Leinsdorf

[Barbirollians]

He is a conductor largely unknown to me save as the conductor accompanying Richter in Brahms 1 but saints above I have been blown away today by a recording of A Survivor in Warsaw coupled with his 1969 Beethoven 9 - the former very moving and superbly narrated by Sherill Milnes and a Beethoven 9 of fine soloists and gripping intensity at HIPPite speeds - who needs Norrington when it is played like this .

Absolutely thrilling , ear -opening stuff .

[Richard Tarleton]

I've said this before so apologies but he conducted one of the most memorable concerts of my life - LSO, 1972, Schubert 8, Shepherd on the Rock (he played piano, Jack Brymer, Margaret Price) and Mahler 4 with, of course, Price.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I never heard him in concert, but I treasure many of his recordings - there's a Pathetique with the Boston SO which is superb: the ham emoting of some conductors is eschewed for a more literal response to the score - and how much more moving the result is for the listener! A damn fine Valkyrie, too.

[visualnickmos]

..... there's a Pathetique with the Boston SO which is superb....

I have the same work (MfP vinyl) with EL and the LAPO..... marvellously recorded sound.

[Ferretfancy]

Critics here, particularly in The Gramophone, were often lukewarm about Leinsdorf's recordings, although I could never understand why. I would not like to be without his recordings of the Prokofiev Symphonies and Concertos with John Browning and the BSO. There is also an excellent John Browning performance of the Ravel Concerto for the left hand.

I also enjoy his La Boheme with Anna Moffo, Richard Tucker and Robert Merrill, and what about the Die Walkure with Vickers and Nilssen? The latter recording was made for RCA, which meant that Decca were forced to delay recording the Solti version, scheduling it as the last in the cycle to be recorded.

Incidentally there's a splendid Lieutenant Kije as a coupling for the Ravel, a Capital Full Dimensional Sound recording in very good early stereo. I suspect that this may be the first stereo performance to include the baritone contributions.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have the same work (MfP vinyl) with EL and the LAPO..... marvellously recorded sound.

Me, too, visnic - has it ever been CDeified? (And quite right about the LAPO - I could've sworn it was the BSO!)

[gurnemanz]

With mention of Leinsdorf, I immediately had fond memories of one of my first Proms. Ida Haendel in a bright red dress did an exciting Brahms. Aged 21, I was just getting very much into Stravinsky and the programme included the full Pulcinella and Firebird. A great evening. (Just checked the archive.)

[cloughie]

Me, too, visnic - has it ever been CDeified? (And quite right about the LAPO - I could've sworn it was the BSO!)

I always think it fascinating that the Austrian Leinsdorf took over the Gallic sounding Boston from Frenchman Munch whilst Frenchman Martinon took over the Germanic sounding Chicago from Reiner. I have a number of Leinsdorf recordings but would like to see his Phase 4recordings reissued. The link below mentions him towards the end but it incldes some interesting observations ref Dorati and Sokowski.

http://www.bernardherrmann.org/articles/interview-damato/

Leinsdorf was a great Mozart conductor - I would like to get his complete symphonies if I ever see them at the right price. One of my favourite RCA LPs of him was the Kurt Weill Threepenny Opera Suite.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Leinsdorf was a great Mozart conductor - I would like to get his complete symphonies if I ever see them at the right price. One of my favourite RCA LPs of him was the Kurt Weill Threepenny Opera Suite.

Not a bad price for the Amazon download:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-The-Symphonies-Erich-Leinsdorf/dp/B000BV5RE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354136278&sr=8-1

... I had no idea this set existed before your post, cloughie!

[cloughie]

Not a bad price for the Amazon download:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-The-Symphonies-Erich-Leinsdorf/dp/B000BV5RE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354136278&sr=8-1

... I had no idea this set existed before your post, cloughie!

ferney - I think it was a Westminster recording from the 50s and the orchestra was originally billed as the Philhamonic Symphony Orchestra of London.

[amateur51]

Not a bad price for the Amazon download:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-The-Symphonies-Erich-Leinsdorf/dp/B000BV5RE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354136278&sr=8-1

... I had no idea this set existed before your post, cloughie!

Me neither

Here is Leinsdorf directing Mahler symphony no 1 and Boston SO - try to stay to the end of the clip, his traffic directing is magnificent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYP_z1_rL4M

[richardfinegold]

Many of my first hearings of the standard rep were Leinsdorf/BSO. His conducting for Rubinstein's Beethoven Concerto cycle is outstanding.
There was a lot of critical hostility towards him. In Boston he was never forgiven for not being Munch or even Monteux. Steinberg was the favorite of the players to get the post after Munch and was passed over for Leinsdorf. Bernstein, who was from Boston and had a strong association with the Orchestra, supposedly intrigued against him as well. The biggest negative was the way RCA marketed his recordings. They bore the imprint "The Aristocrat of Orchestras" and had a faux leather appearing album covers that were a huge turnoff, and they had lousy sound and pressings. With Bernstein in New York, Ormandy in Philly, the beginning of the Solti era in Chicago, and even Mehta making waves in Los Angeles, it was easy to overlook Leinsdorf and the Boston SO. I'm often surprised at how excellent many of their recordings were.

[Petrushka]

He is a conductor largely unknown to me save as the conductor accompanying Richter in Brahms 1 but saints above I have been blown away today by a recording of A Survivor in Warsaw coupled with his 1969 Beethoven 9 - the former very moving and superbly narrated by Sherill Milnes and a Beethoven 9 of fine soloists and gripping intensity at HIPPite speeds - who needs Norrington when it is played like this .

Absolutely thrilling , ear -opening stuff .

This is one of my favourite Beethoven Chorals and I fully endorse your comments. I have that same disc http://www.amazon.co.uk/symphony-9-s...140288&sr=1-36

Is his complete Beethoven cycle on the same level as this superb 9th anybody? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Erich-Leinsd...4140439&sr=1-1

[akiralx]

His Boston SO recording of Mahler's Sixth is one of my favourites for that work.

[cloughie]

Many of my first hearings of the standard rep were Leinsdorf/BSO. His conducting for Rubinstein's Beethoven Concerto cycle is outstanding.
There was a lot of critical hostility towards him. In Boston he was never forgiven for not being Munch or even Monteux. Steinberg was the favorite of the players to get the post after Munch and was passed over for Leinsdorf. Bernstein, who was from Boston and had a strong association with the Orchestra, supposedly intrigued against him as well. The biggest negative was the way RCA marketed his recordings. They bore the imprint "The Aristocrat of Orchestras" and had a faux leather appearing album covers that were a huge turnoff, and they had lousy sound and pressings. With Bernstein in New York, Ormandy in Philly, the beginning of the Solti era in Chicago, and even Mehta making waves in Los Angeles, it was easy to overlook Leinsdorf and the Boston SO. I'm often surprised at how excellent many of their recordings were.

And of course Szell in Cleveland! The sound on Leinsdorf's RCA CDs is much better than it was on LP.