Even somebody who knows a lot about a subject learns something new all the time. One of my latest “discoveries” is the conductor Carlos Païta (1932-2015), the Argentinean firebrand who made some breathtaking records during the era of London “Phase 4,” but has since largely fallen through the cracks.

Païta settled in Switzerland, where he was attended to by Furtwängler’s widow, and a special label, Lodia, was founded to reissue both his studio-forged treasures and live concert recordings.

His recordings of Wagner and Berlioz, which I discovered while sorting through a box of duplicates culled from donations to WWFM, knocked me back on my heels. Who is this guy? There is abundant evidence posted on YouTube. Païta’s conducting technique while rehearsing Beethoven’s 5th symphony is way, way over the top, but another video of his conducting Weber’s “Oberon Overture” suggests he may have dialed it down a bit during his actual concerts. His Janáček is stunning.

In fact, everything I have sampled with him has been exceptional, yet somehow this musical colossus never settled in with a major orchestra. How could he not have enjoyed a major career?

Païta would have been 85 this year. Head over to YouTube, search under his name, and prepare for a “wasted” Saturday.

Or tune in to WWFM – The Classical Network on Monday, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, to hear his extraordinary Wagner recordings on Richard Wagner’s birthday. Really, he will spoil it for you when you try to return to many of your previous favorites.

Carlos Païta, keeping the warhorses fresh: