PREVIN The Essentials | Decca Classics

The story goes that at his audition for George Szell, André Previn turned up to play the piano for the fearsome conductor, only to find that there was no piano. Undeterred, Previn ‘played’ the piece on a table. “Too slow,” muttered Szell. Previn replied, “I’m used to tables with a quicker action.” He got the job! A charming anecdote which sums up the spirit of one of music’s great polymaths. His pedigree was unique – pianist, conductor, composer, arranger and an impossibly eloquent communicator who bestrode popular culture like perhaps only Bernstein had.  As if it is possible to sum his incredible musical dexterity and diverse output, Deutsche Grammophon presents a new Essentials album for streaming and download – 25 tracks spanning his vast legacy across classical and jazz.