Leopold Stokowski was one of the greatest conductors of all time. Born in London on April 18, 1882, he started his musical career as an organist. In 1903, he took the post of principal organist at St. James’ Church in London, situated in a small side off the famous Piccadilly. Although only 21 years old, he became soon well-known and after two years received an offer from St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York, which he accepted enthusiastically. The congregation loved him, particularly for his uncommon musical repertoire.

Simon Rattle has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra since 2002, and this recording is their 10th anniversary present to one another. It is also timed to coincide with performances of the opera in Salzburg with Rattle and exactly the same cast of singers. At the Easter festival the Berliners joined them in the pit for their final hurrah before they controversially relocate their Easter operatic business to Baden-Baden. For performances of the Salzburg production this summer the Vienna Philharmonic take over.

Outstanding conductor Karajan coupled with remarkable soloists, David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, Sviatoslav Richter and the Berliner Philharmoniker deliver charismatic renditions of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. Another addition in EMI’s illustrious remastered series, the performances are warm, spacious and powerful, remastered by four exquisite engineers.

From the poet of the piano, Frederic Chopin, comes a compilation of some of his most memorable moments – both for solo piano and for piano with orchestra. Here is Frédéric Chopin's Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21; Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise, Op. 22 & Grand Polonaise Nocturne In C Sharp Minor, Op. Posth. Tamás Vásáry plays piano. Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) conducted by Janos Kulka. A superb performance, recorded in 1963 at Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin.

Japanese SACD release of the complete W.A. Mozart's violin concertos recorded in 1967 by Vienna-born violinist Wolfgang Schneiderhan. Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and other classical Vienna-romantic works played a central role in his extensive repertoire from Vivaldi to Hentze, but Mozart's violin concerto, stay among the best of them. Features the new mastering in the home country from the original analog master.

Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, WAB 104, is one of the composer's most popular works. It was written in 1874 and revised several times through 1888. It was dedicated to Prince Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst. It was premiered in 1881 by Hans Richter in Vienna to great acclaim. The symphony's nickname of Romantic was used by the composer himself. This was at the height of the Romantic movement in the arts as depicted, amongst others, in the operas Lohengrin and Siegfried of Richard Wagner.

Eugen Jochum conducts the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in Bruckner's Symphony No.5, a gigantic musical cathedral and a masterpiece of counterpoint. Everything is prayer, everything is contemplation, everything is a state of grace. With this concert performance on May 30, 1964, Jochum set the bar for this ''Katholische Sinfonie." The recoding also includes his reading of the composer's Te Deum, leading the Berlin Philharmonic.

Thirty years after their last recording together, violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter reunited in 2013 with the Berlin Philharmonic, the orchestra with whom her international career began. During that long interval, both she and the orchestra developed their repertoire and refined their musicianship in their own ways. Mutter has been playing Dvořák’s music for decades but had never recorded his Violin Concerto until now. Together with conductor Manfred Honeck and the Berlin Philharmonic, she gives us a voluptuous and emotional interpretation of the Romantic-era work. Mutter also includes Dvořák’s Mazurek, Op. 49, Romance in F Minor and Humoresque to round out this album.

Herbert von Karajan was unquestionably one of Tchaikovsky’s greatest interpreters. Under his baton, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performs a batch of Tchaikovsky’s final symphonies with unparalleled virtuosity and renowned precision. With its rich sonics and colorful dynamics, this is a hair-raising performance that will leave listeners speechless. Karajan’s commitment and passion are simply unmatched, capturing every intense and emotional moment.

Great pianist as he undoubtedly is, Arcadi Volodos is a cool customer, particularly when it comes to Tchaikovsky. Clearly in no hurry to record, he avoids all tub-thumping Romantic rhetoric and nonchalantly bypasses every difficulty with an ease that can leave you open-mouthed. For his stream of seven Rachmaninov encores Volodos, almost as if released from a pleasant if over-familiar task, allows his playing to blossom with an altogether fuller fragrance and expansiveness.

For collectors of Claudio Abbado's recordings, the performances on this three-discs Japanese Esoteric label's remastered release of the Italian conductor's digital recordings of Brahms' symphonies with the Berliner Philharmoniker may seem redundant, since the symphonies were previously released as single discs in the late '80s and early '90s on Deutsche Grammophon. But this box set marks the first hybrid SACD release of historical recording selections. These new audio versions feature Esoteric's proprietary re-mastering process to achieve the highest level of sound quality.

“The English horn needs a soft, round vibrato… We are among those who can move people to tears,” says Dominik Wollenweber about his instrument. Let us not be misled by the humble conduct, and the absence of laudatory articles and glossy photographs. Wollenweber is one of the world’s finest cor anglais players. Claudio Abbado has even labelled him the “best player of all time”.

The world’s great conductors are not the only important artistic companions of the Berliner Philharmoniker. It is also always exceptional soloists who perform regularly with the orchestra, providing individual inspiration in their collaboration and opening up stimulating perspectives on the music. The Berliner Philharmoniker enjoy a productive partnership with many of these esteemed companions – with some, even a friendship.