Forgotten reputations - Eduard van Beinum?

[Karafan]

I have just been relistening to a superb Concertgebouw Bruckner 8, live from 1955 on Tahra, conducted by largely forgotten Dutch conductor Eduard van Beinum. It's a splendid performance, very moving with a marvellously intuitive grasp of unerringly 'right' tempi.

I do have a soft spot for dear old van Beinum - there are some wonderful treausures in the Philips 'Original Masters' boxes, but, for me it is his recordings of Bruckner 5, 7, 8 and 9 on Phillips and the superb live 8 (c/w a live account of Mahler 6 on Tahra) that put him head and shoulders above the others - definitely one of only a handful of truly innate Brucknerians.

Van Beinum suffered a fatal heart attack on April 13, 1959 on the Concertgebouw podium while rehearsing the orchestra for a performance of Brahms 1st symphony; he was only 57. Not much footage exists of him conducting, but there is a very good Youtube video of his complete Eroica with his beloved Concertgebouworkest from the 'Bevrijdingsconcert' (Liberation Concert) on May 5th 1957 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgHzoI5TzeM

I also came across a charming cache of photos (the domestic ones, with his wife Sepha van Beinum-Jansen (who was a violinist with the orchestra), date from June 1954 and are little scenes of bucolic domestic bliss, replete with his poodle David and Mrs B cooking while van Beinum cleans and/or tinkers with his car). They are on the Netherlands National Archives website here http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/afbe...q/commentaar/1

[aeolium]

Not at all forgotten by me - I have a number of treasured recordings by EvB, including some wonderful Haydn symphonies and the Mozart piano concerto no 24 with Kathleen Long. A great Beethoven conductor, too (e.g. the violin concerto with Grumiaux & Concertgebouw).

[edashtav]

Agreed, van Beinum was a modest conductor who wanted the score to shine - which it so often did. I remember my father buying some Elgar conducted by him - including, I remember, a Wand of Youth Suite played with great craft and understatement. And... to think that the best of him might have been things to come!

[LeMartinPecheur]

I was very impressed with a EVB Bruckner 7 that a friend played me. Thought I'd snapped up the same performance on a r.12/1952 Audiophile Classics 'Concertgebouw Series' recording but it isn't, not by a long chalk if my memory doesn't deceive me

I see there was a well-regarded LP with the Concertgebouw that was reissued on the Decca 'Eclipse' label in the 70s. Is this different from the Philips recording you extol, Karafan? Just how many EVB Bruckner 7s are there??

Talking of Eclipse LPs, early on in my record-buying career I bought an Elgar one with LPO/EVB in the cello concerto (Pini), Cockaigne and the 2nd Wand of Youth Suite. Discarded it when I managed to afford the Du Pre - pity.

[Karafan]

LMP - He recorded the seventh twice - both with the Concertgebouw. Firstly on 10th September 1947 (this has been out on Archipel, M&A and Tahra among others) and latterly between 19th May and 1st June 1953 (original catalogue #LXT2829 - most recently reissued c/w his Haydn 94, 96 and 97 on Retrospective).

I have not heard the earlier recording, but the 1953 one is the famous recording and is tremendous. This was the one which appeared on the Decca Eclipse LP, I am sure.

K.

PS The Elgar recordings still available here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Van-Beinum-C...ef=cm_cmu_pg_t Not too late to atone for past sins! Used prices not too onerous.

[Petrushka]

A timely thread, Karafan, as that very disc of the Bruckner 8/Mahler 6 has been sitting on my Amazon wish list for weeks and I've been wondering whether or not to click the 'buy now' button. Can you confirm that the sound is acceptable?

I have the 1953 Bruckner 7 you mention plus a 1956 Bruckner 9, both very fine. In addition, I have some Haydn symphonies on Eloquence and a live Mahler 7 from 1958 (in slightly less than acceptable sound, alas).

Are any of the Philips Original Masters boxes still available?

[PJPJ]

Mahler 6 is a strong reading though lacks the 1st movement repeat which some will find disappointing. Mahler 7's performance is a terrific one though the sound needs more than a little tolerance - careful use of ClickRepair got a better result for me.

There's a fine set of Reger recordings on Guild (the sound quality here seems far more acceptable to me) including some of EvB's war-time recordings.

http://www.guildmusic.com/shop/wbc.php?sid=3320287a1bc3&tpl=inhalt.html&cid=15&id=36

The two Decca Masters boxes, one with the Philips recordings, make be available for download. Debussy's La Mer and Nocturnes should not be missed and they're recorded in superb early stereo, too. Pierre Paquin at Haydn House is a staunch admire of this conductor and has released excellent remasterings from LP of some rarities - the 1953 Bruckner 7 has not sounded better than his transfer in my opinion.

The Live Recordings box from RN is available from Amazon at a good price considering the number of CDs, though some of the recordings, especially those from the 1930s need some tolerance. Ward Marston has released a rarity recently, EvB accompanying Frederic Lamond in 1937-9 in Beethoven and Liszt.

http://marstonrecords.com/

I do have the Liszt and it's well worth hearing; Marston's mastering will be superior. I'd like a copy, though resent being stung for the "inspection fee" when it turns up at the post office. (Tax and fee and postage will effectively double the purchase price.)

There are still a few live recordings which have yet to be released either on CD or in some cases for the first time, and I hope Tahra will come to the rescue. My mother was given a copy of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Grumiaux in 1960 - as a small boy, I was intrigued by the gatefold sleeve with all the photographs of the conductor (the same as mentioned above) and had to learn what it was conductors do. I've been a fan with undiminished enthusiasm for EvB ever since.

http://classicalcdreview.com/evb.html

[Karafan]

You can sample the Bruckner 8 here in iTunes, Petrushka, https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sy...ign-mpt=uo%3D4 which I think is in very acceptable sound - also here http://www.amazon.fr/Bruckner-Sympho...ruckner+mahler - what you lose slightly in SQ you gain in the frisson of live performance I feel (talking of SQ, I was surprised to see that his Concertgebouw recordings of the Haydn and Bruckner 7 had Wilkie and Culshaw at the controls - moonlighting for Phillips perhaps, or maybe pre-Decca days?).

The OM Volume 1 box is certainly still around albeit used http://www.amazon.co.uk/Recordings-1...sim_sbs_m_h__1 but they are getting fewer and farther between. Volume 2 which is also very good is now fetching stratospheric prices......

K.

A timely thread, Karafan, as that very disc of the Bruckner 8/Mahler 6 has been sitting on my Amazon wish list for weeks and I've been wondering whether or not to click the 'buy now' button. Can you confirm that the sound is acceptable?

I have the 1953 Bruckner 7 you mention plus a 1956 Bruckner 9, both very fine. In addition, I have some Haydn symphonies on Eloquence and a live Mahler 7 from 1958 (in slightly less than acceptable sound, alas).

Are any of the Philips Original Masters boxes still available?

[Karafan]

Van Beinum's way with the third movement is awe-inspiring, just listen to the ethereal phrasing at its outset....quite magical, thoroughly other-worldly and incredibly poignant.

[mathias broucek]

Van Beinum's way with the third movement is awe-inspiring, just listen to the ethereal phrasing at its outset....quite magical, thoroughly other-worldly and incredibly poignant.

Am also a fan. His Britten is also more than decent (esp the Grimes Interludes). And if you like the Bruckner 5-9 then there's a live 4th on Audiophile which used to be cheaper than it is now....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-4-Romantic-Bruckner/dp/B00005N85W/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1380029906&sr=1-3&keywords=beinum+bruckner+4

Am hoping that his Philips Brahms will be re-released. His Decca 1st (and PC1 with Curzon) are excellent but the Philips recordings are (IIRC) in stereo.

[Karafan]

I was very impressed with a EVB Bruckner 7 that a friend played me. Thought I'd snapped up the same performance on a r.12/1952 Audiophile Classics 'Concertgebouw Series' recording but it isn't, not by a long chalk if my memory doesn't deceive me

Yes LMP, that rather ropey-sounding Bruckner 7 on Audiophile is the earlier of the two: http://www.mdt.co.uk/bruckner-sympho...udiophile.html

[Ferretfancy]

Van Beinum made some of his best recordings in the late 1940's, and they had to wait until recently for reissue. Beethoven 2 comes to mind, Brahms 1, Mozart 29, all excellent. Them there's the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and a first rate Elgar Cockaigne and Wand of Youth Suite. He rather missed out at the beginning of the stereo era, but there's a fine La mer and Nocturnes from 1958, and of course the Brahms Violin Concerto with Artur Grumiaux

I think that his Decca recording of the Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes must have been something of a best seller, even on 78s

I treasure all these and more.

[hafod]

Am also a fan. His Britten is also more than decent (esp the Grimes Interludes). And if you like the Bruckner 5-9 then there's a live 4th on Audiophile which used to be cheaper than it is now....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-4-R...num+bruckner+4

£5.75 at Presto (the 4th).

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/advsearch.php?composer=bruckner&work=&performer=van+beinum&medium=all&label=&cat=

£5.05 at MDT!

[Karafan]

Am hoping that his Philips Brahms will be re-released. His Decca 1st (and PC1 with Curzon) are excellent but the Philips recordings are (IIRC) in stereo.

Thanks, Mathias. His Brahms is available, if you're feeling flush http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Symph...=beinum+brahms
and van Beinum's forays into this composer are no cheaper if you're prepared to put up with howlers on the album cover! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Varia...=beinum+brahms

The Brahms 1st symphony (1958) is in stereo, as are the Haydn Variations.

K.

[Karafan]

£5.75 at Presto (the 4th). £5.05 at MDT!

Can't see the latter (Presto is out of stock)....?