In the years from 1957 to 1959, producer Walter Legge had recordings made of the essential items in the Hungarian cellist’s repertoire. This complete collection of his recordings for EMI and Erato represents the summit of Starker’s achievement on disc. Legge, a perfectionist and a ruthless critic, undoubtedly found in the restrained manner and inward-looking temperament of Starker an ideal talking companion, especially since the two men had a pronounced liking for caustic humour, and one can be sure that the stamp of the famous artistic director was constantly in evidence throughout the recording sessions.
