Reissue CD Reviews
London Symphony Orchestra (1904-2004): The Centennial Set = WEBER: Oberon Overture; BERLIOZ: King Lear Overture, Op. 4; Benvenuto Cellini Overture and Act I Trio, and more
Published on May 19, 2005
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London Symphony Orchestra (1904-2004): The Centennial Set = WEBER:
Oberon Overture; BERLIOZ: King Lear Overture, Op. 4; Benvenuto Cellini
Overture and Act I Trio; BEETHOVEN: Coriolan Overture, Op. 62; DVORAK:
Symphony No. 6 in D, Op. 60; SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 6 in C; Symphony
No. 8 in b Minor; TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet Overture; Symphony No.
5 in E Minor, Op. 64; STRAVINSKY: Petrouchka Ballet; BERG: 3 Pieces for
Orchestra, Op. 6; ELGAR: Cockaigne Overture; DEBUSSY: Jeux
Arthur Nikisch conducts (Oberon); Josef Krips conducts (Schubert 6th); Sir Hamilton Harty conducts (King Lear); Bruno Walter conducts (Coriolan); Istvan Kertesz conducts (Dvorak 6th; Schubert 8th); Claudio Abbado conducts (Berg); Michael Tilson-Thomas conducts (Jeux); Sir Colin Davis conducts (Benvenuto Cellini); Pierre Monteux conducts (Romeo and Juliet); Sir Georg Solti conducts (Petrouchka, Tchaikovsky 5th); Sir Andre Previn conducts (Elgar)
Andante AN 4 100 76:06; 64:19; 79:16; 77:23 (Distrib. Naxos)****:
Sir Colin Davis refers to the London Symphony Orchestra as "the casual virtuoso," a fitting epithet for a gifted ensemble of splendid, individual players whose good humor is as famous as its brilliant sound. Formed in 1904 as a reaction to an ultimatum from Sir Henry Wood to his own Queen’s Hall Orchestra about deputy replacements for rehearsals, the LSO became the UK’s first orchestra to be governed and managed by the players themselves. The original ninety-nine players had Hans Richter as their first conductor. Arthur Nikisch (1855-1922) served as Principal Conductor 1912-1914, also making the first records with the orchestra. The 1914 Oberon under Nikisch, in spite of the stingy acoustics of the recording horn, captures the conductor’s penchant for brisk, strict tempos and some fine execution from the orchestra principals.
Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1941) remains a sensitive purveyor of Berlioz, whose more comprehensive survey with the Halle and London Philharmonic orchestras has been on Pearl (CD 9485). Harty’s 1935 King Lear Overture in its CD debut comes as a bit of a let-down technically, although the diaphanous color of the ensemble makes some good points. Bruno Walter (1876-1962) made recordings with several London ensembles, particularly after his ugly exile from Austria in 1938. His recording of the Coriolan Overture has cohesiveness and power, as well as a warmth deriving from the players&Mac226; great respect for Walter the musician. Disc one ends with Josef Krips (1902-1974), who had served as Principal Conductor 1950-1954. The 1948 Schubert Sixth has a homogeneous Viennese sound, quite expressive given the somewhat cramped acoustic of the recording. Deft figurations in the last movement make the performance a find for collectors.
The CD devoted to the leadership of Istvan Kertesz (1929-1973) may well be the piece de resistance, with the willful Hungarian’s commanding a muscular yet eminently lyrical Dvorak Sixth from 1 September 1966, with a buoyant Furiant and rousing finale. The atmospheric Schubert Unfinished comes from the same concert. Horn Barry Tuckwell spent considerable time lavishing praise on Kertesz, whose only faux pas was with management, wishing to exert full authority (as Music Director rather than as Principal Conductor) on personnel, while the LSO remained adamant as a self-governing body, so they parted ways in 1968. Sir Georg Solti (nee Stern, 1912-1997 ), Tuckwell did not like especially, despite Solti’s strong musicianship. "It was like playing for a Chicago gangster, so little personal warmth did he communicate," proffered Tuckwell. Still, the 7 August 1994 concert contains two electric performances: of the Stravinsky Petrouchka (1911 version) and the Tchaikovsky Fifth, literalist to the nth degree, but no less compelling for their fierce drive and brilliant sonic patina. Although neither Carlos Kleiber nor Leonard Bernstein has representation here, the appearance of Michael Tilson-Thomas (b. 1944) extends something of the Bernstein influence; always imaginative in his choice of programming for the orchestra, the 27 February 1997 Jeux is a pastiche of shifting rhythms and accents, with myriad color-effects to manage in what still remains a most elusive score. We might be reminded that another venerable colorist, Sergiu Celibidache, is conspicuous by his absence on these discs.
Claudio Abbado (b. 1933) succeeded Andre Previn as Principal Conductor in 1979, bringing his searching intellect and passion for the modernists, starting with a penchant for Mahler and the Second Viennese School. The 8 December 1970 Berg Abbado recorded for DGG, partly to show off the orchestra’s dynamic control and lucidity of individual textures. Previn (b. 1929) himself appears in the music of Elgar, here from the 1975 Salzburg Festival, where the LSO was making its second appearance, with a rousing opener via the Cockaigne Overture on August 3. The collaboration with Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) in the Romeo and Juliet Overture of Tchaikovsky made a happy re-discovery some years ago, when Vanguard unearthed the 31 May 1963 performance as part of an all-Tchaikovsky concert that also featured pianist John Ogden in the B-flat Concerto. Finally, Sir Colin Davis (b. 1927) in the Overture and Act I Trio from Benvenuto Cellini (5 December 1999), with vocal assistance from Giuseppe Sabbatini, Elizabeth Futral, and Laurent Naouri, the vocal melodies courtesy of the Roman Carnival Overture. A fascinating and often captivating set, where a second volume might fulfill yet fairer hopes!
Arthur Nikisch conducts (Oberon); Josef Krips conducts (Schubert 6th); Sir Hamilton Harty conducts (King Lear); Bruno Walter conducts (Coriolan); Istvan Kertesz conducts (Dvorak 6th; Schubert 8th); Claudio Abbado conducts (Berg); Michael Tilson-Thomas conducts (Jeux); Sir Colin Davis conducts (Benvenuto Cellini); Pierre Monteux conducts (Romeo and Juliet); Sir Georg Solti conducts (Petrouchka, Tchaikovsky 5th); Sir Andre Previn conducts (Elgar)
Andante AN 4 100 76:06; 64:19; 79:16; 77:23 (Distrib. Naxos)****:
Sir Colin Davis refers to the London Symphony Orchestra as "the casual virtuoso," a fitting epithet for a gifted ensemble of splendid, individual players whose good humor is as famous as its brilliant sound. Formed in 1904 as a reaction to an ultimatum from Sir Henry Wood to his own Queen’s Hall Orchestra about deputy replacements for rehearsals, the LSO became the UK’s first orchestra to be governed and managed by the players themselves. The original ninety-nine players had Hans Richter as their first conductor. Arthur Nikisch (1855-1922) served as Principal Conductor 1912-1914, also making the first records with the orchestra. The 1914 Oberon under Nikisch, in spite of the stingy acoustics of the recording horn, captures the conductor’s penchant for brisk, strict tempos and some fine execution from the orchestra principals.
Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1941) remains a sensitive purveyor of Berlioz, whose more comprehensive survey with the Halle and London Philharmonic orchestras has been on Pearl (CD 9485). Harty’s 1935 King Lear Overture in its CD debut comes as a bit of a let-down technically, although the diaphanous color of the ensemble makes some good points. Bruno Walter (1876-1962) made recordings with several London ensembles, particularly after his ugly exile from Austria in 1938. His recording of the Coriolan Overture has cohesiveness and power, as well as a warmth deriving from the players&Mac226; great respect for Walter the musician. Disc one ends with Josef Krips (1902-1974), who had served as Principal Conductor 1950-1954. The 1948 Schubert Sixth has a homogeneous Viennese sound, quite expressive given the somewhat cramped acoustic of the recording. Deft figurations in the last movement make the performance a find for collectors.
The CD devoted to the leadership of Istvan Kertesz (1929-1973) may well be the piece de resistance, with the willful Hungarian’s commanding a muscular yet eminently lyrical Dvorak Sixth from 1 September 1966, with a buoyant Furiant and rousing finale. The atmospheric Schubert Unfinished comes from the same concert. Horn Barry Tuckwell spent considerable time lavishing praise on Kertesz, whose only faux pas was with management, wishing to exert full authority (as Music Director rather than as Principal Conductor) on personnel, while the LSO remained adamant as a self-governing body, so they parted ways in 1968. Sir Georg Solti (nee Stern, 1912-1997 ), Tuckwell did not like especially, despite Solti’s strong musicianship. "It was like playing for a Chicago gangster, so little personal warmth did he communicate," proffered Tuckwell. Still, the 7 August 1994 concert contains two electric performances: of the Stravinsky Petrouchka (1911 version) and the Tchaikovsky Fifth, literalist to the nth degree, but no less compelling for their fierce drive and brilliant sonic patina. Although neither Carlos Kleiber nor Leonard Bernstein has representation here, the appearance of Michael Tilson-Thomas (b. 1944) extends something of the Bernstein influence; always imaginative in his choice of programming for the orchestra, the 27 February 1997 Jeux is a pastiche of shifting rhythms and accents, with myriad color-effects to manage in what still remains a most elusive score. We might be reminded that another venerable colorist, Sergiu Celibidache, is conspicuous by his absence on these discs.
Claudio Abbado (b. 1933) succeeded Andre Previn as Principal Conductor in 1979, bringing his searching intellect and passion for the modernists, starting with a penchant for Mahler and the Second Viennese School. The 8 December 1970 Berg Abbado recorded for DGG, partly to show off the orchestra’s dynamic control and lucidity of individual textures. Previn (b. 1929) himself appears in the music of Elgar, here from the 1975 Salzburg Festival, where the LSO was making its second appearance, with a rousing opener via the Cockaigne Overture on August 3. The collaboration with Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) in the Romeo and Juliet Overture of Tchaikovsky made a happy re-discovery some years ago, when Vanguard unearthed the 31 May 1963 performance as part of an all-Tchaikovsky concert that also featured pianist John Ogden in the B-flat Concerto. Finally, Sir Colin Davis (b. 1927) in the Overture and Act I Trio from Benvenuto Cellini (5 December 1999), with vocal assistance from Giuseppe Sabbatini, Elizabeth Futral, and Laurent Naouri, the vocal melodies courtesy of the Roman Carnival Overture. A fascinating and often captivating set, where a second volume might fulfill yet fairer hopes!
- Gary Lemco
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