A commemorative project for "100 Years of the NHK Symphony Orchestra." Wolfgang Sawallisch first guest-conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra in 1964 to great acclaim and was appointed honorary conductor in 1967. He continued to conduct the orchestra until 2004, his final visit to Japan, becoming an indispensable presence in Japan's classical music world. Performances by this partnership were widely introduced through NHK broadcasts, but the only session recordings made for record release are Beethoven's Symphonies No. 5 and No. 8, recorded in Niiza in May 1982, marking 15 years since his appointment as honorary conductor, for RVC, the joint venture between RCA in the U.S. and Victor Company of Japan (DISC 1). Five years later, Brahms's Symphony No. 1 was recorded live by CBS/Sony at a subscription concert at NHK Hall. Known as a passionate and intense performance, it is presented together with "Death and Transfiguration," the only recording of the work in Sawallisch's career. As an authority on R. Strauss, Sawallisch captures a special sense of exaltation in this performance (DISC 2). The recordings were handled respectively by veteran engineers Masaki Ono and Tomoo Suzuki, fully capturing the clear, Germanic sound characteristic of the NHK Symphony Orchestra at the time. - 2-disc Hybrid CD set / Onsho label coating / multi-case / wraparound obi.