George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra — The Forgotten Recordings is a Gramophone Magazine Editor’s Choice for Re-issues/Archives in the June 2021 issue:
“newly released in an expert Lani Spahr transfer by SOMM as part of a two-disc programme of Szell/Clevland recordings… Two items could as well serve as benchmark examples of Szell’s art, Smetana’s Vlatava, where woods and meadows, the farmer’s wedding, the round dance of the mermaids, and the moonlight scene are all beautifully handled, a perfect example of each orchestral desk listening to what the others are doing. … Another highlight is Stravinsky’s 1919 Firebird Suite, a veritable ‘concerto for orchestra’, where the Clevelanders excel in every department. … Spahr himself produced the collection and undertook the audio restoration, and has additionally provided first-rate annotation. If there are any Szell doubters among your music-loving friends, this excellent set might prove a compelling way to win them over.”
—Rob Cowan, Gramophone Magazine