Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham was one of the two most influential pioneers of early orchestral recording history, alongside Leopold Stokowski, both artists strikingly displaying a new potential in the gramophone’s capacity for quality orchestra reproduction through the brilliant sonorities and dynamic shadings of their discs. When Sir Thomas formed his handpicked London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1932, it is not an exaggeration to say that a new era of the very highest artistic and virtuosic orchestral quality was born, and he quickly discovered how to seize the kaleidoscopic colours, rhythmic panache and tight discipline of his LPO performances for the gramophone. He repeated the procedure again when he created his Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1946, and his prolific recording operations with both orchestras set legendary standards of artistry, virtuosity and sonority in gramophone history. All his mono recordings made for Columbia Graphophone and His Master Voice have been collected in this box set as a companion to Warner Classics’ box of all his EMI stereo discs, revealing more vividly than ever before their luminous and exhilarating qualities.

A lot of the recordings in this boxset have been specially remastered in HD from the original sources, many of them previously unreleased on CD.

Sir Thomas Beecham was a central figure in early orchestral recording history, pioneering the use of the gramophone for high-quality orchestral reproduction. In 1932, he formed the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), an ensemble he boldly claimed was the best he had conducted, and whose debut was hailed as “electrifying”. Beecham recognised the recording industry’s potential for financial stability and global publicity. He viewed the LPO as much a recording orchestra as a concert body, a radical concept at the time.

He repeated this procedure in 1946 with the creation of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). His recordings with both orchestras set legendary standards of artistry, virtuosity, and sonority. Beecham meticulously prepared his musicians, choosing principal players with soloist temperament and using a “blue pencil” on scores to perfect phrasing and dynamic balances. This attention to detail also ensured immaculate intonation.

Beecham’s vividly individualistic conducting style combined a magnetic mix of freedom and discipline, maintaining a virtuoso contact with the orchestra. His recordings preserve the fusion of knife-edged dynamic attack and spontaneous romantic flexibility, confirming that a new era of the very highest artistic and virtuosic quality had been born. His legendary recorded legacy continues to powerfully resonate.

To ensure this, extremely meticulous work was undertaken on the digitization and restoration of these recordings. Sourced from the best available materials – sometimes even vinyl pressings from original metal master – these restorations meticulously preserve the authenticity of the original signal while eliminating extraneous noise and correcting pitch variations. Of the 839 tracks in this box set, two-thirds (558) have been newly remastered in HD. They brilliantly highlight Beecham’s exceptional discographical career and talent, simultaneously revealing numerous CD premieres. Many other tracks have also been reworked from previous remasterings, to correct pitch, noise, transitions and so on. 

Born on 29th April 1879 in St Helens, Beecham attended public school at Rossall where his talent at the piano became a legend (the only boy ever to have been allowed a grand piano in his study!). From there he briefly attended Oxford (Wadham) but the composition classes, with Charles Wood in London and Moszkowski in Paris, were funded privately. As a conductor he was purely self-taught.

Beecham was fortunate that his grandfather, a chemist, had created the highly successful pharmaceutical manufacturing business which bore his name. His career path was clear: he would use his financial resources to support the art which he enjoyed with the aim of bringing it to as many as possible.

He formed an orchestra in his home town and deputised for Hans Richter at a Hallé concert in 1899 when his father was mayor. At the age of 30 he launched the Beecham Symphony Orchestra, all young and carefully chosen. They would tour, play for opera and ballet and give concerts of adventurous music. London welcomed him for a season of intensive opera performances and over the next three years introduced many new ones to British audiences, including by Strauss, Delius and the Russians. He also brought Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes starring Nijinsky and Karsavina to the British stage.

During WWI he conducted and supported financially both the Hallé and London Symphony Orchestras and the Royal Philharmonic Society. In 1915 he formed the Beecham Opera Company which trained many young British singers in this field. Eight years later this became the British National Opera Company and was absorbed into Covent Garden in 1932 when Beecham returned to be its Musical Director.

Dissatisfied by conditions and practices, notably the supply of deputies for rehearsals, prevalent in British orchestras, he formed the London Philharmonic Orchestra that same year, in 1932. Beecham was now able to be at the fulcrum of all developments in music in Britain. WWII put an end to this halcyon period. With Covent Garden shut he travelled, primarily in America, and did not return to Britain until 1944. The London Philharmonic had now become a self-governing body so Beecham, then aged 67, launched the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1946. This was the orchestra with which he committed to disc so many classic recordings for EMI (now Warner).

It is true that Beecham had particular favourites in composers – Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Berlioz, Bizet and Puccini spring immediately to mind; also his love for Handel – even though his performances were always BIG-scale! His name will always be inextricably linked with that of Delius whose music Beecham seemed to know better even than the composer.