EDWARD ELGAR : Symphony Nº.2 • Cello Concerto (Beatrice Harrison · London Symphony Orchestra · Edward Elgar) (2007) Serie Great Conductors | APE (image + .cue), lossless

Elgar’s second recording of his Symphony No. 2, made only eighteen months after the previous, acoustic set had been released, coincided with the innovation of electrical technology and the opportunity to mark the composer’s seventieth birthday on 2nd June 1927. Both the Symphony and the equally famous recording of the Cello Concerto offer unique insights from being composer-conducted. The tumultuous energy of the opening of the symphony’s first movement, the refusal to indulge the second movement and Elgar’s natural command of the art of transition, so crucial in this of all his works, add significantly to the poignancy and emotional thrust of the work as a whole. Taken at a quicker pace than most modern recordings, the Cello Concerto is a far cry from the sentimental resignation frequently associated with it in recent times. NAXOS
Tracklist :
1-5    Symphony No. 2 in E Flat, Op. 63    (48:03)
6-9    Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85    (25:11)
Credits :
Cello – Beatrice Harrison (tracks: 6-9)
Conductor, Composed By – Sir Edward Elgar
Orchestra – London Symphony Orchestra (tracks: 1-5), The New Symphony Orchestra Of London (tracks: 6-9)

Berlioz : Complete Orchestral Works (Sir Colin Davis) 6-CD SET (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits

RICK WAKEMAN — Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974-1988) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of progressive rock's crowning achievements. With the help of the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir, Rick Wakeman turns this classic Jules Verne tale into an exciting and suspenseful instrumental narrative. The story is told by David Hemmings in between the use of Wakeman's keyboards, especially the powerful Hammond organ and the innovative Moog synthesizer, and when coupled with the prestigious sound of the orchestra, creates the album's fairy tale-like climate. Recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall, the tale of a group of explorers who wander into the fantastic living world that exists in the Earth's core is told musically through Wakeman's synthesized theatrics and enriched by the haunting vocals of a chamber choir. Broken into four parts, the album's most riveting segment, entitled "The Battle," involves Wakeman's most furious synthesized attack, churning and swirling the keyboards into a mass instrumental hysteria. With both "The Journey" and "The Forest," it's the effective use of the strings and percussion section of the London Symphony Orchestra that causes the elements of fantasy and myth to emerge from the album's depths. The gorgeous voice of Ashley Holt is effectively prominent, and some interesting guitar work via Mike Egan arises occasionally but meritoriously amidst the keyboard fervor. The whole of Journey to the Centre of the Earth still stands as one of the most interesting conglomerations of orchestral and synthesized music, and it is truly one of Wakeman's most flamboyant projects. Mike DeGagne  
Tracklist :
1.     The Journey / Recollection 21:12
2.     The Battle / The Forest 18:59
Credits :
Arranged By [Music Arranged For The London Symphony Orchestra And The English Chamber Choir By] – Danny Beckerman, Wil Malone
Bass – Roger Newell
Choir – The English Chamber Choir
Conductor – David Measham
Drums – Barney James
Guitar – Mike Egan
Narrator – David Hemmings
Orchestra – The London Symphony Orchestra
Producer, Written-By – Rick Wakeman
Vocals – Ashley Holt, Garry Pickford-Hopkins

FRANK ZAPPA - Zappa : The London Symphony Orchestra, Vols. 1-2 (1983-1995) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Frank Zappa teamed up with renowned conductor Kent Nagano and the London Symphony Orchestra for three days in January 1983, he was expecting to walk away with a set of stellar performances of some of his most challenging contemporary classical pieces, as done by one of the world's top symphonic ensembles. What he got instead were bad attitudes, terrible work habits, unforgiving union stipulations and a hard lesson in preconceived notions -- showing him that working with unschooled but enthusiastic rock musicians also had its advantages, and giving rise to his well-documented love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with symphony orchestras thereafter. According to Zappa, the LSO crew were hardly expecting a hard day's toil from the works of a ‘rocker,' resulting in so many screw-ups that much of the material had to be heavily edited after the fact in the studio. This 1995 edition combines the two London Symphony Orchestra volumes released on vinyl in the mid-80's into a single 2-CD set, even re-sequencing the material to reflect Frank Zappa's original, idealized performance order -- all of it made possible by the wonders of compact disc technology. Therefore, for fans of Zappa's so called ‘serious' music (i.e. not rock-based), London Symphony Orchestra Vol. I & II offers both premier ("Sad Jane," "Bob in Dacron") and re-arranged compositions taken from his massive past oeuvre ("Pedro's Dowry," "Bogus Pomp"). Though not as fulfilling as 1993's fantastic The Yellow Shark, this set will still has plenty going for it in the eyes of committed fans. by Eduardo Rivadavia