These two famous recordings established the young Polish-born conductor Paul Kletzki on the world stage in the years immediately following the end of World War II. Both were recorded by English Columbia in 1946. Kletzki deputised in the Brahms symphony for Wilhelm Furtwangler – then still banned from conducting – and made such an impression that he was immediately engaged to come to London and record at Abbey Road with the newly-formed Philharmonia Orchestra. Both symphonies were originally issued on 78rpm discs and declared to the world that a new and important conductor had arrived. The playing from both hand-picked orchestras is superb, and the original recordings have been lovingly transferred so that – for the first time on CD - today’s music-lovers can recapture the excitement and deeply musical qualities that characterised Kletzki’s performances.

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