Erik Smith

Erik George Sebastian Smith (25 March 19314 May 2004) was a German-born British record producer, pianist and harpsichordist. He produced over 90 opera recordings. His greatest legacy is the 1991 complete recording of the entirety of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's compositions, which included many previously unheard fragments and was released for the bicentenary of Mozart's death.

Life and career Smith was born in Rostock, the son of the German conductor Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt. His Jewish mother took him from Germany in 1936, with his brother, to be brought up in England. He did his tertiary education at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Through his friendship with the American pianist Julius Katchen he joined the Decca company as a record producer, working with such people as John Culshaw and Gordon Parry.

In 1958 he produced the first recording of Peter Grimes, conducted by the composer, Benjamin Britten.

After his formal retirement in 1991 he continued to devote time to projects such as Mitsuko Uchida's cycle of Schubert sonatas.

He won Grammy Awards in 1971, 1973, 1976 and 2003; in total Smith won 5 Grammys and was nominated 22 times.

His newspaper obituaries described Erik Smith as a "record producer of infallible taste with Decca and then Philips", a "record producer breaking new ground with Mozart and Berlioz",

Smith died on 4 May 2004, survived by his wife Priscilla and two daughters, Miranda and Susanna.

Partial discography Haydn: La fedeltà premiata (Antal Doráti recording) Haydn: Il mondo della luna (Antal Doráti recording)