Stanisław Skrowaczewski and the Hallé Orchestra

[Stanfordian]

Can anyone throw any light on the time that conductor Stanisław Skrowaczewski spent with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester? I rather enjoyed the concerts that I attended at the Free Trade Hall in the mid to late 80s. Several friends of mine that went to the Hallé during Skrowaczewski’s tenure were less than impressed.

[Barbirollians]

I am afraid I am with your friends on this . I was a student in Sheffield with a season ticket to the concerts on a Saturday night - a life of two halves I would go and meet my friends and go out drinking and clubbing after my music hit .

There were two 12 night seasons in those days on Fridays and Saturdays and therefore there was a lot of Halle/Skrowacewski . Without exception I found those concerts dull . The leader Martin Milner was in decline I think and the orchestra was at a low ebb certainly compared to what you hear on recordings with Barbirolli and Loughran . The concerts that really still stick in the memory over those years were all given by others - a Rite from the CBSO/Rattle that has never been matched , Nigel Kennedy playing the Britten concerto , RLPO concerts with Charles Groves,( including a magnificent Elgar 2 ) Edward Downes and the BBC PO etc.( one of those two conducted a thrilling Belshazzar's Feast , Mozart and the Strauss Oboe Concerto with Neil Black and the ECO/Tate .

I am afraid I cannot remember any of the Skrowacewski performances they were that forgettable. The worst performance - an insufferably self-regarding Grieg Concerto by Olli Mustonen.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Skrowacewski was a strong advocate of a new concert hall for Manchester and threw his weight behind it. So when we go to the Bridgewater Hall, perhaps we should think of him...

[Barbirollians]

I rather miss the Free Trade Hall.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So do I. The only thing wrong with it was that I was often crushed in my youth by overweight middle-aged men pushing passed me to buy a drink in the diminutive bar. The hall itself was rather fine.

[Tony Halstead]

In his great tome of a book 'The Compleat Conductor', that very eloquent but sternest of transatlantic critics Gunther Schuller cites the Skrowacewski / Hallé Brahms 1st symphony recording as the very finest available.

Among the other conductors whose readings were dismissed - mostly on account of either their wilful tempo manipulations or unsatisfactory orchestral balancing - were such as ( in no particular order of preference / lack of preference):
Karajan, Szell, Barbirolli, Boult, Böhm, Abbado, Bernstein, Dohnanyi, Furtwaengler, Guilini, Haitink, Horenstein, Jochum, Krips, Klemperer, Maazel, Norrington, Tennstedt, Walter, Wand, etc..
Need I go on?
I wonder what he would make of A. Manze?

[EdgeleyRob]

I miss the Free Trade Hall too.
As well as many Halle concerts, I remember seeing Black Sabbath there in the early 70's.
Seems like yesterday.

[bluestateprommer]

Although this article focuses on his connection to Minnesota, without mention of his UK years (and is rather lovey-dovey), people here might find this Minneapolis Star-Tribune profile of Skrowaczewski of interest:

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/147246355.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

[Barbirollians]

In his great tome of a book 'The Compleat Conductor', that very eloquent but sternest of transatlantic critics Gunther Schuller cites the Skrowacewski / Hallé Brahms 1st symphony recording as the very finest available.

Among the other conductors whose readings were dismissed - mostly on account of either their wilful tempo manipulations or unsatisfactory orchestral balancing - were such as ( in no particular order of preference / lack of preference):
Karajan, Szell, Barbirolli, Boult, Böhm, Abbado, Bernstein, Dohnanyi, Furtwaengler, Guilini, Haitink, Horenstein, Jochum, Krips, Klemperer, Maazel, Norrington, Tennstedt, Walter, Wand, etc..
Need I go on?
I wonder what he would make of A. Manze?

They might as well have given up then . As I recall it this cycle received very mixed reviews. The Brahms 2 and 3 were panned by Gramophone but they liked 1 and 4

[Tony Halstead]

In Schuller's book there is sadly no mention of Loughran's Brahms in the 66 ( yes, sixty-six!) recordings.
I enjoyed playing for Jimmy Loughran quite a lot, many years ago, in my early twenties.
I reckon GS would have found / heard far more warmth and geniality in JL's Brahms than in SS's.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

In Schuller's book there is sadly no mention of Loughran's Brahms in the 66 ( yes, sixty-six!) recordings.
I enjoyed playing for Jimmy Loughran quite a lot, many years ago, in my early twenties.
I reckon GS would have found for more warmth and geniality in JL's Brahms than in SS's.

Wow! Are you playing in the glorious opening of the recording of the Second, W/h? The first time I ever heard this work (the long, hot Summer of 1976) and still the recording of it that I return to with the greatest affection.

[Tony Halstead]

No, FHG, sadly not, that 1st horn would be Mike Purton. I agree, it's a superb performance/ recording.
Although I used to free-lance with the Hallé during the mid 1960s, ( Barbirolli era) I never played for them during the Loughran period. I worked with Jimmy mostly at the BBCSSO in its 'post Norman Del Mar' decade.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[Tevot]

Interesting thread. In the late 70's and early 80's I'd attend Halle concerts when they crossed the Pennines into deepest West Yorkshire. Venue The St George's Hall - Bradford. Who do I remember? Loughran - for sure - Arvid Jansons - Charles Groves - Owain Arwell Hughes - and indeed Stan the Man. The first and only time I ever saw him live was a performance of Mahler 10 - indeed the first time I'd heard the piece live ( I'd borrowed the Wyn Morris recording a few weeks earlier from The Central Library for a sneak preview) I remember the live performance vividly.

Of course post Barbirolli the Halle was a different animal and perhaps on a downward trajectory. Things surely have perked up with Sir Mark? (Lights the blue touch paper and retires;-)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Of course post Barbirolli the Halle was a different animal and perhaps on a downward trajectory. Things surely have perked up with Sir Mark? (Lights the blue touch paper and retires;-)

Blue touchpaper chases after you!

It is as remarkable an achievement that Loughran did such a great job "following" Glorious John as Barbirolli did "following" Toscanini in New York.

Elder has never "rocked my boat", and nothing he has done with the Hallé has persuaded me to reassess this opinion - EXCEPT the excerpt from the slow movement of RVW's London Symphony that was played last Saturday morning on CDReview.

Nagano is a far finer Musician than Elder, IMO; a pity his fees were out of this great orchestra's budget!