Hans Knappertsbusch was one of the most important conductors in the first half of the twentieth century, along with Bruno Walter, Arturo Toscanini and Wilhelm Furtwängler. He conducted orchestras

of world renown, and high-ranking soloists tell enthusiastically of their work together with this artist. Above all, they esteemed his clear signs and crisp, unmistakable gestures. The recordings on this CD document Knappertsbusch’s passionate sense of sound – his enthusiasm for radiant colors could ignite on every detail: on nuances of the interplay between the instruments as well as on unusual harmonic constellations or dynamic effects, which he particularly accentuated. The utter delight he took in savoring the finest ramifications of the musical texture is the reason behind his now out-offashion,

extremely broad tempi – for Knappertsbusch, specific motifs and turns of phrase were more essential than any analytic scrutiny of themes, movements and structures.