This CD in the “Legendary Recordings” series is the first in a projected set of archive recordings by Ferenc Fricsay. A clear orchestral tone, boundless musical energy and tireless attention to musical form – these are what characterise Fricsay’s work with the Berlin orchestra whose rich tradition has continued since 1993 under its new name, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Fricsay conducted this orchestra for thirteen years. He shaped its distinctive sound and laid the foundations for open-minded programme planning which always moved with the times. All this, together with his artistic philosophy, left a lasting mark on the orchestra.

This CD presents two examples of Fricsay’s work with the orchestra in Berlin: the unique collaboration with the French pianist Alfred Cortot, who interprets Schumann’s Piano Concerto in the spirit of a Fantasia, and his performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, which under his baton becomes a drama in sound.