Charles Munch conducts Martinu and Piston

Here's a transfer on request. I have uploaded the monaural LM series lp of Charles Munch and the BSO in the sixth symphonies of both Walter Piston and Bohuslav Martinu. Typical Munch here, exciting and bracing, full of raw energy. I wish Munch had recorded more by these two composers. He would have made a compelling Martinu cycle, I'm sure.

These recordings date from 1957 I believe.

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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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Munch and the BSO perform Haydn and Beethoven.

Here's one one that I have had "in the can" for a few weeks. Charles Munch and the "aristocrat of orchestras" in Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 and Haydn's "Drumroll" Symphony. I was lucky enough to obtain a fairly clean copy of LM 1200 and here it is for your listening pleasure.

Munch is too often pigeon holed as a "French" specialist and this is not at all a fair assessment of his abilities and talents. People tend to overlook the fact that he was, for the most part, German trained and, while a violinist with the Gewandhaus, he had the opportunity to play the German-Austrian masters under the likes of Furtwangler, Klemperer, Walter, to name but a  few. In short, his background and training provided him the authority to present credible renditions of works by these composers. Munch himself,
did not appreciate the "French" tag in much the same way as Paray and Monteux bristled at it.

There is good Beethoven and Haydn here, played with spirit, panache and, a sense of earthiness. I suspect the Beethoven suffered in sales since it was released near about the same time as Toscanini's early 50's traversal of the complete set for RCA. In regards to Haydn, probably the shadow of Beecham in this music was tough to overcome? Be that as it may, no excuses need be made for vital music making by a conductor who had the ability to electrify and an orchestra that was as refined and beautiful instrument. as any out there.

There are a couple of slight skips in the Drumroll that I believe are the result of the pressing and not human damage. I don't think these are enough to deter you from a pleasant listen. As I have said before, transferring from shellac or vinyl is not an exact science.

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Heroic Beethoven from Charles Munch and Werner Janssen

In order to end the work week on a high note, here is a little Beethoven from Charles Munch and Werner Janssen. We have two "heroic" works, the  Symphony No 3, of course, and maybe the first recording of the much maligned "Wellington's Victory at the Battle of Vittoria."

As previously discussed, there is much controversy around the merits of Charles Munch's Beethoven. Some have found it without substance, others have felt it too driving and intense, yet others have thought it not thoroughly German enough! Well, what I will say is that it is in a class by itself, difficult to pigeonhole, yet merits do abound. One obvious advantage is that Munch has a glorious BSO at his disposal and they play marvelously for him. Whatever you can say about Munch, he did have this singular ability to whip up the forces into a froth of excitement with purpose. This is a vital reading and deserves a place on your shelf. Regarding the transfer, I did not have the stereo disc at my disposal, this is the "LM" mono record.

As a filler, I thought "Wellington's Victory" would be kind of cool. A lightweight work, but with its moments of fun, it does not require great concentration  and can be absorbed with little cognitive response...whew, what does that mean?! I believe the date of this recording is from the late 40's and Janssen originally set this down along with the "Jena" symphony, long attributed to Beethoven, however pretty much regarded now as being from the pen of Friedrich Witt. Sound contraints limit the full effect of the work and Janssen does not employ the various fireworks that Ormandy had at his disposal for his 70's RCA record. Still, worth a listen and a reminder of how good some of those Hollywood musicians were that comprised the Janssen Symphony of Los Angeles.

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Charles Munch conducts Blackwood and Haieff

Over on SymphonyShare, the ever resourceful Karl Miller posted a very useful offering of selected compositions by Easley Blackwood. Here's my contribution to the cause of Blackwood.

Charles Munch recorded the the Symphony No. 1 of Blackwood and the Symphony No. 2 of Alex Haieff in 1958.  About the Blackwood, courtesy of the Amazon site, ""The First Symphony's premiere performances brought Blackwood praise as "a stoutly original musical thinker" (Time, November 24, 1958). Howard Taubman of The New York Times called him "a composer of uncommon gifts." High Fidelity reviewer Alfred Frankenstein (February 1960) wrote of being captivated by "its freshness, its vitality, its dramatic, epical qualities, and the sense of a lively, original, uncompromising talent at work." Eric Salzman, reviewing the recording for The New York Times (Jan 31, 1960), called the work a "wild, grandiose and eclectic work full of almost Lisztian gestures . . . this young composer wants his symphony to embrace and reconcile a whole world of varying musical materials." "

I think Charles Munch proves a worthy advocate of these works, though I would've loved to have heard what Bernstein's way with the works might have been.  I only have the mono version of the lp but I think the music comes across just fine in that limited format.

Addendum:  Buster reminded me that I forgot to mention the filler! I have included from a Turnabout lp, Elie Siegmeister's Clarinet Concerto recorded in London in 1971 by Jack Brymer, with the composer conducting the LSO.  Earlier, Buster had posted on Big 10 Inch,  Siegmeister's Ozark Suite with Mitropoulos conducting the Minneapolis SO. Siegmeister was a highly adaptable composer who could write in a style reminiscent of Copland and then switch off to something that was akin to Les Six with the drop of a hat! The Clarinet Concerto is a very lovely composition which really requires a virtuoso, like the great Brymer, to make it soar and sing.  

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Charles Munch, the BSO and........Bach!

Munch and Bach??? Munch and Berlioz yes, but Munch and Bach?

Well...YES... and very fine music making it is! We have here the Brandenburgs numbers 4 through 6 played with panache, a lightness of touch and exquisite musicianship. After all, with soloists like Richard Burgin, Lukas Foss and a very young Doriot Anthony Dwyer on flute, would you expect otherwise?

Back to Munch and Bach. Though modern day listeners will remember Charles Munch as the quintessential "French" conductor, he did spend his early years studying and playing the violin in Germany and, he also served in the Imperial German Army during  WWI as his native city Strasbourg was part of the German Empire. So strong  the German ties that Munch was asked to become the concertmaster of the famed Gewandhaus Orchestra while Furtwangler was the conductor of that esteemed ensemble. One can imagine that during his time in Leipzig, Munch had plenty of time to absorb and participate in the rich musical tradition that culminated in the genius of Bach. Munch and Bach...YES!

So...very much a surprise here for sure. I hope to locate a nice copy of the first three Brandenburgs, if for anything to hear Roger Voisin play that clarino part! Enjoy!

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Charles Munch and the BSO in Don Quixote

Ah....Munch and the BSO! Like champagne and cavier, isn't it? I never heard a Munch BSO recording that I didn't find compelling; his combination of driving passion  and the BSO's smooth sound and razor precision certainly produced much to gush about!

Admittedly though, we really don't associate Munch with Richard Strauss but here we have an "on the edge of your seat" performance of Don Quixote featuring the great Gregor Piatigorsky with BSO greats Richard Burgin and Joseph DePasquale lending impeccable support. This Don Quixote is unlike any other you know and you probably know well Karajan, Beecham, Reiner and Kempe to name a few. It's subtleties are few but Munch manages to steer this music on, avoiding  sections that, in the wrong hands, can, and will bore the listener. I've always found this large tone poem the most difficult to engage myself in but Munch's performance kept me focused throughout.

So..maybe not a version for everyone, but still, a reminder of Charles Munch as a presence and a personality who had definite ideas and COULD communicate them to an orchestra, achieving sparkling though sometimes controversial results.

Enjoy this 1953 RCA recording.

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