Sir Georg Solti Essentials

Prized for high-tension, energised music-making, Solti was put on the musical map by his now-classic Ring cycle. He recorded a huge amount of operatic and symphonic repertoire with his Chicago Symphony and London Philharmonic orchestras, as well as the Vienna Phil. He understood the recording process and worked his players hard—his Mahler Eighth remains a milestone in that work's recorded history, and he also made many fine Mozart recordings (his deluxe casting of The Marriage of Figaro made for a memorable performance). He still divides opinion, but admirers look to him for a source of exquisite, exaulted performances.