The Electric Recording Company.

Janos Starker was born in Budapest on 5th July 1924. He died only last year in April at the age of 88. A long and distinguished career made Starker one of the most renowned (and recorded) cellists of the 20th Century.

He received his first cello just before his 6th Birthday and as a child prodigy was giving his first public performances only a year or so after. He entered and studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and made his first professional debut at the age of just 14.

In 1948 he moved to the United States to become principle cellist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under Antal Dorati. From there he moved to New York to take appointment of principle cellist at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under Fritz Reiner. From 1958 onwards Starker held the title of distinguished professor at The Indiana University Jacobs School Of Music.

Starker recorded the Bach cello suites no less than five times during his lifetime. When discussing Janos Starker and the Bach suites one is often drawn to the famous and much lauded Mercury stereo edition from 1965 (SR3-9016), much coveted in audiophile circles. However these 1959 mono recordings on the Columbia label are in our opinion the “reference” Starker performance of these works. Never previously re-issued on vinyl we have taken our usual approach to recreate these three phenomenal LP’s in resplendent true mono glory.

Original Tape.