allegro giouoso)
[8] Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age (Adagio)
[9] Uranus, the Magician (Allegro)
[10] Neptune, the Mystic (Andante)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Recorded: 12 & 30 May, 4 June & 31 July 1978, Kingsway Hall & No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Total approximate duration: 73.02

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1918-19 - Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op.85
[1] I Adagio – Moderato
[2] II Lento – Allegro molto
[3] III Adagio
[4] IV Allegro – Moderato – Allegro, ma non troppo
Jacqueline du Pré
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Recorded: 19 August 1965, Kingsway Hall, London

1921-22 - Nielsen: Symphony No.5, Op.50 (FS97)
[5] I Tempo giusto
[6] Adagio non troppo
[7] II Allegro
[8] Allegro
[9] Andante un poco tranquillo
[10] Allegro
Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt
Recorded: 3-4 December 1973, Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen

[11] 1923 - Honegger: Mouvement symphonique No.1 – Pacific 231
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Recorded: 24-27 November & 1-3 December 1993, Konserthus, Oslo

Total approximate duration: 71.59

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[1] 1923 - Milhaud: La création du monde, Op.81°
Orchestre National de France, Leonard Bernstein
Recorded: 12-13 November 1976, Salle Wagram, Paris

1923-24 - Respighi: Pini di Roma
[2] The Pines of the Villa Borghese
[3] Pines near a Catacomb
[4] The Pines of the Janiculum
[5] The Pines of the Appian Way
London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli
Recorded: 24-26 April 1976, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

[6] 1924 - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (orch. Grofé)
London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn
Recorded: 4 & 6 June 1971, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

1926 - Janácek: Sinfonietta for Orchestra
[7] I Allegretto
[8] II Andante
[9] III Moderato
[10] IV Allegretto
[11] V Andante con moto
Pro Arte Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Recorded: 19-24 July 1959, Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London

Total approximate duration: 76.47

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[1] 1928 - Ravel: Bolero
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 5-7 January 1977, Philharmonie, Berlin

1933-34 - Hindemith: Symphony – Mathis der Maler
[2] I Engelskonzert
[3] II Grablegung
[4] III Versuchung des heiligen Antonius
Philadelphia Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Recorded: 30 April – 9 May 1994, Memorial Hall, Philadelphia

1935 - Berg: Violin Concerto 'Dem andenken eines Engels'
[5] I Andante – Allegretto
[6] II Allegro – Adagio
Frank Peter Zimmermann
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Gianluigi Gelmetti
Recorded: 3-5 September 1990, Villa Berg, SDR Studio, Stuttgart

Total approximate duration: 68.46

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1937 - Shostakovich: Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47
[1] I Moderato
[2] II Allegretto
[3] III Largo
[4] IV Allegro non troppo
Wiener Philharmoniker, Mariss Jansons
Recorded: 7-14 January 1997, Musikverein, Vienna

[5] 1938 - Poulenc: Concerto in G minor for organ, timpani and strings
Gillian Weir
City of London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox
Recorded: February 1988, Royal Festival Hall, London

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1937 - Orff: Carmina burana
FORTUNA IMPERATRIX MUNDI
[1] I O Fortuna
[2] II O Fortuna plango vulnera
I – PRIMO VERE
[3] III Veris leta facies
[4] IV Omnia sol temperat
[5] V Ecce gratum
UF DEM ANGER
[6] VI Tanz
[7] VII Floret silva
[8] VIII Chramer, gip die varwe mir
[9] IX Riei – Swaz hie gat umbe – Chume, chum geselle min – Swaz hie gat umbe
[10] X Were diu werlt alle min
II – IN TABERNA
[11] XI Estuans interius
[12] XII Olim lacus colueram
[13] XIII Ego sum abbas
[14] XIV In taberna quando sumus
III – COUR D'AMOURS
[15] XV Amor volat undique
[16] XVI Dies, nox et omnia
[17] XVII Stetit puella
[18] XVIII Circa mea pectora
[19] XIX Si puer cum puellula
[20] XX Veni, veni, venias
[21] XXI In trutina
[22] XXII Tempus est iocundum
[23] XXIII Dulcissime
BLANZIFLOR ET HELENA
[24] XXIV Ave formosissima
FORTUNA IMPERATRIX MUNDI
[25] XXV O fortuna
Lucia Popp, Gerhard Unger, Raymond Wolansky, John Noble
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir
New Philharmonia Chorus & Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Recorded: 12-16 June 1965, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

[26] 1938 - Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op.11
London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas
Recorded: 20-21 & 23-24 May 1994, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Total approximate duration: 69.40

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1939 - Rodrigo: Concierto d'Aranjuez
[1] I Allegro con spirito
[2] II Adagio
[3] III Allegro gentile
Angel Romero
London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn
Recorded: 28-30 March 1977, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

1940 - Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op.20
[4] I Lacrymosa (Andante ben misurato)
[5] II Dies irae (Allegro con fuoco)
[6] II Requiem aeternam (Andante molto tranquillo)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle
Recorded: 23-24 May 1984, Butterworth Hall, Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick

[7] 1942 - Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, Enrique Bátiz
Recorded: March 1985, Sala Nezahualcoyotl Mexico City

1944 - Khachaturian: Masquerade
[8] Waltz
[9] Galop
Philharmonia Orchestra, Efrem Kurtz
Recorded: 28 April 1961, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

1945 - Bartók: Piano Concerto No.3, Sz119
[10] I Allegretto
[11] II Adagio religioso – Poco più mosso – Tempo I
[12] III Allegro vivace (Presto)
Martha Argerich
Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Charles Dutoit
Recorded: 29-31 October 1997, L'Église de St. Eustache, Montreal

Total approximate duration: 77.54

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