Kurt Sanderling

[Guest]

I have just come across the fact that Kurt Sanderling's 100th birthday falls on 19th September. Had he lived another year and a few days he would have enjoyed the celebration himself.

He was not a conductor who especially imposed himself on my awareness in the days that he conducted the Philharmonia, though I did attend (I think) a couple of his concerts. But I do have his Brahms and Sibelius symphony sets on CD and I appreciate them very much. I see from my catalogue that I also have his Shostakovich 1, 6 and 8 recordings and as I have no abiding memory of them I shall listen to them on the day. I understand that he often conducted Shostakovich 15 (though I never heard any of his performances), and did so from a score marked up by the composer himself. His CD of it is worth my investigating, I think.

Are there any other CDs of Sanderling's members think outstanding?

[Bryn]

There are at least 3 recordings he made of Shostakovich's 15th, with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra (Berlin Classics), the Berlin Philharmonic (on the Berlin Phil's own label) and with the Cleveland Orchestra. All three are well worth hearing, but that with the Berlin Philharmonic is my favourite, though others favour that with the Clevelanders above it.

[Nick Armstrong]

Shostakovich's 15th, with the Berlin Philharmonic (on the Berlin Phil's own label) ... is my favourite

Mine too, Bryn. It's wonderful. Definitely worth getting to know, Alf

A friend of mine played with the Philharmonia during his period with them - the players loved him both as a bloke and a musician. He told some great stories of vodka-fuelled sessions with his mate Shostakovich....

[jayne lee wilson]

Oddly enough, Sanderling's DSCH 15 is about the only reading of his I don't admire! I find both the Berlin Phil and Symphony recordings lacking tension in the faster movements, and too drawn out in the adagios. He typically takes 46' - 48'; just compare that with Kondrashin at just over 40' and with the dark, sardonic snarl of the Moscow Phil; or Maxim Shostakovich, whose uneven 2006 Prague cycle still remains sharply focussed at around 43' for No.15. But in DSCH 5,6,8 and 10 (with the Berlin SO on Berlin Classics) Sanderling is magnificent, serving the vision of the score with authority, discipline and power.

He recorded far too little Bruckner, but he left a great 7th with the Stuttgart RSO on Hanssler. His Brahms is rightly legendary (and as I keep mentioning, to judge by No.3 the Denon Mastersonic remasters are marvellous - and now outrageously priced.)

His Haydn Paris set, again with Berlin SO (last seen on RCA) is lovely in its way, moderately paced, humorous and tender; but for me now, too much of the big-band about it.

His Sibelius cycle - another peak, one I often return to. A great Nightride too!

Just about to switch off - then remembered my No.1 favourite of his, one of his greatest recordings: the Mahler 10th!
With the Berlin Symphony in the lovely Christuskirche again from 1979, but released far later on Berlin Classics. It's still available - a stunning bargain at Amazon, don't miss it!(0094422BC)
His Song of the Earth is scarcely less fine, with Schreier and Birgit Finnila. Both voices and orchestra are fairly close-set but shouldn't trouble you unduly. I've just played The Lonely One in Autumn and marvelled at the depth-within-bleakness the orchestra conveys. Every phrase is charged with absence.
(0094022BC)

[cloughie]

I have many Sanderling recordings, but my favourite remains his 1950s Rachmaninov Sym 2 with the Leningrad PO.

[Thropplenoggin]

I have his Mahler 4 with the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra and Felicity Lott (BBC Legends) at the top of my Amazon wish list: a lovely, sensitive performance. His Mahler 9, also on BBC Legends, has garnered good reviews, too. I've yet to listen to it all the way through. Both are available on Spotify for previewing purposes.

[amateur51]

He conducted a wonderful Shostakovich symphony no 15 at the Royal Festival Hall with the Philharmionia in what was possibly his last concert in London.

His set of Beethoven piano concertos with Uchida is worth getting to know I think. There are several 'live' performances of Mahler with BBC Northern SO, including a fine Mahler symphony no 9 and Das Lied von der Erde

I've not heard his Beethoven symphony set with the Philharmonia - do others know it/rate it?

For me, he was one of those few conductors whom I trusted if I was investigating a work for the first time

[gurnemanz]

His Brahms cycle with the Dresden Staatskapelle was my staple on LP for many years. I only saw him once. Early 1970s in Leipzig with the Gewandhaus (... Sibelius 7 and Tchaikovsky 4 - just checked the programme)

Here's a link I found:

http://www.stereophile.com/content/remembering-kurt-sanderling

[PJPJ]

I do wish the Dresden Brahms cycle be reissued. And not at local Japanese prices.

To the Leningrad Rachmaninov 2, I'd add the Tchaikovsky 4, also DG mid-1950s and Borodin 2 now on Berlin Classics. The Berlin Shostakovich 15 is, as mentioned already, superb and has some delectable Haydn 82 on the same CD. He was also a great man to have at the helm if you were a soloist - Sviatoslav Richter's recordings with him demonstrate this quite clearly to me.

If you can find either of two off-air performances with German radio orchestras of Rachmaninov's Third Symphony (not on CD) I think you'll be in for a treat.

[Barbirollians]

Another vote for his set of the Beethoven Piano Concertos with Uchida . A terrific set with No 4 a real highlight but all are splendid and now as cheap as chips .

[akiralx]

Another vote for his set of the Beethoven Piano Concertos with Uchida . A terrific set with No 4 a real highlight but all are splendid and now as cheap as chips .

Yes, I particularly like the No 3 from that set. I recall a friend (Karafan) and I went up to Edinburgh to hear him conduct both Brahms piano concertos (Andras Schiff) and we spotted him on our train, mainly because he was wearing the same jacket as on the LvB concertos 3 & 4 CD cover...

As mentioned above, his Shostakovich 6 on Berlin/Eterna is superb, pretty much definitive.

[Karafan]

Yes, I particularly like the No 3 from that set. I recall a friend (Karafan) and I went up to Edinburgh to hear him conduct both Brahms piano concertos (Andras Schiff) and we spotted him on our train, mainly because he was wearing the same jacket as on the LvB concertos 3 & 4 CD cover...

Yes, I was just recalling that as I read this thread, Akiralx. We had a little chat with him (I think he was surprised to be recognised by two (then young) fogeys!) and got his autograph I recall. Is my memory playing me false, I was sure we heard him in Haydn and Bruckner 4 with the Philharmonia!

K.

[akiralx]

That rings a bell, maybe we heard him in two concerts? I do recall Schiff playing the Brahms Second better than the First.

[Barbirollians]

Uchida's Fifth is perhaps the least strong of her set but I forgot to add it includes a marvellous performance of the 32 Variations in C Minor .

[Karafan]

That rings a bell, maybe we heard him in two concerts? I do recall Schiff playing the Brahms Second better than the First.

Oh, you're right there, there were two concerts now you have reminded me. In the good old Usher Hall.