The BPO turns seventy-five with five discs By Erin Trester What do you give to the local music lover who has everything? How about five discs of the best of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra? Called The BPO at 75, this collection spans 227 years of music performed over the course of sixty-one years, conducted by eight music directors. The range of soloists is astounding—Glenn Gould, Emmanuel Ax, Carol Wincenc, Michael Ludwig—and the composers are the finest in classical history. The set opens with an entire CD devoted to Beethoven’s greatest pieces. William Steinberg, the BPO’s third music director, conducted the BPO in a 1949 recording of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Sixth Symphony. The second disc leads into the BPO’s fifth music director, Lukas Foss, conducting two of his own original pieces. The third disc includes classics from George Gershwin like “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “Swanee,” and “I’ve Got A Crush On You” performed by the unrivaled Sarah Vaughn in 1975. The fourth disc features pianist Ax performing as a soloist alongside the 1986 recording of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto. And the fifth is devoted to current BPO music director JoAnn Falletta. She has conducted more than half of the BPO’s recordings, including 2008’s Grammy Award-winning recording of John Corigliano’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.” There is also a gorgeous book from Buffalo Heritage Unlimited and a calendar. The CD set is available only directly from the BPO—not in stores—while the book and calendar are available through the BPO (online at BPO.org and through the box office at 885-5000), via buffaloheritage.com (903-7155), and at bookstores and gift shops throughout the region. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top