Sir Adrian Boult conducts Brahms on Westminster

Terrific Brahms here led by Sir Adrian Boult. Featured works are the Academic Festival Overture, the Tragic Overture, the Haydn Variations and the Alto Rhapsody with Monica Sinclair as the soloist. These recordings made by Nixa-Westminster date from 1954.

Boult was hands down one of the greatest conductors of Brahms ever. His great attention to detail, careful preparation and ability to remain utterly unsentimental paid extraordinary dividends in his performances of Brahms. Just listen to the Haydn Variations, for example, and you will hear Haydn's voice as Brahms intended. Boult gets it and does not let this beautiful tribute wallow up into a grotesque parody of the simple joys that Brahms wanted to celebrate. The master Brahms penned these exquisite and deferential variations to a master whom he held in the highest possible regard.

The other pieces on this record are no less impressive. I especially love the rich and creamy voice of Monica Sinclair in Brahms' great tribute to the beauty of the human voice. Sinclair's phrasing, breathing and enunciation is a reminder of another time and place when a singer's identity could be easily identified. There's nothing generic here and Sinclair proves a wonderful partner for Boult as her presentation is musically pure and emotionally stable. 

I do wish that I had a better copy of this record. There are two places where my heart sank a bit when skips could not be entirely removed. The most notable is in the last bars of the Haydn Variations where an awful scar left a blemish which momentarily jolts the listener during the quietest of passages. I did what I could and debated whether to offer the Haydn Variations because of this slight. I decided that one small spot was not worth scrapping the finest Haydn Variations that I have ever heard.

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Brahms' Piano Quartet No 1 along with the Horn Trio Op 40 for good measure



In recent years I have grown to love the rich and varied music written by Brahms for small ensembles. All of it is so well structured and proportioned and the wealth of ideas boggles my mind. Brahms had this ability to write well for pretty much any instrument and I will tell you that I wish he had tossed off a sonata or concert piece for my instrument, the trumpet. Alas....

Two wonderful pieces featured today. First up, an early Mercury, MG10011, of the Brahms First Piano Quartet played by Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Alexander Schneider, Milton Katims and Frank Miller. I cut to chase - this is exquisitely rendered. Horszowski was superb in small ensemble settings and Alexander Schneider was simply the best violinist out there for any and all chamber music. Not to forget the terrific Milton Katims on viola and Frank Miller on cello - these guys play together so instinctively and correctly and they set a benchmark of which I have no doubt. This late 40's effort has stood the test of time and its well worth any serious listener's attention. Students should be required to listen, absorb and describe what these artists do for Brahms.

As a filler, I came across the Horn Trio Op 40 performed by Emil Gilels, Leonid Kogan and hornist Yakov Shapiro. I was most curious when I found this for the fact that Russian horns and trombones of the period tended to be small bore instruments and the sounds are often quite startling to the ears, especially if we know pieces from a western performing perspective. On top of the instrument configuration, Russians brass players tended to play with a heavy and pronounced vibrato. Needless to say, these instruments and the style has all but disappeared as today's instrumentalists, more or less play in a western, and American influenced, style. All that aside, this horn trio is quite fascinating to hear as the horn sounds like some sort of a hybrid instrument, almost alto hornish at times,  though it is well played by Shapiro. As to be expected, Gilels and Kogan are their typical formidable selves and they are keenly in tune to what Brahms is all about. Quite wonderful listening though that horn takes some adjusting to the ears. Of the recording date, maybe early 50's...who's to say? The flip side featured Gilels in scratchy Scarlatti sonatas, I think a very odd, odd disc partner!

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Telemann's St Luke Passion performed by Banchetto Musicale

Boston Baroque in concert at Jordan Hall in Boston

Just in time for the holidays! From an earlier post, I had lamented the fact that Stereo Jack's in Cambridge is slated to close. Jack is still there as the People's Republic is moving slowly on issuing building permits for the pizzeria which will take the spot and, the building's owner is more then happy to keep collecting rent from Jack. Anyway, I pop in every few weeks and stuff keeps coming in; I was fortunate to come across this splendid recording from Titanic Records with Martin Pearlman and Banchetto Musicale a k a Boston Baroque. I'll always know this wonderful ensemble by the former name, not the name given to them when they signed on with Telarc some 20 odd years ago. The marketing mavens saw more $$$ in a Boston Baroque brand, of course.

Pearlman and Banchetto Musicale were the American pioneers of period performance. Long before anyone else was trying to be HIP, Pearlman, noted violinist Daniel Stepner, harpsichordist John Gibbons, oboist Peggy Pearson were removing the cobwebs off of many chestnuts from the baroque and, introducing audiences to nearly forgotten masters from the baroque. Telemann, believe it or not, was on the fringes when these records were cut in 1980 and its hard to imagine this since today, he has since undergone a reappraisal as one of the greatest and most innovative masters of the 18th century. There are literally hundreds of cds cut within the last 25 years of this incredibly prolific and cosmopolitan genius.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Though Telemann is best known for his instrumental gems, he did write extensively for the church though his works are admittedly not as contemplative as those by his good friend Johann Sebastian Bach. Whereas Bach's passions are deeply emotional and pious, Telemann speaks on the emotional level with a lighter touch and the music does not plumb the depths of meaning and understanding of the text to the level of the great JS. Possibly this could be due to the nature of the cisties where they lived, Telemann in liberal, forward looking Hamburg and Bach in conservative, staunchly Lutheran Leipzig. Perhaps too it has something to do with Telemann's cosmopolitan outlook and Bach's insular, deeply religious upbringing. Whatever the reasons, we are presented with an effective works that is melodically quite pleasing, never outstaying its welcome over 79 minutes. Not to be disrespectful to Telemann, whom I adore, but this is definitely Passion Lite.

This recording features the noted baritone James Maddelena along with Boston stalwart Karl Dan Sorensen and Ray deVoll. The last artist was the featured soloist in the Berlioz Requiem I offered a few posts back. I want to remind you all that this recording is 30 years old and mastering period instruments has come a long way since then. This is a beautifully rendered recording but you will hear, from time to time, the occasional sour sound that most of these earlier period performance records would have on them. As a historical document this is vital and, as a musical document, kudos to Martin Pearlman and Banchetto Musicale for bringing style and good taste to the music of the incredible Telemann.

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Dorati, Minneapolis and Beethoven

Gosh! I don't  know how many copies of these recordings that I have!? (Well I do!) From this issue, the Wing in artificial stereo, to the European Pergola, they have all been beat to all hell. I mean, it is IMPOSSIBLE to find these recordings in a good shape!.....until now.

And with good reason. When Gunther Schuller remarked that Antal Dorati was one of the best conductors of Beethoven, he wasn't exaggerating. And, when my late photographer friend Bill, when seeing Dorati's face on the cover of the Beethoven 7 with the RPO, remarked that "this is a face of great intelligence and strength," he knew right away that here was a man of  impressive insights and capabilities. This Beethoven 5th, for me, is about as good as it gets. Inspired playing, strong attention to the letter of the score, and an ability to really get inside of the music drives this legendary recording. All of those scratched and nearly destroyed copies that I have (5, count em 5!) are the result of being played out and played with. This is a Beethoven performance to die for, one, where any weaknesses in the structure are tightened by an orchestra playing their hearts out for a conductor who is determined to present a performance that is individual but all Beethoven. Listen to the phrasing and attention to dynamic markings and you'll understand what I mean. These folks are inspired because they are LEARNING this music for the first time and NEED to be fully alert!

Antal Dorati 1906-1988

The overtures too, are very well done. Egmont is driven and highly dramatic (though Scherchen rmains my favorite here) Coriolan is heroic and strong while Lenore 3 becomes almost a tone poem of sorts, encapsulating the opera "Fidelio" into less than 15 minutes. The Minneapolis orchestra offers a kind of commitment not usually heard on studio recordings and this more then compensates up for admittedly less then top drawer playing.

Overall, I am happy enough with the transfer though there were a couple spots in Coriolan that were less then ideal. Again, I cannot stress the sense of urgancy here, and I believe that this Beethoven 5 beats out the remakes that Dorati made with the LSO and the RPO. A true sense of occasion!

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More from Lenore Engdahl

A follower of my blog, Dan from California, was most kind to send more from music from the ten gifted fingers of Lenore Engdahl. I am pleased to offer Ms Engdahl in Franck's Prelude, Chorale and Fugue and Dukas' rarely heard Variations on a Theme of Rameau. Both these works were from a stereo LP of which I have no additional information.

Dan wrote me that Ms Engdahl lives in a retirement community outside of Boston and is a remarkable 93 years of age. She had settled in greatly Boston many years ago after becoming a professor at Boston University.  Dan did mention that though a great and respected artist, Ms Engdahl consciously placed her family and students ahead of  personal ambitions and a concert career. On evidence of what I have heard, she would have been a highly successful concert hall artist, especially as a recitalist.

The two works offered here are brilliantly played. Ms Engdahl combines insight and intelligence with superlative technique and scrupulous musicianship. The Franck, a massive work, is played stately and with nobility and the Dukas captures the charm and wit of the theatrical Rameau. I'd love to hear Ms Engdahl in an all baroque program - it would probably be a smashing recital!

On a personal note, one of the great thrills of collecting is discovering an artist previously unknown to me. Especially important, is when that artist reminds me of how little I know!

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Corelli's Concerti Grossi Op 6 with Dean Eckertsen and the Corelli Tri-Centenary Orchestra

I have been enjoying this pioneering set of the complete Concerti Grossi Op 6 of Corelli for most of the week. Picking it up at the local Goodwill about a week and half ago, the VoxBox issue (cover above is from a French Pathe edition), from 1963 celebrates the 10th anniversary of the release of this important set, conducted by America Dean Eckertsen with the Corelli Tri-Centenary Orchestra, presumably a New York group made up of such wonderful musicians as Daniel Guilet and Frank Miller, to name a few.

Of Dean Eckertsen, I know nothing other then he was featured on a number of recordings by Vox, most notably this set and a traversal of concerti by Geminiani. This particular set was issued in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Corelli's birth. In my opinion, this is a tremendous achievement, not only for its pathbreaking nature but also for the stylistic correction of the music making. There was little to base these recording on in 1953 and Eckertsen was truly breaking new ground and he did it with style, polish and great committment. Certainly, this must have been one of George Mendelssohn's greatest coup's for Vox in the early 50's - first rate New York musicians playing almost totally forgotten concerti by a very great master of the middle baroque.

No doubt these concerti influenced both Bach and Handel as they knew, played, and admired the Italian masters like Corelli and Vivaldi. The writing is superb and there are touches throughout that point to music yet to come. Eckertsen captures the spirit of the music superbly, though the orchestra is larger then what we come to expect today, it plays nimbly and there are no romantic excess. In other words, this is pretty HIP for 1953!

Enjoy these gems as I have this week. Vox packed these well, made of heavy vinyl and issued with a red label (I have never seen red label Vox record). The records were in great shape.

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Piano Music of Milhaud, Villa Lobos and Stravinsky

Interesting twentieth century piano music today. Lenore Engdahl performs Milhaud's Saudades de Brasil along with short works of Villa Lobos and the estimable French pianist Marcelle Meyer does great justice to Stravinsky in Three Movements from Petrushka and Serenade in A.

Admittedly, I know little of these two ladies of the keyboard. Engdahl had a long career as an artist, performing from the 1940's through the 80's. It would appear that she was a renowned teacher too, as witnessed by a quick google search. Though from the upper midwest, Ms Engdahl plays these pieces inspired by Brazil with great authority and is fully within the idiom. Really nice listening and I am pleased to have found this old MGM lp. I'd like to find more by Lenore Engdahl

Marcelle Meyer

Marcelle Meyer was one of the greatest French pianists of the last century, an artist well regarded by Ravel, members of Les Six, and Stravinsky. These masters apparently valued her musicianship since she served their music with an equal and total devotion and always avoided over dramatising the score. In other words, she was not one for effect but let the music speak directly and honestly to the listener. Her performances of Stravinsky are absolutely magnificent - Petrouchka is not easy stuff and she makes it sound so natural and unforced, like watching Fred Astaire dance.

I am not totally sure on the date of the Engdahl - MGM record and the Meyer - Haydn Society lp. I would guess late 40's for Meyer and mid 50's for Engdahl. This two records really make for some neat listening...really.

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Berlioz's Requiem performed by the Rochester Oratorio Society

A rare and interesting recording here: The Rochester Oratorio Society under its founding conductor, Theodore Hollenbach, in Berlioz's epic, and profound, Requiem. I am not sure of the date of the record but I believe it to be around 1955 or so, about the same time that Columbia was active in Rochester with recordings by Leinsdorf and the RPO. Records from Rochester were issued on the Entre and Harmony labels which were the budget labels of Columbia Masterworks prior to the introduction of the Odyssey label.

This is a Requiem for those that tire of the bombast approach to the piece. It is so easy for this music to descend into the banal because it is truly a concert hall spectacle, what with huge choral, orchestral and brass choir forces. Hollenbach navigates this mass of performers wonderfully and does not lose focus on the liturgical importance of the music. This is important since the music has to support the meaning of the text and not the other way around. Unfortunately too many performances get caught up in the excitement of the moment and performances become well,  garbage. This happens far too often with a masterpiece like the Verdi Requiem, for instance.

Admittedly, one of the challenges on this recording, in monaural sound, is to capture this huge endeavor in a way that makes the music listenable and meaningful. Overall, the engineers did a fine job as Hollenbach's overiding choral vision supports the recording process. The orchestra, by the way, play very well - I would assume that it is made up of Philharmonic members and folks from the Eastman School. In addition, tenor Ray deVoll acquits himself well in his brief solo contribution.

I think that it is important to mention that Theodore Hollenbach was an important figure in the musical activities of upper state New York for many years and that during his 40 year tenure in Rochester, he built one of the finest choral society's in the Northeast part of the United States. Hollenbach also served a tenure as the music director of the Corning Philharmonic at a time when the Corning Corporation was pouring lots of money into the cultural development of that company city.

This record was in a so-so shape but it cleaned up pretty well. There are a few skips here and there but they do not deter from a very fine and committed performance.  I believe this record to be a superb document of choral performance and a reminder of the artistic excellence existing in America's smaller cities.

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Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony with Karel Sejna

Here is the most rustic sounding Pastorale that I have ever heard. This original early 50's record features the glorious Central European sounds of the Czech Philharmonic (in its postwar magnificence) under its longtime principal or resident conductor Karel Sejna.

Karel Sejna is a name that is all but unknown in the United States and vaguely remembered in Western Europe duein part from tours during the 1950's. He is one of those musicians that devoted his art and life to his land of birth and fortunately, a recorded legacy preserves a highly individual and gifted talent. No doubt that Sejna understood the sounds and temperament of his Czech colleagues, able to coax out of them timbres and phrasing that add a delightful freshness to old warhorses. Case in point is his terrific Mahler 4th available on the European Archive and this Beethoven Pastorale.

Notwithstanding some technical issues with the recording and pressing (the opening note in movement 1 is clipped, something that the Gramophone  reviewer in 1960 complained about), Sejna treats us to an intimate, village setting for his Pastorale which combines lyricism with a raw and rustic peasant quality. This approach is so refreshing because countless recordings add a sheen and gloss over the "little people" aspects of this groundbreaking (I think so) music. The Pastorale is a celebration of the country, the hardworking people of the land and the imperfections and mysteries of life. Sejna gets it down to the "T." His Mahler 4th has a very similiar approach and it is a marvelous achievement.

Enjoy a Pastorale whose likes is probably not to be heard again.

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