I finally found a decent copy of this rather legendary recording. This is for Maready at The High Pony Tail. He requested the Seven Last Words sometime ago and while rummaging through a rather uninspiring shop during lunch the other day, I came across this Westminster Gold reissue for 2 bucks. Though I would prefer the original vinyl release, this will do and ClickRepair cleaned it up rather nicely.
Oddly, there have been too few recordings of this oratorio version dealing with the meditations of Christ along the seven stages of the cross. I know of Harnoncourt's reading and I'd bet money that he was somehow involved with the Scherchen recording while a string player in the Vienna SO. Just a hunch since both men have very individualistic approaches that often diverge in a quirky kind of way. I do have several versions of the string quartet version on hand but I do not find one adagio after another satisfying in the quartet medium as I do with the oratorio presentation.
Scherchen really connects with Haydn in a way not dissimiliar to Bernstein. His reading is very much one that revolves around the words, the message, and not necessarily the music. For me, this works exceedingly well. Though a powerful intellect and a rather scientific kind of thinker (Scherchen was a keen student of rational socialist thought), the conductor makes a powerful connection with the religious and mystical side of this passion of Christ. This connection pays great dividends, especially when working with second tier soloists and a knowingly inconsistent Viennese band. Not to digress too much, but I wonder what Scherchen would have accomplished with truly first rate musicians at his disposal. A topic for another posting indeed!
This recording dates from 1962, is stereo and FLACs are awaiting download.
