Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Haydn's Symphony No 61 with Mogens Woldike

This is one beautiful lp record. Seeing the name Woldike, I grabbed it without looking closely and when I arrived home, I was stunned to find a near mint record inside the slipcase. And, one of the stranger lps that I've seen since both sides have different color labels! I have a number of these Haydn Society isues on hand but I've never seen one like this.

This record features Mogens Woldike leading the Chamber Orchestra of the Danish State Radio in Haydn's Symphony No. 61 and Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. I'll come back to the Haydn in a minute; I want to tell you all that this version of the Mozart is quite possibly the finest performance of the piece that I've ever laid my ears to...and I have heard it played by Wright, Brymer, Marcellus, Stolzman, Meyer, and Goodman. The soloist on this recording is esteemed French clarinetist Louis Cahuzac. Of Cahuzac - he was one of the great reed players of the first half of the twentieth century, in short a pathbreaker in modern orchestral clarinet performance. When he recorded this disc with Woldike, Cahuzac was over 70 years old and believe me, his technique is simply flawless. Combine that with mature insight and musical wisdom and you have a performance that balances the subtleties of the piece with the brilliance of the writing. This is a benchmark reading folks and Woldike provides the absolutely best brand of accompaniment possible.

Maestro Woldike turns in a splendid Symphony No 61. If you have heard his Haydn series from Vienna, you know what to expect here. This is insightful interpretation by a conductor who really knew how to scratch the surface and get inside these Haydn symphonies. I maintain that Haydn's Symphony No. 102 has never, and will never, get a better recorded presentation then Woldike's VSOO lp on Vanguard. Just great Haydn hereon this Haydn Society lp:  elegance where appropriate and rustic, hearty playing when required, all spendidly delivered by these fine Danish musicians.

This recording was released in 1952. You are in for a real treat here. Enjoy!

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Curtain Calls!

Home today on account of the East Coast Blizzard of  '10. After cleaning the driveway and well, not having to go to work, here's time for a small offering from the baton of William Steinberg. Aptly titled "Curtain Calls!" this lp features works that would either open a concert program or serve as appropriate encores.

One piece I'd like to mention from this collection is Saint Saens' French Military March from his Suite Algiers. This is a delightful little number, hardly heard today and I have fond memories of playing it in college band, in an arrangement by Dr Mark Hindsley, former director of bands at the University of Illinois. This march is Saint Saens at his best, captivating, invigorating and buoyantly optimistic. In addition, a wonderful rendition of Dvorak's Scherzo Capriccioso awaits the listeneer, not to mention a couple of Strauss polkas brilliantly rendered.

William Steinberg rarely put out a clunker and here is yet another winner. His success was probably due in part to careful and meticulous preparation. My only wish is that he got better overall sound though Pittsburgh never had consistent luck with sound engineering and this frustration goes back to the 40's! This compilation dates from the early 60's and is in decent enough stereo sound.

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Music of Giovanni Battista Sammartini with Newell Jenkins conducting

A while back, I posted a Dover reissue of conductor-musicologist Newell Jenkins leading music of Boccherini and Cambini. At the time, there was quite favorable feedback so I thought I'd offer another Jenkins momento, this time being music of Giovanni Battista Sammartini. Jenkins was instrumental in resurrecting Sammartini from oblivion and the former edited much of this composer's work during the 50's and 60's.

Sammartini's work inhabits that period between the late baroque and early classical stage, as musical styles were changing, rather dramatically in my opinion. This music, diifferent them a baroque sinfonia or suite, is quite easy on the ear and tuneful even if it does not meet the inspirational levels of say a Stamitz family member or Haydn. What is important is that Sammartini was an important figure in the development of the symphony as he sought a foundation for the symphony on sonata form and away from the Italian-French overtures beloved of the Baroque period. One could say that Sammartini as a theorist was more vital than Sammartini the composer, an argument that could be made for Sammartini's direct contemporary Johann Friedrich Fux. Still, Sammartini's music is engaging enough to warrant a listen and Jenkins was certainly a devoted and tireless advocate.

Jenkins leads the Orchestra Accademia dell'Orso in these performances. It is a solid, if by no means exceptional ensemble much like the Angelicum Orchestra that Jenkins also led in numerous performances. The recording is mono and my issue is the Dover pressing, though the Period Records cover is pictured above.

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Fausto Cleva conducts music of Verdi and Gounod

 A nice lp of familiar music by Gounod and Verdi conducted by Fausto Cleva, longtime resident conductor of French and Italian repertoire at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Maestro Cleva leads the Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera Association in vigorous and purposeful performances, if not the first word in refinement.

Fausto Cleva was the real deal in that he was wholly and totally a creature of the opera house. A tireless conductorand trainer, he led over 700 performances at the Met, along with hundreds more at opera houses from Havana to Helsinki. Cleva had a strong reputation of working effectively and constructively with singers and his intimate knowledge of the stage led to a level of consistency that surprisingly few others could attain to. A Cleva production was usually a guarantee of quality and integrity.

The Met Orchestra during these recordings (mid 50's) was far from the orchestra it is today. In fact, some recent critics have labelled the Met as one of the great performing ensembles on the planet. Back in Cleva's day, the Met had fewer full time musicians and relied more on subs and  freelancers to fill the ranks. That said, Cleva does obtain the desired result as the the performances are idiomatic and appropriately exciting in all the right places.

A nice remembrance of a fine musician.
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Russian Brass with the Empire Brass Quintet - The Music of Victor Ewald

One of my favorite brass recordings during my youth was this record made in 1977 for Sine Qua Non that featured 3 brass quintets of Victor Ewald, performed by the Empire Brass Quintet. I wore out my cassette tape years ago and I've been searching the bins for the lp for quite some years. Well, good fortune shined on me this past weekend,  for buried on a bottom shelf at the Goodwill was this lp in remarkably fine shape.

About Ewald: Russian "amateur" composer of late 19th century who nearly fit the profile of the "Mighty Five." His music here is very nicely crafted, with a "Russian" flair and it is splendid in a sense that it does not overstay its welcome.  This is quality stuff and it is given immaculate and sensitive performances by the EBQ in one of the group's very first recordings, before they dropped the "Quintet" from the name.

I have fond memories of seeing the EBQ during my junior high and high school years. A product of Boston University, when BU was the place to go, the original group featured Rolf Smedvig and Charlie Lewis on trumpet, Norm Bolter on trombone, David Ohanian on horn and Sam Pilafian on tuba. What is striking about this original incarnation of the EBQ is the high level of musicianship and sensitivity that these guys brought to the table. In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than this. Sadly, I don't believe that later versions of the Empire Brass measured up to the maturity that these 5 young players had as a unit.

Couple other notes: the EBQ was based in Boston though took Empire as its name because the guys thought that after graduation, they'd end up in New York City which is in the Empire State! And, these old SQN recordings featured terrific notes by BU musicologist John Daverio.

Enjoy - I am happy to welcome back this old friend.

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Paul Badura-Skoda and Jorg Demus perform Mozart for two pianos

Two quite lovely lps from the early 50's that feature the piano talents of Paul Badura-Skoda and Jorg Demus in two hand/two piano music of Mozart. These exceptional records were issued when both artists were in their mid 20's; happily both are still alive and active, internationally known and respected, as they enjoy their ninth decade on God's green earth. As a note, months separate them in birth dates.

Paul Badura-Skoda probably has enjoyed the greater international solo career of the two though Demus, no less an artist, is regarded as one of the very finest solo partners of his time, whether as support to an instrumental soloist or a vocalist. Together, they strike the perfect balance and collaborate as a pair of equals, each intuitively understanding the next move of their partner. There is not one instance here of one of them trying to "out do" the other. They listen to each other and appreciate the fact that they are conduits for Mozart's genius.

What  really strikes me about these performances are the immediacy and afffection that these two, at the time very young, artists bring to the music. There is no youthful bombast or immaturity here. You know, last week I read in the Wall Street Journal an interview with Leon Fleisher in which he lamented the lack of sensitivity that many talented pianists bring to the keyboard. They have technique to burn but that sense of soul that Schnabel imparted onto Fleisher is missing from their artistry. Badura-Skoda and Demus, being contemporaries of Fleisher, understand that concept and the results of their labors are keen musicianship through effective listening. What Schnabel spoke of is presented here so engagingly and at appropriate moments, tenderly.

In the near future, I will follow this offering up with Schubert performed by these two exquisite artists.

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Bruckner's Mass No 3 in f conducted by Ferdinand Grossmann

I haven't offered much Bruckner previously, though I am admirer of this composer's unique symphonic style. I possess many different recordings of the symphonies but rather few of the masses since the choices are rather limited and, most cannot compare to Eugen Jochum's benchmark DGG recordings from the 60's. Happily, I came across this old Vox lp from 1953 featuring renowned Viennese choral conductor Ferdinand Grossmann leading the Academy Choir, the Venna Symphony and soloists Dorothea Siebert, Dagmar Herrmann, Erich Majkut, and Otto Wiener in the great Mass No 3 in f.

Ferdinand Grossmann was Vienna's leading choral conductor from before the war and into the 1960's. Director of the famed Vienna Boys Choir, he also founded the Academy Choir and led that group in  a whole slew of recordings issued for Vox, Austrian Radio, Philips, and other labels. Importantly, Grossmann was a direct link to he 19th century as he was one of Bruckner's choristers while a boy soprano with the famed Choir Boys. Grossmann enjoyed relating stories of Bruckner, highlighting the gentle and generous way in which he worked with his young choristers. As such, Grossmann's style of interpretation is probably as close to the master's intentions as we will ever get. For that reason alone, this is a vital document.

This performance is generally quite good, the chorus being the strongest partner here. The Vienna Symphony struggles in areas, probably as a result of little, if no rehearsal, and the lack of a firm orchestral hand at the helm. The soloists are competent if not especially virtuosic. The music is, of course powerful and majestic and Grossmann's understanding of this work, based on over 50 years of familiarity with the piece, is beyond reproach. Sound is typical early 50's Vox..you know what I mean.

I think this performance belongs on your shelf, in spite of the performance and sonic limitations.

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The music of Johann Strauss the younger presented Rodzinski and Rosenthal

A couple nice mid 50's recordings of music by the Waltz King.

Probably many of you would not expect Strauss waltzes by Artur Rodzinski but here it is. Recorded in mono with Beecham's RPO, these charmers sparkle with great tunes, of course, coupled with that Rodzinski ear for detail. Amazing how others just gloss over little things - witness the New Year's concerts from Vienna!  Without a doubt, the RPO was the right orchestra to record this fare with since Beecham did not give short shrift to the "lighter" classics but treated them to the care and attention that they deserve. The orchestra was well prepped to dive into Strauss with vim and vigor!

Manuel Rosenthal probably would more likely come to mind  for dance music and with good reason since he was one of the more renowned proponents of "dance" music in the 20th century. Rosenthal leads the Paris Opera Orchestra here - in fine form, on a Capitol mono release, in Roger Desormiere's arrangement of Strauss into a ballet known as Le Beau Danube. This arrangement is wonderfully crafted and it's a damn shame that these kind of ballet suites are hardly ever heard anymore. One thing I'll say is that a number of bloggers in the last year have done Rosenthal great justice by resurrecting lps that have otherwise fallen into the great vinyl black hole. This man was a very, very fine conductor and musician as evidenced by recordings that I have been privileged to listen to. Such is the case with Le Beau Danube.

Johann Strauss the younger was a truly talented and gifted composer. These two recordings bear witness to that statement through the superior efforts of Artur Rodzinski and Manuel Rosenthal. Enjoy!

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Richard Strauss with Reiner and Szell

Though I've got the 10 inch jacket pictured above, my transfer is from ML4800, which includes the Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme suite conducted by Reiner while in Pittsburgh. I picked up this really rough lp for the suite since I've had in my collecton a really crappy sounding Membran cd for sometime. Membran is the German company that puts out 10 cd boxes for under 15 bucks of historic performances.Their transfers leave something to be desired though because they over filter and the sound quality becomes incredibly muffled. This is especially pronounced when original recordings were less then their company's best efforts, as was the case with Columbia in Pittsburgh and Minneapolis.

People might scoff at me but I have long enjoyed Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. This is delightful, unpretentious fare, wonderful melodies with skillful writing. Call it bottom drawer Strauss if you wish, but I love it and well that's that! Reiner, of course, recorded it twice - in Pittsburgh during the mid 40's and in Chicago in the late 50's. Outside of Bud Herseth's magnificent trumpet playing in the Chicago recording, I find the Pittsburgh issue more relaxed and inviting, less driven then Reiner's later recording. In addition, there is a more intimate feel which is wholly appropriate for this suite of incidental music.

As I stated earlier, this particular lp was in a real rough shape. Do people use lp's as frisbee's? I wonder. Running it through ClickRepair several times cleaned up a lot but a couple of hiccups remain and I think they are quick and not cumbersome to the listening experience. Oh! the sound is much better then the Membran cd and I can hear details that on the cd were muffled away. 

Reiner leads an engaging and impressive Don Juan and Szell, in one of his earliest Cleveland records, captures the vitality of Till Eulenspiegel ...with charm!

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Munch conducts d'Indy and Ravel

Gil from Arizona, one of my most faithful readers and throughtful commentators, requested this upload. Charles Munch and the BSO excelling  in the heart of the French repertoire. Featuring soloist Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer, the works presented are d'Indy's Symphony on a French Mountain Air and Ravel's Concerto in G. Released in 1959, my copy is the monaural version though the Living Stereo issue is out there and if I find it, I will upload it.

I must admit that under "normal" circumstances, neither work thoroughly engages me. However, with Munch at the helm in a French work, a new level of engagement unfolds for me. Unlike Paray or Monteux, who disliked heartily being pegged as French music specialists, Munch rather embraced the notion and for many people, he was synonymous with French music and culture. However, we must not forget that he had strong German ties and, that during the war years, evidence has been uncovered that he cooperated with the Vichy government and its pro German sympathies. I suppose Munch wanted to put much of that behind him after the war and therefore, became a great champion for all things French during the 50's and 60's. Interesting stuff and I suppose more will be released on the subject in the years to come.

Back to the music;  these are as fine performances as one will have though Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer, though a solid artist, is not, in my opinion, a front rank keyboard artist. But with Munch collaborating in music that he championed, even a middling conservatory student could come away sounding like a bona fide virtuoso. Per usual, the BSO plays this fare to the manner born as Munch could whip up a level of excitement and engagement that few others could.

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Glazunov and Auber from Paris with Albert Wolff

A couple fine recordings by the French conductor Albert Wolff made during the last gasp of the monaural age in the mid 50's. My hard working colleague Satyr at 78 toeren en LPs has been coaxing some remarkable offerings from 78's of Wolff's work during the 1930's, mainly with the Lamoureux Orchestra. Here, Wolff directs the Paris Conservatory Orchestra in very fine readings of Glazunov's wonderful Seasons ballet and a handful of overtures by Auber.

Sadly, we don't hear these overtures or this ballet score much today. The overtures are rousing, tuneful and a lot of fun. I think they are great concert openers however tastes must have changed over the decades so performances, and recordings, are few and far between. The Seasons is great Glazunov fare - wonderful melodies, beautifully orchestrated and, important for Glazunov, just the right length. In spite of his vast talent and easy way with melody, Glazunov did have a reputation at times for being a bit long winded and old fashioned. Happily, that is not the case in The Seasons. This is quite simply, excellent music which compliments the scores written previously, most notably those of Tchaikovsky.

Wolff's interpretations are products of many years of living with the music of Auber and Glazunov. He knows exactly what to do and the PCO responds to his direction instinctively. This is one of those probably happy occasions where everyone understands one another and the business at hand and gets it done efficiently and with A+ results. There is  satisfying listening here, for sure.

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Maryla Jonas performs Chopin

Every now and then, something catches my eye and I take a chance on it. Not knowing what it is can lead to either a ho hum or, in the rare and perfect instance, an oh boy! Such is the case with this special Columbia Entre lp that I bought yesterday. When I got home and looked up Maryla Jonas, I was positively stunned that I had never heard of this unique and tragic artist. Posthaste, I laid the lp on the turntable and within 90 minutes, listened to these Chopin mazurkas in an awestruck state. Never had I heard such melancholy, such world weariness, from these brilliant miniatures. Indeed, Chopin had painted, below the surface, a sadness of seeing his Polish nation subjected to rule and desecration by others, something that Jonas was pained about as she saw her beloved country, and its heroic people,  tormented by Nazis and Communists.

Maryla Jonas lived a tragic life which was shattered by World War II and  its aftermath. Death followed her and it affected both her physical and mental state during her short life (she died at age 48.) If not for the dogged efforts of her countryman Artur Rubinstein to get her back to the keyboard,  her story, and great talent, would never have been known. Rubinstein was a genius and knew genius - you can read more about this story here .

Please listen to these recordings with an open mind. This is not the Chopin that you are used to hearing and it is a polar opposite from the elegant, aristocratic approach of Rubinstein. It is music making of a kind that comes along once in a blue moon...if you are lucky.

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Scherchen's First Messiah from London

Several months ago I was extremely fortunate to come across a near mint Bach Guild issue of this 1953 recording at one of my favorite haunts. It was to be a good day as I blew the dust off of the box set and set down my wrinkled one dollar bill on the proprietor's counter.

Indeed, this is the Scherchen Messiah to have, NOT the Vienna remake from 1959. I'll cut to the chase and tell you that yes, Scherchen pulls and stretches tempos, some are almost glacial while others bounce around merrily; His Burden is Light is simply incandescent. Orchestral textures are light for the times and the LSO is not at all first rate and yes, portamento slips in when you least expect. Soloists are ok if strained in certain passages, since Scherchen challenges their breathing and control like no other conductor. This is, a very personal Messiah, maybe too personal but...the choral contributions are well, simply excellent. The London Philharmonic Chorus is rather smallish but under renowned chorus master Frederick Jackson, their phrasing and diction is magnificent. I stress diction, you can understand every word, it is that immaculate. I absolutely love it - they listen to each other!

Back to personal. Scherchen's Messiah is like no other. It is so well thought out and it is appropriately dramatic and inspirational. This is of the first "complete" versions ever recorded and one that faithfully adheres to the orchestration specified by Handel for 1742 Dublin, no more, no less. At about 2 hours and 45 minutes, this is not Messiah lite but rather, a lesson to be learned properly and fully, digested as a whole. We need to be thankful to Scherchen for brushing the cobwebs off of tradition and presenting works, like Messiah, as close to the composer's intent as possible. A remarkable achievement in itself.

There are three downloads here, two lp sides per download. I have not broken down lp sides since these recordings have no bands. I read that this was done this way in order to accommodate the work onto 3 lps. I have included notes that list what sections are included on respective lp sides. I do not find this arrangement to be at all inconvenient.

I'd like to stress, again, that this Messiah requires careful reflection and must be taken on its own, special terms. For most listeners, the suggested Colin Davis LSO version is well suited to meet their listening requirements as it presents Handel's masterpiece in a straightforward and inobtrusive way. Scherchen, like everything Scherchen, is not so simple. As a deeply intellectual man, there are discoveries to be made as layers are pulled back, much like peeling an artichoke. But, time and patience is worth the effort. And, I cannot stress the really fine contribution by the chorus here!

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Another curiosity - Gregor Joseph Werner's The Curious Musical Instrument Calendar

Gregor Joseph Werner is known today, if he is known at all, as the predecessor to Haydn at the court of Prince Esterhazy. Much older, and musically conservative than Haydn, Werner's association with Haydn was tense and brusque, the older man considering Haydn ill suited for the demands and responsibilities of the illustrious Esterhazy family. Though it went so far as Werner recommending the dismissal of Haydn, the latter apparently bore no grudges to the old man. In later years, Haydn would refer to the compositions of his predecessor out of respect for tradition and, in a few cases, musical inspiration.

Though Gregor Werner was highly prolific, few of his works remain in print. Most likely this is because, as an employer of the Esterhazy's, Werner's output would have become their personal property. This relationship between composer and prince would, of course, change dramatically during Haydn's tenure as Haydn would sell a good deal of his output to competing publishers and retire a very well off man as a result of the proceeds. I suppose much of Werner's work remains in various Austrian libraries and collections waiting to be rediscovered and appraised. I'd be interested in his liturgical compositions since contemporary writings speak of them very highly.

The lp featured here offers selections from Werner's extended suite, The Curious Musical Instrument Calendar of 1748, which is a musical depiction of the months of the year. This is a rather extended work of about 90 minutes in length and conductor Paul Angerer presents roughly half of the composition here. Orchestral suites or ouvertures were highly popular n France and Germany throughout the first part of the 18th century and Werner's effort capitalizes on the tastes of the times. I would say that Werner probably knew of Telemann's suites, especially the ones that feature instruments representing sounds of nature, like a frog croaking or a bird singing. Werner does faithfully depict much of the spirit of the musical movements as you will hear as you listen.

This is a nice recording and Werner's voice is original enough to warrant a reappraisal and rediscovery of his art. It is sad that his tense relationship (a generational gap) with Haydn overshadows his significant musical output.

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Pictures at An Exhibition in the Tushmalov orchestration

An interesting lp from 1974 containing yet another orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," this time from the pen of one Mikhail Tushmalov.

From Wikipedia:

Mikhail Tushmalov (1861 - 1896) was a Russian Georgian opera conductor who held posts in Warsaw and Tiflis (Tbilisi). He died in what is now the nation of Georgia.
The opening bars of Tushmalov's orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition. Tushmalov is most widely discussed today as the first person to have prepared an orchestral version of Modest Mussorgsky's 1874 piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition. Tushmalov's version sets an abridged version of the piece. It may have been completed as early as 1886, when Tushmalov was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov. Reports circulate that Rimsky-Korsakov sketched the beginning of his own orchestration of Mussorgsky's piece, but abandoned the project when Tushmalov took up the task. The role possibly played by the teacher in shaping the orchestration by his student is not known. The first performance of Tushmalov's orchestration was conducted by Rimsky-Korsakov in Saint Petersburg on November 30, 1891.

Tushmalov's version of Mussorgsky's score is one of the least complete, as it omits 'Gnomus', 'Tuileries' and 'Bydlo' together with all the 'Promenades' except the fifth—which it puts in place of the first. Tushmalov's score is often described as dark and restrained in colour, and thus more authentically 'Russian' in its approach to the score than the later, more virtuosic orchestration by Ravel.

The Swiss conductor Marc Andreae leads very straightforward performances with the Munich Philharmonic. I've read a couple reviews describing these as "businesslike" and that is probably an apt description. The orchestration, however, has its moments and is somewhat reminiscent of Stokowski's, which too, is abbreviated from the original piano score. All in all, Ravel does provide the most color, which should not be surprising since he was one of the greatest masters of orchestration of all time.

An interesting curiosity indeed.

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