Valued label founder dies, 69

The Testament label is cherished for bringing back 1950s performances that were thought to be lost.

Possibly the most cherishable was the world premiere of Richard Strauss’s Four last Songs, sung by Kirten Flagstad at the Royal Albert Hall, with Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting.

Almost as treasurable is the Klemperer Fidelio from Covent Garden, far superior to the subsequent EMI cast.

And much more.

Stewart Brown, the label founder, has sadly died.

Rob Cowan writes:

To think that Stewart Brown, one-time clarinettist, property entrepreneur, loving family man, generous friend to many and founder of the Testament CD label, has died at the all-too-young age of 69, is to ponder the passing of yet another serious game-player in the world of classical music recordings. So few of them are left now, people whose knowledge and experience of so-called ‘back catalogue’ reaches far enough into the mists of time to recognise – and revivify – long-lost treasures. Stewart was special in so many ways. A canny businessman with a conscience, copyright-wise, he’d befriend major critics and commentators regarding what best to reissue, then approach the relevant cd companies and musicians’ families to enquire about royalties due and the availability of original tapes/acetates (from what was EMI [now Warner Classics], RCA, radio tapes, etc). Stewart was scrupulously honest: where dues were owed, they were paid in full. Everything was upfront and because of that he won the respect not only of connoisseurs but of publishers, record labels and dealers, company executives and of course musicians who pounced on his releases – far too many to list in detail – as if they were manna from Heaven.