From the 1950s until his death, he recorded for the Deutsche Grammophon record label. Fricsay gave his last concert on 7 December 1961 in London where he conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven's "Symphony No. 7". He was often ill during his life, and he died of stomach cancer on 20 February 1963 at the age of 48 in Basel, Switzerland.