Random Classics

The symphonies of Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach

2012-02-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

A delightful two record set, from Nonesuch, that I loved some 25 years ago but had somehow lost, in between moves, is my offering today. Rediscovered at the Goodwill a few months back, here are seven symphonies by the second youngest of the great J S Bach's sons, Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach. These works are played with great elan by the Cologne Chamber Orchestra under its conductor of some forty years, Helmut Muller-Bruhl. The recordings date from 1973-4.

J C F Bach is overshadowed by his more illustrious brothers C P E Bach, J C Bach and W F Bach. Perhaps much of this has to do with the fact that J C F spent the bulk of his creative life, out of the limelight, at the minor princely court of Buckeburg. Unlike, the internationally recognized, and well traveled, J C Bach, for example, J C F Bach was content to perform his functions as Konzertmeister and sometime composer in relative obscurity albeit with the occasional trip to Hamburg to visit with his older brother C P E, the successor to Telemann in that great Hanseatic city. C P E, of course, was considered one of the very greatest composers of the day.

The seven symphonies here date mainly from the late 1760's with the exception of number 20 which is from a couple decades later at the end of Bach's life. Comparing them to say, Haydn at that period, I would find them no less mature or inspired and representative of the best musical trends of that day. The symphonies are engaging and entertaining as that would be the expectation of courtly patrons and distinguished guests. These symphonies are worthy of the Bach name, less quirky then C P E's ouerve but not as cosmopolitan as the ones by younger brother J C, a musician who was heavily influenced by Haydn and Mozart and, recognized as their equal.

All in all, these lps make for delightful listening because the music is solid, well crafted and the performances are fresh.

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Izler Solomon conducts Bloch, Antheil and Richter

2012-02-06T20:33:00.001-05:00

Izler Solomon c.1948

While I mourn the loss by the Patriots in the Super Bowl, there is some consolation in this fine recording (1956 mono) by American conductor Izler Solomon. Featuring the MGM String Orchestra and the Guilet Quartet, Maestro Solomon offers up a concerto grosso of Bloch, a serenade by George Antheil and the Lament of Marga Richter.

Izler Solomon was a very visible presence in the American midwest for over 30 years and a strong advocate of new music, premiering over 150 works during his lifetime. In this recording he displays both ingenuity and great flexibility which make the listening here more then just satisfactory. MGM released a good size number of these lps dedicated to modern music and I have yet to encounter a lemon. A very nice testimony to a fine musician and three different but equally talented composers.

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Coronation and Banquet Music with the Boston Baroque Ensemble

2012-02-01T17:36:00.000-05:00

I love picking up forgotten lps featuring Boston based musicians and here's a neat little one featuring the Boston Baroque Ensemble of Daniel Pinkham. No, this is NOT the Boston Baroque of Telarc recordings fame but rather a chamber group of associates of Pinkham's, most of them teachers from NEC and Harvard. If I were to guess, I'd place this mono Cambridge recording about 1967 or so.

Daniel Pinkham is little known beyond Boston but for those in early music, he was one of the big time pioneers. He was a performer (a terrific organist and harpsichordist), editor, musicologist and composer, in fact his own compositions were heavily influenced by the music of the baroque era. Everything that I have heard by Pinkham is tasteful, well thought out and crafted. This lp of music by Telemann, Zelenka and Boismortier is no exception. My only wish is that Cambridge had thought better to have included another composition to bring this over the 40 minute mark.

Well worth your listening...

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John Kirkpatrick plays music of Edward MacDowell

2012-01-31T12:39:00.000-05:00

Lovely playing on this record by John Kirkpatrick of piano miniatures by Edward MacDowell. I believe the original issue was late 40's by which time, Kirkpatrick had established himself as probably the preeminent interpreter of music for piano by American composers. In his day, he was recognized as an expert in the music of both Charles Ives and Carl Ruggles.

Though his music was not strictly "American sounding," MacDowell was one of the first American born composers to gain fame beyond our shores and he did serve as an inspiration/mentor to others who would develop a more idealized American school of composition. It is important to recognize thta MacDowell's education was wholly European and that his models were based on established forms from the continent. Not to say that MacDowell is an imitator - far from it. His works are individual, often pastoral in outlook, uncomplicated, and they are his way of describing his world in a way that is accessible, forthright, yet full of character. Probably the best comparison is to the composer Grieg who MacDowell was a direct contemporary and admirer of.

This is a beautiful program sensitively presented by John Kirkpatrick.

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Mozart with Harry Blech and the London Mozart Players

2012-01-25T17:37:00.000-05:00

A little Mozart today featuring the talents of Harry Blech with the London Mozart Players. I believe this RCA Bluebird was recorded in the early 50's during the first years of the LMP. It is probably one of the first Mozart symphony records by a smaller ensemble and it is a good one. Sensible tempos, a collegial approach and an esprit de corps mark this stylish lp.

Harry Blech was a very popular and sought after musician in his day. He appeared to have been a generally well liked man, respected for his musicianship and he was sought after by many as a chamber music partner or orchestral collaborator. Such was his popularity that he brought together many of the best musicians in London to form the LMP, which was done on a shoestring and a promise. Musicians sought to work with Blech because he treated everyone as a colleague, in the best sense of the word.

I like this record because it is free from ego or willfullness. It is music presented on its own terms by collaborative musicians who collectively believe in the product and want to do their best for that reason alone. In a word, refreshing and wonderful!

Happily, the LMP is still going strong after all these years.

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The Baroque Oboe with Harold Gomberg

2012-01-20T14:06:00.000-05:00

While I'm thinking New England Patriots at the moment, I suppose I can take a few minutes and concentrate on the classics!? With the recent shutdown of Megaupload, who knows how long any of us will be around doing our thing? As Otter says in Animal House, "What a shame that a few bad apples have to spoil a good time for everyone."

so....Harold Gomberg performing baroque works for the oboe accompanied by continuo and small chamber ensemble. Interestingly, this must be one of the very first conducting efforts on record by the much maligned Seiji Ozawa, probably made while he was Leonard Bernstein's assistant in NY and right before he headed north to Toronto. Gomberg, of course, is the consumate artist, with a mousselike tone and elegance in phrasing. Though a somewhat controversial figure (many fault him for being in the ring that led to the great Mitropoulos' demise in NY), he was nonetheless an oboist on par with Tabuteau as having the greatest influence on a school of players that now hold important chairs in many orchestras throughout the USA. This record is a pleasing document of his artistry. And, the music is wonderful too!

With that, Go Patriots! It all comes down to Tom Brady, a superb artist in his own right!

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Leopold Stokowski conducts Rachmaninoff's Symphony No 2

2012-01-16T15:58:00.000-05:00

Discocorp LSSA-228 is the transfer of the day. On this Leopold Stokowski Society issue, we have the maestro conducting Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony with the Hollywood Bowl Symphony (from 1946) and his arrangement of the Prelude in C# (rom 1960) with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Apparently, this was the first issue from the LS Society and it is an absolutely thrilling record. Though critics were tepid about the sound, I have no qualms whatsoever. Damn, this is from a live radio broadcast of 1946 so how could it be state of the art?! Stoky makes the typical cuts in the score, but who cares? His commitment to this unwieldy masterpiece is total, that's TOTAL, and the enthusiastic playing he coaxes from the Hollywood Bowl musicians is truly mesmerizing. Recordings of this musical quality do not come around every day and quite simply, it is something to savor. The Prelude makes a nice little coda though but, after the whirlwind last movement of the 2nd, you might want to leave it at that.

Music making like this makes me so thankful that my hearing loss is not worse than it is.

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Leonid Hambro plays sonatas of Mozart

2012-01-12T20:28:00.001-05:00

Don't you just love that picture? If I were to caption it, Leonid Hambro would probably say something like "I forgot my music again" and Victor Borge would respond, "And he thought this was a paying job!" Kidding aside, from Allegro 54 is Leonid Hambro performing three piano sonatas from the K280's of Mozart.

Make no mistake, this is terrific playing both from a technical and musical standpoint. Hambro's fingerwork is crisp, polished and spot on. His phrasing is absolutely ideal and his command of Mozart is complete. Why these recordings have not been reissued, at least to my knowledge, is a great mystery. For those that might think Hambro a second tier artist, here is the proof that he was a very, very fine soloist who could carry the day without orchestra, a four hand partner, or a comic genius like Victor Borge as a sidekick!

You're going to love this Mozart recital.

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All Sorts of Ives

2012-01-10T20:44:00.001-05:00

A splendid introductory album to the incredible musical imagination of Charles Ives. From a Cambridge mono lp made in the late 60's, we have Harold Farberman conducting small orchestral numbers with the hand picked Boston Chamber Ensemble and soprano Corinne Curry singing some rather interesting and quirky songs with the excellent pianist/teacher Luise Vosgerchian as accompanist.

I have to admit that much of Ives is downright puzzling at times for my simple mind. The bits and pieces of melodies, jagged rhythms and often wierd harmonics can distract away from the brilliant, inquisitive and highly intellectual mind that this man possessed. The songs, especially, are not at all easy to follow and require a level of concentration that can, and I say can, take away from the beauty that one expects in lieder as presented by a Schubert, Wolf or Brahms. However with a careful, unbiased, and studied approach, one can find great meaning and connection between the text and the music But...it ain't easy...

The musicians on this record do full justice to the music. Though Harold Farberman's career as a conductor has been somewhat uneven, he has displayed a keen understanding of Ives and probably has recorded more of this composer than anyone else on the planet. This record is one of Farberman's best offerings as an interpreter of Ives. I admit to not knowing Corinne Curry but Luise Vosgerchian was very well known in Greater Boston as a master teacher and pianist. Like fellow Bostonian, and Armenian, organist Berj Zamkochian, Vosgerchian was a local legend and treasure. This record captures her pianistic eloquence wonderfully, especially telling is her take on Ives' "Three Page Sonata."

Glad I stumbled upon this at the Goodwill. Something different but at the same times familiar.

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Beethoven and Paul Paray

2012-01-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

In the mood for a little Beethoven? Good! because I am today.

Here is one of Paul Paray's later stereo lps with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on a Wing reissue. We're served up the first two symphonies in typical forthright performances that were characteristic of Paray during his decade tenure in Detroit.

Unfortunately, critics were none too kind about these two when they were released. There were issues about orchestral sloppiness, problems with momentum and also conductor commitment. My listening reveals the Paray Detroit sound which is lean and mean and a sense of propulsion which lacks in many recordings of these overrecorded pieces. Maybe I'm wrong but I think that there is a spontaneity present that is the hallmark ofth best of Paray performances. Interestingly, I find so much to connect Paray and Munch - lean textures, excitement and a desire to break away from the label of "French music specialist." I love it!

Paul Paray was a truly great conductor. I cannot but marvel how he achieved the results he did with Detroit. He was a great interpreter, superb orchestral builder and singular musician. The real deal.

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Carlos Surinach conducts Hovhaness

2012-01-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

I like the music of Alan Hovhaness. Maybe being half Armenian, I somehow relate to the rather "oriental" melodies that Hovhaness incorporates into his works. Or, perhaps the composer's minimalistic approach is like a balm after the listening intensity of say, Mahler's 6th symphony. Well, I don't really know why, I guess, this fascination for Hovhaness though his music does speak from his deeply spiritual and honest heart....I respect that immensely.

This Heliodor lp, from an MGM original, features a piano and violin concerto. It is extremely fine and a fitting introduction to this most fascinating, yet open of composers. Certainly having the excellent composer Carlos Surinach on the podium is a huge bonus. Boy, oh boy, one of the great shames is that Surinach's small but vital recorded legacy is all but locked in the vaults! The soloists, sisters Maro and Anahid Ajemian, prove to be the very best advocates for this music since both not only sympathesize with Hovhaness' art (they were strong advocates for the composer), and they were very much artists that made a specialty of music of their century.

Coming back to Alan Hovhaness. Born a few miles down the road from where I live, a man who gravitated to the east searching for answers and exploring the origins of culture, first towards his father's homeland in Turkey and then farther towards orient and birthplace of his Japanese wife. No doubt, Hovhaness was a brilliant man, an intellect of the highest order who sought to speak his message of brotherhood and decency through seemingly uncomplicated and accessible music. I think a key to understanding Hovhaness is through his own words, here in an interview from 1971 in Ararat magazine, a publication of the Aremain General Benevolent Union:

"We are in a very dangerous period. We are in danger of destroying ourselves, and I have a great fear about this ... The older generation is ruling ruthlessly. I feel that this is a terrible threat to our civilization. It's the greed of huge companies and huge organizations which control life in a kind of a brutal way ... It's gotten worse and worse, somehow, because physical science has given us more and more terrible deadly weapons, and the human spirit has been destroyed in so many cases, so what's the use of having the most powerful country in the world if we have killed the soul. It's of no use."

Wow.

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Ring in the New Year with Rossini!

2011-12-31T09:54:00.000-05:00

Oh gosh, a while back I posted a transfer of Luciano Sgrizzi performing the piano pieces comprising Rossini's late opus the "Sins from My Old Age." That transfer was immensely popular and I had numerous requests for the companion lp from Nonesuch which features the choral pieces. Well, here it is! Found it last weekend at the Goodwill and it is a near mint copy. What luck!

I can understand why this record won the coveted Grand Prix du Disque in 1965. It is a beautifully recorded, superbly prepared and a highly idiomatic reading of these gems from Rossini's salon soire years. I think it's fitting to present it now since the record opens up with a salut to the New Year!

What strikes me most about these pieces is the invention behind them. Rossini was a great experimenter and he obviously loved the interplay between melody and accompaniment. This music captures your attention and really wraps itself around you, in a loving and comforting way. Maestro Loehrer leads elegant performances and he is fortunate to have Luciano Sgrizzi on board for his dazzling pianistic virtuosity. I have listened to this collection three times straight and each time, I hear something new and positively delightful!

Happy New Year!

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Piano Music of Latin America with Charles Milgrim

2011-12-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

Here's one I forgot about. From 1967, on Epic's "Crossroads" label, we have some "off the beaten path" piano music from a number of Latin American composers. The pianist is Charles Milgrim of whom I know nothing other than he seemed to specialize in the piano repertoire of Central and South America.

Sit back, grab a glass of wine and a good book and, have a listen. Some cute little miniatures here.

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Morton Gould conducts music of Herbert and Ketelbey

2011-12-29T17:47:00.001-05:00

A "Symphonic Serenade" for my distinguished colleague Buster at the Big Ten Inch Record . Buster has posted some really nice work of Morton Gould in the past so here's my chance to reciprocate. Here we have Gould leading the Rochester "Pops" in light classical fare of Victor Herbert and Albert Ketelbey.

This is a fine collection led by an extremely talented and gifted man. Morton Gould was the alter ego of Leonard Bernstein, possessing the latter's immense musical gifts as a composer, conductor, musician, and impresario albeit in a more quiet, conservative and less controversial way. In fact, Gould bore many of the attributes of what would be characteristic of the finest "kapellmeisters" of the 18th century, that is patience, flexibility, endurance and consistent craftsmanship. Please note that I do not use "kapellmeister in a negative way, but rather as a tribute to Gould as I compare him to men like Bach, Telemann and Haydn. Gould could, quite simply, do it all and he did, being highly regarded as one of the leading American musicians of the mid to latter half of the last century. Lest not forget that Gould was practically a household name too!

We don't hear a lot of Herbert and Ketelbey and it is really too bad. Their music used to play an integral role in "pops" concerts but has since been displaced by others, often inferior, and its really too bad. The music on this album is very well crafted, tuneful and highly creative. Just listen to Herbert's "Suite of Serenades" and you'll get an idea of why this composer was one of the most famous and well regarded in his day. This piece brings the world in a rather cute way to the listener's doorstep. Morton Gould's superb musicianship and ear for detail make this lp a real treat. You can hear the Rochester orchestra enjoying themselves and, so will you!

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The Music of Artur Schnabel

2011-12-28T17:34:00.000-05:00

Artur Schnabel was a genius. I say this because, like the controversial John Cage, Schnabel recognized that the music was in the silence between the notes. What this means is that the greatest of artists know that the pause, the space, if done "right" creates the necessary "tension" that glues the music together. Nobody did this better than Schabel and the proof is in the pudding - if he never left anything behind other than the Beethoven "32" his place as one the greatest of recorded artists would be self assured.

Yes, Schnabel was a very great performing musician but, like another superb performing musician,Wilhelm Furtwangler, he thought of himself first and foremost as a creator, a composer. Indeed, Schnabel left behind a small but impressive catalogue however neglected it is today. Perhaps this is so because as a performer, Schnabel was supreme in the early romantics but his own compositions are anything but romantic; his works are highly indebted to his friend Schoenberg and their structure is at home in the second Viennese School.

From the original album notes on ML5447 by Cesar Saerchinger

Schnabel's String Trio of 1925 (for violin, viola and cello) is the last of four chamber works written during successive summer holidays from 1921 to 1925 and may be regarded as representative of his "middle" period. He was still under forty and in the midst of a highly successful European season as Germany's top-ranking pianist when he suddenly retired from the concert platform to spend the winter alone in a remote Austrian mountain village. Here he put his creative powers to a new and severe test — to explore the resources of the "linear" contrapuntal style, free from the current traditional harmonic conventions and rhythmic patterns, but also from the newly invented devices of atonality adopted by the radical contemporaries of the day. The result was the first movement of a new string quartet, his second, which was to be completed the following summer. It was a radical break with the past and specifically his own. And it was the beginning of what we now know as Schnabel's mature style.

This new and highly individual manner of writing was to produce some of his most remarkable works, including the third and fourth quartets as well as the String Trio of 1925. This work, though shorter and more concise than its immediate predecessors, constitutes the epitome of this chamber music group, and was the last to appear for over five years. It consists of three relatively short movements. The first (Allegro energico) is forceful and expressive, clear and characteristically rich in its contrapuntal design. The second (Larghetto) opens with a virtually diatonic two-voiced theme which combines stateliness with serenity. The same theme is quoted literally in the strong third movement (Vivacissimo), but in an entirely different light.

When first performed by the International Society for Contemporary Music in Vienna, ten years after it was written, its composer was hailed by the critics as a "creative musician of power and originality." No other works of Schnabel had been heard in Vienna where he had spent his youth and "learned his trade."

The "Duodecimet" 1950 is, as its name implies, a piece for twelve voices, or parts. According to sketchy indications in the manuscript score, and the nature of the music itself, it is meant for twelve solo instruments — strings, wind instruments and percussion. It is Schnabel's last composition, finished one year before his death, at Axenstein (Switzerland) within sight of Lake Lucerne and the mountains beyond it — a view "beautiful beyond description" in Schnabel's own words.

These four short movements, as close to abstract music as he had ever written, seem nevertheless to reflect the beauty of the idyllic scene. In them the composer achieved what he had long striven for: the utmost freedom in melodic, rhythmic and polyphonic design and expression. The first movement is a vigorous, moderately fast Introduzione; the second, presumably slow, is followed by a Scherzo and an Epilogue (moderato).

The whole work is characteristic of what Krenek calls "Schnabel's peculiar kaleidoscopic technique of motivic design," i.e., each movement has its characteristic melodic unit which appears again and again to form ever new combinations. While this use of a tone-group in ever-changing juxtaposition may be reminiscent of the so-called "twelve-tone" technique used by certain contemporary composers, it is important to remember that Schnabel regarded this or any prescribed method or system as incompatible with complete freedom of invention.

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Menahem Pressler plays Debussy

2011-12-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

Here's some wonderful solo piano playing by a remarkable man, Menahem Pressler. Known primarily for his incredible 55 year tenure as the pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio, Pressler excels in the highly individual solo sound world of Claude Debussy. This MGM monaural record dates from the late 50's

When you think about it, 55 years of excellence in such an intimate ensemble as a trio is downright astonishing! Pressler was the anchor of the Beaux Arts Trio and during its run, this trio was probably the best and most consistently fine of its time. We think so highly of Pressler's work as a chamber musician that his work as a soloist is all but neglected. And its a shame because in Debussy, he is in complete sympathy with the writing and his artistry really shines out here. I would characterize Pressler's playing as clean, unfussy, honest and forthright. His tone is beautiful and fingerwork immaculate.

I will have more from Pressler in Bartok in coming weeks.

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Music of Ravel conducted by Pedro de Freitas Branco

2011-12-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

Today, the 1954 Westminster issue of the album above and then some. Awarded a Grand Prix du Disque, this is a terrific hour spent in Ravel's sound world. The Champs Elysees Theatre Orchestra is conducted by the fine Portuguese conductor, and father of Portuguese orchestral conducting, Pedro de Freitas Branco.

This lp piqued my interest when I picked it up a couple weeks ago. I had heard of the conductor's brother Luis, the composer, but the former was a mystery to me. Catching my eye was the seal on the lp cover signifying a Grand Prix du Disque so I thought it would be a a worthwhile purchase for a couple bucks. Am I glad I bought this one!

The interpretations are highly individual and stunning. Obvious to me is the great care that Freitas Branco has given to each composition. He makes the most out of Ravel's brilliant orchestrations and brings out details that are often glossed over. The dynamic range of each piece alone is hugely impressive! In addition, the Champs Elysees orchestra, though a second tier ensemble at best, provides the conductor with highly idiomatic and focused playing. This theatre orchestra is giving it their all and they are entralled by the presence of a a very fine conductor whom they hold in high respect. Munch, Paray and Martinon of course bring a special authority to Ravel but Freitas Branco makes you sit up and take notice in these gripping readings. No wonder this lp was awarded the coveted Grand Prix du Disque!

What a pleasant discovery! I'll have more "colorful" French music shortly with Menachem Pressler in Debussy.

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Arthur Mendel leads Schutz's Weihnachts Historie

2011-12-23T17:11:00.000-05:00

I was most fortunate to find this important REB issue of musicologist Arthur Mendel conducting Schutz's "A Christmas Story." From 1950, it is a performance which most definitely heralds the beginning of a new movement in music, that of period performance.

If you have studied music history, you most likely would have spent some time with the epic "The Bach Reader," a virtual wealth of first hand documents which, at its core, presents a faithful "biography" of sorts on J S Bach. Arthur Mendel and Hans David spent years assembling this important tome and the excellence of the scholarship has meant that it has never gone out of print, some 50+ years after the publishing of the first edition. Mendel was a great scholar of the baroque while he primarily focused on Bach, Buxtehude and of course Heinrich Schutz.

Schutz's influence on the German "Protestant" baroque was immense, probably on the level of Beethoven's ninth symphony on all symphonists that followed him. Schutz's religious music is dramatic, stark & severe, and incredibly in "tune" with the spirit of the text. Bach, Handel, Telemann and knew of Schutz well and drew inspiration from his genius.

Mendel's performance is absolutely splendid. I believe the Cantata Singers are New York based, and they deliver committed singing while the orchestra is purposeful and sensitive not to overwhelm the singers. Compared with Grishkat on his recording from roughly the same time, Mendel delivers more drama and a highly stylistic reading. Frankly, I'm amazed that the recording dates from 1950 as it was made, by the way, about a year after Mendel published his edition of this masterwork.

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Random Classics hits the magic number of 100 Followers!

2011-12-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Random Classics now has 100 followers! what a wonderful Christmas gift. Thank you all for visiting this site often, leaving your thoughts (of which I don't nearly respond to enough) and sharing valuable information and insights to the many readers of this blog.

I extend to every one of you the most joyous wishes of the season and I hope that 2012 brings us all peace, prosperity and magical finds in the dusty bins at used record shops!

Cheers!

Henry Krips conducts overtures by Suppe

2011-12-19T18:06:00.000-05:00

A fellow on Symphonyshare requested this partiular album of Suppe overtures, conducted by Henry Krips, the younger brother of the fine conductor Josef Krips. This mono album dates from, I think 1956, and features the excellent Philharmonia Orchestra in its "Philharamonia Promenade Orchestra" guise.

Henry Krips is practically forgotten but it seems that he had a career that flourished in the land of "Down Under" - Australia. Based on this record, I'd say he certainly had the wherewithal to whip up a dazzling froth with these tuneful cuties. At one time, the music of Suppe figured highly in orchestral programs, especially "pops" ones. Sadly, this composer's lot has rather faded over time. Though the music is hardly the last word in being probing or revelatory, it is nonetheless tuneful, engaging and good fun!

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The Roth Quartet performs Mozart

2011-12-19T13:24:00.001-05:00

A fine Mercury recording from the late 40's featuring the the K 499 and K 575 quartets of Mozart performed by the "second" edition of the famed Roth Quartet.

I like the playing here very much. It combines elegance with unpretentiousness yet has a degree of earthiness to it. In other words, its not prissy, prim or too careful.

The Roth Quartet, in both "editions" was a fine ensemble and it was blessed with consistency in presentation while possessing a wide and urgent repertoire. I'm glad I found this old lp.

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Messiah from Boston

2011-12-12T09:04:00.001-05:00

A very fine Messiah, from Boston, featuring the Handel and Society conducted by Thomas Dunn. From 1977, this record was one of a handful of excellent "local" issues recorded and released by the now defunct Sine Qua Non label.

Messiah is magnificent work, in my opinion, the greatest work in its genre. No other oratorio so captures the meaning of the text in its music as this one does. If Handel had written nothing else, Messiah would have marked him as a genius of music and words. For me, Messiah is a desert isle work; I could not live without it since it is a constant rediscovery for me everytime I listen to it.

This performance is a marvelous document of the high choral and orchestral standards that conductor/musicologist Thomas Dunn set while he directed Boston's Handel and Haydn Society, the oldest organization of its kind in America. When Dunn took over the directorship of H & H, the performing organization was a quasi professional ensemble whose programs were often inconsistent, both musically and technically, from year to year and concert to concert. During his tenure, Dunn fully "professionalized" the organization, envisioning it as a resource that could, as its core, set performance practice standards for the great choral literature. In addition, Dunn expanded the concert series to include strictly orchestral programs and settings for smaller choral pieces, usually presented in churches or smaller halls rather than the imposing Symphony Hall. Dunn's reputation and work was such that upon his retirement, the H & H hired the highest profile artistic director it ever had, to that point, in one Christopher Hogwood.

This particular Messiah incorporates period practice with the benefit of modern orchestra and mid size chorus. In short, Dunn's Messiah is sensible and moderate and listeners should find the experience to be thoroughly enjoyable. The soloists are all quite competent and well prepared but they are not an "all star" cast. I am delighted that one of my heroes, Armando Ghitalla, is the featured trumpet soloist alongside the bass David Evitts. The word and message is the real star in this glorious work and I suppose Maestro Dunn has chosen wisely in his staffing for this record. A real pleasure.

One note: The entire contents excepting "Behold a Virgin Shall Conceive" have been transferred. Unfortunately Behold was at the begining of side 2 and was marred by a deep scratch. I could not repair the track in a way that would do justice to the text.
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Howard Hanson leads Americana for Solo Winds

2011-12-07T18:16:00.000-05:00

A little homage today to Howard Hanson and his tireless efforts to promote, educate, and record modern American music of the midcentury. This is volume 4 of Mercury's "American Music Festival" series, MG40003, recorded in 1954 at the Eastman Theatre. Here, we have pieces written for solo winds accompanied by string orchestra.

The composers on this record are pretty much forgotten, what with the exception of Hanson and Copland. Bernard Rogers, Homer Keller, Kent Kennan, and Wayne Barlow were contemporaries of Howard Hanson and worked with him frequently at the Eastman School. All of them write in what might be called a "romantic" style which features lovely melodies and easy harmonies. It's conservative music led by a conservative composer conductor who reveled in full, rich, string passages and welcomed extended solo lines for woodwinds. This is a lovely album and a bit of an antidote to the spiky rhythms and often disjointed melodic lines of these composers' colleagues on the other side of the spectrum.

I don't think that enough can be said for the work done by Howard Hanson and Robert Whitney to promote and argue the validity of modern American composition during their lifetimes. These recorded documents remind us of a time when offering and nurturing culture to the masses really mattered.

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Roman Totenberg performs Baroque Violin Concertos

2011-12-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

Here's a special record by one of the greatest, and most respected, teachers and performers of the last century, Roman Totenberg. From time to time, I'm privileged to offer music by musicians who have given much to the City of Boston and Totenberg is right up there with the very best of them. On this MHS record, Totenberg performs violin concertos of Pisendal, Handel, Fasch and Heinichen. He is able supported by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra under the Bulgarian conductor Zlatko Topolski. These stereo performances were recorded around 1966 or 67.

Roman Totenberg is happily still with us as he approaches his 101st birthday! Totenberg was a student of the great pedagogue Carl Flesch and he embraced the latter's views that violinists are not merely skilled virtuosos, but creative, thinking, organic artists. Certainly, the repertoire chosen for this lp was not conceived as a virtuoso display but rather has an intelligent, educational exercise on the development of the violin as a solo instrument during the baroque period. This is not to say that Totenberg plays these rare pieces as exercises - he treats them in an intelligent, musical way by using his knowledge and skill in the position as advocate for this music. Totenberg's beautiful tone and sure phrasing make this record a sincere pleasure to listen to and he makes the best possible case for these "lost" concertos.

I'm so happy I rescued this lp from the 50 cent bin!

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Music of Henry Cowell and Harold Shapero

2011-11-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Another wonderful issue from the golden years of Columbia Masterworks and God Bless Goddard Lieberson for imaginative programming. Henry Cowell's first violin sonata is paired with Harold Shapero's Sonata for Piano Four Hands.

I really enjoy the music of Cowell. The breadth and scope of his work is immense. I don't think we really have a full grasp of his talents, from being ultra modernist to embracing the simple, native tunes of this large and complex country. Perhaps much of this has to do with his "lifestyle" which was indeed hardly conforming to the norms of the day, resulting in a prison time in which he never wore off the stigma of. Happily, the violin sonata is fairly conventional and classical in sound and style. Included is one of the "fuguing tunes" which would be a hallmark of Cowell's later works. The soloist here is the great Joseph Szigeti, supported by pianist Carlo Bussotti. I'm not sure if Cowell indeed wrote this piece for Szigeti but, in my opinion, the great Hungarian would seem to be the wrong soloist for the work as I do not hear a complete sympathy with the writing and Szigeti's tone is kind of thin for the required fullness, almost Ivesian gutsiness, needed for this distinctly American composition. I would love to have heard say, a Louis Krasner, Louis Kauffman or even John Corigliano in this work.

Harold Shapero, neoclassicist, is best known for his Symphony for Classical Orchestra which Leonard Bernstein championed. Shapero in short would be considered an American Stravinsky for his writing bears a strong resemblance to Stravinsky's neoclassical compositions. The Sonata here is a delightful work with neat melodies and some spiky, lively harmonies. Shapero plays along with Leo Smit, the latter being one of the greatest and tireless advocates for piano music written by American composers.

My record is the CSP reissue of the record pictured above.

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Music of Andrew Imbrie and Cecil Effinger

2011-11-26T10:13:00.000-05:00

Someone asked me the other day if I had a violin concerto in the works and well, here is not another Beethoven, Mendelssohn or Tchaikovsky but the seldom heard, if heard at all, concerto by American composer Andrew Imbrie. Paired with it is the delightful little "classical type" symphony of Cecil Effinger. Both of the works on this disc were Naumberg award winners and they are given persuasive performances by Carroll Glenn and Zoltan Rozsnyai. The orchestra is Columbia's "house band," the Columbia Symphony Orchestra though I have my suspicions that it is really the NYPO or maybe the LA Phil in disguise.

Andrew Imbrie was a teacher of composition and theory at the University of California-Berkeley for some 42 years. His two main sources of compositional influence were Bartok and Roger Sessions. Imbrie's writing uses atonality balanced with a strong respect for the melodic line so his compositions are quite listenable and engaging. At some 40+ minutes, this violin concerto harks back to the format of the 19th century though the sounds and phrasings are very mid 20th century. Carroll Glenn proves the ideal soloist as she weaves her lines beautifully in and out of the orchestral colors. Rozsnyai, an underrated conductor but for a time a well recorded one, provides sensitive and balanced accompaniment. A wonderful work and collaboration.

Cecil Effinger too, was a teacher of composition for some 40 years at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His Little Symphony for some reason reminds me of Prokofiev's masterpiece as it looks back to a time not so distant but far enough away. The music language is reminiscent of Roy Harris and Don Gillis making this work immediately accessible. I think it would be a delightful opening work on a symphony program.

I've come into possession of a number of these Columbia Special Products issues of American music recently. A pleasant reminder of when the majors invested in the creative artists of the United States.

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Six Overtures of William Boyce conducted by Anthony Lewis

2011-11-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

A little music by William Boyce today. These are six overtures culled from festive pieces and not the more familiar eight symphonies or overtures of Op 2. Anthony Lewis conducts the Lamoureux Orchestra from a 1962 stereo record issued by L'Oiseau Lyre. Admittedly, I find it a bit odd that this very English of composers would be led by an English conductor with a French orchestra but, no matter, this record represents the work of composer Gerald Finzi as an arranger, editor, and musicologist.

Anthony Lewis, of course, was one of the pioneers in resusitating the music of the contemporaries and predecessors of Handel. Through his efforts, the public came to appreciate and become of aware of such fine craftsmen as Arne, Stanley and Boyce. These men were highly influenced by Handel yet they developed stylistic peculiarities that set them apart from the great German-English giant. By he time these "overtures" were written, they were somewhat dated, at least by continental standards, but they do contain tuneful, well crafted and appropriately festive music. If anything, Boyce is always pleasant on the ear and easy on the heart.

I do wish that Lewis had had the opportunity to record with English musicians. The English always bring some sort of authority to their homegrown composers much like a Czech performance of Ma Vlast is easily distinguishable from one originating in say, Australia. Whatever the reasons for recording this in Paris, we are lucky to have this document of less frequently heard Boyce, reconstructed by a fine English composer of the 20th century.

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Norman Dello Joio's "New York Profiles"

2011-11-13T10:54:00.001-05:00

A rather rare 10" incher in red vinyl today. Norman Dello Joio's "New York Profiles" of 1949 in its premiere recording with Nikolai Sokoloff leading the Orchestral Society of La Jolla California. Sokoloff is best known as the founding conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and this record was made rather late in the maestro's career.

The Profiles are titled "The Cloisters," "The Park," "The Tomb," and "The Park." They depict locales in Dello Joio's native New York and the written music is strongly influenced by Gregorian Chant, of which the composer was studying intensely during the 1940's. This music is immediately accessible and represents a different path from those taken by such contemporaries as Hanson, Copland, and Cowell to name a few. Dello Joio, throughout his career, looked back to ancient musical models for inspiration and guidance and New York Profiles is a result of his exhaustive study.

Included in this download are two previous offerings, the Serenade with Swarowsky and the VSO and the Symphony "The Triumph of Saint Joan" performed by Robert Whitney and the Louisille Orchestra. I have done a little more cleanup on both of these lps and the results are better then previously offered on this blog.

Norman Dello Joio was an important composer and teacher and I fear that his legacy is fading as time goes on and tastes evolve. This is too bad since he was a super musical historian and his output represents an effort to find a continuity with the past.

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Friedrich Wuhrer performs the 4th Piano Concerto of Beethoven

2011-11-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

A very fine performance of the 4th Piano Concerto of Beethoven is up today. Accompanied by the Bamberg Symphony under Jonel Perlea, this partnership of like minds turns in a taut, yet flexible, reading which focuses on details that other gloss over.

Friedrich Wuhrer was an excellent craftsman and a sensitive interpreter of the classical and romantic repertoire. Though he recorded many lps for Vox, he never achieved the status of the most elite of pianists. I'm not sure why this is the case because he had the chops and fine musicianship of the best of the best. Whatever the reasons, I've not heard a recording of his that I did not find probing, intelligent and satisfying. This Beethoven concerto is one of the great ones and I believe much credit must be given to the excellent Jonel Perlea. Rather then go on, I'll point you to the third movement as proof of a collaboration that is vital and highly musical.

Coupled with the 4th concerto is the Choral Fantasy, this time from Vienna with Clemens Krauss conducting. Krauss' Akademie Kammerchor and VSO turn in spirited work and the more then competent choral soloists come from the ranks of the Kammerchor.

The Choral Fantasy dates from 1954 and I think the piano concerto is 1956/7 on this momaural record.

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Malcolm Arnold conducts.......Malcolm Arnold!

2011-11-02T18:37:00.001-04:00

My 9 year old started to formally take trumpet lessons this school year at my urging and, because he sees what a great time it is when dear old dad is frolicking about during the Oktoberfest season. That said, we started talking one day about bands I've played in and the subject came to special ensembles, "honor bands." Here in Massachusetts that means district and all state bands. Well, to illustrate what I meant, I pulled out an lp of my first such band, back in 1978, and lo and behold, on the program was Malcolm Arnold's "Four Scottish Dances." No, I did not transfer THAT record but instead, dug out a gem of a stereo lp from around 1960 of Arnold conducting the Dances plus his Symphony No 3. I know that Everest did once release the symphony on cd along with Boult's premiere recording of Vaughan Williams' Symphony No 9. However, for some reason the Dances were forgotten, well as far as I know. A damn shame too!

I've loved the Four Scottish Dances ever since I first heard and played them. This is Arnold at his absolute irresistable best. These short dances are tuneful, beautifully orchestrated, and delightfully crafted - they are prefect in length and form. Based on folk tunes of Scotland, Arnold displays an ease with the material and communicates the substance as well as any past master who worked in this mode, whether it be Telemann, Bartok, Vaughan Williams or Schubert. His leadership of the LPO is beyond reproach. I think his former orchestral colleagues respond to his music with utter delight and they convey the wit and charm better than any other recording of these works. As for the third symphony, it is a more difficult work to bring off due in part to its length, density and complexity. Arnold acquits himself well but it is obvious that the shorter dances lend themselves better to his conducting skills. Arnold was first and foremost a composer and excellent trumpet player, not a conductor a by trade.

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Manoug Parikian and Walter Goehr in Mozart Violin Concertos

2011-10-26T18:48:00.000-04:00

A little Mozart for the soul. This is a beautiful partnership between two excellent musicians who both played "under the radar." Being half Armenian, I was delighted to find this lp since it features the great Armenian violinist-conductor Manoug Parikian partnered with one of the finest accompanying conductors of the last century, Walter Goehr. Your day will be all the better after listening to the concertos numbers 3 & 4!

Manoug Parikian was one of those players who played with practically everybody in his adopted country of England. Like many Armenians living in the Turkey during the first half of the 20th century, he left to seek better, more favorable opportunities elsewhere. Settling in the UK as a student, Parikian would remain there, making it his home base, first as a concertmaster of numerous orchestras, and then later as a soloist and conductor. Walter Goehr, of course, fled Germany prior to the second world war and settled in the UK as a conductor with, I think the BBC. Goehr made a ton of records, mostly with second and third rate orchestras however, he is recognized today as having the ability of coaxing terrific results from these lesser orchestras often under very tight recording and rehearsal schedules.
Parikian and Goehr make wonderful, wonderful partners. Goehr does a marvelous job of getting his recording chamber orchestra to match Parikian's sweet tone and earthy approach to these concertos. I always enjoy these recordings where it is not soloist vs orchestra and here is a fine example of how the proceedings should go, always! A fine tribute to two strong, vital musical personalities.

I'm not sure of the dates of this monaural release but probably mid 50's.

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The Kroll Quartet plays Beethoven and Haydn

2011-10-19T17:12:00.000-04:00

What good fortune one has sometimes! Sometimes the "three for a buck" god casts his/her glances my way enabling me to acquire great music played by great musicians at about the price of a gumball. Here the contents of two lps released by that "other RCA" on their Allegro Elite label. Haydn's Op. 54 No. 2 and Op. 77 No. 1 along with Beethoven's second and third Op. 18 quartets played by the Kroll Quartet.

In its heyday, the Kroll Quartet was justly renowned and often mentioned in the same breath as the famed Budapest Quartet. As we all know, many have held the Budapest to be a gold standard though admittedlly personal changes through the years often played havoc with the end result. Well, no bother, here it is the magnificence of the Kroll, an ensemble truly made of peers who play for, and to, each other.

The Haydn and Beethoven quartets are immaculately played and oh, so intimate in style and texture. If you are tired of quartets that try to find the "symphonic" in these rather personal works, this is your antidote. I cannot stress the intimacy of the playing and the apparent joy that these musicians convey by the act of purely playing together. It reminds me of the famed Casals-Schneider-Istomin recordings. So refreshing and beautiful! Such a shame that the "other RCA" could not provide the recording excellence that the Kroll richly deserved though the mono sound is quite listenable.

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Ivry Gitlis performs Stravinsky

2011-10-15T11:58:00.000-04:00

My apologies for kind of falling down on the job. As most of you know, it is Oktoberfest season and I've been especially busy bringing the sounds of Munchen to the good people of New England.

This Dover release of Stravinsky compositions is a compilation of Vox issues from the 50's. The featured works are the Violin Concerto, the Duo Concertante and Jeu de Cartes. The very fine, and somewhat forgotten though still living, Ivry Gitlis performs in the concerto and the duo. Harold Byrns conducts the Concerts Colonne Orchestra and Charlotte Zelka accompanies Gitlis in the duo. Filling out the program is a highly enjoyable performance of Jeu de Cartes under Heinrich Hollreiser with the Bamberg SO.

I like Gitlis' playing very much. His musicianship is spot on and he possesses a sweet, loving tone which helps to smooth out, in a positive way, Stravinsky's spiky melodies. Both Byrns and Zelka provide strong partnership. Hollreiser's Jeu de Cartes was a pleasant surprise for me. I've always thought of him as rather a kapellmeister type but he fully immerses himself into the humor and spirit of this rather "French" music.

Enjoy!

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Robert Shaw's first recording of Ein Deutsches Requiem

2011-10-03T19:44:00.000-04:00

Robert Shaw made two recordings of Brahms' masterpiece Ein Deutsches Requiem. Though separated by some 35 years, both represent well Shaw's devotion to the score and his understanding of the deep sense of humanity captured in the words and brilliantly supported by the music. Here from 1948 is the first recording with Shaw leading the RCA Victor Chorale and Orchestra with soloists Eleanor Steber and James Pease.

Robert Shaw was a remarkable man. When I was in college, he visited and gave several lectures which culminated in a marvelous performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion. What struck me most about Shaw was his inner strength and spirtuality. His communicative style was based on personal reflection and the need to include everyone in the dialogue while his words were measured, humble, yet authoritative. I found him to be a man that spoke to one's soul through music and philosophy in an engaging, inclusive manner. Truly a wonderful human being.

Perhaps Shaw's personal characteristics play a major, if not pivotal role, in the interpretation of this Brahms masterwork. I find the sense of "line" to be just right and the singing is impassioned with a lyric gentleness to it. Though the RCA Victor orchestra cannot match the tonal lushness of the later Atlanta Symphony, these seasoned musicians from the Philharmonic and NBC Symphony propel the music along nimbly and with a lean sound they prevent the "full cries" of the chorus from becoming garbled and bloated. Though other conductors might have more outward passion, listening to this and the later recording are antidotes to a world of rush, rush, rush and grave inpersonalism.

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Karl Haas and his London Baroque Ensemble in the Brandenburgs

2011-09-27T20:22:00.000-04:00

I'm on a bit of a Bach "binge" lately and here's the complete Brandenburgs conducted by scholar-conductor Karl Haas with his London Baroque Ensemble. Recorded in the early 50's, this set was held in high regard into 60's surpassed only by versions featuring Menuhin, Richter, Marriner and Pailliard. With musicians such as Jean Pougnet, Georges Tessier, Emmanuel Hurwitz Anthony Pini, Frederick Riddle, Richard Adeney, Carl Dolmetsch and Sydney Sutcliff, it is not difficult to understand why this set held ground for such an extended period of time.

As mentioned in a previous post, Haas was one of the more important influences on what we know as today's style of period performance. A German refugee, he settled in London and spent many years there teaching, conducting, and doing scholarly research. It's no wonder that London was probably the "capital" of the early music movement due to, in no small part, to Haas' presence and that of his numerous students and acolytes.

Karl Haas

For sure, this set peels away a lot of the varnish and exposes Bach's intricate and detailed writing in a clear and precise manner. Details are abundant and lines that were formerly buried in excess string personnel leap off the score. If I have any criticism it is that some of the tempos, notably the first movement of No 6, are somewhat slower than what we are used to today. And, the recorder substituting for the clarino in No 2 is far less satisfying than the brilliant trumpeting that we would have afew years later by the likes of Andre and Scherbaum. Still, the sum of this accomplishment of Haas is greater than the parts so we should be fortunate to have this document which, when all is said and done, is a step on the road to a better historical understanding of the needs, demands, and wants of J S Bach.

I'd like to mention that for some reason, the first lp (featuring No 2) of this three lp series was recorded in the UK while the remaining two were recorded in France. Looking at the personnel on these records, I noticed a mixed French and English ensemble for the French recordings and an "all" English crew for the record from the UK. Quite interesting and if anyone knows the tale behind this, I'd love to hear it!

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Agi Jambor performs Bach

2011-09-26T20:09:00.001-04:00

Followers of this modest blog probably figured out long ago that I love Bach's keyboard works played on piano. There is just something completely satisfying and mesmorizing when listening to one masterpiece after another brought to life on a concert grand piano. My latest installment features Toccatas and Fantasias as realized by the Hungarian-American pianist/teacher Agi Jambor.

Jambor was a fascinating woman, an excellent pianist and a true citizen of the world. From a 1993 Baltimore Sun profile, Stephen Wigler writes:

" She achieved fame as a pianist twice, and was forgotten each time; she used to play duets in Berlin with an amateur violinist named Albert Einstein; she arrived penniless in America after World War II, unable to speak English and without a piano, and resumed her career by practicing on a battered upright at a YWCA in Washington; she married and divorced a Hollywood star; and she was a hero of the anti-Nazi resistance in her native Budapest, where she narrowly escaped death several times by passing herself off as a prostitute named Maryushka."

Incredible stuff I would say. If Jambor did not play Bach with such conviction, she would surely have won an Emmy for a reality television series! Her mastery of the material is without a doubt absolute and it is quite obvious that the fingerprints of her esteemed teacher Edwin Fischer are liberally spread throughout this program. This is strong, reverential Bach played with a masculine touch by a remarkably feminine but strong willed woman. That is fascinating in itself. I am pleased to have come across this unique 2 lp set for it adds to another dimension of my listening from this greatest of masters.

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The American Brass Quintet in Modern American Music

2011-09-19T18:15:00.000-04:00

The old brassman in me really loves the terrific playing on this lp. Modern American Brass Music as interpreted by the "original" members of the American Brass Quintet.

There is great sensitivity, insight and intuitiveness here. Let me point you, the reader and listener, to the original Gramophone review from 1969. I cannot better the critic's assessment of this challenging program. What I will say is that it was a damn shame when esteemed conductor Gerard Schwarz placed his trumpet in the case and closed it in place of a baton. Schwarz was one of the most gifted young trumpeters of his day - he had awesome technique, incredible chops and was blessed with keen musical insights for a trumpet player! I guess those qualities played a mjaor role towards him developing as an international conducting sensation.

This music on this record is not for the weary by any stretch of the imagination. It is demanding, atonal, and requires a fair amount of study and above all, an open mind. I don't usually post music such as this but the virtuosity of the musicians compels me to do so. Hopefully, you will not be disappointed.

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George Szell and Thomas Scherman conduct Brahms

2011-09-14T18:07:00.000-04:00

From a Music Appreciation issue, the glorious music of Brahms juxtiposing perennial favorites, the Academic Festival Overture and Variations on a Theme by Haydn with the less heard "New" Liebeslieder Waltzes. The orchestral selections are led by George Szell with "his symphony orchestra" while Thomas Scherman conducts the choral waltzes. Vocal soloists are Lucine Amara, Frances Bible, David Lloyd and Hugh Thompson. The duo pianists are the excellent Abba Bogin and Eileen Flissler.

Music Appreciation, Book of the Month, Musical Masterpieces of the World were great services in their day. Marketed to the masses, their issues introduced many a lay person to the great classics by "assisting" the listener in choice of repertoire and performance. In essence, the services made choices for listeners who might have not made a choice at all if left to their own devices. For the most part, performances were well chosen and the artists often musicians overlooked or underappreciated by the big labels.

As you would expect, George Szell leads pointed and detailed renditions of the Haydn Variations and the Academic Festival Overture. A total unsentimental approach ensures an orchestral approach which is above all, based on precision with respect to the architecture of each piece. With Szell, the overall structure does not break down into mere episodes. If one can say anything about Szell, he was a consistent artist whose recordings came to symbolize "quality," both in sensible interpretation and immaculately prepared performances.

Scherman's New Liebeslieder waltzes are more thean adequate though strangely, I feel that vocal contributions are rather pushed and pulled at times. With a solid quartet, I find this quite odd however, there is an upside in that Bogin and Flissler are quite effective as duo pianists. These waltzes are beautiful examples of Brahms' mastery of the human voice though Scherman could have introduced a little more subtlety to the proceedings.

Both recordings are decent mono and date from the mid 50's.

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L'orchestre Hewitt performs Handel's Water Music

2011-09-10T09:34:00.000-04:00

I'm not exactly being "random" what with two baroque posts in a row but I came into possession of a very clean copy of the Haydn Society issue of the French lp pictured above. Maurice Hewitt conducts L'orchestre Hewitt in Handel's Water Music in more or less an edition which presents most of this wonderful music.

Maurice Hewitt is one of the pioneers in the performance of the the baroque masters. In fact, you might say that he laid the groundwork for such artists as Rampal, Pailliard, Pierlot, Andre, Veyron Lacroix and others. The performance here is faithful to the score, free from large orchestral excesses though admittedly, one must recognize the fact that the Hewitt Orchestra was not a first rate band since there are some obvious technical issues especially with intonation in the winds. Still, we have to be grateful for musicians like Hewitt who took time to blow the cobwebs off of "ancient" music and present it in a more faithful fashion then many of his predecessors.

The Haydn Society issue lists a release date of 1954 but this record was probably recorded two to three years earlier.

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Sylvia Marlowe performs keyboard concertos of Bach with Daniel Saidenberg conducting

2011-09-05T06:54:00.001-04:00

Today, concertos for multiple harpsichord of Bach performed by Sylvia Marlowe with Pamela Cook, Robert Conant and Theodore Saidenberg. The "Baroque" Chamber Orchestra (not sure if this is a pickup group or the Saidenberg Little Symphony) is led by the longtime leader of the Saidenberg Little Symphony, Daniel Saidenberg. My transfer is from an American Decca release, DL10028, though the cover above is from a different issue on another label.

These early attempts at "authentic" baroque always fascinate me. Here, the harpsichords are obviously large and somewhat clanky and the orchestra hardly is observant of what we now consider period practice and balance. Still, there is a delight here in the playing as the musicians relish the way Bach's melodies and harmonies intertwine and develop like peeling the layers back from an artichoke. This is definitely not "run through" Bach since Marlowe and Saidenberg have given careful time and preparation to this lp. Definitely a byway on the road to where we are today in performance and practice of baroque classics.

I think records like this are important because they document the work of individuals who, in their day, worked tirelessly to promote good music and culture to wide swaths of people from varied backgrounds. Marlowe was a gifted and energetic ambassador of the harpsichord and Daniel Saidenberg a great founder, builder and leader of numerous orchestras in the US. As years go by and tastes change, we slowly forget these pioneers and finding records like this one are important in jogging the collective memory.

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Hindemith from Henry Swoboda

2011-08-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

The Swoboda festival continues! Squirrel and I are keeping the Swoboda flame burning.

From 1951, this Westminster lp features Kammermusik No 4 (also known as the Violin Concerto No 3) and the Four Temperaments. Soloists are the fine Czech-Austrian violinist Peter Rybar and the excellent Czech pianist Franz Holletschek. The orchestras are the Winterthur SO and the Vienna SO respectively.

As mentioned previously, Swoboda's best results were with works that were really out of the orchestral mainstream. For whatever reason, his level of inspiration and creativity tended towards pieces that were not old warhorses. Here we have have engaging and insightful interpretations of two, at the time "fringe" pieces, that are prepared well and presented with flair. You know, a few months ago, I offered an excellent recording of the Four Temperaments with Victor Aller and Felix Slatkin, one that I consider a near benchmark. Well, here is another equally fine record, a bit less edgy, smoothed out a bit if you will, but no less vital and committed to Hindemith's soundworld. I believe this and the Aller are much better then Lukas Foss' recording with the Zimbler Sinfonietta, a recording that is a bit detached for me. The Violin Concerto receives a splendid go but I think it an inferior piece to the Four Temperaments since it is far less engaging.

I wish that Swoboda had recorded the symphony "Mathis der Maler," an all time favorite of mine and a piece that is a great masterpiece, at least to my ears.

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Albert Spalding's Last Recital at Boston University

2011-08-24T18:09:00.000-04:00

This was a terrific find. It shot to the top of the queue based on my own selfish, personal preferences. From a Halo lp, this record contains the contents, minus Spalding's vocal introduction to Malguena, of the violinist's last public recital (really a master class presentation) at Boston University, a mere two weeks prior to his death at sixty four in 1953. This program features piano accompanist Jules Wolffers.

The style of playing here is from a time when people were still fascinated by the sight of a horseless carriage and musical entertainment was most convenient for people by attending a band concert in the park. With gentle and lyrical phrasing and judicious use of portamento, Spalding coaxes the listener into special, personal musical world. Just listen to the two Hungarian Dances of Brahms and you'll get my drift. This is not to say that Spalding is a relic from the past, he is in perfect tune to the music of deFalla and Albeniz and he creates quite an authentic Iberian sound if I say so myself. This is playing, that though it is far from technically perfect, is nevertheless self assured, direct, and well, joyful. Oh, and if Ave Maria does not cause your knees to buckle......

This Halo recording has ok sound and was probably recorded in some cheap setup. However, it is an important document of one of the first great American born violinists and that's treasure enough for me!

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The Curtis Quartet performs Schumann's Op 41 Nos. 1 & 3

2011-08-19T18:07:00.000-04:00

This post is specifically for my admirable colleague Squirrel of "Squirrel's Nest." You all know Squirrel is the absolute king and connoisseur of chamber music and I, for one, am most grateful for his terrific posts, often introducing me to artists that I only might have heard of or even NEVER heard of. One such group that I came to admire through Squirrel is the Curtis Quartet whose members were: Jascha Brodsky - 1st Violin, Louis Berman - 2nd Violin, Max Aronoff - Viola, and Orlando Cole - Cello. Here is an absolute splendid album by this group - Schumann's Op. 41, Nos. 1 & 3.

These quartets were conceived quickly and were written while Schumann was inspired by ,after close study, the quartets of Haydn, Mozart, and Schumann. I must say that I find Schumann a singularly fascinating character. He could go weeks, months even, without any real compositional activity of note and then bam! in a flash of inpiration and white heat, turn out pages and pages of excellent music. Often Schumann found his muse when he was very high with excitement or, low in despair. Incredible. The works here are delights in that they contain stylistic hints ranging from Bach through Schubert but in the end, they are very much works of high romanticism.

In the good old days, there were many quartets playing the US, often associated with the preeminent music schools and universities. The Curtis Quartet is certainly of that ilk and they had a long, probably 30 year association with the Curtis School. Interestingly, the group started their existence as the "Swastika Quartet"...I kid you not! When Hitler came to power in Europe, Mary Louise Curtis gave the quartet permission to formally incorporate Curtis into their name. Prior to the war, The Curtis Quartet was the foremost American born and bred ensemble of its kind and for many, it was a near household name. After the war, as the members took on other teaching and playing responsibilities, concerts and touring became less though the nucleus of the group was together through the 1970's. Among the most famous works written for the Curtis was Barber's masterpiece, his Op 11 which contains the famous "Adagio."

This Westminster issue, WL 5166, dates from 1952. If only the Curtis had recorded Number 2!

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Simon Barere and Witold Maluczynski perform Liszt, Chopin & Franck

2011-08-17T18:33:00.000-04:00

Genius. Listen to Simon Barere play Liszt's arrangement of the Waltz from Faust of Gounod. Genius.

I was absolutely overjoyed that this beat to hell Remington lp cleaned up as well as it did. It is magnificent. Why? Because Simon Barere combines the technical virtuosity of a Richter with the pure musicianship of a Schnabel. Plain and simple. I can't really say anything more.

I have included in this download the contents of a Columbia Entre lp featuring the fine pianist Witold Maluczynski. The album features two works: Chopin's second sonata and the Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue. Maluczynski was especially reknowned as an interpreter of his countryman's works and the sonata comes off quite winningly in his hands.

But, in the end, you will want this download for Barere and you will treasure his artistry.

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Music from Columbia's Modern American Music Series

2011-08-13T17:51:00.000-04:00

During the 1950's and 60's, Goddard Lieberson, Columbia Records longtime president, fostered a great project in which he knew little would be made back in actual sales. Columbia was awash in dollars, thanks to such well recorded, and selling, artists as Ormandy, Walter and Szell on the classical side and therefore could afford to indulge in a pet project by this sometime composer and well, recording visionary. Thus was born the "modern American Music Series, " a chronicle of the development of American classical composition from roughly the 1920's through the present era.

This particular issue, ML4987, is both an enterprising and entertaining one. First off, The Juilliard Quartet presents a convincing performance of Virgil Thomson's Quartet No 2. Admittedly, Thomson had, I think, a bit of a habit of taking ideas and using them over and over again in his compositions. One can at times hear phrases from "The River" or his "Symphony on a Hymn Tune" but no bother, when played by a crack ensemble like the Juilliard, the results are pure pleasure for the ear. The folksy tunes and strong tonal writing lend this quartet a certain freshness. Obvious to the listener is the enjoyment that the music brings to the excellent Juilliard quartet.

William Schuman, on the other hand, is far more probing and intellectual and I am delighted to have made the aquaintance of his Voyage. If you know Schuman primarily by his orchestral works, this piano set will captivate because it presents an intimate side of Schuman that was not easily captured in his larger scale compositions. Esteemed pianist Beveridge Webster proves the ideal guide as he was a highly gifted interpreter of 20th century piano music. On this blog you will find Webster performing a marvelous recital of piano works by Stravinsky of which he was a noted interpreter.

I have some other lps of this series in the works, notably Carlos Surinach leading a performance of Antheil's Ballet Mechanique. I'll get to these down the road. As you know, I am rather "random" in my approach so as to keep you all constantly guessing! I will say that more Simon Barere is close at hand...

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Sherman Walt plays four bassoon concerti of Vivaldi

2011-08-11T17:16:00.000-04:00

My! I'm glad that I found this lp. What a wonderful reminder of the artistry of the greatest American bassoonist of the last century, namely one Sherman Walt. Joined by his colleagues from the Boston Symphony, in Zimbler Sinfonietta guise, Walt offers sterling renditions of four of the maybe twenty or so bassoon concertos of Vivaldi.

Sherman Walt was for some 30 years, give or take, the principal bassoonist of the BSO and one of the most respected musicians in my fair city. Walt had a distinctive timbre and keen musicianship and his presence, along with the likes of Joseph Silverstein, Harold Wright, Jules Eskin and Armando Ghitalla were reason enough for guest conductors to die to come to Boston. Walt, as he displays in this recording, makes the funky bassoon sound so effortless though it is in fact mighty challenging and not easy to master. The sad thing about Walt is that he was killed in a car accident only months after retiring from the BSO after a distinguished, and highly influential, tenure, one that reached far beyond the city limits of Boston.

No doubt everyone here is having a bit of fun and I'm at a loss why this record has been lost. Well, I found it albeit in the mono edition, and here it is. Enjoy some terrific playing! Released in 1959 by RCA.

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HiFi Feast for Orchestra with Argeo Quadri conducting

2011-08-09T17:18:00.000-04:00

Today, a really neat orchestral compilation conducted by Italian maestro Argeo Quadri. With the Philharmonic Symphony of London (I believe it is the LPO in disguise though it could be the RPO too), Quadri leads bouyant performances of Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre and Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah, Chabrier's Marche Joyeuse and Espana, Mossolov's The Iron Foundry, and Revueltas' Sensemaya and Cuauhnahuac. This is mid 50's Westminster monaural sound with an impressive dynamic range.

Argeo Quadri was primarily a conductor of opera and he spent many years as a resident in Vienna. Westminster, obviously playing into the Toscanini craze and legend of the 50's, signed Quadri as their resident Italian, probably in the hopes that another Italian, known for firm technical control and a fidelity to the score, would increase their sales exponentially. Quadri made a number of records, a very fine Sheherazade, a strong Respighi issue (posted here on this blog) and surprisingly, an excellent set of Corelli's Op 6 Concerti Grossi. Unfortunately for Westminster, Quadri did not develop into a seller like Scherchen, Rodzinski, or Boult. Probably a lot of that had to do with the fact that Quadri did not have much of a physical presence on this side of the Atlantic nor was he a larger than life figure as was Westminster stallwart Scherchen. Quadri also was not a martinet or an excessively ruthless person. All speculation, of course.

Argeo Quadri

The surprise of this program has to be the inclusion of the two pieces by Revueltas. I suppose that these were new to the London players and I find it fascinating that this Italian opera conductor would program these little known works when no one else did, maybe with the exception of Stokowski. The results are positively splendid, with the orchestra playing in a "by the seat of the pants" fashion. Juxtaposed with warhorses Espana and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Quadri manages to craft a varied and interesting program. I think you will like this alot. Oh....and if Iron Foundry doesn't get your attention!?

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David Glazer and the Kohon Quartet performing Hummel and Weber

2011-08-07T14:46:00.000-04:00

A transfer of a lovely lp that I made some time ago. I was listening to it today and thought I'd better post it here before it slipped my mind....I am getting old too fast! David Glazer and the Kohon Quartet performing the clarinet quintets of Hummel and Weber. This Vox lp dates from 1963 and my copy is the mono edition in very good sound.

Of the two pieces presented here, the Hummel, I think, is the superior offering. At his best, Johann Nepomuk Hummel bridged the years between Mozart and Beethoven by taking composing elements of both and incorporating them into his own, relaxed, Viennese kind of way. You can hear Mozart in the quick passages and Beethoven in the softly lyrical slow movement. Its really exquisite music beautifully performed by one of the great 20th century clarinetists with this very underrated American string quartet. Hummel really was at his best in the works he wrote for smaller ensembles.

The Weber is enjoyable but does not plumb the depths of inspiration that this composer found in his dramatic writing for the human voice. Weber wrote a lot for the clarinet and his compositions display a great understanding of the technical capabilities of the instrument. The Weber is a showpiece for clarinet accompanied by string quartet rather than a work written for 5 instruments in equal partnership as is the case with Hummel. However, paired as they are, the styles work well and the variety makes this an engaging, nearly hour listen.

Wonderful stuff..pour a glass of wine or crack open a good ale and relax in your favorite easy chair!

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Hans Swarowsky leads excerpts from Berlioz's "Romeo and Juliet"

2011-08-07T10:55:00.000-04:00

Excerpts from Berlioz's dramatic symphony "Romeo and Juliet" and Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" led by Hans Swarowsky on a Musical Masterpieces (Treasures) of the World issue. Probably recorded in the mid to late 50's, this monaural lp features the "Musical Masterpieces Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra" better know as the Vienna State Opera Orchestra though not, of course, the orchestra that comprises the famed Vienna Philharmonic. Whew!

Much has been written about Swarowsky and his actual, and non actual, recordings. Considered by many the greatest conducting professor of the twentieth century Swarowsky, himself, cut many recordings from Vienna during the 1950's and 60's, often for budget labels that worked on shoestring budgets and within tight time constraints. I'd suspect that Swarowsky's pay as a professor was not all that terrific and churning out records was a great way to supplement his, and his musical students', income. Since Swarowsky probably knew intimately many of his orchestral colleagues, the results he got were most often faithful and fully representative of the score and composer, though admittedly not the last word in technical perfection.

All that said, the performance here of the Berlioz is quite good indeed. Overall, I find Romeo and Juliet to be a bit wayward, not as cohesive as Symphony Fantastique, and in the wrong hands it can become a colossal bore. Happily, Swarowsky has the right hands, a strong sense of line, and an intuitive sense of drama. The listener's attention is held firm and one can only wish that Swarowsky had taken on the complete score. Dukas' perennial favorite too is afforded a splendid reading and the story is brilliantly etched from the musical score.

A rather nice remembrance of an influential man whose legacy has often been tarnished by careless marketing and the natural pitfalls of the bargain basement recording business.

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Brahms' choral works with the Akademie Kammerchor Wien

2011-08-01T18:51:00.000-04:00

A very nice anthology, by Westminster, of choral pieces from different periods in Brahms' life. Conductors Henry Swoboda and Reinhold Schmidt lead persuasive accounts of Nanie, Gesang Der Parzen, Marienlieder, and Songs for Women's Voices in faithful monaural sound.

If you do not know the choral pieces of Brahms, you are missing something real special. Like any of his ensemble pieces for instruments, Brahms achieves a beautiful blend of lush sounds while never sacrificing articulation and clear phrasing. The music itself lends itself well to the text and the result is an experience which is pleasing to the ear and faithful to the message. Brahms' choral music captures the spirituality of the man that he could not fully express in his instrumental and chamber works. In order to capture Brahms' essence, you have to spend some time listening to the music he wrote for the most perfect of instruments.

No doubt, the Akademie Kammerchor prove to be excellent proponents of this interesting and varied program. These Viennese choristers most assuredly had this music in their blood and you can hear the love and respect they have for Brahms. You will love this program!

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More from Erno Balogh in Bach

2011-07-26T20:53:00.000-04:00

A while back, I posted three part inventions of Bach performed by Erno Balogh and here today are the two part inventions on Lyrichord LL1, in good monaural sound.

Aside from the obvious superlatives regarding Balogh's playing, this is a must hear. Everything is perfect, the phrasing, the dynamics, the phrasing, the insight. If Bach is a god, as Casals said, then Balogh is an archangel.

Indispensable and an antidote to our troubled times.

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Arthur Winograd and the MGM Orchestra in Kodaly and Rozsa

2011-07-23T07:25:00.000-04:00

I know that a number of people have been waiting for this particular lp and I was lucky to find it this week in the three for a dollar pile! Here we have Arthur Winograd leading the MGM Orchestra in Kodaly's 'Summer Evening' and Rozsa's "Hungarian Serenade." I believe this record was recorded in 1957 and it is issued here in a good, though dryly recorded, monaural pressing.

Zoltan Kodaly

This may have been the premiere recording of the two works on this record. Sadly, both are pretty much forgotten today and its a shame since they are atmospheric, expertly written and, very, very listenable. Summer Evening was Kodaly's graduation piece from the conservatory in Budapest and it's excellence earned him a scholarship to study abroad. As with most of Kodaly's output, it is highly influenced by folk music and this tone poem of sorts is a collection of episodes that are strung together into one cohesive piece. Kodaly revised it in 1930 and this is the version presented by Winograd.

Miklos Rozsa

The Hungarian Serenade by Rosza is one of this composer's earliest pieces, written after he had abandoned the study of chemistry for music, and it was premiered in Paris. Though Rosza admittedly did not like living in Hungary, he, from time to time, drew inspiration from his native country for his compositions. This "suite" of short pieces is an absolute delight since the writing is witty, sharp, and perfectly structured. Rosza, like Korngold, suffered from being pegged as a film composer but here is a terrific opportunity to hear music that was written long before this composer began his successful tenure in Hollywood.

Arthur Winograd

Winograd and the superb MGM players prove to be honest and thoughtful interpreters of this fare. Though a Dorati might have brought a bit more authentic atmosphere to the music, Winograd acquits himself well in, again, music that was probably quite unfamiliar to many of the musicians. Very enjoyable listening these sounds from old Hungary.

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Trumpet, Flute and Horn Concerti of Haydn conducted by Fritz Lehan

2011-07-11T09:53:00.000-04:00

Posting again from a very warm Bulgaria, here's a nice mono Mace lp of Haydn wind concerti featuring the Consortium Musicum with Fritz Lehan leading soloists Helmut Schneidewind on trumpet, Valerie Noack on flute and Erich Penzel playing horn. These recordings date from the early 60's.

I enjoy this simple and honest way with Haydn. In particular, I've heard a lot of recordings of the trumpet concerto and enjoy very few of them, usually because of excessive brightness in tone and technical displays that jar the overall ebb and flow of the writing. I'm happy to say that Schneidewind plays warmly and collaborates with the members of the Consortium Musicum in a concertante style which I attribute to Lehan's firm leadership and a partnership of intrepretive ideas.

On my vacation: Here in Bulgaria, we spent several days in Sandanski, a spa town of sorts close to the Greek border and the reputed home of Spartacus, the "Thracian barbarian" who led a great slave revolt in the last days of the Roman Republic. In the days of Communist Bulgaria, the leaders played up the Spartacus connection as one of the first great "proletarian" uprisings. From Sandanski, the important and impressive historical sites of Rila Monastery, Melnik, and Rozhen Monastery are within easy distance. While in Sandanski, we took a brief trip to Rupite, the final resting place of Baba Vanga, a mystic who combined prophetic insights with Orthodox Christian teachings. Some consider her a saint and on her grave was an icon of her with a saint's halo. In Melnik, the famed caves hold barrels of rich red wine that is definitely the drink of the gods. We will be traveling for a few nights to Hisar, which is an ancient spa town with waters possessing curing powers for a whole host of diseases and ailments....not that I have any ailments at this time..or that I know of! Bulgaria is an amazing country, with great beauty, variety and a rich history. Also, I will mention that the fruits and vegetables here are the best, simply delicious, a treat for the eyes and the tongue!

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Independence Day with The Goldman Band

2011-07-04T10:08:00.001-04:00

It's the grand old 4th of July and here I am in Bulgaria thinking of fireworks, band concerts and the like. Actually, I had the good fortune to catch a free concert by the Sofia Brass Band this past Saturday and they opened the program with, what else but the Stars and Stripes Forever! So, in the spirit of the festivities, I'm able to post from abroad a classic band recording by the famed Goldman band under their founder Edwin Franko Goldman. This particular issue was the first in Columbia's "Harmony" series, the budget label that was the forerunner of the much larger, and expansive Odyssey one.

Edwin Franko Goldman is probably the most influential, and important American Bandmaster after Sousa. Besides being a superb conductor, he was a terrific composer and arranger, excellent cornetist, teacher, and founder of the American Bandmaster's Association, probably the most important fraternal band instructors organization in the world. The Goldman Band, in its heyday, was a great professional band, that set incredibly high standards for band performance and did much to popularize the medium beyond the setting in the park. These performances of Sousa marches by the Goldman Band carry on the tradition of Sousa and set the stage for Fennell and his revolutionary work at Eastman. Important documents they are indeed and a clear and clean record of a bridge of style from the 19th to the 20th century. I'm not sure of the recording dates here but I would guess the 1940's.

I have included four of Goldman's own marches as fillers. These recordings are from the mid 30's and are available on the Internet Archive. Excellent music it is with a strong imprint of Sousa.

Happy 236!

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A little Brass and with some Woodwind tossed in for good luck!

2011-06-27T17:34:00.000-04:00

Some great brass and woodwind music today. First, by request(s), The Modern Age of Brass with Roger Voisin leading a bunch of his BSO colleagues followed by Frank Glazer and the NY Woodwind Quintet in music by Riegger and Poulenc. Both records date from the mid 50's, the Voisin in mono and the woodwind in stereo, though I have seen the latter's recording date as 1953! The stereo here appears natural.

Brass players are so indebted to Roger V for his pioneering recordings and editions of various works for trumpet and brass. Though admittedly, I have never been a great fan of the bright French school of trumpet playing that he was one of the last proponents of, I recognize him as a tireless promoter of the trumpet and music for brass ensembles. And, as I said previously, Roger was completely and utterly dedicated to music in Boston, especially the next generation of brass players. This important record, from MIT, preserves strong, pioneering excursions into great works. In particular is the masterpiece of Ingolf Dahl, his Music for Brass Instruments, a brilliant work of colors and invention. There is some fine playing by Voisin, Armando Ghitalla and Kauko Kahila here. Great stuff.

The woodwind album features two works, Wallingford Riegger's Concerto for Piano and Woodwind Quintet and Poulenc's "Piano" sextet. We all know Poulenc whose star shines pretty bright these days but Riegger is shamelessly neglected, in fact nearly forgotten. Though Riegger primarily composed within the twelve tone system, he was not orthodox enough to make his output difficult to listen to, The concerto, Op 53 and written in 1953(!) is a marvelous piece of imagination and beauty. I think it to be a great display of Riegger's understanding of the instruments and the colors and sounds that they make. Now, if we can only get a recording of his Music for Brass Choir! The Poulenc is delicious in that French 20th century kind of a way and players like Samual Baron and David Glazer eat it up for all its worth. Frank Glazer's piano conributions are insightful and a pleasant reminder of this fine, and underrated, artist.

Both of these lp's add up to a well filled cd. It all works well together, at least I think so.

Personal note: I will be on vacation through the middle of July. More posts will come after I return.
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Piano music of Faure played by Emma Boynet

2011-06-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

I found this rather best up old record on a recent trip to the Goodwill. After transferring it and cleaning it up a bit, (Sacqueboutier is sooooo right about the value of ClickRepair!) the resulting product proved quite lietenable and I'm glad for that! This ravishing and lush music receives an exquisite performance by Emma Boynet, a performer that I knew nothing about. A little web search brought up the information that she was associated with Faure during his later years and, was a favorite soloist of Koussevitzky during his tenure in Boston. She also taught here in the States for a number of years.

To my ears, I hear connections to the music of Chopin. The great 19th century Polish composer was the master of the smaller piano art forms and Faure obviously knew, studied and absorbed Chopin's style. The Barcarolle's, in particular, are works of relaxed lyricism that incorporate quieter melodies with precise and gentle harmonies. This is pleasurable listening, however in an urgent way, because Boynet performs with a deep understanding and love for this composer. It is one of those records where the performer gets as close to the composer as one can, maybe even closer to the composer's intention than the composer himself. If you do not know these gems, and admittedly I had a vague recollection, this is the introduction disc to the piano music of Faure. You will play this twice through on the first listening and let me know if you do not, ok?

I am so happy to have acquired this lp. I believe the recordings were made around 1951 or 2.

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Victor Aller joins Felix Slatkin in Shostakovich and Hindemith

2011-06-22T19:03:00.000-04:00

Today's lp features strong familial ties along with terrific playing by an orchestra that was for all practical purposes the cream of Hollywood Studio musicians. Pianist Victor Aller joins his brother in law Felix Slatkin and the Concert Arts Orchestra in Shostakovich's Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings and Hindemith's The Four Temperaments.

During the 40's and 50's, Hollywood was home to some of the very best classically trained musicians in the country. Many, were drawn to the optimistic outlook of California, often coming from disparate circumstances in Europe, and others liked the idea of good pay, steady employment and, superb benefits that the studios lavished on their best of the best. Of those working in the studio were the extended Slatkin family, Felix, his wife Eleanor and her brother Victor Aller. Felix and Eleanor would found the Hollywood Quartet, which in its day was one of the finest quartets in the Americas and a pioneer in performing newer works for the string quartet medium.

Felix Slatkin was the longtime concertmaster of the Twentieth Century Fox Orchestra and often conducted this fine band, which many considered the best studio orchestra and, even a better ensemble then the famed Los Angeles Philharmonic. Slatkin had developed a relationship with Capitol through the Hollywood Quartet and during the early 50's, Capitol sought to offer a "pops" type series to rival RCA's Boston Pops and Columbia's Andre Kostelanetz. Capitol settled on Felix Slatkin to conduct larger works with Carmen Dragon directing the "lollipop" type offerings. Mostly Slatkin was put to work with overtures and ballet suites but here he is with a full scale recording of two serious and contemporary works.

Both the Shostakovich and Hindemith are well played and ideally interpreted. Aller and Slatkin are truly of one mind and what is beautiful about the performances is that Aller does not view these as solo concertos but rather as works for orchestra with a "leading" piano part. I really like this approach as I view the works in this way. The Shostakovich is a marvelous and colorful piece, probably one of the five best concertos of the last century. The Hindemith, not heard often enough, is a strong work and this performance softens ever so slightly Hindemith's often spiky manner in a beneficial way. Though very different composers with styles that are hardly congruent, this pairing makes sense and flows naturally under Slakin's able direction.

These recordings date from 1953 and were well recorded by Capitol.

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Music of Jacques Ibert led by Henry Swoboda

2011-06-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

An early Westminster issue from 1951 with Henry Swoboda conducting a program of music by Jacques Ibert. Leading the Winterthur Symphony, Swoboda directs energetic performances of Divertissement and Capriccio and with the Vienna SO and women of the Akademie Chorus, he conducts an enjoyable Suite Elizabethaine.

This has to be one of the very first records ever to focus solely on Ibert and the program is a great window into this composer's varying styles. Swoboda, impresario, record producer, conductor was extremely adept at crafting recorded programs that were unique not to mention in some cases, premiere recordings. Though imaginative, Swoboda was not considered a great conductor but rather a competent, workaday one. However, I think that he rises above the typical assessment of his abilities on this Ibert record. This music is lively, with first class orchestral writing and its, well, all very "snappy." One cannot imagine why musicians would not like playing this fare. And, I would think that many of the musicians here were playing Ibert for the first time making the session a sense of discovery in which Swoboda rises to the occasion, much in a way we would expect from Munch, Ansermet or Monteux.

I will call your attention to the Suite Elizabethaine which is Ibert's delicious recollection of music from another time albeit with a marvelous modern twist.

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Walter Hendl conducts Copland and Barber for the American Recording Society

2011-06-16T20:38:00.000-04:00

Today, American Recording Society Number 26 featuring Walter Hendl and the "American Recording Society" Orchestra in Copland's Appalachian Spring Suite and Barber's Overture to the School for Scandal and Music for a Scene from Shelley.

This is a very persuasive offering by an American born conductor who has all but disappeared from the musical radar. Though Hendl would rerecord with Copland with the formidable Chicago SO, this earlier effort from Vienna captures beautifully the spirit of Copland's great rural ballet with surprisingly alive and alert orchestral playing. I will echo the same for the Barber pieces as they positively come to life with great energy and virile excitement. Considering that this was the first time these Viennese ever saw the music and, recorded with minimal rehearsal time, the results are simply astonishing, at least for this listener's ears. Hendl was known as a conductor who could work under extreme conditions and this record is a testament to his excellence as an orchestral coach with solid interpretive skills, second to none.

You will love Hendl's Appalachian Spring. What gorgeous music!

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Luboshutz and Nemenoff perform Brahms, Schumann and More

2011-06-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

A wonderful rescue from the trash heap here. Though the cover slipcase was waterlogged and ruined, this Camden reissue cleaned up quite nicely (once I removed pieces of cardboard that had adhered to the vinyl). The husband and wife piano duo of Pierre Luboshutz and Genia Nemenoff play Brahms, Saint Saens, Schumann and Mendelssohn.

I never tire of the Brahms' Haydn Variations in any shape or form and it was good to make the acquaintance of this record. Luboshutz and Nemenoff play in a very direct, almost willful way, but what is most stunning is the unity of interpretation. If there is a definition of harmony in marriage, I would say this performance is the musical equivalent. Listen and you will swear that this is one artist and not two, it is that cohesive. This is unsentimental playing, hardly heart on the sleeve, and the artists let the music speak for itself. I was surprised that there is little reflection at the end of each variation, one seems to march into another almost in a brusque way, though it is not to the point of annoyance or is it damaging to the structure of the piece. Again, I want to stress the unity of the presentation is what sells me here.

Very much the same approach holds forth in the Beethoven Variations of Saint Saens, the Allegro Brilliant of Mendelssohn and the Schumann Andante and Variations. The Saint Saens, in particular, is tossed off in a brilliant tour de force - it is simply a delight and reminder of what a creative, and at at his best, inspired composer Saint Saens indeed was.

I've mentioned before that I have come to really enjoy the two hand and two piano art form especially when the artists subordinate their solo will to the fine art of collaborative dialogue. Luboshutz and Nemenoff are the benchmark in this regard.

I believe that the recordings are all mid to late 40's, Camden provides no information.

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Gliere's Horn Concerto in its World Premiere Recording

2011-06-08T16:06:00.000-04:00

An interesting, and quite historical, edition from Classic Edition. The world premiere of Reinhold Gliere's Horn Concerto with the great horn soloist Valeri Polekh and the composer conducting. Along with the horn concerto are orchestral works of Prokofiev, Glinka and Amirov led by the underrated Samuil Samosud.

The Gliere work is an extensive piece at nearly a half hour in length and unabashedly romantic in its conception. Polekh commissioned this piece in 1951 and it is probably one of the last compositions by Gliere. It is tuneful, masterfully orchestrated and the horn part is highly interesting. I love these old Russian small bore horns, I swear at times the horn sounds like a viola! If you are a horn afficionado, this is a great and amusing listen, both for Polekh's superb musicianship and as a recollection of an instrument design which has all but disappeared as Eastern Europe's musicians have adopted the best from the west as their weapons of choice. Gliere and Polekh work very well together, needless to say.

The orchestral fillers are tossed off in the best Soviet style with Glinka's Jota Aragonesa sounding like one Russian's recollection of a Spanish holiday. Amirov's Azerbajian specialty is highly atmospheric and was made for Leopold Stokowski. It's really all quite enjoyable and Samosud displays a deft leadership of the Bolshoi and USSR State Orchestras. I love this music played by the natives!

Admittedly, the sound is rather constricted and lacking much depth or ambiance. This is Melodiya of the early 50's when their state of the art was the US recording industry circa 1935. This all doesn't bother me since I feel priviledged to listen and learn from one of the great brass players of the last century.

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A Virtual Concert with the Stadium Concerts Symphony Orchestra

2011-06-05T06:37:00.001-04:00

Fredell Lack

Recently, I came a number of items destined for the great mound of garbage at the transfer station. These records were Music Appreciation and Musical Treasures of the World issues. Released beginning in the 50's, these records were sold by subscription, club membership and in places like the local supermarket and Woolworth's. Some were older recordings relabeled with pseudonyms while others were fresh new recordings cut by musicians looking to make a couple bucks outside of their normal concertizing. Today, I offer two records from the Music Appreciation series, released by the Book of the Month Club. Both feature the "Stadium Concerts Symphony Orchestra" aka the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York. The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto is performed by Oklahoma born violinist Fredell Lack with radio conductor Alexander Smallens conducting and the Tchaikovsky Symphony No 5 is led by famed resident conductor at the Met and former Cincinnati SO director, Max Rudolf.

Alexander Smallens

Prior to this recording, I had never heard of Fredell Lack. Ms Lack appears to have had a relatively short career in the limelight, primarily as a soloist and member of the Little Orchestral Society in New York City. By the age of 30, she had relocated to Texas where she would spend many years as a distinguished professor of music at the University of Houston and, as leader of the Lyric Arts Quartet. On evidence of this recording, she is strong soloist with a sweet tone and impeccable finger work. Lack is ably supported by noted radio conductor and arranger, Alexander Smallens. The latter was one of these musicians who could apparently step in to a scene quickly and coax fine results by musicians with little preparation for producers whose eyes were constantly on the clock.

Max Rudolf

Max Rudolf is a name familiar to most, a conductor of impressive stature who spent his earlier years in the opera pit but emerged later as a conductor who could lead convincing performances in the concert hall minus the trappings of the operatic stage. Rudolf's Tchaikovsky is taut, no nonsense and almost businesslike but not in a way that would denote boredom or indifference. This is Tchaikovsky for people that do not want over exaggeration but rather prefer the music to speak for itself. In essence, this is performance by an operatic conductor who has to regularly bring differing performing styles together and have them coalesce into a work that is interpretively consistent. I find Rudolf refreshing and he coaxes some very good playing from an orchestra that is probably recording late into the evening or into the wee hours of the morning.

These mono records were a bit of a challenge to work with. Again, I would guess that there were not many takes as time and money dictated that a product had to be produced quickly, efficiently and cheaply. Consequently, I don't believe that recording conditions were at all ideal. Even so, its nice to have these recordings available as they are a fond remembrance of musicians that left their individual imprints on the music of the day.

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Karl Ristenpart conducts Brahms and Wagner

2011-05-30T18:00:00.000-04:00

There's been a little Karl Ristenpart festival going on at Symphonyshare the past couple weeks and I thought it would be a great idea if I make a small contribution. Ristenpart is mostly remembered for performances of music from the baroque and classical periods but here we have him in music which is most definitely 19th century and romantic in spirit.

Wagner's Siegfried Idyll is a masterpiece of phrasing and gentle lyricism. This is proof that Wagner was a master away from the stage and could draw great inspiration from intimate, personal events, in this case the celebration of the birth of his son Siegfried. Brahms' second serenade is a gentle, bucolic piece of wonderful melodies and strong contrasting harmonies. This serenade and the first one were steps on the path that would lead to Brahms' magnificent first symphony. In these serenades, Brahms is becoming accustomed to larger ensembles and mastering the fine art of orchestration. A methodical man, Brahms would perfect those tools that he would need to create his large scale orchestral masterpieces some years in the future.

Karl Ristenpart's careful and studied approach yields fine readings of these two marvelous works. Though others might impart more urgency or directness in their approach, Ristenpart offers sunny readings that are well, very much in the relaxed South German way. The orchestra, the South German Philharmonic, is probably a pseudonym for the Stuttgart RSO, the Stuttgart PO or maybe even the great Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. Whoever they are (the recording was made in 1967 in Stuttgart), they play well for Ristenpart.

I have enjoyed the "series" of recordings, that others have transferred from lp, made by this wonderful conductor. Whatever can be said of Ristenpart must include the words "consistent." "quality," and "honesty." It's good that we are remembering this excellent musician.

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Modern French Orchestral Miniatures conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky

2011-05-27T17:42:00.000-04:00

I've been looking for this elusive Westminster Gold lp for some time now. As my introduction to the music of "The Six," I recall playing this over and over again during my teens. For my money, Rozhdestvensky scores a homerun in this repertoire. (I consider Satie the "father" of Les Six)

The "little" symphonies of Milhaud and the Paris Suite of Ibert are the "big" pieces on this lp. Both of these composers wrote in a similar style and both excelled at exploiting the colors of smaller ensembles. I think the interplay of strings and winds in the "little" symphonies is among the most imaginative and stimulating listening that I've ever encountered. However.....it has to be done right and when I say right, I mean the ensemble has to be listening carefully to one another in order to understand the logic behind the compositions. Milhaud's own recording with Radio Luxembourg does not come close to the dynamic that Rozhdestvensky caresses out of these exceptional musicians, the cream of the famed Leningrad Philharmonic.

This record was released by Melodiya in 1964, at the end of the Khrushchev years and the thaw that helped break (at least for a short time) the stranglehold on Soviet arts and artists. This music would have been decidedly bourgeois by Soviet standards and I'll bet that many of these musicians were seeing this fare for the first time. And, early on Rozhdestvensky's career, he was an innovator, an experimentor and a friend of the avant garde. In my opinion, the forces came together well here for an inspired recording session of terrific music.

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Luciano Sgrizzi and Sins Of My Old Age

2011-05-22T12:06:00.001-04:00

A request was made to me by David on Symphonyshare to transfer this lp. Here's a selection of the pieces that Rossini composed and referred to as "Sins of my old age." They are performed by one of the great early music specialists of his time, Luciano Sgrizzi.

These salon type pieces are interesting because they are mostly theme based (meaning based on a subject, person or idea) and they contain striking ideas that at times point to the "music of the future" as Liszt might have put it. I find these brief vignettes full of neat melodies which cement the proposition that Rossini was one of the greatest melodists ever to grace the planet. This is clever, witty and thoroughly enjoyable fare.

I believe this original Cygnus recording (here released by Nonesuch) dates from the early 60's - it is stereo.

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Early Mozart Quartets with the New Music Quartet

2011-05-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

A delightful album here. Up today is the 1977 Columbia Special Products reissue of one of the Mozart Commemorative Celebration of 1956 series that was released by CBS/Epic. This particular lp features Mozart's early quartets K.155 - 158 in performances by the shortlived New Music Quartet whose members were Broadus Earle, Matthew Raimondi, Walter Trampler and David Soyer.

I won't write much today - returned from a business trip and I'm under the weather. What I will say is that the playing here is sensitive, glowing and impeccable. This is music making where the phrases just flow out naturally and the pieces unfold without forced effort. What strikes me about these artists is that one does not dominate another, here is a true partnership where a collaborative effort yields beautiful music by the most remarkable prodigy in the history of music.

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The Art of the Baroque Trumpet with Edward H Tarr

2011-05-14T10:07:00.000-04:00

Sacqueboutier over at Symphonyshare has been posting the mother lode of brass music recently so I thought I'd make a long overdue contribution. This stereo Nonesuch album is the first record that I ever bought some, gosh 32 years ago maybe?? The Art of the Baroque Trumpet with renowned trumpeter and scholar of the baroque period, Edward H Tarr.

Edward H Tarr is one of the greatest name in the history of trumpet performance and scholarship. Spending many years combing the libraries of Europe, Tarr almost singlehandedly resurrected an entire ouevre of music that had all but disappeared. A very fine trumpeter to boot, Tarr "premiered" scores of works for trumpet alone, trumpet and organ and, trumpet and ensemble to audiences in a directed effort to preach the rich history that the modern day trumpet and its predecessors has played in musical performance, ceremony and innovation. His legacy was to take the trumpet out of the modern orchestra and employ it in surroundings that best captured its initial purpose in the cultural life of a bygone age. For more on Maestro Tarr, please see his website here.

The works on this record are richly varied, from Altenberger's wonderful Concerto for 7 Clarini and timpani to Handel's Suite for trumpet and strings (from the Water Music). Tarr, and colleagues perform on both valved instruments and the ancient clarino trumpet which has has neither keys or valves but is a hollowed instrument with holes and a "trumpet" type mouthpiece. The performances are lively and spirited though allowances need to be made for intonation. Trumpet playing on original instruments has progressed light years since these records were cut in the late 60's and early 70's. Again, I stress that we own Tarr a great deal or gratitude for his herculean efforts and, Nonesuch for releasing a veritable treasure trove of lps dedicated to the wonderful instrument that I happily call my own.

Enjoy this fine anthology. Listening today is every bit as enjoyable as when I first put it on my dad's Zenith console turntable in 1979!? I am old!

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Robert Veyron-Lacroix plays Cimarosa

2011-05-10T17:38:00.001-04:00

Something a bit on the unusual side today. The eminent French harpsichordist Robert Veyron-Lacroix performs the 32 Sonatas for keyboard by Domenico Cimarosa. I'm not sure of the date of this mono recording but I'd venture somewhere during the early 60's.

These sonatas do not adhere to sonata form as it would have been known, accepted, and employed during the late 18th century. In fact, these miniatures belong more to the model of sonata set forth by Domenico Scarlatti some 50-60 years earlier. And, though forte piano had pretty much displaced harpsichord, Cimarosa had harpsichord in mind when he wrote them and that makes it all the more fascinating to the ear. These are melodically interesting and do not require a lengthy attention span however that does not diminish the fine musical qualities of each of the pieces.

Robert Veyron-Lacroix is a well known name as he made scores of records, usually as an accompanist or chamber performer, and as a longtime member of the Orchestra Jean Francois Pailliard. His long, and fruitful, association with Jean Pierre Rampal is particularly notable since it yielded a treasure trove of excellent recorded performances of masterworks from the 17th and 18th century. Veyron-Lacroix is a sensible and sensitive artist and his scholarship and playing pretty much set the standard for future harpsichordists to aspire to.

Again, pleasant listening here, very suitable for a long day where te desire to listen is great but the nature of the listening should be..let's say "gentle."

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Dvorak performed by the Berkshire Quartet

2011-05-05T18:54:00.000-04:00

Wonderful music by Dvorak today. From a VoxBox, early 60's issue, comes the Berkshire Quartet in Dvorak's Double Bass Quintet and Twelve Cypresses.

I love Dvorak so much because his music has the strength to transport me to his homeland and smell and see the beauty of Bohemia. Such is the case here with these two(actually there are 12 Cypresses but I am counting them as "1" whole piece) seldom heard works. The Double Bass Quintet, of course, augments the quartet by adding a double bass and it is a novel and refreshing idea. The Twelve Cypresses are arrangements of songs for quartet and these delightful miniatures capture brief moments and emotions from the composer's life with intimacy, warmth and directness.

The Berkshire Quartet plays with an authentic and idiomatic sound. I admittedly was not familiar with this ensemble and thought them to be a "Tanglewood" based ensemble that was briefly here and now gone. Interestingly it was the first incarnation of the Berkshire Quartet by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge that was based in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. The group on this recording was the successor group to the Gordon Quartet who, after the founder Jacques Gordon's death, found themselves in dire straits. Ms Coolidge offered to rescue them with the priviso that they become the "new" Berkshire Quartet. As part of the bargain, the quartet spent the school year at Indiana University and returned east to Music Mountain Connecticut for the annual summer chamber music festival which Gordon had founded.

One frustration I have is that these VoxBox sets, especially from the late 60's into the 70's were pressed on inferior vinyl and the records often ended with lots of extraneous noise. Such was the case here and after running the sides through ClickRepair several times, I achieved better results then the vinyl but still surface noise does remain. Please do not let that interfere with gorgeous music performed by top flight artists.

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Paul Badura-Skoda and Felix Prohaska in Mozart

2011-05-02T18:34:00.000-04:00

A very nice record today, from 1951. Paul Badura-Skoda and Felix Prohaska come together for fine performances of Mozart's 24th and 27th piano concertos.

Couple things I'd like to mention. First, I am dazzled by the maturity and strength of these recordings from quite early in Badura Skoda's career. This man was blessed with inate good taste and a surehanded technical mastery of the keyboard. Incredibly sensitive and collaborative musician. Second, Felix Prohaska was both an underrated conductor and pioneer in presenting the baroque and classical period composers without varnishing their intents in romantic excess. In these performances, you hear details that are often buried beneath a keyboard's fight with a bloated orchestra of strings and winds. Not here - its all neat, clean and complimentary. In short, lovely and riveting.

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Sir Adrian Boult conducts Brahms on Westminster

2011-04-28T21:16:00.000-04:00

Terrific Brahms here led by Sir Adrian Boult. Featured works are the Academic Festival Overture, the Tragic Overture, the Haydn Variations and the Alto Rhapsody with Monica Sinclair as the soloist. These recordings made by Nixa-Westminster date from 1954.

Boult was hands down one of the greatest conductors of Brahms ever. His great attention to detail, careful preparation and ability to remain utterly unsentimental paid extraordinary dividends in his performances of Brahms. Just listen to the Haydn Variations, for example, and you will hear Haydn's voice as Brahms intended. Boult gets it and does not let this beautiful tribute wallow up into a grotesque parody of the simple joys that Brahms wanted to celebrate. The master Brahms penned these exquisite and deferential variations to a master whom he held in the highest possible regard.

The other pieces on this record are no less impressive. I especially love the rich and creamy voice of Monica Sinclair in Brahms' great tribute to the beauty of the human voice. Sinclair's phrasing, breathing and enunciation is a reminder of another time and place when a singer's identity could be easily identified. There's nothing generic here and Sinclair proves a wonderful partner for Boult as her presentation is musically pure and emotionally stable.

I do wish that I had a better copy of this record. There are two places where my heart sank a bit when skips could not be entirely removed. The most notable is in the last bars of the Haydn Variations where an awful scar left a blemish which momentarily jolts the listener during the quietest of passages. I did what I could and debated whether to offer the Haydn Variations because of this slight. I decided that one small spot was not worth scrapping the finest Haydn Variations that I have ever heard.

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Brahms' Piano Quartet No 1 along with the Horn Trio Op 40 for good measure

2011-04-23T15:21:00.000-04:00

In recent years I have grown to love the rich and varied music written by Brahms for small ensembles. All of it is so well structured and proportioned and the wealth of ideas boggles my mind. Brahms had this ability to write well for pretty much any instrument and I will tell you that I wish he had tossed off a sonata or concert piece for my instrument, the trumpet. Alas....

Two wonderful pieces featured today. First up, an early Mercury, MG10011, of the Brahms First Piano Quartet played by Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Alexander Schneider, Milton Katims and Frank Miller. I cut to chase - this is exquisitely rendered. Horszowski was superb in small ensemble settings and Alexander Schneider was simply the best violinist out there for any and all chamber music. Not to forget the terrific Milton Katims on viola and Frank Miller on cello - these guys play together so instinctively and correctly and they set a benchmark of which I have no doubt. This late 40's effort has stood the test of time and its well worth any serious listener's attention. Students should be required to listen, absorb and describe what these artists do for Brahms.

As a filler, I came across the Horn Trio Op 40 performed by Emil Gilels, Leonid Kogan and hornist Yakov Shapiro. I was most curious when I found this for the fact that Russian horns and trombones of the period tended to be small bore instruments and the sounds are often quite startling to the ears, especially if we know pieces from a western performing perspective. On top of the instrument configuration, Russians brass players tended to play with a heavy and pronounced vibrato. Needless to say, these instruments and the style has all but disappeared as today's instrumentalists, more or less play in a western, and American influenced, style. All that aside, this horn trio is quite fascinating to hear as the horn sounds like some sort of a hybrid instrument, almost alto hornish at times, though it is well played by Shapiro. As to be expected, Gilels and Kogan are their typical formidable selves and they are keenly in tune to what Brahms is all about. Quite wonderful listening though that horn takes some adjusting to the ears. Of the recording date, maybe early 50's...who's to say? The flip side featured Gilels in scratchy Scarlatti sonatas, I think a very odd, odd disc partner!

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Telemann's St Luke Passion performed by Banchetto Musicale

2011-04-20T18:27:00.001-04:00

Boston Baroque in concert at Jordan Hall in Boston

Just in time for the holidays! From an earlier post, I had lamented the fact that Stereo Jack's in Cambridge is slated to close. Jack is still there as the People's Republic is moving slowly on issuing building permits for the pizzeria which will take the spot and, the building's owner is more then happy to keep collecting rent from Jack. Anyway, I pop in every few weeks and stuff keeps coming in; I was fortunate to come across this splendid recording from Titanic Records with Martin Pearlman and Banchetto Musicale a k a Boston Baroque. I'll always know this wonderful ensemble by the former name, not the name given to them when they signed on with Telarc some 20 odd years ago. The marketing mavens saw more $$$ in a Boston Baroque brand, of course.

Pearlman and Banchetto Musicale were the American pioneers of period performance. Long before anyone else was trying to be HIP, Pearlman, noted violinist Daniel Stepner, harpsichordist John Gibbons, oboist Peggy Pearson were removing the cobwebs off of many chestnuts from the baroque and, introducing audiences to nearly forgotten masters from the baroque. Telemann, believe it or not, was on the fringes when these records were cut in 1980 and its hard to imagine this since today, he has since undergone a reappraisal as one of the greatest and most innovative masters of the 18th century. There are literally hundreds of cds cut within the last 25 years of this incredibly prolific and cosmopolitan genius.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Though Telemann is best known for his instrumental gems, he did write extensively for the church though his works are admittedly not as contemplative as those by his good friend Johann Sebastian Bach. Whereas Bach's passions are deeply emotional and pious, Telemann speaks on the emotional level with a lighter touch and the music does not plumb the depths of meaning and understanding of the text to the level of the great JS. Possibly this could be due to the nature of the cisties where they lived, Telemann in liberal, forward looking Hamburg and Bach in conservative, staunchly Lutheran Leipzig. Perhaps too it has something to do with Telemann's cosmopolitan outlook and Bach's insular, deeply religious upbringing. Whatever the reasons, we are presented with an effective works that is melodically quite pleasing, never outstaying its welcome over 79 minutes. Not to be disrespectful to Telemann, whom I adore, but this is definitely Passion Lite.

This recording features the noted baritone James Maddelena along with Boston stalwart Karl Dan Sorensen and Ray deVoll. The last artist was the featured soloist in the Berlioz Requiem I offered a few posts back. I want to remind you all that this recording is 30 years old and mastering period instruments has come a long way since then. This is a beautifully rendered recording but you will hear, from time to time, the occasional sour sound that most of these earlier period performance records would have on them. As a historical document this is vital and, as a musical document, kudos to Martin Pearlman and Banchetto Musicale for bringing style and good taste to the music of the incredible Telemann.

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Dorati, Minneapolis and Beethoven

2011-04-16T09:10:00.000-04:00

Gosh! I don't know how many copies of these recordings that I have!? (Well I do!) From this issue, the Wing in artificial stereo, to the European Pergola, they have all been beat to all hell. I mean, it is IMPOSSIBLE to find these recordings in a good shape!.....until now.

And with good reason. When Gunther Schuller remarked that Antal Dorati was one of the best conductors of Beethoven, he wasn't exaggerating. And, when my late photographer friend Bill, when seeing Dorati's face on the cover of the Beethoven 7 with the RPO, remarked that "this is a face of great intelligence and strength," he knew right away that here was a man of impressive insights and capabilities. This Beethoven 5th, for me, is about as good as it gets. Inspired playing, strong attention to the letter of the score, and an ability to really get inside of the music drives this legendary recording. All of those scratched and nearly destroyed copies that I have (5, count em 5!) are the result of being played out and played with. This is a Beethoven performance to die for, one, where any weaknesses in the structure are tightened by an orchestra playing their hearts out for a conductor who is determined to present a performance that is individual but all Beethoven. Listen to the phrasing and attention to dynamic markings and you'll understand what I mean. These folks are inspired because they are LEARNING this music for the first time and NEED to be fully alert!

Antal Dorati 1906-1988

The overtures too, are very well done. Egmont is driven and highly dramatic (though Scherchen rmains my favorite here) Coriolan is heroic and strong while Lenore 3 becomes almost a tone poem of sorts, encapsulating the opera "Fidelio" into less than 15 minutes. The Minneapolis orchestra offers a kind of commitment not usually heard on studio recordings and this more then compensates up for admittedly less then top drawer playing.

Overall, I am happy enough with the transfer though there were a couple spots in Coriolan that were less then ideal. Again, I cannot stress the sense of urgancy here, and I believe that this Beethoven 5 beats out the remakes that Dorati made with the LSO and the RPO. A true sense of occasion!

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More from Lenore Engdahl

2011-04-13T18:01:00.001-04:00

A follower of my blog, Dan from California, was most kind to send more from music from the ten gifted fingers of Lenore Engdahl. I am pleased to offer Ms Engdahl in Franck's Prelude, Chorale and Fugue and Dukas' rarely heard Variations on a Theme of Rameau. Both these works were from a stereo LP of which I have no additional information.

Dan wrote me that Ms Engdahl lives in a retirement community outside of Boston and is a remarkable 93 years of age. She had settled in greatly Boston many years ago after becoming a professor at Boston University. Dan did mention that though a great and respected artist, Ms Engdahl consciously placed her family and students ahead of personal ambitions and a concert career. On evidence of what I have heard, she would have been a highly successful concert hall artist, especially as a recitalist.

The two works offered here are brilliantly played. Ms Engdahl combines insight and intelligence with superlative technique and scrupulous musicianship. The Franck, a massive work, is played stately and with nobility and the Dukas captures the charm and wit of the theatrical Rameau. I'd love to hear Ms Engdahl in an all baroque program - it would probably be a smashing recital!

On a personal note, one of the great thrills of collecting is discovering an artist previously unknown to me. Especially important, is when that artist reminds me of how little I know!

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Corelli's Concerti Grossi Op 6 with Dean Eckertsen and the Corelli Tri-Centenary Orchestra

2011-04-10T08:08:00.000-04:00

I have been enjoying this pioneering set of the complete Concerti Grossi Op 6 of Corelli for most of the week. Picking it up at the local Goodwill about a week and half ago, the VoxBox issue (cover above is from a French Pathe edition), from 1963 celebrates the 10th anniversary of the release of this important set, conducted by America Dean Eckertsen with the Corelli Tri-Centenary Orchestra, presumably a New York group made up of such wonderful musicians as Daniel Guilet and Frank Miller, to name a few.

Of Dean Eckertsen, I know nothing other then he was featured on a number of recordings by Vox, most notably this set and a traversal of concerti by Geminiani. This particular set was issued in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Corelli's birth. In my opinion, this is a tremendous achievement, not only for its pathbreaking nature but also for the stylistic correction of the music making. There was little to base these recording on in 1953 and Eckertsen was truly breaking new ground and he did it with style, polish and great committment. Certainly, this must have been one of George Mendelssohn's greatest coup's for Vox in the early 50's - first rate New York musicians playing almost totally forgotten concerti by a very great master of the middle baroque.

No doubt these concerti influenced both Bach and Handel as they knew, played, and admired the Italian masters like Corelli and Vivaldi. The writing is superb and there are touches throughout that point to music yet to come. Eckertsen captures the spirit of the music superbly, though the orchestra is larger then what we come to expect today, it plays nimbly and there are no romantic excess. In other words, this is pretty HIP for 1953!

Enjoy these gems as I have this week. Vox packed these well, made of heavy vinyl and issued with a red label (I have never seen red label Vox record). The records were in great shape.

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Piano Music of Milhaud, Villa Lobos and Stravinsky

2011-04-05T18:42:00.000-04:00

Interesting twentieth century piano music today. Lenore Engdahl performs Milhaud's Saudades de Brasil along with short works of Villa Lobos and the estimable French pianist Marcelle Meyer does great justice to Stravinsky in Three Movements from Petrushka and Serenade in A.

Admittedly, I know little of these two ladies of the keyboard. Engdahl had a long career as an artist, performing from the 1940's through the 80's. It would appear that she was a renowned teacher too, as witnessed by a quick google search. Though from the upper midwest, Ms Engdahl plays these pieces inspired by Brazil with great authority and is fully within the idiom. Really nice listening and I am pleased to have found this old MGM lp. I'd like to find more by Lenore Engdahl

Marcelle Meyer

Marcelle Meyer was one of the greatest French pianists of the last century, an artist well regarded by Ravel, members of Les Six, and Stravinsky. These masters apparently valued her musicianship since she served their music with an equal and total devotion and always avoided over dramatising the score. In other words, she was not one for effect but let the music speak directly and honestly to the listener. Her performances of Stravinsky are absolutely magnificent - Petrouchka is not easy stuff and she makes it sound so natural and unforced, like watching Fred Astaire dance.

I am not totally sure on the date of the Engdahl - MGM record and the Meyer - Haydn Society lp. I would guess late 40's for Meyer and mid 50's for Engdahl. This two records really make for some neat listening...really.

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Berlioz's Requiem performed by the Rochester Oratorio Society

2011-04-02T11:44:00.001-04:00

A rare and interesting recording here: The Rochester Oratorio Society under its founding conductor, Theodore Hollenbach, in Berlioz's epic, and profound, Requiem. I am not sure of the date of the record but I believe it to be around 1955 or so, about the same time that Columbia was active in Rochester with recordings by Leinsdorf and the RPO. Records from Rochester were issued on the Entre and Harmony labels which were the budget labels of Columbia Masterworks prior to the introduction of the Odyssey label.

This is a Requiem for those that tire of the bombast approach to the piece. It is so easy for this music to descend into the banal because it is truly a concert hall spectacle, what with huge choral, orchestral and brass choir forces. Hollenbach navigates this mass of performers wonderfully and does not lose focus on the liturgical importance of the music. This is important since the music has to support the meaning of the text and not the other way around. Unfortunately too many performances get caught up in the excitement of the moment and performances become well, garbage. This happens far too often with a masterpiece like the Verdi Requiem, for instance.

Admittedly, one of the challenges on this recording, in monaural sound, is to capture this huge endeavor in a way that makes the music listenable and meaningful. Overall, the engineers did a fine job as Hollenbach's overiding choral vision supports the recording process. The orchestra, by the way, play very well - I would assume that it is made up of Philharmonic members and folks from the Eastman School. In addition, tenor Ray deVoll acquits himself well in his brief solo contribution.

I think that it is important to mention that Theodore Hollenbach was an important figure in the musical activities of upper state New York for many years and that during his 40 year tenure in Rochester, he built one of the finest choral society's in the Northeast part of the United States. Hollenbach also served a tenure as the music director of the Corning Philharmonic at a time when the Corning Corporation was pouring lots of money into the cultural development of that company city.

This record was in a so-so shape but it cleaned up pretty well. There are a few skips here and there but they do not deter from a very fine and committed performance. I believe this record to be a superb document of choral performance and a reminder of the artistic excellence existing in America's smaller cities.

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Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony with Karel Sejna

2011-03-30T06:47:00.000-04:00

Here is the most rustic sounding Pastorale that I have ever heard. This original early 50's record features the glorious Central European sounds of the Czech Philharmonic (in its postwar magnificence) under its longtime principal or resident conductor Karel Sejna.

Karel Sejna is a name that is all but unknown in the United States and vaguely remembered in Western Europe duein part from tours during the 1950's. He is one of those musicians that devoted his art and life to his land of birth and fortunately, a recorded legacy preserves a highly individual and gifted talent. No doubt that Sejna understood the sounds and temperament of his Czech colleagues, able to coax out of them timbres and phrasing that add a delightful freshness to old warhorses. Case in point is his terrific Mahler 4th available on the European Archive and this Beethoven Pastorale.

Notwithstanding some technical issues with the recording and pressing (the opening note in movement 1 is clipped, something that the Gramophone reviewer in 1960 complained about), Sejna treats us to an intimate, village setting for his Pastorale which combines lyricism with a raw and rustic peasant quality. This approach is so refreshing because countless recordings add a sheen and gloss over the "little people" aspects of this groundbreaking (I think so) music. The Pastorale is a celebration of the country, the hardworking people of the land and the imperfections and mysteries of life. Sejna gets it down to the "T." His Mahler 4th has a very similiar approach and it is a marvelous achievement.

Enjoy a Pastorale whose likes is probably not to be heard again.

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Reiner and Ormandy in Tunes from the Homeland

2011-03-27T10:08:00.003-04:00

The spirit of Hungary from the Keystone State! Here are two fine Columbia issues from the late 40's featuring Hungarians Ferenc Reiner and Jeno Blau. We of course know them as Fritz Reiner and Eugene Ormandy.

The Reiner disc is another document from his Pittsburgh years. I love these recordings from Pittsburgh because they capture Reiner in manner which is almost the polar opposite of what we came to expect from Chicago. In the Windy City, Reiner was known as a severe, humorless perfectionist who drove his orchestra hard and without remorse. Pittsburgh recordings tend to be more flexible and relaxed, sounding at times spontaneous and inspired by the minute.

The selection of Hungarian Dances by Brahms are tossed off winningly and quite naturally. I swear that Reiner has tweaked Brahms' orchestrations ever so slightly though the liner notes say nothing on the subject. As for the Stauss waltzes, another example of Reiner's treatment of these gems as more then mere entertainment and fluff. Reiner really was one of the finest conductors of this genre; interestingly, another perfectionist, Carlos Kleiber, is supreme here as well. Great, idiomatic, interpretations here despite the oddly very dated and stuffy sound.

The Ormandy disc fares much better with sound probably because the Philadelphia Orchestra was the Cadillac in the Columbia garage. Ormandy is well within his element with the two Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies and the Philadelphians play these with all the expected virtuosity of a very great orchestra. I never take these Liszt pieces for granted because poor conducting sabotages the hell out of them while great conducting rivets the listener to his or her seat. Ormandy's traversal is close to great and there is sparkle and wit here. The best Hungarian Rhapsodies, for my money, are Scherchen's mono set from London. It's absolutely terrific - Scherchen at his most inspired finest! The Ormandy record is paired, rather strangely I think, with Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite. This is vintage Ormandy fare and he played Grieg as well, or better then, his contemporaries.

A nice full program here with two fine conductors recorded in their prime with two terrific, but very different orchestras.

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A Josef Lhevinne recital

2011-03-23T17:58:00.000-04:00

Above is the Camden release cover to my Victrola reissue. This is a recital by the great Russian-American pianist, Josef Lhevinne. These recordings date between 1928 and 1935 and capture the pianist during his final decade on God's Green Earth.

Josef Lhevinne was a genius. Regarded as maybe the greatest technical player of his day, he is above known for his devotion to teaching at his beloved Juilliard where he, and his equally talented wife Rosina, built the greatest program for aspiring pianists during the 20th century. To his students and contemporaries he represented the pinnacle of taste, craftsmanship, and technical proficiency.

The performances on this record of Chopin, Schumann, Debussy and Johann Strauss are beautifully rendered with the highest level of musical excellence. Lhevinne has not only the highest regard for the written note but his presentation is set forth with respect, humility and responsibility. You can hear this being conveyed through his ten fingers onto the eighty eight keys. This is a must hear experience. I especially want to call attention to the Debussy which pairs Josef and Rosina in the real definition of marital bliss!

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Scherchen conducts overtures by Weber and French opera composers

2011-03-21T17:42:00.001-04:00

From a three lp mono reissue by Westminster, we have a whole bunch of overtures conducted by Hermann Scherchen with the Paris National Opera Orchestra. There are five overtures by Carl Maria von Weber as well as overtures by French opera composers Adam, Auber, Boeldieu, Lalo and Thomas. I have not transferred all 3 lps but only recordings from Paris, which fills nicely fills a cd.

As with all Scherchen issues, there is plenty of excitement and often scrappy playing. Scherchen certainly has the measure of the music and his imprint is firmly on these gems. They are all a delight from start to finish. As always, I am left thinking what results Scherchen would have gotten with a truly first rate orchestra at his disposal.

I believe all of these recordings date from the late 50's and were originally released in both stereo and monaural.

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The Beggar's Opera as realized by Max Goberman

2011-03-19T07:01:00.000-04:00

A little change of pace for me since I've not offered any opera or much in the way of extended vocal works. Here is a unique recording conducted by Max Goberman: a setting of John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera as orchestrated and realized by Maestro Goberman. This set dates from 1962 and here in the monaural edition, we are offered one of the last records cut by Goberman prior to his early death at age 50.

For those that do not know the Beggar's Opera, it is a parody and pastiche created by lyricist John Gay and set to popular tunes of the day, many by then renowned Italian opera composer George Frederick Handel. Italian opera was widely popular in England during the first three decades of the 18th century and composers like Handel made gobs and gobs of money writing in a genre that few, if any, Englishmen could understand. Gay sought to satirize this craze with a bawdy parody which incorporated the simple English language of the people along with the air of the English "aristocratic" voice. The result of his efforts was a revolution in tastes as Italian opera collapsed and composer's, like Handel, would have to recreate themselves. In Handel's case, his genius conjured up an entirely new art form, the English biblical oratorio. Ironically, true opera in English would be slow to germinate, reaching its full flower two centuries after The Beggar's Opera with Britten's string of masterpieces.

For collector's, the name of Max Goberman needs no introduction. At the time of his death, he was in the middle of several pathbreaking series of the complete recorded orchestral works of Vivaldi and Haydn. Goberman combined scholarship with solid podium skills and he left us with a recorded legacy which at its best forces us to hear works with a "new" ear. This I think is the mark of a great musician. The Beggar's Opera presented here was the germination of years of research and Goberman adapted it for the modern audiences on Broadway since the theatre is where he began his career. Goberman's adaptation updates the language so American audiences can better understand the dialogue - 18th century English was a far different dialect and much is incomprehensible to the modern ear. Goberman's reorchestration is tasteful, minimal and quite atune to what we would call HIP.

I have included the cast information though admittedly, none of the singer's within the set ring a bell with me. The orchestra is unnamed and its too bad since they acquit themselves marvellously. This set was a co-production between Everest and the Library for Recorded Masterpieces.

Enjoy something out of the ordinary!

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Antal Dorati conducts his arrangements of Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss and Jacques Offenbach

2011-03-16T17:24:00.000-04:00

In over 35 years of listening to the classics, I can honestly say that one of the greatest influences on me has been Antal Dorati, in particular early Dorati from the mid 40's through late 50's. What strikes me most about early Dorati is the excitement, the sense of occasion that he brought to, and inspired, in his performances from Dallas and Minneapolis.

The three performances here feature three orchestras tackling works arranged by Dorati and recorded during the late 1940's by RCA Victor:

The ballet "Graduation Ball" based on music of Johann Strauss the Younger performed by the Dallas Sympony Orchestra
The suite from the ballet "Helen of Troy" by Offenbach performed by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra
The suite from "Der Rosenkavalier" of Richard Strauss performed by the Robin Hood Dell Orchestra (pseudonym for the Philadelphia Orchestra which was under contract to Columbia)

In all of the works, Dorati elicits sharp playing and sensitive phrasing from the musicians. In addition, Dorati keeps the pulse steady and accurate and this is no easy feat as these suites are scenes that require flawless transitions in order to move along convincingly, rather in a transparent way I would say. It is so easy for suites like these to become fragments strewn together but Dorati does not let that happen. I think one reason why these arrangements are all but forgotten is that few conductors could pull this off as convincingly as Dorati. These are great examples of the art and talent of Antal Dorati: composer, conductor, leader.

These records were in so-so shape. Overall, the transfers came out better than I had imagined however, there are a couple of spots where added noise removal would jeopardize overall sound. I don't think this will prove too much of a problem as the historical reason for listening to these recordings outweigh any technical limitations.

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The Trio di Bolzano in Ravel and Shostakovich

2011-03-13T09:51:00.000-04:00

From 1964, here is the monaural Westminster edition of the Trio di Bolzano performing Ravel's Piano Trio in a and Shostakovich's Piano Trio in e, Op. 67. The members of the trio are Gianino Capri, violin; Sante Amadori, cello; and Nunzie Montanan, piano.

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about this fine trio from the city of Bolzano, which is located a short distance from the Austrian border. A little digression, if you will permit me: some years ago, the Oktoberfest band that I play in did a gig for a group of North Italian background that was celebrating an Oktoberfest type celebration here in Massachusetts. Most of these folks of Italian lineage had roots in and around Bolzano and the group had come from throughout the United States to celebrate their gathering. Strikingly, their costume and decoration for this event was right out of Munich! It was more Germanic then Italian even though the names were Italianate. It was a trip for me to say the least. Enough of that.

These are two of the best trios written during the 20th century. Ravel's trio is a masterpiece of phrasing and nuance and this composer's understanding of the particular qualities/timbres of instruments is unimpeachable. Shostakovich is always a special case since what is on the surface is not always the inner meaning of the piece. Messages and meanings are buried within the lines and musicians with a strong roadmap of this composer are needed to bring forth a most persuasive performance of the work. One must remember that this trio was written shortly after the very public Symphony No 8 and like all of Shostakovich's chamber music, his true feelings about events and people are depicted here, and written "between the lines." Gilels - Rostropovich and Kogan capture this music definitively for the simple reason that they "knew" what Shostakovich was talking about. Trio di Bolzano are quite credible, putting forth a striking recording, but my opinion remains that the Soviet musicians contemporary with the great composer are ultimately the way to go if you want to get inside of this complicated music.

I know that the Trio di Bolzano released a number of recordings on Vox during the 1950's and I am on the lookout for them. The ensemble is all but forgotten and it's really too bad since these three musicians possessed consumate technique and musicianship. They instinctively respond to each other and this is characteristic of great small ensemble playing.

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First Chair! Philadelphia principals get a chance to shine.

2011-03-12T07:50:00.000-05:00

Some folks on google groups classical recordings were looking for this record and, well I happened to have it. This, I believe, is the first of the "first chair" albums issued in Philadelphia and the success of it would yield additional Philly installments, as well as versions featuring other orchestras in the United States.

No doubt that Eugene Ormandy had, in 1952, fantastic principal players. Some like William Kinkaid on flute, had been around for decades and had not dropped a beat. Ormandy was a shrewd man and recognized that highlighting his orchestral leaders in an album such as this would be good for the orchestra, the players, sales and Eugene Ormandy. Thus we have this fine sampler featuring works of the baroque up through the modern day, deftly handled by those fabulous Philadelphians.

Sound is pretty good here though there are a couple clicks due to a less than pristine lp. This is a great chance to hear some of the best orchestral players of the day, up close and under spotlight.

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Willem van Otterloo conducts Franck's Psyche

2011-03-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'd say this is pretty unusual fare here. Though the record is not in the best of shape, the music is so rarely heard, or recorded, that I felt it would be a good transfer and service to the community. Here then is Willem van Otterloo and the Hague PO (Residentie Orchestra) and Netherlands Chamber Choir in Cesar Franck's complete symphonic poem, Psyche.

I think it is a pity that Franck gets short changed in regards to what we listen to of his output. Everyone knows the Symphony in d but who has heard this equally fine piece, or for that matter the marvelously serene, yet admittedly flawed, oratorio Les Beatitudes? Not many. The fine conductor Willem van Otterloo not only demonstrates a great sympathy for Psyche but makes a strong case for this, at times Brucknerian sounding, symphonic poem. After listening, I wondered what Otterloo would sound like in Bruckner. There is a recording that he made in Vienna of the seventh and I wish that I had it! Without a doubt, Otterloo has command of "line" and I'm sure his Bruckner would be fascinating.

Willem van Otterloo was an important conductor in the Netherlands during his lifetime. His principal activity was captured at The Hague however there were occasional trips to Amsterdam, Berlin and Vienna. His last years were centered in Australia, strangely enough. Otterloo did have the misfortune of being in the shadow of Mengelberg and van Beinum and strangely enough he was bypassed by the Concertgebouw when Beinum died and Jochum and Haitink pretty much took over artistic responsibilities. I'll bet this was a blow to Otterloo possibly influencing his decision to go down under after a career that was so focused in his homeland. Nevertheless, Otterloo carved out a decent discography and was especially valued as a concerto partner by many of the leading soloists of the day. He was, to all accounts, a sane, collegial and hardworking musician who treated others with the appropriate respect and professionalism.

There is an honesty and professionalism that combine with great musicianship which make this recording of Psyche so persuasive and special. I cannot think of a better introduction to Otterloo's art then this rare performance of a shamefully neglected work. I would too, encourage listeners to have a go at Otterloo's fine take on the Symphony in d with his beloved Hague orchestra available here.

I am not sure of the exact date of this mono record, perhaps between 1955 and 58.

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Erich Leinsdorf and the Rochester Philharmonic in Beethoven

2011-03-06T18:20:00.000-05:00

One of my first transfers, redone and offered again..however for the first time on this blog.

I find Leinsdorf a frustrating conductor. His greatest, and best opportunity, for immortality was during his tenure with the Boston Symphony however, that time was marked with frequent discord with players, administration and in the end, the public. I do suppose that following a conductor like Munch, who was positively electric did not help matters either. To properly assess his promise, I think one needs to look back to his early career at the MET, in Cleveland and then Rochester, to get a really great picture of what potential he had but somehow lost, maybe frittered away, during his later years in Boston and as a roaming guest conductor for hire.

If you have not had a chance to hear his Cleveland recordings, do so. The Internet Archive offers up 7 wonderful documents of his brief, but somewhat unhappy, Cleveland tenure - the Dvorak 6th is terrific and the Schumann Spring is sparkling. It is a shame that Szell undermined Leinsdorf's talents, which of course led to the latter's not having his contract renewed. There was great promise in Cleveland since it was a super orchestra, honed to excellence by the great orchestral builder Artur Rodzinski. I chuckle when I think of Szell's wild claim that "he" made Cleveland. When I think of a conductor "making" an ensemble, I inevitably think of the wonderful Maurice Abravanel and his miracle in Utah. Szell too a very good orchestra and honed it to perfection.

Leinsdorf retreated to Rochester NY as a successor to Iturbi. Even though Leinsdorf disliked Rochester as a community, the orchestra was good and a number of convincing recordings came from this partnership. All were released on CBS' budget Entre and Harmony labels. I think this Eroica is the best of the lot. Though lean in texture, it is honestly delivered and well played by the Rochester band. Though Leinsdorf would re-record the Eroica in Boston, this earlier edition has an energy and enthusiam that the later account fails to deliver on. Boston, one of the top seven in the orchestral world, is just too much on autopilot for Leinsdorf.

I believe this record was from 1952. Correct me please if I'm mistaken!

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Music by the Sons of Bach

2011-03-05T09:54:00.000-05:00

Some wonderful weekend listening. Music by the four musical sons of JS Bach, beautifully rendered by Gunter Kehr and his Mainz Chamber Orchestra.

Talented boys these Bachs were and there is much to enjoy from the quirky rhythms of CPE to the classical excellence of the "London" Bach, JC. I especially enjoy the one Op 18 symphony here of JC - a real shame that Kehr did not record the complete set of them since his involvement and shaping of the work is beyond reproach. It's that fine an effort!

It's always great to have a go at JCF Bach too, the "Buckeburg" Bach. Some years ago, I had a Nonesuch two LP set of his music, marvelously realized by Helmut Muller Bruhl and his Cologne Chamber Orchestra. Too bad I don't have it to transfer. JCF was a talented musician and hardly inferior to his three better known brothers.

This record dates from the early 60's and my copy is monaural. Enjoy the Sons of Bach.

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Karl Haas dishes up music of Boccherini and the Haydn Brothers

2011-03-01T17:11:00.001-05:00

Last year, I offered Scherchen's recording of Bach's "A Musical Offering" in the Vuataz edition. I tacked on, as a filler, the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 conducted by Karl Haas. Here's some more Karl Haas leading short works of the Haydn Brothers and Boccherini.

A lot of people confuse the conductor/musicologist Karl Haas with the longtime American radio personality Karl Haas. Both, of course were German immigrants to the UK and USA respectively, and both received similiar musical training in their native German. Importantly, both left their native Germany as a result of war and the racial policies of the Nazi regime. However, the "British" Haas, having already established himself as a conductor and musical director in Germany, chose to do the same in the UK while the "American" Haas developed his abilities in mass communications to become the most listened to, and revered, classical music radio host in the United States, for well over a quarter century.

Karl Haas the conductor upon arriving on British shores, founded his London Baroque Ensemble, an orchestra that was dedicated to presenting, reviving, and disseminating works from the 17th and 18th centuries, to the wide general public. Haas led this ensemble until shortly before his death - very much a personal creation, it dissolved after his activity with it ended. He was an innovator whose influence on a whole generation of British musicians cannot be underestimated. After all, the UK is really the epicenter of period performance as we know it today.

Haas's recording here, along with others, display a fidelity to the score and an attempt to be faithful to practices that would have been common to the time in which the music was written. We have then, music that is presented as it was written, with almost a total absence of emotion and personal indulgence. In other words, very refreshing and quite astonishing for the early 50's when the tendency was to offer this music with fuller orchestra and modifications suited for the 20th century palette.

I hope to offer more Haas in the future.I especially want to acquire the full Brandenburg set and transfer that since the 5th left me with a strong opinion of the correctness of the Haas approach.

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Debussy's Le martyre de Saint Sebastien from Oklahoma City

2011-02-25T18:32:00.001-05:00

I am absolutely thrilled to be able to resurrect a very important recording, in fact probably one of the greatest achievements ever by a provincial orchestra led by a then, unknown conductor, for a label known for its dubious recording practices...at best.

In 1951, Record Corporation of America (the other RCA) engaged the relatively obscure conductor, Victor Alessandro, to record the first complete (more or less) edition of Debussy's mystery play, Le martyre de Saint Sebastien from Oklahoma City....of all places! Featured with the Oklahoma City Symphony and Chorale were the excellent Frances Yeend, a longtime member of the MET and NYC Opera, with vocalists Anna Kaskas and Miriam Stewart. One might call this whole enterprise a brazen adventure but here's what Gramophone had to say in January of 1952:

"This recording provides one with a thrilling experience and one which I am unshakably convinced would be renewed with repeated playings after one had got to know the play well, and then restudied with the music in connection with its dramatic informant....The steady solemn passages seem to suit Victor Alessandro better than some other moods ; but he certainly allows Debussy power of evoking atmosphere full scope. The Oklahoma orchestra is remarkably good ; the tone is warm the balance of departments satisfying, the chording (especially in woodwind and brass) quite exceptional.... The choir has a large number of fine qualities, not least being firmness of intonation and persistence of tone. Their singing is always smooth, and consonants are not allowed to jerk the legato.... The soloists seem to be well cast and more than competent. I cannot praise the reproduction too highly—easy and even, this recording is of good range, full of colour, and always pleasant to listen to. I found the whole production one of the most impressive gramophone issues I have ever met."

Indeed, this was a triumph for Maestro Alessandro and Frances Yeend (pictured above). Victor Alessandro became an extremely important musical presence in the southwest for many years after. A native of Waco TX, he served first as music director in Oklahoma City and then as longtime director, until his death actually, of the San Antonio Symphony. Alessandro's twenty six year tenure saw the San Antonio orchestra's rise from being a competent orchestra to one of major importance in the southwest part of the United States. Frances Yeend's career was almost entirely focused around the two great opera companies in New York City and later, as a teacher and pedagogue. Yeend is best remembered as a flexible and hardworking singer, someone that had a wide repertoire and the talent to convince the listener in whatever role she took on.

As with many of these Allegro Elite issues, there are compromises on technical and pressing qualities. However, this performance makes up for deficiencies because it is a great sense of occasion. I'm sure the folks in Oklahoma were all absolutely thrilled with this once in a lifetime recording opportunity. I would have been!

A note: I do have a cd issue of Alessandro and the Oklahoma City SO performing what might be the first integral edition of all the Hungarian Dances of Brahms. I could do a "rip" if there is interest. It won't displace Dorati from nearabouts the same period but it does have its own unique merits.

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Paul Doktor and Nadia Reisenberg in Brahms' Viola Sonatas

2011-02-22T15:53:00.000-05:00

In recent years, I have come to appreciate the chamber music of Brahms, especially his later works. These last works are wonderful because they are written by a self assured man, an individual who had conquered specific realms and now could relax and write music that was more for himself, and his own use, and less for the public at large.

So it is with these viola sonatas, which actually started life as clarinet sonatas. Interestingly, the clarinet was a particular favorite of Brahms though he seemed no less interested in the viola. And fortunately, with an advocate like Paul Doktor playing, the results are bound to be quite lovely and engaging.

Austrian by birth, Doktor was recognized by Adolf Busch while a very young man and gained an important mentor in this brilliant musician. In fact, Busch was so taken with Doktor that the younger man was engaged as the violist for the famed Busch Quartet, particularly during times of touring. Doktor's life, like many musicians, was disrupted by hostilities in Europe, but he was able to re-group and establish himself in the US, becoming a citizen in 1952. From that time to his death, Doktor preached the viola, concertized heavily throughout the country and taught a generation of violists who would occupy important seats in orchestras throughout North America. Doktor's musicianship is a combination of old and new world, taking the best from either side of the Atlantic and placing it at the disposal of this grand instrument.

Nadia Reisenberg is most noted today for her many Juilliard students and her landmark recordings of the piano music of Haydn made during the 1950's. A European transplant like Doktor, she embraced her new home in the United States and dedicated herself towards encouraging and teaching the methods of the great Russian pedagogue Nikolaev. Her consumate musicianship, combined with technique and taste, make her the ideal chamber music partner. So highly regarded are her talents that in 2004, former students and admirers began the Nadia Reisenberg/Clara Rockmore Foundation to honor, and remember, Reisenberg and her sister Clara, a renowned virtuoso of the theremin.

Again, I will say that I like these "sunset pieces" of Brahms. Some people may find them less than inspired, even quaint, but as I said earlier, this is music by a man with nothing else to prove. He was a master who was a champion in all forms of music for instruments and voice, with of course, the exception being opera. Beautiful listening, these recordings were originally released in 1954.

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Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops on Camden

2011-02-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

Here's the contents of two very fine Camden reissues of early recordings by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. CAL-165 features the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No 1 and Liszt's Totentanz and CAL-166 highlights extended excerpts from Glazunov's ballet Raymonda and the bacchanale from Samson & Delilah of Saint Saens. The pianist featured on CAL-165 is the excellent Jesus Maria Sanroma, who was the official pianist of the Boston Symphony for Koussevitzky during the 1930's and early 40's.

The Mendelssohn had been transferred previously, from the 78's, by Bryan at The Shellackophile. Bryan did a great job of retaining warmth from the original recording, something that the Camden reissue producers admittedly did not place high on their list while transferring from 78 to 33 1/3. (The Liszt on the flip side fares better.) In spite of any sonic limitations, Sanroma and Fiedler turn in a superb account of this well proportioned and inspired concerto of Mendelssohn. In the Liszt, both experienced musicians keep the piece from turning into a gaudy display of overblown technique and banal passages. I've got to say that Fiedler was a terrific concerto partner on evidence of this recording and others. I still wonder how he kept a straight face and musical dignity while accompanying Al Hirt in the latter's infamous account of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto!

The extended excerpts from Raymonda are simply superb. Glazunov often gets short shrift because he was so prolific and at times rather less then inspired. That is not the case with Raymonda. It is a marvelous ballet, right up there with the best of Tchaikovsky. Terrific tunes and masterful orchestration make this a delight for the ears and of course, Fiedler does not disappoint. Having the great Pops (actually the BSO minus the principals) strings caress Glazunov's skillful writing reaps great dividends in this recording. And, what an encore with a supercharged, but entirely tasteful, bacchanale from Samson and Delilah. Richard Strauss must have been taken by this for his Salome's dance bears striking characteristics of this gem of a piece.

Enjoy Fiedler at his best!

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Suites from Handel Operas & Oratorios as presented by Boris Brott

2011-02-12T16:50:00.001-05:00

A while back, I offered a transfer of an Everest lp conducted by Canadian musicologist and conductor, Alexander Brott. The album, Beethoven - Young Prometheus contains arrangements for orchestra of studies completed by Beethoven as he was learning the art of composition. Fascinating listening.

Today, a stereo lp released in 1967 by Mace featuring Alexander Brott's son, Boris, conducting music from Handel operas and oratorios (Rodrigo, Martillo, Solomon, Jeptha) with the Northern Sinfonia of England. I believe this was Boris' first recording and it is a very convincing effort, though the Northern Sinfonia in this recording is hardly a first rate ensemble.

Boris Brott is not too well known south of the southern Canadian border but in his homeland he is well regarded as a conductor, educator, impresario, and motivational speaker. His background bears a striking resemblance to that of Boston's Benjamin Zander. Throughout his six decade career, Brott has conducted all of the major Canadian orchestras and has served as a distinguished professor at McGill University. He has been a tireless promoter of classical music and the education of children in music in Canada. For my northern friends, Brott would be regarded as a musical treasure.

Brott's Handel is sensibly performed on modern instruments and it bears a striking similarity to what Marriner would have produced around the same time period. In short, pleasing and musically stylish with a hint of period performance to it. When you think of it, it is so difficult to go wrong with Handel since his music is so well written and sparkingly tuneful. It really brings a smile to one's face!

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Stereo Jack's to bite the dust

2011-02-12T06:52:00.000-05:00

If you happen to live in Greater Boston and love records, you know Stereo Jacks. Nestled between Harvard and Porter Squares on Massachusetts Ave, Jack's has been providing invaluable service to loyal patrons since 1982. In particular, it is probably THE place to go for jazz though Jack always has a good revolving selection of classical lps. His dollar bin area is well stocked and the quality of the merchandise in terms of condition and value is beaten by no one.

I found out yesterday that Jack is closing shop. The lease has run out and the owner of the building has a pizza joint lined up for the space. Jack is sixty five and doesn't want to move and setup shop again. I can't blame him; a lot of work to reorganize and, in this economy, it could be all for naught.

Jack's has been a great place to haunt on a regular basis. As you can see by the picture above, it is orderly, neat, and an easy place to browse through. Though I enjoy rummaging through the Goodwill or both In Your Ear! locations, those places require time, patience and aerobic positions. Jack's is easy, just stand and thumb through the bins. No strain, pain, dirt, dust. I'll miss that!

I wish Jack well. He has served the community notably. His no-nonsense, somewhat gruff manner is a style of business that is fading fast and, will be missed. Knowledge, love, dedication, that individual touch...you don't find it at the Big Box. Jack's has been a happy escape for me and I'm sure, many, many others.

Godspeed Jack!

Orazio Frugoni performs Saint Saens

2011-02-09T17:13:00.000-05:00

Though I have the Saga issue cover above, this offering today of Saint Saens' 2nd and 5th piano concertos originates from a mid 50's Vox lp. The featured performer is Italian born Orazio Frugoni and the Vienna Symphony is led by the esteemed Hans Swarowsky.

Orazio Frugoni's name has rather sadly faded from memory. Fifty years ago, he was a well recorded artist and teacher whose name rose to prominence for his advocacy of the piano music of Mendelssohn. In particular, Frugoni introduced the youthful, but excellent, "two piano" piano concertos of Mendelssohn to the general public. However, during the 1960's Frugoni decided to primarily concertize "live" and teach, moving away from the recording process. He eventually returned to Italy as director of the fine arts academy in Florence and continued teaching and adjudicating through to the end of his life.

The music of Saint Saens is always a joy to listen to because it is tuneful and unencumbered by angst or emotional excess. It is for the most part music of entertainment and taken on its own terms is superb listening. Certainly Saint Saens understood the full breadth and scope of the keyboard since he, himself, was considered a master of the keyboard. Frugoni's performance here is musically sound and his technique captures the magic of the writing. Swarowsky, as to be expected, provides strong partnership with the redoubtable Vienna orchestra happily playing along. The mono sound is good, if not special, typical Vox from Vienna. Enjoy.

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Eugene Ormandy with those Fabulous Philadelphians in Bartok

2011-02-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

I've really grown to appreciate the 1940's through 50's recordings that Ormandy made with his incredible Philadelphia band. Here's a very good one, the 1954 recording of Bartok's masterpiece, the Concerto for Orchestra. Ormandy would go on to record this two more times, in stereo, but I think the overall playing and energy level, not to mention concentration of the conductor is not to be beaten here.

This recording had the unfortunate timimg of having to compete with Reiner's Chicago stereo remake. Reiner was considered ,and billed as, the leading authority in Bartok's music, perhaps only rivaled by Fricsay, who was European based and little known on these shores. Reiner's record is excellent and has stood the test of time, but no doubt but there is much to enjoy here too. Ormandy, being a native Hungarian, understood the idiom well and was able to project the work honestly and with sufficient authority. And, this is a piece made for the virtuoso talents of the Philadelphia Orchestra as the section chairs have the opportunity to shine brilliantly. Great listening.

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The Golden Age of Brass with Roger Voisin and The Brass Ensemble

2011-02-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

Well...guess I've been on a brass kick lately, what with the two Stagliano posts, so here is something by a distinguished colleague of James Stagliano's, namely Roger Voisin. Recorded in 1954 for Unicorn and re released on the Kapp label, Voisin leads the Boston based "The Brass Ensemble" in a program of favorites from the late Remaissance and early Baroque periods.

This recording is important for several reasons. First, it is one of the first, if not the first to explore the vast baroque literature that had been written for, or arranged for, brass instruments. Second, it is a testament to the lifelong work of Robert King as arranger and advocate of brass music for various sized ensembles. I mentioned in a previous post that Mr King for years ran a successful and indispensable mail order service for brass players just a few miles from my boyhood home. King arranged scores of pieces for quartet, quintet, octet etc. and his reasonably priced charts were the basis of many a brass ensembles' library. And, they are fun to play!

Roger Voisin needs no introduction however, I'll say that he was a man that dedicated his life to trumpet performance, brass music literature, scores of students and the city of Boston, of which he loved so deeply. Roger was one of the last proponents of the great French School of trumpet playing that dominated orchestras like the BSO for over half a century. I remember him from several master classes as kindly, patient, but authoritative just the same.

I have to admit that I was expecting more favorable musical results here. Most of the record sounds like it was recorded in someone's den, way too small an acoustic for the sounds of trumpets, trombones, horns and tuba. The overall playing at times is downright sloppy with out of tune horns, bunches of flubbed notes and numerous suspect entrances. I am also surprised at how Roger and Armando Ghitalla have a difficult time blending throughout the program. My suspicion is that these were no more than run throughs and that the recording process was maybe semi professional at best.. I recall that when Roger recorded his 4 or 5 lp set of trumpet concertos for Kapp, there were many instances where he sounded down right labored and worn out. I suspect that Kapp was trying to get everything done in one shot come hell or high water. Whatever the case, this particular record should be best remembered as possibly he first of its kind so as a historical document, it is vital, imperative and worth a listen. However, to be frank, all the repertoire has since been recorded in better acoustic, by technically sure musicians under proper recording circumstances.

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By request..James Stagliano in the Mozart Horn concertos

2011-01-30T07:12:00.001-05:00

While it is fresh on my mind..here's James Stagliano performing the four horn concertos of Mozart with the Zimbler Sinfonietta. Not sure of the date on these stereo recordings but probably early 60's. These recordings were originally on Boston Records, I believe, and here are reissued in the Sinequan series by RCA Special Products.

What strikes me about these performances is the intimacy. The orchestra is very small, in fact maybe too small for some of the tutti passages. Stagliano's approach is, surprisingly, less virtuosic and more collegial. In other words, he's looking at this as chamber music with longtime friends and not aa a one off concert with a resident orchestra and him as a visiting artist. I like this! A great player.

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Mravinsky conducts Shostakovich's Symphony No 10 (1954)

2011-01-29T10:18:00.000-05:00

Evgeni Mravinsky, Shostakovich, Leningrad Philharmonic, 1954. It doesn't get much better than this!

I was fortunate to lay my hands on this MK release of what might be the first recorded performance of Shostakovich's epic masterpiece, the tenth symphony.Though I have the excellent early 80's Erato recording, nothing compares to Mravinsky in his prime (age 51) conducting what was probably one of the top five orchestras in the world at the time. This is Shostakovich with a full and exhausting emotional range, played by an orchestra of out of this world virtuosity.

No doubt Mravinsky was one of the greatest conductors of his age. Fiercely patriotic to mother Russia and commanding a presence that few challenged, he led scores of premieres, raised orchestral standards to new, unheard of heights and was considered by most to be the final arbitrar in interpretation of 19th and 20th century Russian composers. His legacy is well preserved on many recorded discs and live performances.

What strikes me most is that Mravinsky was an undemonstrative man yet exacted a level of excitement and intensity that many can only dream of. Reading about him reminds me of Fritz Reiner, very little physical movement but powerful, communicative eyes that had power of almost hypnotic ability. And, not to forget that Mravinsky had an apparent authority that no one would question or confront, and this includes even members of the Soviet leadership! Musicians feared him, politicians stayed clear, and composers were careful not to tread over the line. I read that one musician equated a Mravinsky rehearsal as a "bombing mission" saying the the members of the orchestra would whisper "incoming!" when Mravinsky appeared. Wow!

But the results?! Judge for yourself. Listen to Shostkovich played by one of that composer's greatest advocates, by an orchestra of immaculate precision playing in a sonority which has all but disappeared from the major Russian orchestras of today.
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