Keilberth

[aeolium]

Joseph Keilberth seems to be a somewhat forgotten conductor these days, perhaps overshadowed by his great contemporaries. His reputation seems to have been founded on opera performances, particularly of Wagner and Richard Strauss, as well as more generally the works of the Austro-German repertoire. I have enjoyed a couple of opera recordings of his, a Freischutz with the BPO, and La Clemenza di Tito (recitative omitted) with the Cologne Radio orchestra. He comes across to me as one of those fine sensitive opera conductors, perhaps like Sawallisch of a later generation, who knows the music exceptionally well, allows it to breathe and supports the singers.

Does anyone else have any views about this conductor or particular recommendations?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Does anyone else have any views about this conductor or particular recommendations?

An exact contemporary of Karajan, his Bayreuth Ring cycle from the mid-'50s has rightly won him new admirers.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/wagner-der-ring-des-nibelungen-box-set-mw0001392924

... his recorded legacy is quite small - he was somewhat neglected/overlooked by the big companies - but I think your comparison with Sawallisch is useful.

[verismissimo]

Does anyone else have any views about this conductor or particular recommendations?

I absolutely love his Ring cycle on Testament - suppressed (for half a century) by Decca/Culshaw so that he could record Solti's. The opening of Walkure is incandescent.

[Nick Armstrong]

He was a key figure in my late 80s - early 90s Richard Strauss 'phase' - he had that knack of delivering the sensuality of the music without sacrificing its pulse, its 'swing'...

My first ever CD was a collection of Richard Strauss orchestral music from the operas, with JK conducting the Bavarian State Orchestra... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Artistry-Jos.../dp/B000M4VSEQ

I had his recording of Arabella with Lisa della Casa and DF-D on cassette and played it to death - great stuff. Given a good-looking reissue at good value lately http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strauss-Arab...rauss+arabella

[umslopogaas]

I have quite a few Keilberth LPs on my shelves:

Pfitzner: Palestrina Preludes
Wagner: Flying Dutchman
Hindemith: Cardillac
Dvorak: cello conc.
Mozart: symphs.
Haydn: symphs.
Bruckner: symph.
Brahms: symph.

So at that time (fifties and sixties) he was recorded in quite a wide range of repertoire. Perhaps the clue to his eclipse lies in the competition: Karajan had a better publicity machine.

[makropulos]

I've a very soft spot for the live Meistersinger at the reopening of the Munich Opera in 1963 (Hans Hotter as Pogner!). The singing's a bit mixed, but Keilberth conducts beautifully, I think, with a great sense of theatricality and comedy. It's available very cheaply here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Meistersinger-N%C3%BCrnberg-Opera-House/dp/B002TZS56K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369145350&sr=8-1&keywords=keilberth+meistersinger

This was the first Meistersinger I ever heard (on LP) so I'm very fond of it, and I think it's tended to be under-rated. Anyhow, I'd certainly give it a try if you're so inclined.

[cloughie]

I seem to remember he recorded a few LPs on the Telefunken label but in comparison with his contemporaries eg Jochum, Krips, Kempe, Bohm Kletzki and indeed Karajan and Klemperer he did not have a great recorded legacy and hence now less known. The sole representative in my collection is with BPO conducting Till Eulenspiegl, the coupling being Alain Lombard and the Strasbourg PO in Also Sprach and the Four Last Songs with Caballe as soloist.

[umslopogaas]

Several of the LPs on my list are on Telefunken, but others are on DG (Cardillac), L'Oiseau Lyre, Decca and Radiola. The last is an American label I've never otherwise come across. Perhaps he just liked to stay independent.

[Petrushka]

I have the 1955 Ring on Testament, naturally, and also a superb Flying Dutchman from the same Bayreuth Festival on three Decca Eclipse LP's. Has this appeared on CD? Would like to get this if so.

On Orfeo there is a quite magnificent live 1966 Bruckner 8 with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and a live 1960 Salzburg concert with the BPO in Schubert, Berg (Violin Concerto) and Bruckner 9 (also available on Testament). Both of these are well worth seeking out.

[Dave2002]

I have the 1955 Ring on Testament, naturally, and also a superb Flying Dutchman from the same Bayreuth Festival on three Decca Eclipse LP's. Has this appeared on CD? Would like to get this if so.

On Orfeo there is a quite magnificent live 1966 Bruckner 8 with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and a live 1960 Salzburg concert with the BPO in Schubert, Berg (Violin Concerto) and Bruckner 9 (also available on Testament). Both of these are well worth seeking out.

That Flying Dutchman is really good. Also a good test of the bass response of your speakers. The sound of the sailors stamping around during the Sailors Chorus probably gets missed on small loudspeaker systems. I'd also be interested to know if a CD version is available.

PS: There's also Hoelscher's recording of Dvorak Cello Concerto which was on a Telefunken LP. Lovely stuff.

[Petrushka]

Just answering my own question: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wagner-Flieg...ilberth+wagner

[Karafan]

For me the highlights are his Ring, a very good, alert Brahms cycle on Teldec, a splendidly spirited Bruckner 6 (also on Teldec, with the BPO in stereo http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Symph.../dp/B001C0U5S4) and it goes without saying that his superb Freischütz with Elisabeth Grümmer is hors concours.

His father's mentor had been Felix Mottl, and Keilberth fils revered Mottl's memory, stating to the orchestral intendant that if he could choose the manner of his death it would be to die on the podium conducting Tristan, as Mottl had done. According to Keilberth's son, his father had marked 20th July 1968 in his pocket diary with a small pencil cross. By a strange quirk of fate he was to die on that very day, almost 58 years to the day since Mottl had died. Keilberth was also conducting Tristan (the Act II love duet) and he died on the same spot, in the same opera house as Mottl had done.

K.

[mathias broucek]

Now this is very frustrating. I'd mentally put Keilberth in the "dull Kapellmeister but good at Wagner" box and so have largely ignored him, even when spotting cheap copies of the Orfeo Bruckner....

Now I want to investigate but everything seems v expensive!

[gurnemanz]

Now this is very frustrating. I'd mentally put Keilberth in the "dull Kapellmeister but good at Wagner" box and so have largely ignored him, even when spotting cheap copies of the Orfeo Bruckner....

Now I want to investigate but everything seems v expensive!

The 1953 Siegfried with Martha Mödl as Brunnhilde is on the great value Wagner's Vision box. 50CDs for£39.99 (cheaper than his 1955 Ring on Testament. I like it very much (Paul Kuen sings Mime normally rather than giving it the whiney tones you sometimes get) but don't know the 1955 version to compare. The Siegfried can be had separately quite cheaply.

[amateur51]

I have the 1955 Ring on Testament, naturally, and also a superb Flying Dutchman from the same Bayreuth Festival on three Decca Eclipse LP's. Has this appeared on CD? Would like to get this if so.

On Orfeo there is a quite magnificent live 1966 Bruckner 8 with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and a live 1960 Salzburg concert with the BPO in Schubert, Berg (Violin Concerto) and Bruckner 9 (also available on Testament). Both of these are well worth seeking out.

Christian Ferras playing the Berg, Petrushka - how's the sound?