Hermann Scherchen conducts Beethoven's Christ on the Mount of Olives

Beethoven's "Christ on a Mount of Olives" is an unusual composition for this composer. A dramatic, contemplative work, it does not, at face value, soar to the heights of excitement and inspiration of his symphonies, concertos or chamber music of the period. However, when removed from comparison to these works in question, Christ on the Mount of Olives tells the story of a moving moment in Christ's life as he was to journey from man to God in the final days of his mortal existence on earth.

I find it quite interesting that Scherchen provides a most satisfying recording of this complicated work as he  presents it on its own terms. Though Scherchen was a socialist and believer in man's ability to shape the world in his image, it is quite amazing that he can relate and communicate these moments of reflection and change in Christ's life so vividly. A comparison to mind, well, in a different way, is Leonard's Bernstein's superior way with Haydn's masses, Catholic works, though Bernstein himself was a Jew. Fascinating, at least from where I sit. I'm sure that somone has written an anaylsis on the subject.

Scherchen has long been controversial in Beethoven, though I personally love his fresh approach, albeit with the characteristic orchestral sloppiness that he would gloss over because that was secondary to him. Scherchen has to be listened to on his own terms and accepted for what he is: a genius who had an exceptionally broad range of tastes, who believed that humanity held the key to its own survival. I suppose this is the underlying reason why his "Christ" works so well?

For this recording, the soloists are Jan Peerce, Maria Stader, and Otto Wiener. Scherchen leads the usual forces of the Vienna Academy and State Opera Orchestra. My recording is the 1962, Westminster issue, not the Westminster Gold reissue. There are only 2 tracks for this performance, "sides 1 and 2" due to the very small breaks between scenes.

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Two First Symphonies: Tchaikovsky and Kalinnikov conducted by Yevgeny Svetlanov

I'm actually sitting in the local public library while my 8 year old attends a workshop. So, now's as good a time as any to offer another post that's been sitting in the dock for awhile. I will come back to the reload of the Boult (previous post) later at home, where my files reside, I promise!

Two first symphonies here, both flawed to some extent, yet each containing interesting material just the same. Tchaikovsky's "Winter Dreams" and Kalinnikov's Symphony No. 1 have both had somewhat erratic histories and today languish out of the performing mainstream. Kalinnikov, especially, achieved some popularity 60 to 70 years ago, however his conservative style coupled with a tendency to offer "too much of good thing" has all but relegated him to obscurity. Too bad!

Not to fear! Yevgeny Svetlanov rescues both of these works from the routine and offers up a strong case on why they should be more centered within the repertoire. Idiomatic musicianship, exciting playing, and oh, that distinctive Russian sound make for a stirring listening experience. I said it before, I'll say it again, oh how I miss that once distinctive Russian orchestral experience! Both of these performances are from the last 60's, early 70's with Svetlanov's own Academic Symphony Orchestra of the USSR captured at the height of its Soviet era best. Sound is typical Melodiya; Tchaikovsky was released on Quintessence while the Kalinnikov appeared on Columbia Masterworks. All courtesy of the good old days of detente!

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Music from England conducted by Sir Adrian Boult

Here's one for my friends in the UK, who've recently been through the most tumultuous general election in years! There is no better way to soothe emotions and bring the masses back together then with great music conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.

I've assembled a program of England's best through three centuries. Handel's Water Music is performed by the "Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra" on a Westminster release while Elgar's Three Bavarian Dances and Arnold's English Dances are from a London issue with the more familiar London Philharmonic name of the Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra. All recordings date from the mid 50's.

Boult's Handel is very, very well done. Though performed by a larger body of strings then we are now accustomed to, everything is done so....tastefully...yes, that's the word... that any thoughts of period instrumentation etc..are quickly forgotten. Beautiful playing and Boult moves the music in just the "right" way. Elgar's Bavarian Dances are tossed off with aplomb;  lilting, playful, sparkling with sunshine and rustic peasant humor. The first dance always reminds me so, so much of Dvorak. It's really delightful. Arnold's English Dances are marvelous miniatures; tuneful and simply virtuostic for the orchestra. If you do not know them, you'll love them on first hearing. It doesn't get any better than this.

The older I get, I appreciate musicians like Sir Adrian Boult more and more.  Good musicianship, thoughtful preparation, devotion to the music and....taste.

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Mitch Miller on the oboe - works of Vaughan Williams and de Falla

Last week, Buster at the Big Ten Inch posted a lovely lp featuring the oboe talents of Mitch Miller in works of Mozart, J C Bach and J S Bach. Most people know Mitch as "sing along with Mitch" however ,they are unaware of his talents as a classical oboist and musical impresario. His importance in the musical environment of our country cannot be understated.

Inspired by Buster, I dug out two of those leathery green Mercury albums featuring Mitch on the oboe, but the vinyl contents were in a sorry shape. I was hoping that Buster had these items but alas, it wasn't to be. So, in earnest, I took them out and retrieved what I could for mine, and I hope,your listening pleasure. This amounted to two of four sides.

Mitch is featured as soloist in the Vaughan Williams oboe concerto and the Pavana and Gigue of Luis Milan, the latter a 16th century composer. He is ably backed by the Saidenberg Little Symphony. As a supporting artist, Mitch plays in de Falla's harpsichord concerto with the esteemed Ralph Kirkpatrick as the soloist. The first two works were recorded in 1947 and the de Falla, I'd say c. 1950.

No doubt, Mitch Miller was a self assured artist on the oboe. His technical command of the instrument is beyond reproach and his ideas on phrasing are sound and musical. A true musician Mitch Miller and an American icon at that!

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Hugo Rignold conducts Dukas, Ravel and Dvorak

A while back, David Gideon at reDiscovery posted a paperback issue featuring the English conductor Hugo Rignold in Rimsky-Korsakov's Suite from The Golden Cockeral and Mussorgsky's Night on a Bald Mountain in the R-K orchestration. Both performances struck me as quite good and rather idiomatic. So with those fresh in mind, I set out to locate a few more examples of Hugo Rignold's art.

Here we have a Somerset recording of Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice and Ravel's Bolero and, an Alshire LP with Dvorak's New World Symphony. All performances feature the London Philharmonic and they date from around 1960.

Of the three compositions, Sorcerer's is the strongest performance with exemplary playing and an insightful interpretation that really goes all out to tell the story in music. Bolero is good, though others have done a far stronger job of building the tension through dynamics and phrasing. This piece REALLY needs significant rehearsal in order to maximize its effect. The New World Symphony practically plays itself although Rignold exhibits a strong sensibility for Dvorak's musical language by stressing the "folk" elements of the score. This recording does possess the tell tale signs of a "rush job," most notably in some intonation problems with the horns. That aside, there is an excitement level present and an overall firm grasp of the symphony is readily apparent.

It would appear that Rignold had a brief recording career, for whatever reason I don't know. From the evidence of these recordings, and those available through reDiscovery, it seems a bit of a pity that Hugo Rignold is all but forgotten today.

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By chance...I happened upon more...drumroll.. Arthur Winograd!

I was looking for something else in my cellar and, by luck, chanced upon another Arthur Winograd issue; this time, it is the maestro conducting the Mozart serenades K. 375 and K. 388 for wind ensemble. The cover above is from the Heliodor release, mine is the plain white jacket MGM record.

Outside of a small blip at the beginning of the last movement of K 375, the lp was in very good shape. I did not separate movements but each serenade is contained in its entirety within one file.

It's a shame that the wind ensemble is not named. There is some fine playing going on here and it would have been nice to know who, or where the musicians are from. That sais, I'm glad I came upon this - I had forgotten I had it. Nice to offer yet another example of Winograd's art.

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A small remembrance for Arthur Winograd

This one is for Larry Austin who was kind of enough to remind everyone of the unfortunate passing of Arthur Winograd.

This particular recording was one of a number that Winograd made in London, along with Alfred Wallenstein, with this very fine pickup orchestra,"The Virtuoso Symphony of London." Winograd conducted the "highlights" programs while Wallenstein tackled full scale orchestral works. The Audio Fidelity Company had high hopes that they could develop a label that would sell on a mass scale while promoting itself as the most state of the art in high fidelity. Well, as we know, it wasn't to be though the products of the short association display good intentions and excellent musical programming.

This collection of marches is a lot of fun and well worth hearing for the no nonsense presentation and fine playing of the orchestra. I think that it is a fitting tribute to a  very fine musician.

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Two for Three...in Brahms....golly gee!

Ok...A bit corny this title!

I was really lucky to pull out of the local Salavation Army store a Columbia Entre LP of Frederick Stock conducting the CSO in Brahms' wonderful Third Symphony. Overall the record was in a good shape...I lucked out! I thought it would be kind of cool to juxtapose the Stock with Reiner's take of some 15 or so years later. My copy of the Reiner is not in living stereo but rather the mono version, albeit a rather clean copy to say the least.

The Stock version is simply the warmest, most lush performance that I have ever heard. I would say that this is very much a 19th century take, edges are smooth and the whole performance just sort of "plays itself." I don't think that Stock offers any profound insights but rather, he lets the music relate the message with beautiful, lush playing. I like this approach but I suppose that folks raised in Toscanini or Reiner will probably find something that isn't to their liking.

Yes, with Reiner we get precision, immaculate phrasing and in general, a more 20th century, literal approach. In comparing the orchestral sound, I will say that Reiner has superior strings and woodwinds, but I really do love the brass sounds of the Stock ensemble, especially the trumpetes (I'm a trumpet player you know). I believe that the trumpets in Stock's orchestra would have been Renold Schilke and Eldon Benge, two of the great orchestral trumpeters of the 20th century AND outstanding trumpet makers to boot! Imagine that, great players AND great horn builders, one in the same! Anyway...listen how the orchestra changed between 1940 and the later 50's...really quite fascinating and a testament to the will, and talent, of a great conductor, at least that's what I think.


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Paul Sacher conducts two cassations of W A Mozart

From a while back....Paul Sacher conducting the cassations K 63 and K 99 of W A Mozart.

In a previous post, I mentioned my admiration for Sacher so I thought another offering was in order. These occasional pieces are really quite enjoyable and full of experimentation by the youthful Mozart, at least that's what I hear when I listen to them. My opinion is that they are among the more interesting of Mozart's early works but they somehow get shortchanged. Oh well..at least Sacher took the time with his excellent Zurich group to bring them to life on vinyl and we can all be grateful for that!

As fillers, I've included items from a Stradivari lp, (notes within) of wind music by Haydn and Mozart. These pieces are uncomplicated and admittedly, 2nd rate work by both the composers, in the case of Mozart, probably 3rd rate. However, it is important for us to remember that not everything by these masters were masterpieces; much was tossed off to suit an occasion and the small payment that came along with the commission! The Haydn serenades are performed well by the wind players of the Vienna SO, the Mozart pieces are at best "tolerably" attempted by the Salzburg wind ensemble. Still, an interesting listen, though Sacher is the only first rate performance on this particular post.

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