Bernard Haitink was always a well-known figure in London, where he was chief conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1967 to 1979 and was also seen at such prestigious British opera houses as Covent Garden and Glyndebourne. This set, which includes Haitink's complete recordings for Decca and Philips, focuses on his London years. The recordings were made over a period of two decades, from 1967 (Dvořák with Heinrich Schiff) to 1986 (Rachmaninoff with Vladimir Ashkenazy). Many of the characteristic features of Haitink's Concertgebouw recordings can also be found in these interpretations with the LPO. His unobtrusive authority - he lets the score speak - was aptly summarized by Gramophone: "At no point do you become even remotely aware that the performance is being conducted. It is simply there."

As one London Philharmonic Orchestra musician put it: "Playing for Haitink was like playing chamber music, though everything got a whole lot better when he got enthusiastic or went to another heavenly place with more reflective music."

Haitink's structural integrity and clarity of texture are evident in many places, including a Beethoven symphonic cycle, released digitally/physically in its entirety for the first time, and the three great Stravinsky ballets. Another important recording, that of Liszt's tone poems, benefits from intensity and dynamics.

Similarly, the Shostakovich symphonies he recorded with the LPO focus on expansiveness rather than showmanship, but build with unstoppable momentum, such as the Tenth.

Aided by the superb sound quality of the Philips and Decca engineers, Haitink emphasized transparency of texture, integrity of line and a sense of inevitability. There is no showmanship anywhere - instead, deep musical logic and commitment.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonien Nr. 1-9; Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1-5 (Alfred Brendel, Klavier); Chorfantasie op. 80; Tripelkonzert op. 56 (Beaux Arts Trio); Coriolan-Ouvertüre op. 62; Leonore-Ouvertüre Nr. 3 op. 72; Egmont-Ouvertüre op. 34
+Antonin Dvorak: Cellokonzert op. 104 (Heinrich Schiff, Cello); Waldesruhe op. 68 Nr. 5; Rondo g-moll op. 94
+Gustav Holst: The Planets
+Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations
+Franz Liszt: Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1 & 2 (Alfred Brendel, Klavier); Totentanz für Klavier & Orchester (Alfred Brendel, Klavier); Mazeppa; Les Preludes; Orpheus; Festklänge; Tasso; Bergsymphonie; Hungaria; Hamlet; Mephisto-Walzer Nr. 1; Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe; Heroide funebre; Die Ideale; Hunnenschlacht
+Felix Mendelssohn: Symphonien Nr. 1, 3-5; Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt-Ouvertüre; Die Hebriden-Ouvertüre
+Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Zauberflöte-Ouvertüre; Don Giovanni-Ouvertüre;
Idomeneo-Ouvertüre; Cosi fan tutte-Ouvertüre; Le Nozze di Figaro-Ouvertüre; Die Entführung aus dem Serail-Ouvertüre; La Clemenza di Tito-Ouvertüre; Der Schauspieldirektor-Ouvertüre; Lucio Silla-Ouvertüre
+Nikolai Rimksy-Korssakoff: Scheherazade
Sergej Rachmaninoff: Paganini-Rhapsodie op. 43 für Klavier & Orchester (Vladimir Ashkenazy, Klavier)
+Dmitri Schostakowitsch: Symphonien Nr. 1-4, 7, 9, 10, 15; Das goldene Zeitalter-Suite
+Igor Strawinsky: Der Feuervogel; Petruschka; Le Sacre du Printemps
+Giuseppe Verdi: Don Carlos (Gesamtaufahme / Galina Gorchakova, Olga Borodina, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden)