Richard Strauss: Don Juan, Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Fritz Lehmann.

[Stanfordian]

I have a newly re-issued recording on Regis RRC1371 containing 3 works by Richard Strauss all played by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. There is little in the way of information about the recording dates and venues.

I have hopefully managed to find out when and where Rudolf Kempe conducted both Don Quixote and Till Eulenspiegels. I believe it was in June 1958 Grunewaldkirche, Berlin.

However, with regards to the score Don Juan, Op. 20 conducted by Fritz Lehmann all I have is the rather ambiguous note, “published in 1958.” I will be really pleased for some assistance if anyone know where in Berlin (I assume) and when Lehmann recorded the score?

[PJPJ]

I guess these are transferred from LP. The Kempe recordings were made in June 1958 in stereo in the Gruenewaldkirche.

Fritz Lehmann died in 1956, recorded for DGG, so I assume the recording is mono. I don't have details - perhaps Jesus-Christus-Kirche Dahlem.

Issued March 1958 in the UK on a 10" LP - review:

http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/March%201958/6/814731/DEBUSSY.+Prelude+a+Papresmidi+dun+faune.+STRAUSS,+R.+Don+Juan,+Op.+20.+Berlin+Philharmonic+Orchestra+conducted+by+Fritz+Lehmann.+D.G.G.+DG16091+(10+in.,+30s.+lid.).+Fritz+Lehmanns+account+of+Don+Juan+(aided,+almost+needless+to+say,+by+brilliant+playing+from+the+Berlin+Philharmonic)+is+satisfying,+having+the+qualities+of+both+vitality+and+spaciousness.+It+hasnt+Toscaninis+excitingly+dramatic+approach+and+it+makes+the+Don+into+an+older+character,+looking+back+on+his+past+escapades.+Where+Toscanini+is+indubitably+right,+I+am+sure,+is+in+always+taking+Strausss+a+tempo+to+mean+exactly+what+it+says,+the+allegro+molto+of+the+start.+This+it+is+that+largely+gives+his+reading+not+only+the+fire+but+the+coherence+which+it+has.+Lehmann,+though+at+times+he+whips+the+speed+up+like+anything,+is+at+other+times+inclined+to+expand+and+lose+the+impetus+that+should+hold+together+the+greater+part+of+this+work.+But+there+is+no+doubt+that+the+performance+ranks+high+among+its+fellows+and+it+is+economically+placed+on+one+side+of+a+10incher.+%E2%80%A2

[makropulos]

I have a newly re-issued recording on Regis RRC1371 containing 3 works by Richard Strauss all played by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. There is little in the way of information about the recording dates and venues.

I have hopefully managed to find out when and where Rudolf Kempe conducted both Don Quixote and Till Eulenspiegels. I believe it was in June 1958 Grunewaldkirche, Berlin.

However, with regards to the score Don Juan, Op. 20 conducted by Fritz Lehmann all I have is the rather ambiguous note, “published in 1958.” I will be really pleased for some assistance if anyone know where in Berlin (I assume) and when Lehmann recorded the score?

Regis is particularly bad at giving information of this kind. I can't help you with the Fritz Lehmann Strauss details, though since he died on 31 March 1956, that gives you a date after which it cannot have been made. This first came out on a 10 inch LP with Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi on the other side with the number 16091. The Gramophone reviewed it in March 1958.

John Hunt has published a discography of various DG conductors including Lehmann which I don't have (else I'd have looked this up), but here's a link in case it's of interest: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Conductors-G.../dp/1901395944. That should give you the venue/date information that Regis ought to have supplied on their CD.

Lehmann's quite an interesting conductor - I look forward to hearing this.

[makropulos]

Oh - while I was typing all this PJPJ has given you basically the same information.

[PJPJ]

I have a number of Lehmann recordings - a man of great energy. I heard some of his recording of Hansel & Gretel and was much taken with Rita Streich and co - enjoyed it enormously - some reviewers found it very dull. I didn't.

There are much earlier recordings of Lehmann for download here:

http://nealshistorical.wordpress.com/?s=lehmann

[makropulos]

I have a number of Lehmann recordings - a man of great energy. I heard some of his recording of Hansel & Gretel and was much taken with Rita Streich and co - enjoyed it enormously - some reviewers found it very dull. I didn't.

There are much earlier recordings of Lehmann for download here:

http://nealshistorical.wordpress.com/?s=lehmann

I like quite a lot his work. My first Dvorak 8 was his record with the Bamberg SO (on Heliodor). I was amazed and delighted when it came out again a few years ago on CD. The coupling on that (the Franck Symphony) is pretty good too.

[PJPJ]

I'm sorry DG hasn't released a third batch of historics. There were some hidden gems in the first two sets - I had to buy fewer than I would have liked!

[makropulos]

I'm sorry DG hasn't released a third batch of historics. There were some hidden gems in the first two sets - I had to buy fewer than I would have liked!

A third set would have been very welcome - it's nice to dream. Last year DG snuck out a batch of some very unusual Chopin recordings from the 50s, but as downloads only - which probably went largely unnoticed (though I imagine they're still available on the DG website). I've noticed that they've put out a few other things for download only that are of interest (the Jochum Boston SO Mozart/Schubert LP, Böhm's Tchaikovsky 4-6 which is available as real discs in Japan, and so on), but somehow it's not quite the same.

[Stanfordian]

Thank you for all your help.

I have followed makropulos's suggestion and have now ordered the book "Conductors on the Yellow Label (Deutsche Grammophon), Discographies Fritz Lehmann, Ferdinand Leitner, Ferenc Fricsay, Eugen Jochum, Leopold Ludwig, Artur Rother, Franz Konwitschny, Igor Markevitch."