Classics of the Phonograph

The Philips Label’s Magnum Opus

 
piano in recording studio

By Archives of the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle - http://www.flickr.com/photos/124495553@N05/14086413177/, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35841325

In the late 1990s, Philips Records issued one of the one of the largest scale projects in recording history. This series, entitled "Great Pianists of the 20th Century" consisted of 100 double disc issues for a total of 200 CDs, covering the recorded achievements of 73 famous pianists of the 20th century. It was an enormous achievement, and despite some inevitable shortcomings, it remains an invaluable resource for memorable keyboard performances.

On this week’s Classics of the Phonograph, Saturday at 11 am on WILL-FM 90.9, we will hear a few performances from this collection.