An intriguing Emperor- Casadesus/Rosbaud

[Barbirollians]

I played this for the first time today . It is now available on Newton Classics and was recommended by a forumite I think Bryn as being a precursor of Kovacevich/Davis .

I see that of all people Edward Greenfield savaged it as very dull when it first appeared .

I have a very soft spot for Casadesus's Mozart recordings but am not sure what to make of this .

It is very cool performance , classical in style yet it lays the music bare in places in a way which I have found very striking as if hearing the piece from a completely new musical perspective

any other views on this record ?

[Bryn]

Not guilty but thanks for passing on the tip, whomsoever it originated from. I will investigate.

[mathias broucek]

... Edward Greenfield savaged it ...

Sounds like a rarity to me!

[umslopogaas]

I've got this on LP, Philips 835 086 LY, stereo; undated, but looks to be early 1960s. Its a long time since I played it, but I recall it was cool, rather unemotional.

All sorts of nuggets in the sleeve notes. "Robert Casadesus is certainly among the dominant figures of contemporary exponential music ..." Ah the perils of English, I just looked up "exponential" in the dictionary, and the writer is grammatically correct, but to my English ears it doesnt SOUND correct, it evokes music increasing in volume in an exponential fashion.

These are rather forgotten names today, but apparently Rosbaud conducted the world premiere of Schoenberg's 'Moses and Aaron' and in his day was a champion of contemporary music.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Sounds like a rarity to me!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... apparently Rosbaud conducted the world premiere of Schoenberg's 'Moses and Aaron' and in his day was a champion of contemporary music.

And here's the proof:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moses-Aron-Orchester-Hamburger-Rundfunks/dp/B008S0BMOW/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348047464&sr=1-9

... for afficionadi only, perhaps: the recorded sound is particularly bad. (A pity, the performance hidden underneath is a fine one.)

Away from the exponentials, there's also this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hans-Rosbaud-Complete-Recordings-DG/dp/B0002ANQX6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348047682&sr=1-1

... which includes the Casadesus Emperor. There're also "Live" recordings of Bruckner, Mozart, Mahler and others, including world premieres of Nono, Boulez, Xenakis an Henze.

[Barbirollians]

Ted G seems to have had more critical teeth in the 1960s .

I don't agree with his suggestion that it is dull . It is very interesting albeit not played how I should like to hear it often .

It was Roehre who suggested its similarity to Kovacevich . I should like to have more of an explanation from him as to how he hears it as similar as the K/D strikes me as far more passionate and thrilling affair .

[Roehre]

I played this for the first time today . It is now available on Newton Classics and was recommended by a forumite I think Bryn as being a precursor of Kovacevich/Davis . ?

Guilty, M'Lord, for mentioning it.
In my memory the Rosbaud/Casadesus and the Kovacevich/Davis were some of similar, but i have to say I haven't listened to them recently within a short space of time.

[reinerfan]

I must say that I have considerable affection for Casadesus's cool clean "Emperor". I have him on recordings with Cantelli and Mitropoulos as well as the Rosbaud version, and his approach remains pretty constant.

[Barbirollians]

Is there a missing repeat or something in the slow movement . It seems very short in length ?

The finale is the movement I have most trouble with Casadesus is rather stately whilst Rosbaud is trying to whip up some excitement . Lovely articulation though throughout .

[bluestateprommer]

Perhaps an inappropriate thread hijack (not BSP's first), but David Allen had a nice NYT article this week about Hans Rosbaud:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/13/arts/music/hans-rosbaud-classical-music.html