By request..James Stagliano in the Mozart Horn concertos

While it is fresh on my mind..here's James Stagliano performing the four horn concertos of Mozart with the Zimbler Sinfonietta. Not sure of the date on these stereo recordings but probably early 60's. These recordings were originally on Boston Records, I believe, and here are reissued in the Sinequan series by RCA Special Products.

What strikes me about these performances is the intimacy. The orchestra is very small, in fact maybe too small for some of the tutti passages. Stagliano's approach is, surprisingly, less virtuosic and more collegial. In other words, he's looking at this as chamber music with longtime friends and not aa a one off concert with a resident orchestra and him as a visiting artist. I like this! A great player.

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Mravinsky conducts Shostakovich's Symphony No 10 (1954)

Evgeni Mravinsky, Shostakovich, Leningrad Philharmonic, 1954. It doesn't get much better than this!

I was fortunate to lay my hands on this MK release of what might be the first recorded performance of Shostakovich's epic masterpiece, the tenth symphony.Though I have the excellent early 80's Erato recording, nothing compares to Mravinsky in his prime (age 51) conducting what was probably one of the top five orchestras in the world at the time.  This is Shostakovich with a full and exhausting emotional range, played by an orchestra of out of this world virtuosity.

No doubt Mravinsky was one of the greatest conductors of his age. Fiercely patriotic to mother Russia and commanding a presence that few challenged, he led scores of premieres, raised orchestral standards to new, unheard of heights and was considered by most to be the final arbitrar in interpretation of 19th and 20th century Russian composers. His legacy is well preserved on many recorded discs and live performances.

What strikes me most is that Mravinsky was an undemonstrative man yet exacted a level of excitement and intensity that many can only dream of. Reading about him reminds me of Fritz Reiner, very little physical movement but powerful, communicative eyes that had power of almost hypnotic ability. And, not to forget that Mravinsky had an apparent authority that no one would question or confront, and this includes even members of the Soviet leadership! Musicians feared him, politicians stayed clear, and composers were careful not to tread over the line. I read that one musician equated a Mravinsky rehearsal as a "bombing mission" saying the the members of the orchestra would whisper "incoming!" when Mravinsky appeared. Wow!

But the results?! Judge for yourself. Listen to Shostkovich played by one of that composer's greatest advocates, by an orchestra of immaculate precision playing in a sonority which has all but disappeared from the major Russian orchestras of today.

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James Stagliano and Arthur Berv - Baroque Style

Some fun listening here from two of the 20th century's greatest orchestral horn players, James Stagliano and Arthur Berv. These two giants of the horn play works from the baroque period and have a hell of a good time doing so!

Both of these soloists had long and prestigious careers. Arthur Berv, at the time of this recording, was well into his fifth decade of performing. Elevated to the principal horn chair at age 19 by none other than Toscanini, he never looked back and preceded to set a standard of excellence that successive hornists have aspired towards. For the most part, Berv's career centered around New York as he performed with every New York ensemble of consequence.

One of Berv's younger and most talented colleagues was James Stagliano, longtime principal of the Boston Symphony. Stagliano had horn playing in his genes as his uncle was recognized as a great orchestral player and teacher. Prior to becoming a member of the BSO, Stagliano played in Los Angeles and Cleveland where he developed a reputation of being able to play at an exceptionally high register. While in Boston, Stagliano recorded a number of recordings of which one of the best features the four horn concertos of Mozart with the Zimbler Sinfonietta. I have this recording and can transfer it if there is sufficient interest in the art of James Stagliano.

Stagliano and Berv play wonderfully together and I note that Berv plays the second parts. This is a compliment of the high regard which the older musician held the younger one. The orchestra is the "Kapp Sinfonietta" probably a New York pickup group and they are ably led by Richard Dunn of whom I know nothing. With a program of Telemann and Handel you can't go wrong you know.

So, enjoy some really great horn playing. I wish that I had the stereo lp instead of the mono edition but beggars cannot be choosers!

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Sir Adrian Boult conducts music of Vaughan Williams

Here's the Vanguard release of the Nixa-Westminster lp (c.1952)  from the picture above. Sir Adrian Boult conducts the "Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra" in music of Vaughan Williams. Featured pieces are A Norfolk Rhapsody, Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, the Greensleeves Fantasia and Gordon Jacob's orchestral arrangement of an English Folk Song Suite for Band.

Boult recorded these pieces many times, as you well know. In my opinion, these might be the best of em all, well played, enthusiasm unbridled, and interpretation beyond reproach. When you listen to Boult, you are left wondering why this music has not traveled better, outside of the UK, US and the former dominions of the UK, Vaughan Williams is a rare commodity.

I especially enjoy Jacob's arrangement of Folk Song Suite. I've played this piece many times in concert band and have not found a totally convincing orchestral performance of this masterpiece, until now. The closest satisfying rendition was by Morton Gould and this is taking into account Boult's later LSO version, which is for me, disappointing. Vaughan Williams intended this piece for the sonority of a band and getting an orchestra to adapt to that style and sound is a huge challenge. I think Boult achieves this here, for the most part.

Boult was always a keen advocate of the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams and probably no one made as many convincing recordings of this great composer's music. This is one of the best of them.

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Couple more Remingtons - The Jilka Sextet and Felicitas Karrer in Beethoven

Two additional Remingtons to offer today: The Jilka Sextet performing Beethoven's Septet and pianist Felicitas Karrer, along with conductor Kurt Woss, in the immortal "Emperor" Concerto.

The Jilka Sextet, or rather septet, was an augmented version of the Jilka Trio, an ensemble led by violinist Alfred Jilka. A search yielded surprisingly little other than a reference to them on the Remington Records site. References aside, this is an enjoyable and vivid performance of this delightful work from Beethoven's early period. This is Beethoven without the angst and working within set forms, rather than stretching them to their melodic and harmonic ends as is best illustrated in the last quartets.

Felicitas Karrer offers more of a biographical background. Born in Vienna, she was quickly recognized as a gifted artist and embarked on a recording career shortly after her 21st year. Karrer, though, chose personal and family affairs over that of a busy concert artist so by her 30th birthday, she had practically receded into the background as a significant concert performer. A very fine detailed biography of Felicitas Karrer can be found here.

In the Beethoven "Emperor" she is well paired with the fine conductor Kurt Woss and his Austrian Symphony Orchestra (known today as the Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich). Woss had organized this orchestra after the war as the "official" state orchestra of Lower Austria and remained its principal conductor until being called to Japan to help reorganize the NHK Symphony. Later, Woss would return to Austria and rebuild the Bruckner Orchestra Linz. He is best remembered as an orchestral builder and trainer. There is an excellent recording of Woss conducting Bruckner's 4th symphony available at abruckner.com.

Karrer and Woss are two very likeminded partners on this recording of the Emperor. Though Karrer admitted that these Remington affairs were often recorded "on the fly," there is little sign of this based on what I hear. Piano and orchestral contributions compliment each other throughout and there is a healthy elasticity in the performance. In short, this is a joyous collaboration, one where everything just seems to fall into place with ease, naturally unfolding for the ears. There is no "Her versus Him' here. So pleasing are the proceedings that one overlooks any instrumental inadequacies from this hardworking, though technically challenged orchestra.

As always, working with these early 50's records poses challenges and difficulties. It is darn near difficult to get perfect results, unless one wants to dedicate literally hours to the process. I admittedly don't! What I strive for is something eminently listenable and honest. I hope that you enjoy these two Remingtons as much as I do.

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Schubert - Four Hand Piano Music with Badura Skoda and Demus

Another visit to some four hand piano music, this time by Schubert,  recorded in the early 50's by Paul Badura Skoda and Jorg Demus for Westminster.

I cannot stress enough the level of maturity and insight that these two artists bring to this repertoire. Their instinctive response to each other is nothing short of remarkable. Rarely, do two artists connect on such a level of excellence as these two. Couple the artistry with the superb music and...a winner....unlike the Patriots on Sunday! :(

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Schubert's Trout with the Festival Quartet

Sometime ago, Squirrel posted two fine recordings by the aptly named Festival Quartet on his excellent blog Squirrel's Nest . In the spirit of those posts, I offer the ensemble in Schubert's masterpiece, The Trout Quintet.

Squirrel has added a fair amount of biography of the Festival Quartet so there is no need for me to elaborate further. They were an outstanding group of musicians, making music during a golden age of chamber ensembles. This particular Trout is quite beautifully prepared and presented and it is a pity that BMG has not seen necessary the need to release this, or other recordings by the group onto cd. Though my lp is mono, this Trout was released in stereo too as to the recordings of Faure and Brahms that Squirrel has offered. Often I wonder who makes these decisions....

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F Charles Adler conducts music of Lora and Weiss

An early Composers Recordings today featuring Eva Wollman as soloist and F Charles Adler as conductor. The program consists of Antonio Lora's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and  Adolph Weiss' Theme and Variations for Orchestra. Since both composer's are unknown to me and, I have nothing to compare the performances to, I will offer the original liner notes from the lp. I will say that this recording is an important document regrading Adler's important role in promoting contemporary composers to wider audiences.

"""THE COMPOSER-PIANIST, ANTONIO LORA, was born in Italy, but since his early youth,
has lived in the United States. His studies in theory and composition were pursued with Rubin
Goldmark and Eduardo Trucco; his piano training with Alberto Jonas. In 1924, he made his
pianistic debut at Aeolian Hall in New York City.

The following year he began studies at New York University, where his teachers were Philip
James and Albert Stoessel. In 1927, having been awarded a Fellowship in Composition at the
Juilliard Graduate School of Music, he embarked on a four-year period of advanced study from
which he was graduated with honors.

Then, exchanging the role of pupil for that of teacher, he joined the Juilliard faculty and
remained there until 1936, when he relinquished his post in order to concertize in Europe. His
recital appearances took him to Holland, Switzerland, and Germany, and in addition to his
many performances, he found time to supervise presentations of his own music. He was invited
by Alexander Spring, then General Manager of the State Opera in Cologne, to write an opera.
The outcome was a three-act music drama, “Launcelot and Elaine,” with a text by Josephine
Fetter Royle, based on Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King.”

In addition to the opera and the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra here recorded, Lora has
composed two Symphonies, a ballet, a light opera based on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” an
operetta for children, numerous chamber works and instrumental pieces, and about fifty songs.
Concerning the latter, the late Marion Bauer wrote:
“The style of Antonio Lora’s songs is dominatingly impressionistic—not the impressionism of
Debussy or Ravel, but of the modern Italians. This impressionism shows more in his
accompaniments than in the melodic line. His harmony is definitely coloristic and chromatic;
the deft hand of an excellent pianist is evident in his treatment of the accompaniments, which are
always effective musically, and occasionally on the difficult side. They are more influenced by
harmonic principles than by contrapuntal ones, and he knows the secret of unification by the use
of reiterated pattern. The composer understands the possibilities of the voice, and his music is
well written for this medium.”

The CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA was composed in 1948, while Lora was
a member of the faculty at Ohio State University. It is cast in three movements, of which the
composer has given the following descriptive analysis:

Maestoso-Allegro
 “The piano, opens with a series of powerful introductory chords and octaves, followed by the
announcement of the first theme in the orchestra. This pattern is reiterated before an episode
leads us into the second theme, which is again announced by the strings and repeated by the
piano. The development is animated and vigorous. There is interesting interplay between solo
instruments and orchestra, culminating in an orchestral climax and the cadenza. The
recapitulation, with foreshortening of both themes, leads to a brilliant coda.”

Andantino, quasi Andante
 “The theme proper is preceded by contrasting solo utterances from piano and front orchestra.
An obbligato-like thread in the piano’s upper register decorates an elegiac theme which the
strings sing out, growing in intensity until the solo instrument breaks forts with a surging and
impassioned presentation of the subject matter. There is a brief respite before a restatement of
the opening measures.”

Allegro molto-Burlesco
“Like the first movement, the third is cast in the traditional Sonata Allegro form. After a few
octave passages in the piano, the orchestra launches into the theme proper, which typifies the
articulate and rhythmic nature of the entire movement. The jaunty mood is sustained with no
letup, save for the contrasting second theme and the short cadenza. If the orchestral texture is
restrained and rather subdued, this was intentional, for I wished the sonorities and crystalline
tones of the piano to be heard at all times above the orchestra.”

WHEN ADOLPH WEISS’ THEME AND VARIATIONS FOR ORCHESTRA were
premiered in April, 1936, by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Monteux,
Alfred Frankenstein, critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, described them in these terms:
“Weiss succeeded in combining the utmost scholastic craft with powerful and poignant
expressive values. On the purely musical side, the impression of the first hearing is one of
tremendous concentration of energy. The theme is put through a series of brilliantly designed
transformations, but there is no meaningless elaboration of unessentials. Astonishing twists of
texture are unfolded; new and interesting orchestral devices are revealed.”

An interesting bit of information not mentioned in this quotation is that the variations are based
on the sequence of stanzas in Whitman’s “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed.” The
music does not describe the stanzas, nor could it be called programmatic. But, in the composer’s
own words, “The spiritual content of the poem fixed the sequence of musical ideas as well as the
form of the composition.”

The variations are twelve in number, growing out of the original theme, a broad, highly-arched
melody which progresses mainly in sevenths. The first phrases of the theme are stated by a solo
bassoon, supported by a richly swelling texture of strings. The high woodwinds are introduced
momentarily, still supported by strings. Finally, in the theme’s closing portion, the bassoon
reaffirms its opening phrase; a triplet motif which has played an important part in the melody is
again brought forward, and the section ends. At the conclusion of the entire work, this same
theme is recapitulated literally, giving a sense of completion to the form and acting as a reorienting
point for the ear.""

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Lili Kraus and Pierre Monteux in Mozart

A French RCA release of  Lili Kraus and Pierre Monteux, from Boston, in Mozart's Piano Concertos numbers 12 and 18. Recordings were made live in 1953 from Symphony Hall.

Lili Kraus was best known as a specialist in late classical and early romantic piano music. Especially noted for her Mozart, she recorded all of the piano concertos and piano sonatas, in some cases two or three times. I have the bulk of her set of concertos recorded with Stephen Simon and though her playing is pristine, the accompaniment by Simon and a suspect pick up orchestra is utilitarian at best. That said it was most welcome that I came across this issue where Kraus receives the finest support possible from the BSO and the beloved Maitre. Monteux always had great taste and sensitivity when working with soloists and Kraus is supported in the best possible way by a great, great musician.

I do find it interesting to compare Kraus with one of my favorite pianists, Clara Haskil. The former's approach I find more straightforward, almost academic while the latter, blessed with technique second to none adds an almost spiritual aproach to her playing. This is not to say that Kraus is inferior, just different, more of an intepreter of design rather than of the composer's soul or angst I guess. Each approach is equally valid and of great historical importance, given the personal integrity of both women.

Enjoy Mozart on  a Monday.

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