George Szell (June 7, 1897 – July 30, 1970) was a renowned conductor and composer, known for his tenure as the music director of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1946 until his death in 1970, and for his precise, authoritative style of conducting. Szell was born in Budapest, Hungary, and was recognized as a musical prodigy. He studied under some of the most prominent musicians of his time and began conducting professionally by his teenage years. By the 1930s, he was making a name for himself in Europe before emigrating to the United States during World War II.

His leadership transformed the Cleveland Orchestra into one of the leading ensembles in the world, celebrated for their precision, clarity, and cohesion. Szell's vast repertoire was marked by a particular affinity for the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Schubert, as evident in the posthumously released recordings listed above. These releases, some remastered in 2023 to preserve the audio quality, showcase Szell's artistry and the deep, collaborative connection he had with soloists of his era, including the eminent pianists Clifford Curzon, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. His legacy is preserved not only in these recordings but in the high standards he set for orchestral performance, which continue to influence conductors and musicians around the globe.

Genres

Classical Performance

Historic Orchestral Performance

Orchestral Performance

Related Artists

Herbert von Karajan

Leonard Bernstein

Carlos Kleiber

Karl Böhm

Claudio Abbado

Otto Klemperer

Fritz Reiner

Eugene Ormandy

Sir Georg Solti

Leopold Stokowski

Bruno Walter

Pierre Monteux

Latest Release

Brahms: Violin Concerto, Op. 77 & Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, Op. 102 (Remastered 2024)

Johannes Brahms•

Mstislav Rostropovich•

The Cleveland Orchestra•

George Szell

Album - 10 Tracks - Released November 8, 2024