Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[LMcD]

Clearly, while recordings of Mahler symphonies weren't that common in the 50s, there were more than I thought - thanks for all the interesting info and links!
Walter's 9th with the VPO in 1938 featured on 'Private Passions' recently.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Kletzki and Kubelik Sym 1 , Ludwig Sym 4

And Klemperer recorded the Second with the VSO for Vox in 1951 (released in 1953). Whether that was still "available" later in the decade ... Bruno Walter recorded the Fourth with the NYPO in 1946, and the Fifth (complete) in 1947 ... Eduard van Beinum recorded the Fourth for DECCA in 1951 ....

[vinteuil]

And Klemperer recorded the Second with the VSO for Vox in 1951 (released in 1953). Whether that was still "available" later in the decade ... Bruno Walter recorded the Fourth with the NYPO in 1946, and the Fifth (complete) in 1947 ... Eduard van Beinum recorded the Fourth for DECCA in 1951 ....

... not forgetting all the recordings from 1903 to 1940 :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EIPIL2M

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[oddoneout]

Tom Service's current trail - delivered in his usual breathless style - praising the sheer diversity of the items featured on Essential Classics serves as a useful confirmation that I have better things to do of a morning. While he doesn't confirm that one is most unlikely to hear many substantial items, the implication is clear.

And what is the point of the comparison he makes? The examples he quotes are as unfamiliar and therefore meaningless to me as a R3 listener as the 'classical' references would be to a R1,2 etc listener*. Wish I could get paid for recording inane, irritating and useless soundbites.
* I should qualify that this generalisation has nothing to do with the perceived or actual quality of different forms of music or types of listener.

[LMcD]

And what is the point of the comparison he makes? The examples he quotes are as unfamiliar and therefore meaningless to me as a R3 listener as the 'classical' references would be to a R1,2 etc listener*. Wish I could get paid for recording inane, irritating and useless soundbites.
* I should qualify that this generalisation has nothing to do with the perceived or actual quality of different forms of music or types of listener.

Re. #3633:
I suppose there was bound some increase in interest in Mahler, possibly accompanied by fresh recordings, as the 50th anniversary of his death approached.
Re. #3634:
What is the point indeed? Or is this simply yet another 'plug' for BBC Sounds?

[oddoneout]

Re. #3633:
I suppose there was bound some increase in interest in Mahler, possibly accompanied by fresh recordings, as the 50th anniversary of his death approached.
Re. #3634:
What is the point indeed? Or is this simply yet another 'plug' for BBC Sounds?

Well that wasn't mentioned(for once) so I think it was intended to be a plug for EC - a pointless exercise. I did wonder if it might be management's answer to continuing criticism of the morning schedule? Bludgeon disaffected listeners with Tom Service's enthusiasm often enough and they'll come to recognise what a brilliant thing the morning patchwork is.
It riles me that there are people who are paid good money to come up with such stupid ideas.

[cloughie]

Well that wasn't mentioned(for once) so I think it was intended to be a plug for EC - a pointless exercise. I did wonder if it might be management's answer to continuing criticism of the morning schedule? Bludgeon disaffected listeners with Tom Service's enthusiasm often enough and they'll come to recognise what a brilliant thing the morning patchwork is.
It riles me that there are people who are paid good money to come up with such stupid ideas.

Our good money!

[oddoneout]

Our good money!

Quite.

[Barbirollians]

Released in 1953 and 1954 respectively, it seems. Once again, I'm in your debt!

In addition to the above

There is no doubt that the song cycles were more popular in those days and we had of course the legendary Ferrier/Patzak/Walter Das Lied in 1952 .

Gramophone , however , makes it clear that the 1950s were not such a Mahler symphony desert .

1 Scherchen's 1954 Nixa recording of the Seventh and also that year Horenstein's Vox Ninth

2 Steinberg also produced a much praised First in 1954 in Pittsburgh. Followed by Barbirolli's still excellent Pye Mahler 1 in 1957 I think.

3 There was a Klemperer 2 in 1953 but in 1959 along came the Bruno Walter stereo Mahler 2 which to my ears remains very close to the top of the tree

4 Mahler 4 indeed had been around since the early 1950s with van Beinum and Margaret Ritchie and 1958 saw another classic Kletzki and the Philharmonia with Emmy Loose.

Walter also recorded an early 1950s Mahler 1 and then in 1961 or so he followed up with his outstanding stereo Mahler 1 and 9 .

I think it is true to say that Mahler 3 in particular did not fare well in the 1950s and was announced to the world by Bernstein's still sensational CBS recording.

[rauschwerk]

Boult conducted quite a bit of Mahler but made just one recording of a symphony - a fine first for Everest in 1958.

[LMcD]

In addition to the above

There is no doubt that the song cycles were more popular in those days and we had of course the legendary Ferrier/Patzak/Walter Das Lied in 1952 .

Gramophone , however , makes it clear that the 1950s were not such a Mahler symphony desert .

1 Scherchen's 1954 Nixa recording of the Seventh and also that year Horenstein's Vox Ninth

2 Steinberg also produced a much praised First in 1954 in Pittsburgh. Followed by Barbirolli's still excellent Pye Mahler 1 in 1957 I think.

3 There was a Klemperer 2 in 1953 but in 1959 along came the Bruno Walter stereo Mahler 2 which to my ears remains very close to the top of the tree

4 Mahler 4 indeed had been around since the early 1950s with van Beinum and Margaret Ritchie and 1958 saw another classic Kletzki and the Philharmonia with Emmy Loose.

Walter also recorded an early 1950s Mahler 1 and then in 1961 or so he followed up with his outstanding stereo Mahler 1 and 9 .

I think it is true to say that Mahler 3 in particular did not fare well in the 1950s and was announced to the world by Bernstein's still sensational CBS recording.

Thank you - I'm just wondering how many of these were still available at the end of the decade, to which my particular, and very possibly faulty, recollection refers.

[Bax-of-Delights]

My one fervent wish is that all recordings of Copland's ballet scores, Billy the Kid and Rodeo, should be locked away in a BBC vault and marked "do not open until 2025". They could join VW's "Wasps" overture and Arnold's "Padstow Lifeboat" in a justified musical purdah.
When there are literally tens of thousands of other unheard pieces it seems like lazy programming in the extreme to constantly parade these once worthy pieces to the point where regular listeners groan and reach for the off switch.

[Serial_Apologist]

My one fervent wish is that all recordings of Copland's ballet scores, Billy the Kid and Rodeo, should be locked away in a BBC vault and marked "do not open until 2025". They could join VW's "Wasps" overture and Arnold's "Padstow Lifeboat" in a justified musical purdah.
When there are literally tens of thousands of other unheard pieces it seems like lazy programming in the extreme to constantly parade these once worthy pieces to the point where regular listeners groan and reach for the off switch.

Back in the 1980s I was in a music quiz, in which an excerpt - the famous pentatonic melody - was played from The Wasps overture, and each team was expected to give an answer. The music professor in the other team, which was asked first, wanted to know if it was from theme music for a Western. Now, such ignorance would never be allowed today.

[vinteuil]

Back in the 1980s I was in a music quiz, in which an excerpt - the famous pentatonic melody - was played from The Wasps overture, and each team was expected to give an answer. The music professor in the other team, which was asked first, wanted to know if it was from theme music for a Western. e:

... but he/she wasn't far wrong though, n'est-ce pas?

.

[french frank]

... but he/she wasn't far wrong though, n'est-ce pas?

.

The thought always occurs to me: if it isn't from some 1960s Western, it ought to be. Sounds like it should be entitled 'The Big Country' or something similar.