He is known as one of the world's most recorded conductors, with more than 350 recordings to his credit, but his output has slowed as American orchestras have lost contracts because of high labor costs.
Blackford's The Great Animal Orchestra Symphony, which has recently been recorded by conductor Martyn Brabbins and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, integrates wild natural soundscapes into the orchestral textures of a full symphony orchestra for the very first time.
He is also believed to be one of the most widely recorded living conductors.
But interestingly, New Grove has no separate entry for the choir's founder and director, Harry Christophers, whose career entitles him to be called one of the most versatile and widely recorded choral conductors of his generation.
All the performances, which were recorded with several conductors over three decades, do these pieces justice, but Whitney's, in particular, have something special: a sense of mission that today's troubled ensembles, taking their own risks, will have to discover for themselves.
Hélène has recorded with wonderful conductors and orchestras -- Andris Nelsons and Bayerischen Rundfunks for the Brahms No. 1 and the Wiener Philharmoniker Orchestra for the Brahms No. 2. When we played the Ravel Piano Concerto we didn't have to talk too much.
The conductor John Pritchard recorded Idomeneo again 19 years later in Vienna, with Pavarotti in the title role.
While there, Albarn met Rafea the conductor and recorded with the Syrian National Orchestra for the Gorillaz album Plastic Beach.
Special Delights of a Conductor's Recorded Legacy Here is a small sampling of enticing items now available in Sony Classical's Bernstein Century series, with Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic unless otherwise indicated.
Spurred on by my colleague David Denby's insightful review of Harvey Sachs's new biography of Arturo Toscanini, I've taken a few dips of my own into the great conductor's recorded catalogue.
