0
Otto Klemperer
Otto Klemperer
German conductor and composer
1
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
German opera soprano
2
Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Hungarian orchestral and operatic conductor
3
Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet
Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet
British conductor and impresario
4
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
German lyric baritone and conductor
5
Suvi Raj Grubb
Suvi Raj Grubb
Indian record producer
6
Sena Jurinac
Sena Jurinac
Female opera singer
7
London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
London based symphony orchestra
8
Jon Vickers
Jon Vickers
Canadian singer
9
Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan
Austrian conductor
10
Carlo Maria Giulini
Carlo Maria Giulini
Italian conductor
11
Nicolai Gedda
Nicolai Gedda
Swedish opera singer
12
Walter Susskind
Walter Susskind
Czech conductor, composer and pianist
13
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
orchestra based in London
14
Victor de Sabata
Victor de Sabata
Italian conductor and composer
15
Colin Davis
Colin Davis
British conductor
16
John Barbirolli
John Barbirolli
British conductor and cellist
17
Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
English conductor
18
Luigi Alva
Luigi Alva
Peruvian opera tenor
19
BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
British orchestra based in London
20
Warwick Braithwaite
Warwick Braithwaite
British musician
21
Dinu Lipatti
Dinu Lipatti
Pianist, Composer
22
William Walton
William Walton
English composer
23
Lucia Popp
Lucia Popp
Slovak operatic soprano
24
Fritz Wunderlich
Fritz Wunderlich
German tenor
25
Malcolm Sargent
Malcolm Sargent
English conductor, organist and composer
26
Arthur Nikisch
Arthur Nikisch
Hungarian conductor
27
Otto Ackermann
Otto Ackermann
Romanian conductor
28
Helen Donath
Helen Donath
American soprano
29
Tito Gobbi
Tito Gobbi
Italian opera singer (1913-1984)
30
Karl Böhm
Karl Böhm
Austrian conductor
31
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Wolf
Austrian composer
32
Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch
German conductor and pianist
Walter Legge
English classical music producer

Walter Legge

Intro
English classical music producer
Music
Walter Legge, c. 1960

Harry Walter Legge (1 June 1906 – 22 March 1979) was an English classical music record producer, most especially associated with EMI. His recordings include many sets later regarded as classics and reissued by EMI as "Great Recordings of the Century". He worked in the recording industry from 1927, combining this with the post of junior music critic of The Manchester Guardian. He was assistant to Sir Thomas Beecham at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and in World War II played a role in bringing music to the armed forces and civilians.

After the war, Legge founded the Philharmonia Orchestra and worked for EMI as a recording producer. In the 1960s, he quarrelled with EMI and resigned. He attempted to disband the Philharmonia in 1964, but it continued as an independent body without him. After this he had no permanent job, and confined himself to giving masterclasses with, and supervising the recordings of, his second wife, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.