Record Review: non-BaL discs reviewed, etc.

[richardfinegold]

[QUOTE=amateur51;250822]'Calculated' is the last word I would ever apply to a Tennstedt Mahler performance. I write as an unashamed fan who saw KT in performance many times in London and from the choir seats (facing the conductor) for Mahler 1, 5, 6 & 7. He seemed to hover above the orchestra and once then piece was under way you realised that there was a sort of telekinesis going on - he assumed different shapes with his hands and arms as the piece progressed, there could be great lunges at a section of the ortchestrtas resulting in a grweart cry from that section, frequent screw-tightening gestures at the brass, and all the time a look of ecstatic agony on his face until the music stopped, when he wouild apparently 'come down' and chat and laugh with the leader and others, mopping himself furiously with his hanky. Then he'd crank himself up for the next movement. He always appeared to me to be modest, surprised by it all even, and very popular with orchestra and audience alike.

I have been swept away at many concerts by the visual interaction between the musicians, but later when I hear a broadcast or a recording of the same event, I feel very differently, wondering what happened to the magic. At any rate, Tennestedt's Mahler just doesn't move me in any way except to want to change the recording to something more congenial.
He has his fans and his detractors. Thank goodness that we are spoiled for choice in Mahler.

[richardfinegold]

Do you know either of Mitropoulos' recordings of Mahler symphony no 3, Barbs?

Didn't he suffer a fatal heart attack during one of them?

[amateur51]

Didn't he suffer a fatal heart attack during one of them?

He recorded it twice, once in Cologne and once in Carnegie Hall. I think he was rehearsing a further performance when he had a heart attack from which he died. He was a fitness nut who smoked like a chimbley

[Alison]

An excellent summary Amateur. You describe very well the unique thrill of a Tennstedt concert. I also spent some
some truly enthralling moments in those Festival Hall choir seats.
Listening to the 1992 Brahms 1 on CD reconnects me to something really quite special.

Did you have to experience Tennstedt in the flesh to now enjoy to the max this and other live CD issues ? I am not sure.

[akiralx]

I recall the Zacharias Schumann has got bad reviews on SACD.net. Sad as I really like his Mozart Concertos with the same orchestra.

[visualnickmos]

Btw I can understand why Richard Wigmore did not like the Klemperer Schumann symphonies - they are slow but the other recordings hardly sounded likely to displace Kubelik , Szell etc .

I have to agree - and that's coming from a Klemperer fan, but (even!) he was by no means invincible. I shudder to think what he would have done with Elgar, RVW, Bax etc...

Szell and Kubelik are pretty much benchmarks in Schumann symphonies; Sawallisch? I can't seem to 'get' - maybe I need to listen again...

[LeMartinPecheur]

In my OP, click on the link: all recordings, codes and details are listed therein.

Thanks but I can't recall which recording of Bolero was the valve-mic one. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Naxos: was it the Krivine?

[Barbirollians]

Do you know either of Mitropoulos' recordings of Mahler symphony no 3, Barbs?

Nope - I was impressed by his Sixth though in the Great Conductors series .

[soileduk]

Thanks but I can't recall which recording of Bolero was the valve-mic one. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Naxos: was it the Krivine?

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Tacet/TACET207

[amateur51]

Nope - I was impressed by his Sixth though in the Great Conductors series .

I agree - he gets the tempo right from the outset in each movement I find

[LeMartinPecheur]

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Tacet/TACET207

soileduk: many thanks. If I ever win the lottery I might buy it for the sound quality if not for the performances Other recordings on this label may bear watching if they really are going big on this valve technology.

[Herrmannesque]

I see the authenticist lobby which dominates Radio 3 was up to its old tricks on CD review Saturday. Andrew McG and guest setting up poor old Klemps as the fall guy for the usual dismal round of puny, faux-authentic, chamber groups let loose on romantic or late-romantic composers.

[vinteuil]

I see the authenticist lobby which dominates Radio 3

... I wish. Good Lord, How I wish!!

[Nick Armstrong]

I see the authenticist lobby which dominates Radio 3 was up to its old tricks on CD review Saturday. Andrew McG and guest setting up poor old Klemps as the fall guy for the usual dismal round of puny, faux-authentic, chamber groups let loose on romantic or late-romantic composers.

I've now listened to this segment of CD Review and thought Klemperer as far away from the mark as Zacharias and P Jarvi, albeit in opposite directions. I don't think there was any setting up of old Otto - his interpretations as heard on Saturday were dismal enough to do that for themselves.

I do agree that AMcG has always been enthusiastic about the Bremen orchestra under Jarvi, for reasons that escape me - I bought some of the Beethoven he raved about a year or two ago, and took the CDs back - they seemed "puny" - to use your word - and dapper, far too spruce and slick. I suspect the same would apply were I to invest in the Schumann, which I shan't. It almost made the music sound silly, I thought.

That said - I recall hearing that the Meiningen orchestra Schumann wrote for was remarkably small, in terms of string numbers: more akin to chamber music size. Does adopting a similar-size orchestra today count as 'faux-authentic" to you?

[Nick Armstrong]

I have to agree - and that's coming from a Klemperer fan, but (even!) he was by no means invincible. I shudder to think what he would have done with Elgar, RVW, Bax etc...

Szell and Kubelik are pretty much benchmarks in Schumann symphonies; Sawallisch? I can't seem to 'get' - maybe I need to listen again...

I think we all take a similar view of all the Schumann attempts reviewed on Saturday.

Szell and Sawallisch are both in their different ways wonderful, I think - vnick, please do listen to the Sawallisch again, I love them.

But I don't know Kubelik's performances at all. I need to remedy that, it seems. I'll have a look around - but do you have any specific recommendations about which to get (assuming there's a choice of issues, remasterings etc...)?