A few to tide me over....

I've had some serious "writer's block" of late which, unfortunately, has made blogging oh so difficult for me. Perhaps I've hit a wall or something, I don't know. Well, as not to deprave my patient and loyal readers, I'm going to to offer up a half dozen transfers that I've had in the can, albeit without commentary...

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Note:  The Beethoven and Bruckner are the only stereo recordings here. Enjoy!

Sir Thomas Beecham works his magic in Goldmark

An absolutely fantastic record here today! In fact, one of the very best recordings that I have heard in quite a while. Sir Thomas Beecham conducts the RPO in this 1952 lp of Karl Goldmark's delightful "Rustic Wedding" Symphony.

Nobody could coax magic out of the byways of music like Beecham. When he was so inspired, the results were that second tier music sounded vital, impressively important and downright magical. Such is the case here with the Goldmark. This is delightful music, in the spirit of Brahms and Dvorak, but without that extra bit of "zip" found in those composer's best works. That said, the Rustic wedding Symphony contains much beauty, singing string lines and hearty wind parts. Beecham revels in this score, capturing the rustic spirit of the proceedings while ensuring that his principals have their absolute best way with their scores. This record has never been equalled and probably never will because the genius and gifts of Beecham, quite honestly, were unique, irreplaceable and once in a lifetime.  A treasure here for sure!

As a filler, I have included a Camden record of Brahms' second symphony. This lp features the only recording by the "Claridge Symphony Orchestra." there has been debate on who this ensemble really is - some say Fritz Busch and the DRSO and others say Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. I'll leave it up to you to decide. My opinion is probably Ormandy because the strings are quite creamy here.


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Carl Bamberger conducts Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem

Happy New Year! Been a few weeks since I posted. The busy days around the holidays were followed by a week of a nasty bug which left me with just enough energy to make my way into the office. Ho hum....

To start the new year, I'm offering a wonderful performance, on Nonesuch, of one of my favorite works by any composer, namely the German Requiem of Brahms. Here, the proceedings are directed by the fine German conductor Carl Bamberger. I must tell you that hearing Teresa Stitch-Randall's brief contribution  is worth the admission alone as her lovely, disciplined voice, that excelled in this repertoire, justs grabs your heart and melts your resolve. Gorgeous!

The orchestra, and especially the chorus, give full bodied, urgent accounts of their parts and overall, the effect of the music making is vital and dramatic This might not be the most polished performance but I don't think that would matter to Brahms; the overall product conveys the very human aspect of the work as the composer himself intended.

As a bonus, and to fill better two cds, I transferred a very early Simon Preston Argo lp where he leads the New English singers in motets and he, himself offers up some first rate organ playing too.

Both records are in stereophonic sound.

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Walter Klien performs Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto and Hans Swarowsky leads the 1st Symphony



A whole lot of nice Brahms today...in stereophonic sound to boot! The first symphony is led by an old favorite, Hans Swarowsky with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the second piano concerto is played by the excellent Walter Klien accompanied by the quite underrated conductor Milan Horvat with the Austrian Radio (ORF) Orchestra. The Swarowsky, I'm guessing is mid 60's while the Klien is early 70's.

These recordings are well done. On the Audio Fidelity label, Swarowsky leads an energetic, dramatic, yet sensitive reading played by musicians who  knew this music inside and out. As with most Swarowsky readings, there is no sentimentality or indulgence, just honest conducting filled with great respect for score. Most impressive is that Swarowsky brings out woodwind details that many conductors gloss over.

Walter Klien had a long career has a specialist in Mozart and Brahms and his authority shines through in this performance. He is ably partnered by Milan Horvat, a distinguished conductor, whose name, like Swarowsky's, has appeared over the years on countless budget records. This, I think, has been a great disservice to him since everything I've heard conducted by him, from Mozart to Hindemith, has been excellent. Horvat pretty much built the ORF orchestra after reorganizations at Austrian radio, and the orchestra under him is very, very fine. There is some good solo work in this second concerto by the orchestra as well as Klien's keen participation. This record came out on the Classical Excellence label as part of entire series, featuring generic covers and most performances led by Horvat or Carl Melles, a longtime resident conductor in Vienna.


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Robert Gerle plays Brahms' Hungarian Dances

More music celebrating the spirit of Hungary. Brahms' Hungarian Dances featuring the  Hungarian American violinist Robert Gerle with pianist Norman Sheltler. This is the monaural issue of a Westminster recording dating from the mid 60's.

One interesting thing to point out is that the dances were not recorded in numerical order but rather in sets arranged by Mr Gerle. Therefore, the tracks are numbered based on their appearance on the lp.

These are well played but admittedly rather subdued encounters of these spicy gems. if the listening is expecting bravura playing with a hint of zigane flair, than this record might disappoint. However, if beautiful tone, attention to detail and a flawless technical display are in order, there is much to soothe and satisfy here. On a piano note, I do find Shetler a competent but somewhat invisible partner.

I have some more Gerle if there is further interest in his artistry.



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Paul Jacobs performs Busoni's transcriptions of Bach and Brahms

Here is Nonesuch H-71375 featuring the insightful pianoo talents of Paul Jacobs. The program consists of Busoni's transcriptions of chorale preludes by both Bach and Busoni and it was  recorded in 1979. Arbiter has reissued this lp as part of a two cd set.

Paul Jacobs was a brilliant musician, especially valued as a collaborator to late 20th century composers such as Elliot Carter, John Corigliano and William Bolcom. One of the first prominent artists to succomb to the scourge of AIDS in 1983, Jacobs still left behind a valuable discography in roles as a pianist and producer. His Nonesuch recordings of the piano music of Debussy, in particular, are considered among the finest achievements by any pianist in this composer's works.

The chorale preludes are rendered with magnificence as Jacobs has the full measure of each work and understands how to project the music utilizing the smaller means of piano as opposed to the grandeur of an organ. I especially appreciate Paul Jacob's impeccable phrasing and attention to the turns of detail in each of these preludes.

Paul Jacobs was also an integral part of an lp by Nonesuch of the collection of musical "portraits" by Virgil Thomson. I think it was one of his last recordings. I will be posting that soon.


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Duo Schnabel performs Schubert and Brahms

Regular readers of this blog know how much I enjoy programs featuring duo pianos. What surprises me is the number of husband and wife teams that have performed regularly, and successfully, over the years. Luboshutz and Nemenoff, Babin and Vronsky, The Dichlers and Kliens, all have made significant contributions to the art form from their arrangements of pieces to their almost "oneness" when playing together. I guess you could call it non physical lovemaking to some extent!

Karl Ulrich Schnabel and his wife Helen performed together for many years and for a time, the "majors" tried to capitalize on the magical Schnabel name in marketing their efforts. Though both accomplished artists, to be fair, neither approached the level of genius of Karl Ulrich's father Artur. Much the same can be said for Soulima Stravinsky, a talented pianist himself, but far removed from his father's great gifts.

This Epic release, the artwork here is from the identical Philips lp, features the Fantasy for piano four hands of Schubert and a select grouping of Hungarian Dances by Brahms. This is a program well suited to Karl Ulrich and Helen's strengths. The Schubert is definitely the stronger of the performances as it is well crafted and polished in a Viennese kind of way. The Brahms lacks just that bit of "zigane" which adds flair, bite, and spontaneity to these delightful dances. However, they are well prepared with sharp articulation. Above all, I would call this program and performance honest, direct and to the point.

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Fritz Busch conducts Beethoven and Brahms

Two lp releases, in sequential order, on the Relief label today. Both contain live performances of Beethoven's 7th Symphony  and Brahms' 4th Symphony, from October 1950, featuring Fritz Busch conducting the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

I have tremendous respect for the Busch brothers, Fritz the conductor and Adolf the violinist. Both were men of great integrity and sense of purpose and the recorded documentation they left behind, in terms of performance, is among the most consistent in artistry of anything out there. In particular, Fritz's series of Mozart operas from Glyndebourne have long been viewed as benchmarks in performance.

These two recordings capture Busch's sense of line and organic structure extremely well. Both Beethoven and Brahms were core to his repertoire so the performances combine a great sense of authority with a deep knowledge of what the works are about. In spite of some untidiness in the playing, these are afterall live recordings, the orchestra responds to Busch touchingly and with great respect. We are fortunate to have these documents, considering they were made only months before Busch's untimely, and early, death.

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Robert Shaw's first recording of Ein Deutsches Requiem

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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George Szell and Thomas Scherman conduct Brahms

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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Albert Spalding's Last Recital at Boston University

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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Brahms' choral works with the Akademie Kammerchor Wien

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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Luboshutz and Nemenoff perform Brahms, Schumann and More

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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Karl Ristenpart conducts Brahms and Wagner

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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Sir Adrian Boult conducts Brahms on Westminster

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



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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Reiner and Ormandy in Tunes from the Homeland

 


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.

SORRY - MEDIAFIRE REMOVED THE LINK

Paul Doktor and Nadia Reisenberg in Brahms' Viola Sonatas

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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Chamber Music by Brahms and Telemann



Couple early Westminster issues today.

First up is Brahms' posthumous Trio in A Major performed by the "Huebner"Trio. I admit to not knowing this piece but found it a rather pleasant discovery. From what I have read, there is some disagreement about authorship however, it is Brahmsian in structure and sound, at least to my ears! An interesting work though it strangely does not stay with me like the "opused" three trios.

I have included music from Telemann's Tafelmusik as a fill since it features the fine flute playing of Milton Wittgenstein with Sylvia Marlowe on harpsichord, Marcel Hubert - cello, and Engelbert Brenner - oboe.  I do not believe the Telemann to be an odd discmate for the Brahms since the latter would have known Telemann's music and drawn a level of inspiration from it. Of all his contemporaries, Brahms looked to the past quite often for knowledge and ideas.

These are early 50's recordings and soundwise not too bad.

 

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The Eleven Chorale Preludes of Brahms played by Virgil Fox

Here's something a little different but quite special all the same. There are not many recordings of these rather reflective preludes for organ by Brahms. And surprisingly, I did not expect such sensitivity and insight from Virgil Fox who is best known for the rather crass "heavy"organ recordings from the 60's and 70's. What makes collecting classics so rewarding is the surprises along the way and this is one of them.

The Preludes for Organ by Brahms are among the master's last works. They owe their inspiration to Bach as Brahms sought to complete his musical  journey with a "tribute" to teh composer that offered him guidance throughout his life and especially during his final months. Like Brahms' choral Motets, these Preludes are, I think, the best example of Brahms' inner piety and spiritual outlook. Though Brahms outwardly was for the most part indifferent towards organized religion, these musical gems point to a man who held deep convictions expressed in a highly personal way. This is a Brahms that is far and apart from the one of the symphonies, concertos and larger choral offerings. Here is the direct, unbroken line to Mendelssohn, Bach, Buxtehude, Schutz, and Scheidt.

Virgil Fox plays splendidly and the Hammond Castle organ in Gloucester Massachusetts proves the right vehicle for this tour of meditation and reflection. These recordings date from 1953.

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