Leopold Stokowski – National Philharmonic Orchestra – Bizet: Carmen & L’ Arlesienne Suites (UHQCD, Sony Music)

Leopold Stokowski was one of the most successful conductors of the 20th century. He made his breakthrough as conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. During his musical career he was a strong supporter of contemporary composers, but also worked as an arranger of classical pieces, e.g. by Hector Berlioz and Johann Sebastian Bach, a name. The audience celebrated him as a “sound magician” and Stokowski developed his very own orchestral sound over the years. He became a legend through his role in Walt Disney’s film Fantasia. Pianist Glenn Gould called Stokowski one of the few conductors he admired and recorded Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with him.