Happy Birthday LPO!

[Gordon]

The LPO is 80 this year and I was wondering if we could list the 10 best recordings it has made. There is a great deal of choice starting from this

[abc] 19 & [def] 21 September 1932 Kingsway Hall
Malcolm Sargent
1 Royal Choral Society
a HANDEL Messiah : And the glory 2B3428
b Behold the Lamb 2B3429
c Hallelujah 2B3430
d Glory to God 2B3433
e HAYDN The Creation : The Heavens are telling 2B3434
f Achieved is the glorious work 2B3435
[ac] (Dec32) C2489 ; Victor 11825
[ef] (Feb33) C2513 ; Victor 11960
[bd] (May33) C2548 ; Victor 11824
CD transfer [ef] (...89) Pearl GEMM CD9380 +
"Sir Malcolm Sargent Conducts Favourite Choral Music"

its very first recording was made in September 1932 under Sargent at Kingsway Hall which, incidentally, celebrates its own centenary this December [well it would had it survived demolition in 1997]. The RCS singing is a bit ponderous and dated.

The orchestra was set up by Beecham using Courtaulds family money with Sargent as assistant. Their first concert was at the QueensHhall in October. Beecham did this in a fit of pique after the BBC orchestra would not agree to his being involved.

Considering the string of conductors after Beecham [they fell out when he returned after WW2 expecting to pick up where he’d dumped them at the start of the war] including Boult, Tennstedt, Haintink etc and recordings made with Furtwangler, Kleiber pere, Krauss, Knappertsbusch, Celibidache, etc etc, as well as more recent ones, there is much to choose from.

[french frank]

It has survived, has it? I can't get on to its website ...

[mathias broucek]

It has survived, has it? I can't get on to its website ...

Some of the Tennstedt live material must make the list. Perhaps at least two out of the Mahler 6 (EMI Live), Mahler 2 (LPO), Beethoven 3 (EMI), Dvorak 8 (BBC)?

Gordon's list omits van Beinum although I think his best recorded work is RCO.

[VodkaDilc]

And all that "Indian Summer" Boult - especially the Elgar and VW symphonies.

[Ferretfancy]

I would single out the many recordings of Holst and Ireland Boult and the LPO made for Lyrita, and of course his wonderful Egdon Heath for Decca

Beecham's Mozart recordings in the 1930's are still treasurable, and it's worth noting that the LPO and Beecham made the first Blumlein stereo recordings with Beecham in 1934. The CD allows us to hear Alan Blumlein walking and talking in the studio.

I've a soft spot fot the Boult/ LPO recording of Tchaikovsky's 3rd Suite, and what fine players the LPO winds have been since the earliest days. I must try and locate that old Pelican book by Thomas Russell called simply Philharmonic.

[pastoralguy]

I've a soft spot fot the Boult/ LPO recording of Tchaikovsky's 3rd Suite, and what fine players the LPO winds have been since the earliest days. I must try and locate that old Pelican book by Thomas Russell called simply Philharmonic.

One of my all time fav. recordings!

[VodkaDilc]

II must try and locate that old Pelican book by Thomas Russell called simply Philharmonic.

I've just located my copy. Just the thing to dip into while sitting in the late afternoon sun.
Mine's a 1942 Hutchinson hardback (with an Introduction from J B Priestley). Perhaps that pre-dates Ferret's Pelican.

[Nick Armstrong]

For all the excellent Tennstedt/Mahler options, my mind turns first to the Boult Elgar Symphonies on Lyrita http://www.musicweb-international.co...lt_SRCD221.htm



They have to be in a "Top 10"!

I note we visited this territory on the old boards in 2010, which can be found here including some familiar and some much missed names! http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbradio3/ht...thread=7753257

NB in particular in TheGongman's contribution then, the reference to many splendid things (inc. something I had mentioned then, the wonderful "On Parade" recording of Marches for orchestra under Boult - rereleased on CD as a compilation called "Great Marches" of which one copy is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Marche...dp_product_img)

thegongman: There is a gold mine here, of which in addition to those already mentioned, a few are:

Jurowski's Tchaikovsky Manfred, his Brahms 1st & 2nd Symphonies, his Tchaikovsky 1 & 6 and his Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances together with his about to be released Holst 'Planets'. Then there are Masur's Britten War Requiem, Solti's Tchaikovsky 6 (coupled with a great Firebird 1945 Suite) and Vanska's Rachmaninov 3rd Symphony coupled with a passionate Bax Tintagel. Tennstedt has been mentioned but in addition to his great new Mahler 2 I would single out Tennstedt's thrilling and moving LPO label Bruckner 8, two great live Mahler 1's (LPO & BBC Legends)and his EMI later Mahler 5. That's just a start - they are all live recordings. There is a new thrillingly paced and sung live Verdi Requiem on their label with Jesus Lopez-Cobos, with Margaret Price leading a strong cast of soloists. Also not to forget Caliban's 'LPO on Parade' with Boult - studio but what a riot.

[LaurieWatt]

Thank you, Caliban for hauling me back - with my proper name as opposed to Gongman! - into these columns!! I stand by my original list which you have quoted and have little to add; however, since then, Jesus Lopez Cobos's Verdi Requiem has been receiving a steady stream of superlative recommendations. VJ has re-recorded his latest thinking on the Manfred which should provide some very interesting comparisons - and watch out for a homage to Paavo Berglund in the next couple of months or so. I hope that French Frank has managed to get onto their website now; I have had no problem with it. If anyone has acquired or listened to their rather drily recorded Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant CD they will here Pomp & Circumstance no 1 taken at 5m 48 seconds flat with the most fabulously accurate trombone double tonguing to be heard anywhere - shame there is no organ in it though!

[french frank]

I hope that French Frank has managed to get onto their website now; I have had no problem with it.

Excuse the flippancy of my earlier reply, but on http://www.lpo.co.uk/ I'm now getting 'The page cannot be displayed because an internal server error has occurred.' Earlier Firefox was unable to find the page ...

[VodkaDilc]

Excuse the flippancy of my earlier reply, but on http://www.lpo.co.uk/ I'm now getting 'The page cannot be displayed because an internal server error has occurred.' Earlier Firefox was unable to find the page ...

I'm getting the same message.

[Tony Halstead]

So am I.

[salymap]

I am getting that message also. Anyway, a happy birthday to the LPO.

[jayne lee wilson]

The Lyrita legacy is rich indeed, with Rubbra, Rawsthorne, Walton, Moeran.... Bax Symphonies under Myer Fredman and Raymond Leppard.

Special distinction: as Caliban said, Boult's Elgar 1&2; and Jochum's Brahms cycle from 1976, Bishop & Parker producing!

[MrGongGong]

Excuse the flippancy of my earlier reply, but on http://www.lpo.co.uk/ I'm now getting 'The page cannot be displayed because an internal server error has occurred.' Earlier Firefox was unable to find the page ...

Maybe its "gods" retribution for their shameful treatment of the "LPO Four" ?