Decca’s John Culshaw was the most influential recording producer of the 20th century: the man who masterminded the Solti Ring and Britten’s War Requiem.
 
He was also the man who predicted music streaming decades before the launch of iTunes and Spotify. In 1967 he wrote: “The listener will be able to command a performance to take place by dialing some code through which a computer will channel the performance to him.”
 
Released for the centenary of his birth in May 1924, this set rewinds to the very start of Culshaw’s career as a Decca producer in 1948, and features long-lost artists and restores to the catalogue many recordings which have not been on CD or reissued since their original LPs.

Boxset Dimensions: 1.4” x 5.1” x 5.1"

Tracklist: 

CD 1
1. The First Year, 1948/9.
2. Recordings by Mansel Thomas/Kathleen Ferrier/Aaron Copland/Erna Sack/Clifford Curzon/Georg Solti/Ernest Bloch & Zara Nelsova/Boyd Neel

CD 2
1. Birth of the LP, 1950.
2. Recordings by Royalton Kisch/Don Gillis/Ellabelle Davis/Jacqueline Blancard

CD 3
1. Barber conducts Barber, 1950.
2. Cello Concerto (Zara Nelsova)/Medea Suite/Symphony No.2

CD 4
1. Bayreuth, 1951 & 1953.
2. Highlights from Parsifal/Knappertsbusch (1951) and Lohengrin/Keilberth (1953)

CD 5
1. Concertgebouw, 1951 & Hamburg, 1953.
2. Brahms 3/Szell (Concertgebouworkest, 1951) & Dvorak 7/Schmidt-Isserstedt (Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra, 1953)

CD 6
1. Copenhagen, 1952/3.
2. Haydn Symphonies 48 & 44/Wöldike and Nielsen 1/Jensen. Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

CD 7
1. Paris, 1952/3.
2. Recordings of Gerad Souzay/Mado Robin/Libero de Luca/Jean Borthayre/Janine Michaeau/Raffaele Arié with Paris Conservatoire Orchestra

CD 8
1. Coronation, 1953.
2. Recordings by Malcolm Sargent/Jennifer Vyvyan/Boyd Neel

CD 9
1. Britten & Aldeburgh, 1953.
2. Aldeburgh Festival opening concert/Britten. Simple Symphony/Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings (Peter Pears/Dennis Brain)/Eugene Goossens

CD 10
1. Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Frankfurt, 1954.
2. Georg Solti (recorded for Capitol Records)

CD 11
1. Return to Decca, 1955.
2. Mozart Piano Concertos 13 & 20. Katchen/Maag, 1955; Bach Partita No 3. Emil Telmányi, 1953

CD 12
1. Culshaw in his own words 1960 & 1980.
2. The Birth of an Opera narrated by Culshaw (Solti Tristan, 1960). Götterdämmerung: a BBC Radio 3 talk, 1980.