Wholesale Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade – Sir Thomas Beecham – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Pathé Marconi

30 cm record, 33 rpm stereo, released by Les Industries Musicales et Électriques Pathé Marconi, Paris (ref. ASDF 111). Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, Bart. C.H. Made in France. Scheherazade, symphonic suite Op. 35, in four movements. The sea and Sinbad's ship. The tale of Prince Kalender. The young Prince and the young Princess. Festival in Baghdad, the sea, shipwreck. Sir Thomas Beecham is one of the great British conductors of the 20th century, renowned for his colorful and theatrical interpretations of the Russian and Romantic repertoire. His Scheherazade with the Royal Philharmonic is a benchmark, praising Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral richness with an elegance and vitality that have not aged. The sleeve is an object in its own right. A flamboyant orientalist painting, burnt orange and red tones, characters from One Thousand and One Nights in motion, of a visual intensity rare for a classical music record. The back features very detailed program notes in French, signed Jean Sichler. Record and sleeve well preserved for their age.