Andrew Litton recordings

[Ferretfancy]

Thank you RFG! I just just thought of another very good version, this time with LSO/Andre Previn, which I purchased earlier on this year. Equally highly recommendable. It's not generally available, I think, as on amazon it forms part of the old EMI Classics two-fer series(forte). On the 2nd cd it has a rather good account of Rach's 2nd Symphony with Yuri Temirkanov conducting the RPO.

The three Tchaikovsky Ballets with Previn and the LSO have just been re-released in a bargain box on Warner Classics. They are really excellent, especially The Nutcracker -superb playing in all three scores.

[Dave2002]

They're all very good, and I'd love to hear him Live, but I don't know of any that I could cite on a Thread like this.

You might feel the same about his live performances - I have heard him live, as with some other conductors - good, but doesn't stick in my memory as outstanding. This is slightly unfair though, as very few live performances by anyone really get through, though some do, almost instantly. I have heard some outstanding conductors and performers do performances which didn't seem to catch fire.

[BBMmk2]

The three Tchaikovsky Ballets with Previn and the LSO have just been re-released in a bargain box on Warner Classics. They are really excellent, especially The Nutcracker -superb playing in all three scores.

Ferretfancy, now that would be worth getting hold of!

[maestro267]

Well, yes - and I'd add Muti, Haitink, and the grotequely underrated Ondrej Lenard to the list.

But none of this has much to do with maestro 267's contribution to the Thread that he finds Litton's recording the most satisfactory for him.

I've tried Lenard and the percussion is far from satisfactory. You can hardly hear the vital tam-tam strokes, for example. Everyone I've heard has had hugely pivotal moments in the symphony done not to satisfaction, mainly the end of the first movement. Those massive crashes, that incredible timpani roll with the stabbing chords, and finally that almighty THUMP on the bass drum. Litton's recording captures all of those to perfection with the necessary punch that those moments absolutely need.

[Alison]

I do have Litton down as a good 'percussion conductor'. Sometimes you wonder whether it's largely down to the players but some conductors rarely disappoint. His Bergen Rite of Spring would be a good example.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've tried Lenard and the percussion is far from satisfactory. You can hardly hear the vital tam-tam strokes, for example. Everyone I've heard has had hugely pivotal moments in the symphony done not to satisfaction, mainly the end of the first movement. Those massive crashes, that incredible timpani roll with the stabbing chords, and finally that almighty THUMP on the bass drum. Litton's recording captures all of those to perfection with the necessary punch that those moments absolutely need.

Ohh! You like it hammy! Fair enough; I prefer to hear a bit more of the "Symphony" side of the work.

[BBMmk2]

You most certainly have to hear the sheddie department in anything like The Rite etc.

[Pulcinella]

A comment from Alison (posting about tomorrow's performance of Tchaikovsky's first symphony) took me to the schedule, in which I spotted a baritone soloist mentioned in the second half of the programme, in Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé suite.
Despite having a score, I had not remembered the part for voice, so I trawled the Presto site to see if it had been recorded in that version.
And Hey Presto: it has, by Litton (among a few others).

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BIS/BIS1994

Must try to catch the live performance tomorrow afternoon.

[Ferretfancy]

Ohh! You like it hammy! Fair enough; I prefer to hear a bit more of the "Symphony" side of the work.

Play it for all its worth surely? Symphony yes, but Tchaikovsky without a bit of melodrama? Not for me!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Play it for all its worth surely? Symphony yes, but Tchaikovsky without a bit of melodrama? Not for me!

Mnnyerrr ... I'm not sure "melodrama" (even "a bit of it") is really showing "all [the] worth" of the work. Pierrot Lunaire aside, "melodrama" has associations (hammy, risible over-acting causing hilarity rather than drama) that I don't think does Tchaikovsky any favours - I just don't believe that a grown man should behave like that in public.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Having said that, intrigued by the maestro's enthusiasm, I have ordered a copy of the Litton Manfred. Played by the orchestra that performed it at the only time I've heard it Live in concert - the Bournemouth crew. (Leeds Town Hall, 1981, conducted by Uri Segal - I was sat exactly behind the percussion section, and got chatting to them in the first half: I was even invited [when they heard that I was a percussionist] to have a bash on the Tamtam while they went off to the pub. I wonder of any of them play in the Litton disc? The entry of the organ in the Finale had me guffawing out loud.)

[Simon B]

Play it for all its worth surely?

Good grief yes! Like other works by major figures in which ambition has arguably slightly exceeded inspiration at times (Mahler 8 is another which comes to mind), performances which convince are those which give it everything they've got.

It is possible to imagine how Manfred could be played in the manner of hammed up schmaltz but that's certainly not what I look for, nor at all what you get with the Litton/BSO recording. For various reasons, including those cited by maestro267, the Litton is my favourite among many obtained down the years. Much like a recent gripping LPO/Petrenko performance at the RFH, the timps/percussion at the end of the first movement are seismic, with a last chord like having a door slammed in your face. Not a hint of hammy or tackiness, just blistering. Tremendous stuff! It may not be a coincidence that these recordings were made in 1989-1993, at around which time the timpanist of the BSO was a young Paul Turner, prior to moving to the BBC Phil, though the sound of plastic headed timps is so different from the calfskin ringers almost everyone has gone back to these days I'm not sure it is him on the recordings...

So, his Manfred is indeed a "best" recording for one (more) listener. In terms of "best" live performances also mentioned above, these are really a complete lottery whoever is carving IMO. However, again Litton scores at least one in my experience - Walton 1 with the WNO orchestra. Having been to a frankly embarrassingly large number of live Walton 1s, many of which have failed to seethe to anything like the required degree, this one was absolutely furious. Had it been recorded, it might have finally been recent competition for LSO/Previn...

It is perhaps also worth mentioning that he was the first conductor to tackle a Bax symphony at the Proms for about 50 years!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

a last chord like having a door slammed in your face. Not a hint of hammy

Hmmm.

[Simon B]

Hmmm.

In a brisk and efficient manner - not a hint of indulgence .

One man's mead etc...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

In a brisk and efficient manner - not a hint of indulgence .
One man's mead etc...

Oh - absolutely; I'm looking forward to hearing it - I love "brisk & efficient"!

I would just add that the "hammy" comment arose from the fact that, after I'd stood up for maestro's choice of Litton's recording when others had suggested they didn't agree, maestro then decided to take the opportunity to rubbish one of my own favourites, telling me I couldn't hear what I've heard perfectly well for decades!

I like Litton's Rachmaninoff #1, too.