Sibelius, Jean/Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus/Handel, Georg Friedrich: Beecham the Founding Years (LPO Audio CD)

THE FOUNDING YEARS

Dora Labbette, Soprano

Leeds Festival Chorus

London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sir Thomas Beecham


Remarkable recently discovered recordings of music by Sibelius, Mozart and Handel from the 1934 Leeds Festival here conducted here by the legendary Sir Thomas Beecham, who founded the London Philharmonic Orchestra just two years earlier. The Sibelius and the Handel have just been unearthed and the digital transfers have been taken from first generation acetates in pristine condition. Included in a typically varied collection of works reflecting the versatility of Beecham: the first ever recording of Sibelius’ The Tempest, and the splendid choral sounds of Mozart’s C Minor Mass and Handel’s Israel in Egypt – excerpts of extraordinary clarity performed by the Orchestra and the Leeds Festival Chorus, and recordings of Mozart and Chabrier from the late 1930’s the Chabrier being a regular in Beecham concert programming.

Noted soprano Dora Labbette, the soloist in the Kyrie, was a favourite of Beecham’s. They shared an extensive professional relationship as well as very close personal one.

As detailed in Michael Gray’s Beecham Discography, there exists an element of mystery surrounding the recordings made at the 1934 Leeds Festival and the recent unearthing of the Sibelius and the Handel acetates moves a step forward towards solving the mystery.

London Philharmonic Orchestra LPO0006