When great ones nod

[Ferretfancy]

Recently, after a long gap, I listened to a recording by Sir Thomas Beecham, a conductor I greatly admire. No conductor is equally good in every type of music, but the great conductors can always be relied on to hold our interest, even when they are not at their very best.

The Beecham performance was of the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, with the French Radio Orchestra back in 1958, and I was astonished at how poor it was. To say that it was lacklustre would be almost a compliment, and it was not helped by a very strangely balanced recording. I would be very surprised indeed if any of us here rate this performance highly. The only movement that had any real life in it was the second movement waltz.

I made a comparison between the original LP and the CD reissue in EMI's Beecham Edition, in case the poor sound was misleading me, but no, both versions were very similar.

What went wrong? Well who can say. Sir Thomas must have wanted to record the work, after all he was normally a great Berlioz conductor. Perhaps he didn't get on very well with the orchestra, but EMI decided to issue what was not much more than a run through, perhaps against his wishes towards the end of his life. If so, it was no tribute to him.

Do we have other examples of occasions where we are surprised by the sudden failures of great performers on record ?

[formbyman]

Beecham made two recordings of this work,the first being in mono,which was well received ,his later stereo recording was subjected to a degree of criticism over its lack of "fire" was this latter recording the one you played FF. I have always preferred his first recording.

[Ferretfancy]

Beecham made two recordings of this work,the first being in mono,which was well received ,his later stereo recording was subjected to a degree of criticism over its lack of "fire" was this latter recording the one you played FF. I have always preferred his first recording.

formbyman

You are quite right, I'm afraid I haven't yet heard the mono version. "Lack of fire " would be a kind statement, it really is very flabby and routine, even the March to the Scaffold fails to generate any excitement. I suppose my disappointment is the more acute since most of Beecham's recordings are so impressive, even if you don't agree with everything he does.