Milhaud conducts Milhaud

I've had a fascination for the music of Darius Milhaud for many years. For me, his music sparkles with wit and is unpretentious. There is an almost naive quality to many of his pieces that sort of wraps itself around me and reminds me of simpler times when the biggest decision I had to make was which color crayon to use when coloring a steam locomotive.

A Varese Sarabande reissue of two suites that are for the most part, unfortunately, forgotten. The Joys of Life and Globetrotter Suite are conducted by Milhaud leading the pickup Los Angeles Chamber Ensemble. The movements of each encapsulate sharp ideas in a very condensed space, typical of this composer's writing. Totally accessible, this is happy, even festive music, not totally memorable but not overstaying its welcome either. Possibly, the reason for its disappearance is that the music is more entertaining than intellectual and I suppose that has been a reason why Milhaud fares less and less well as the years pass. He churned a lot of music, some pieces brilliant, others workmanlike, much of it solid, entertaining yet hardly provocative. Needless to say, Milhaud is a great antidote to one's ills and stresses because it is fresh and well, alive!

This reissue here dates from 1978 but the original MGM was late 50's.

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More from Morton Gould, composer and conductor

Gosh! My posting of Ives' conducted by Morton Gould yielded gazillion comments. Thank you all for your warm thanks. This post has to be one of my most popular and that's terrific. Morton Gould was a national treasure and sadly, as the years have past, memories of his immense talents have begun to fade.

Here's more Gould, composer and conductor. One of my readers, Anthony, asked for Gould's record of Vaughan Williams and Coates and, here it is! Years ago, I had in my possession the Quintessence reissue and that record got lost somewhere along the way. Lucky me to find a clean copy of the original 1964 release on RCA.

Morton Gould is a very nice alternative to Boult. Whereas the latter maintains a tighter grip on the structure of the score, Gould allows his excellent studio band (probably made up of numerous former members of the NBC SO) to "run with the ball." The Tallis Fantasia is so elastic in this presentation but it works well because the musicians are top notch and they understand Gould's very flexible approach. Folk Song Suite in the Gordon Jacob orchestration (authorized by VW) is an amazing piece, cramming so many ideas into a concentrated package. It works so beautifully however the band version has that extra "bite" that VW had in mind when he wrote the piece for the bandsmen at Kneller Hall.

I will tell you that the absolute real winner here is the Coates' London Suite. This fantastic piece has so much color and the tunes are immediately hummable - a shame that it never appears on American concert programs! Gould has the full measure of the music, perhaps he finds that connection with Coates? Eric Coates' career path was very similar to Gould and their styles are really not too far apart. I would love to have heard what Gould would have done with "The Dam Busters," Coates fantastic march, one of the very best written anywhere during the last century.

Howard Mitchell conducts the National Symphony of Washington in Gould's 'Declaration' Suite and 'Jekyll and Hyde' Variations. My copy if the RCA Gold Seal release of the cover pictured above. Strangely, in 1958 this record was issued only in monaural sound though the Gold Seal billed itself as "first stereo release." It's true stereo too. Declaration is based on episodes in American history, like the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Gould wrote often and consistently on American themes, obviously there was a deep well of inspiration for him. This is a nice suite, I especially like the Midnight ride scherzo as it sounds like a horse galloping! Jekyll and Hyde is more adventurous in harmonics and melodic material. This piece moves beyond the more popular aspects of Gould's concert style and is quite serious in scope. Gould's sure hand with the orchestra and masterful orchestrations are clearly evident.

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Independence Day and Charles Ives

Independence Day in the States! No, not the American Revolution for it was nothing of the sort. Why do they still insist on calling it a revolution? There was no period of thermidor or terror. Laymen, and historians alike can be so inept! Geez!

Ok, enough of that. What's more American then Charles Ives? Hotdogs at a baseball game? Moonshine drunk out of a Ball jar? The bikini? If anyone can be called an American original, it was Charles Ives and his music always has that brashness and freshness that characterizes the best of our homegrown composers.

Here are two lps from 1965 and 67, if I have my dates correct. Morton Gould conducts the Chicago Symphony in works ranging from Ives' student years up to the time where he was really pushing the envelope on what would be acceptable to listeners and the concert experience. This is a good cross section.

Now, there's a reason why Stravinsky referred to the Chicago Symphony as the most flexible orchestra in the world. Under Gould's inspired, electric direction, this magnificent orchestra tears into these pieces and  plays them for all they are worth. Ormandy's record of the Symphony No 1 has been much admired, and it is good, but this performance sets a much higher bar. It is brilliantly played and so exciting - who would think this was a graduation piece, it comes off sounding like the masterpiece which it isn't. It is a very fine symphony nonetheless and it is a testament to Gould's gifted podium skills. Likewise, the Robert Browning Overture blows away the other performance I know, that of Harold Farberman, a recognized expert in Ives' music.

My only complaint is that on LSC 2959, there was some very sloppy editing and engineering. The Orchestral Set has each piece ending abruptly, much like those Allegro Elite editions of the 1950's had a tendency to do. I faded each track out as not to sound too abrupt.

These two records should be in every collection since they represent the highest levels of orchestral playing and podium leadership.

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Fredell Lack plays Tartini and Corelli

This record was a super find. On the long lamented, some would say demented, Allegro label, Oklahoma born Fredell Lack plays sonatas of Tartini and Corelli where she is well accompanied by noted harpsichordist/baroque specialist Fernando Valenti.

When this record was cut in the early 50's, not much of either composer existed on record or was heard in the concert hall. Musicians had few, if any models, and most had to rely on written recollections, traditions handed down and their own inate good taste. Ms Lack had a whole big bag of the latter and her playing is winningly sweet, secure and immaculately tasteful. This is an excellent recital and I wonder what kind of career this violinist would have had if she had not directed her efforts towards pedagogy and the necessities of the family homelife.

Allowances for sound, one of the best solo programs I can recall in quite a while.

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A Whole Lot of American Music

I'm going to do something a bit different today. I've got a bunch, a BUNCH, of recordings of American classics that I have transferred over the months and been sitting on. In one fell swoop, I'm offering them up here for some industrial size transferring. Here goes!

The first one is the jacket above of music of Ruggles and Cowell, a monaural Columbia recording, ML4986. Pianist John Kirkpatrick shines in Evocations! It's a masterpiece played by a master!

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Monaural ARS-38 - music by Henry Brant and Burrill Phillips.

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The excellent Beveridge Webster playing Copland, Sessions and Carter on Dover HCR5265 - monaural.

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Dean Dixon conducts symphonies of Cowell and Piston on ARS 112 - monaural. One of my favorite conductors.

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Music of Swanson, Diamond and Hanson of ARS6 & ARS 7 - monaural. Dean Dixon again along with the underrated Texan, Walter Hendl.

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Chamber Music of Harris and Diamond with Lawrence Sobol, clarinet. Grenadilla GS1007 Stereo. Mid 70's Super, super musicianship here.

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Longtime New England Conservatory professor Veronica Jochum plays MacDowell and Griffes on stereo Golden Crest CRS4168. Mid 70's. If you do not know Eugen Jochum's daughter, now is your chance to make her acquaintance!

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Have fun! Whew!

The Chinese Flute by Ernst Toch

Bryan over at The Shellackophile recently posted the premiere recording of Toch's Piano Quintet so I thought I'd add by "toch" cents and offer up this Alco recording of Toch's "The Chinese Flute" for soprano and orchestra.

As the years have gone by, Toch's star has definitely lowered in the skies. Once considered one of the preeminent avant garde composers of his generation, his career definitely stalled after being forced to flee Germany as the Nazi's came to power. In the United States, where he finally settled, his music was met with ambivalence, possibly because his creative style was geared toward 1920's Germany and not the cinematic world of 1930's and 40's Hollywood. Whatever the case, Toch was unable to sustain his reputation like compatriot Paul Hindemith as the years progressed.

I'm not sure how to describe this work from 1923, The Chinese Flute. Perhaps a chamber opera or a cantata? A song cycle, a symphony? You got me. What I can say is that Mahler utilized the same collection of texts for Das Lied von der Erde and achieved a masterpiece while Toch produces a bit of a oddball piece with its dense chromatic writing and weak connection between the text and the music. Worth a listen yet hardly memorable. Rather, this is a document of the experimental years of between the wars Germany.

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Schubert's Mass No 5 in Ab conducted by Carl Bamberger

Here was a very, very pleasant surprise for me! The name of Carl Bamberger was known to me as a conductor who appeared on budget labels, often "supermarket" titles during the 1950's and 60's. A German kapellmeister obviously able to work inexpensively and quickly for these record companies that sought to mass market at rock bottom prices. So, when I saw this Urania stereophonic lp for 50 cents, I thought why not give it a shot? I would guess the recording dates from the early 60's.

And am I glad I did! This is one terrific performance, full of intensity, red blooded singing and urgent directing. I think it blows away the famed Sawallisch recording but then again, I've never been a fan of what I consider his stolid conducting style. I'm sure that this orchestra and chorus "The North German Philharmonic" is a pseudonym for probably one of the German Radio ensembles but no bother, it doesn't phase me in the least. When music making is purposeful, it really does not make a difference who it is. The soloists, by the way, do their job well - I think they are all opera house residents.

Schubert's way with the liturgy was much like Brahms, as he constructed his musical argument from the parts of the Latin Mass that had greatest appeal to him. Though not an overtly devout man, Schubert's mass has an intensity and joy which could only come from a person who recognized the link between man and a higher being. It's marvelous music that is surprisingly symphonic in it's scope and structure.


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Leon Fleisher performs Hindemith's 'The Four Temperaments'

A big thank you to Ray in Montana for sending long this lp to me for transfer. Epic LC3356 featuring Szymon Goldberg leading his Netherlands Chamber Orchestra with Leon Fleisher and Paul Godwin taking up the solo duties in wonderful music of Hindemith.

Paul Hindemith is one of my favorite composers and I absolutely never tire of either the Symphony Mathis der Maler of the main work on this record, The Four Temperaments. The music his completely accessible and masterfully orchestrated and in both pieces the ideas are fresh, engaging and in places poignant. This Four Temperaments is fortunate to feature Leon Fleisher in the concertante role. At the time of the recording. Fleisher was at an absolute artistic peak, having set down benchmark records with Szell of concertos by Beethoven and Brahms.  The collaboration here is one of cohesion and though it does not displace my favorite record of Victor Aller with Felix Slatkin, it is nonetheless, highly musical and worthy of Hindemith's intentions. The works on side two are beautifully rendered and a tribute to the excellent orchestra that Goldberg developed.

Goldberg's "take" of Op 44, No 4 got me thinking about another old MGM lp that I transferred unsatisfactorily sometime ago. This lp features the complete "Educational Music" of Op 44 with the Maurice Levine  String Ensemble. I gave it another go and it came out better. Like Orff, Hindemith was interested in musical learning and in the spirit of teaching, he created an interesting work in its complete form.  Unfortunately, both lps add up to about 85 minutes of music so if you download both, it'll be two burned cd's.

A curious note: though the MGM is expectantly mono, I would have expected the 1957 date of the Goldberg record to have a stereophonic edition. Alas, no.

Always a good day with new Hindemith discoveries!

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Tchaikovsky by The "Burgin Quartet"

From Boston Records, this is billed as the first recording of Tchaikovsky's 3rd Quartet, performed by the "Burgin Quartet." In reality, there was no Burgin Quartet, but rather a group of long time Boston Symphony colleagues who got together, from time to time, and cut a record apart from their activities as BSO and Boston Symphony Chamber Players members. Richard Burgin and Leo Panasevich on violin, Joseph de Pasquale on viola and Samuel Mayes on cello. Exquisite musicians who give a rather persuasive account of this rather "on the fringe" piece.

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