Number 1's

This set is available at a special rate: four CDs for the price of two.
The true historic impact of 20th century composers may not be known until their time is long past. The careers of eminent artists such as Erich Wolfgang Korngold lend themselves to debate. Korngold's start as a thirteen-year-old stage prodigy and his end as a Hollywood film composer do not reconcile themselves easily. However it is exactly this tumultuous career path that made Korngold's music the soundtrack of the bustling years to come.
Korngold's youthful success set a higher standard for his later work; the strides he made can be observed over the four-and-a-half hour length of this collection. From 1908 to 1953 his pieces matured as he struggled to recapture the critical triumph of his early years. His work with film gave his later orchestral works a pronounced, dramatic feel, expertly captured in this collection.