Sir Georg Solti

[Keraulophone]

Arnold Steinhardt in his autobiog of the Guarneri Quartet writes fondly about Szell, when he was leader of the Cleveland.....

Ah, but when admirers of Szell's cooking asked him for one of his recipes, he would intentionally leave out an important ingredient!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

If Solti was a tyrant, what was Karajan? Solti was positively consensual by comparison. Reiner, Szell....even there, Arnold Steinhardt in his autobiog of the Guarneri Quartet writes fondly about Szell, when he was leader of the Cleveland.....

And Toscanini ?

[rauschwerk]

"Tyrant" is what the word was used by the musicians themselves, in this case.

In the 1970s a few of us singers in the London Philharmonic Choir were chatting to the LPO principal timpanist, Allan Cumberland. Someone chanced to ask what he thought of Solti and he said he always took leave when Solti was conducting. He didn't use the word 'tyrant', but as I recall the words 'idiot' and 'mental' did figure in the conversation.

[makropulos]

In the 1970s a few of us singers in the London Philharmonic Choir were chatting to the LPO principal timpanist, Allan Cumberland. Someone chanced to ask what he thought of Solti and he said he always took leave when Solti was conducting. He didn't use the word 'tyrant', but as I recall the words 'idiot' and 'mental' did figure in the conversation.

More fool him, I think. To be fair, orchestral musicians have to work with conductors at their most difficult, with the (understandable) consequence that they tend to be notoriously unreliable judges of the end results. I usually take what most players say about particular conductors with a pinch of salt (though the anecdotes can be fun) - but the results speak for themselves. If conductors were to be judged on the basis of positive opinions among players, the list would be a) very short and b) those on the list would either be very old or dead.

[Stanley Stewart]

Glad to have attended Solti concerts, Proms, or opera at Covent Garden over several decades. He never performed on autopilot; indeed, I recall that his formal stance always reached the auditorium, an anticpation of that 'little something extra' on offer - and he knew how to deliver whether it was the LPO, or the top drawer CSO!

At random, I remember his concert performance of Das Rheingold the RFH, (18 March 1980) and the LPO on the platform, with the soloists, Teresa Cahill, Helena Dose, Birgit Finnila, Josephine Veasey, Norman Bailey, Paul Crook, Aage Haugland, Gyynne Howell, Anthony Rolfe Johnson and Robert Tear. A combination and a form, indeed.

The Ring Cycle, early 70s at Covent Garden, with a fine Arabella some years later and my intro to Die Frau ohne Schatten which was also a spellbinding experience. Indelible memories. I still listen to his recordings, or watch my DVD to see his mastery bringing the superb recording of The resounding Ring to fruition; total control and an occasional wicked sense of humour, too.

[Barbirollians]

I do not have that many recordings with Solti but his late Bruckner 1 , the thrilling Chicago Dvorak 9, the LSO Bartok recordings , the Vienna Schubert 5,8&9 , the Berg and Bartok 1 VC coupling with Kyung Wha Chung and his wonderful Rosenkavalier are my favourites

[Keraulophone]

To hear Solti conduct Die Frau ohne Schatten from the floor of the stalls at a 'proms' performance at Covent Garden for 50p has probably been my greatest ever musical bargain.

[rauschwerk]

More fool him, I think. To be fair, orchestral musicians have to work with conductors at their most difficult, with the (understandable) consequence that they tend to be notoriously unreliable judges of the end results. I usually take what most players say about particular conductors with a pinch of salt (though the anecdotes can be fun) - but the results speak for themselves. If conductors were to be judged on the basis of positive opinions among players, the list would be a) very short and b) those on the list would either be very old or dead.

Agreed. I have always admired Solti's work, and much enjoyed singing in the chorus for a Verdi Requiem with him and the LSO in 1966. Sometimes, though, he could make episodic pieces sound worse than they really were. His recording of the Walton Te Deum is a case in point. It wasn't until I heard Fremaux's version that I realised how the piece should go.

[Once Was 4]

The other story I heard was about a horn player who had worked under Solti at the Royal Opera House and LOATHED him.

Upon hearing the news of Solti's death, he 'phoned Solti's agent where the following conversation took place.

Horn Player. 'Good morning. I wondered if it would be possible for me to make an appointment to speak to Sir Georg Solti'.

The Secretary replied, 'I'm very sorry to have to tell you but, alas, Sir Georg died last night'.

The horn player replied 'Thank you, my dear' and hung up the 'phone.

An hour later, He 'phoned again. 'It is very important that I speak to Sir Georg Solti. How can I make contact with him?' Once again, the secretary replied that Sir Georg had passed away the previous day. 'Thank you very much for informing me', replied the horn player.

Another hour elapsed before he 'phoned for a third time. Upon hearing the same voice the secretary said 'Look, I'm really sorry but there's no point in you continuing to 'phone. SIR GEORG DIED YESTERDAY!'

'I know my dear', replied the horn player. ' But the truth is, I NEVER TIRE OF HEARING YOU SAY IT!'

This story is often told and concerns a very fine and distinguished player - now very elderly and infirm - who is, to put it mildly, eccentric. By all accounts Solti would not let him play in The Ring operas. A colleague of his has told me many stories e.g., whilst recording the Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin Solti asked for a different colour from the horns. Our hero answered "would you like puce or purple?" Another player told me of how he lost his temper with Solti after the ROH's Wagner Tubas had been lent to another orchestra and come back in "shit order". Solti said "vot is shit order?"; on neither occasion did he appreciate the gale of laughter which went round the orchestra. Another player was booked to play 8th horn/4th Wagner Tuba in a concert performance of Das Rheingold with the LPO and Sir George at the Royal Festival Hall. Running for the lift on the day of the first rehearsal he realised, too late, that Solti was in the lift; Solti eyed up the encased horn in one hand and Wagner Tuba in the other and barked "Vot horn you play?" Our player answered "8th Sir George but do not worry about the opening, I have played it many times at the Royal Opera House!" In reply he got a baleful look and the statement - "ah, but you have not played it for me!"
The truth is Solti had the reputation as a bit of a bully but, in the early days of Opera North, we had two violinists who had come from the LPO as they were starting to wind their careers down. One of them told me that she regarded Solti as a very nice man. And his visits to the BBC Philharmonic were very much prized by the players - many of whom I know personally - and they did not complain about being bullied or anything else when he visited.

[Alison]

I was reading the other day that Solti was planning to perform Mahler 10 in the Cooke version with a few amendments of his own. That certainly puts him up a notch in my estimation and it would have been fascinating to hear the result.

[Petrushka]

I was reading the other day that Solti was planning to perform Mahler 10 in the Cooke version with a few amendments of his own. That certainly puts him up a notch in my estimation and it would have been fascinating to hear the result.

I did not know this and share your fascination at what might have been. Solti never stopped exploring new territory and it's a pity that he came so late to Shostakovich and never got round to Sibelius. He did perform Vaughan Williams (the 4th Symphony in 1978) and I wish, given his reputation, he'd recorded the Walton 1st as it would have suited him perfectly.

[Alison]

How do you rate his Beethoven Ninths, Pet? I don't know them.

[Petrushka]

How do you rate his Beethoven Ninths, Pet? I don't know them.

They are both terrific, Alison, with the 1972 recording possibly having the edge in sheer excitement. However both are fine. His 1996 Prom performance with the Chicago Symphony was on a par with both of his recordings, better if anything, and what TV viewers that night didn't know was that the applause went on for longer than the third movement! It must have been the longest ovation I've ever witnessed and fully justified.

[Alison]

I know someone who went to that Prom and was equally enthusiastic. No DVD of that night?

[cloughie]

How do you rate his Beethoven Ninths, Pet? I don't know them.

Has the later ninth and for that matter the digital Symphony set been available at a reasonable price on CD? I had the 1972 set on LP and also now on CD. It was reputed to be the first set with all repeats included. That Prom ovation must have been long as Solti was not one to hurry that third movement.