Hindemith from Henry Swoboda

The Swoboda festival continues! Squirrel and I are keeping the Swoboda flame burning.

From 1951, this Westminster lp features Kammermusik No 4 (also known as the Violin Concerto No 3) and the Four Temperaments. Soloists are the fine Czech-Austrian violinist Peter Rybar and the excellent Czech pianist Franz Holletschek. The orchestras are the Winterthur SO and the Vienna SO respectively.

As mentioned previously, Swoboda's best results were with works that were really out of the orchestral mainstream. For whatever reason, his level of inspiration and creativity tended towards pieces that were not old warhorses. Here we have have engaging and insightful interpretations of two, at the time "fringe" pieces, that are prepared well and presented with flair.  You know, a  few months ago, I offered an excellent recording of the Four Temperaments with Victor Aller and Felix Slatkin, one that I consider a near benchmark. Well, here is another equally fine record, a bit less edgy, smoothed out a bit if you will, but no less vital and committed to Hindemith's soundworld. I believe this and the Aller are much better then Lukas Foss' recording with the Zimbler Sinfonietta, a recording that is a bit detached for me. The Violin Concerto receives a splendid go but I think it an inferior piece to the Four Temperaments since it is far less engaging.

I wish that Swoboda had recorded the symphony "Mathis der Maler," an all time favorite of mine and a piece that is a great masterpiece, at least to my ears.

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Albert Spalding's Last Recital at Boston University

This was a terrific find.  It shot to the top of the queue based on my own selfish, personal preferences. From a Halo lp, this record contains the contents, minus Spalding's vocal introduction to Malguena, of the violinist's last public recital (really a master class presentation) at Boston University, a mere two weeks prior to his death at sixty four in 1953. This program features piano accompanist Jules Wolffers.

The style of playing here is from a time when people were still fascinated by the sight of a horseless carriage and musical entertainment was most convenient for people by attending a band concert in the park. With gentle and lyrical phrasing and judicious use of portamento, Spalding coaxes the listener into special, personal musical world. Just listen to the two Hungarian Dances of Brahms and you'll get my drift. This is not to say that Spalding is a relic from the past, he is in perfect tune to the music of  deFalla and Albeniz and he creates quite an authentic Iberian sound if I say so myself. This is playing, that though it is far from technically perfect, is nevertheless self assured, direct, and well, joyful. Oh, and if Ave Maria does not cause your knees to buckle......

This Halo recording has ok sound and was probably recorded in some cheap setup. However, it is an important document of one of the first great American born violinists and that's treasure enough for me!

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The Curtis Quartet performs Schumann's Op 41 Nos. 1 & 3

This post is specifically for my admirable colleague Squirrel of  "Squirrel's Nest." You all know Squirrel is the absolute king and connoisseur of chamber music and I, for one, am most grateful for his terrific posts, often introducing me to artists that I only might have heard of or even NEVER heard of. One such group that I came to admire through Squirrel is the Curtis Quartet whose members were: Jascha Brodsky - 1st Violin, Louis Berman - 2nd Violin, Max Aronoff - Viola, and  Orlando Cole - Cello. Here is an absolute splendid album by this group - Schumann's  Op. 41, Nos. 1 & 3. 

These quartets were conceived quickly and were written while Schumann was inspired by ,after close study,  the quartets of Haydn, Mozart, and Schumann. I must say that I find Schumann a singularly fascinating character. He could go weeks, months even, without any real compositional activity of note and then bam! in a flash of inpiration and white heat, turn out pages and pages of excellent music. Often Schumann found his muse when he was very high with excitement or, low in despair. Incredible. The works here are delights in that they contain stylistic hints ranging from Bach through Schubert but in the end, they are very much works of high romanticism.

In the good old days, there were many quartets playing the US, often associated with the preeminent music schools and universities. The Curtis Quartet is certainly of that ilk and they had a long, probably 30 year association with the Curtis School. Interestingly, the group started their existence as the "Swastika Quartet"...I kid you not! When Hitler came to power in  Europe, Mary Louise Curtis gave the quartet permission to formally incorporate Curtis into their name. Prior to the war, The Curtis Quartet was  the foremost American born and bred ensemble of its kind and for many, it was a near household name. After the war, as the members took on other teaching and playing responsibilities, concerts and touring became less though the nucleus of the group was together through the 1970's. Among the most famous works written for the Curtis was Barber's masterpiece, his Op 11 which contains the famous "Adagio."

This Westminster issue, WL 5166, dates from 1952. If only the Curtis had recorded Number 2!

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Simon Barere and Witold Maluczynski perform Liszt, Chopin & Franck

 

Genius. Listen to Simon Barere play Liszt's arrangement of the Waltz from Faust of Gounod. Genius.

 

I was absolutely overjoyed that this beat to hell Remington lp cleaned up as well as it did. It is magnificent. Why? Because Simon Barere combines the technical virtuosity of a Richter with the pure musicianship of a Schnabel. Plain and simple. I can't really say anything more.

 

I have included in this download the contents of a Columbia Entre lp featuring the fine pianist Witold Maluczynski. The album features two works: Chopin's second sonata and the Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue. Maluczynski was especially reknowned as an interpreter of his countryman's works and the sonata comes off quite winningly in his hands.

 

But, in the end, you will want this download for Barere and you will treasure his artistry.

 

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Music from Columbia's Modern American Music Series

During the  1950's and 60's, Goddard Lieberson, Columbia Records longtime president, fostered a great project in which he knew little would be made back in actual sales. Columbia was awash in dollars, thanks to such well recorded, and selling, artists as Ormandy, Walter and Szell on the classical side and therefore could afford to indulge in a pet project by this sometime composer and well, recording visionary. Thus was born the "modern American Music Series, " a chronicle of the development of American classical composition from roughly the 1920's through the present era.

This particular issue, ML4987, is both an enterprising and entertaining one. First off, The Juilliard Quartet presents a convincing performance of Virgil Thomson's Quartet No 2. Admittedly, Thomson had, I think, a bit of a habit of taking ideas and using them over and over again in his compositions. One can at times hear phrases from "The River" or his "Symphony on a Hymn Tune" but no bother, when played by a crack ensemble like the Juilliard, the results are pure pleasure for the ear. The folksy tunes and strong tonal writing lend this quartet a certain freshness. Obvious to the listener is the enjoyment that the music brings to the excellent Juilliard quartet.

William Schuman, on the other hand, is far more probing and intellectual and I am delighted to have made the aquaintance of  his Voyage. If you know Schuman primarily by his orchestral works, this piano set will captivate because it presents an intimate side of Schuman that was not easily captured in his larger scale compositions. Esteemed pianist Beveridge Webster proves the ideal guide as he was a highly gifted interpreter of 20th century piano music. On this blog you will find Webster performing a marvelous recital of piano works by Stravinsky of which he was a noted interpreter.

I have some other lps of this series in the works, notably Carlos Surinach leading a performance of Antheil's Ballet Mechanique. I'll get to these down the road. As you know, I am rather "random" in my approach so as to keep you all constantly guessing! I will say that more Simon Barere is close at hand...

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Sherman Walt plays four bassoon concerti of Vivaldi

 My! I'm glad that I found this lp. What a wonderful reminder of the artistry of the greatest American bassoonist of the last century, namely one Sherman Walt. Joined by his colleagues from the Boston Symphony, in Zimbler Sinfonietta guise, Walt offers sterling renditions of four of the maybe twenty or so bassoon concertos of Vivaldi.

Sherman Walt was for some 30 years, give or take, the principal bassoonist of the BSO and one of the most respected musicians in my fair city. Walt had a distinctive timbre and keen musicianship and his presence, along with the likes of Joseph Silverstein, Harold Wright, Jules Eskin and Armando Ghitalla were reason enough for guest conductors to die to come to Boston. Walt, as he displays in this recording, makes the funky bassoon sound so effortless though it is in fact mighty challenging and not easy to master. The sad thing about Walt is that he was killed in a car accident only months after retiring from the BSO after a distinguished, and  highly influential, tenure, one that reached far beyond the city limits of Boston.

No doubt everyone here is having a bit of fun and I'm at a loss why this record has been lost. Well, I found it albeit in the mono edition, and here it is. Enjoy some terrific playing! Released in 1959 by RCA.

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HiFi Feast for Orchestra with Argeo Quadri conducting

Today, a really neat orchestral compilation conducted by Italian maestro Argeo Quadri. With the Philharmonic Symphony of London (I believe it is the LPO in disguise though it could be the RPO too), Quadri leads bouyant performances of  Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre and Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah, Chabrier's Marche Joyeuse and  Espana, Mossolov's The Iron Foundry, and Revueltas' Sensemaya and Cuauhnahuac. This is mid 50's Westminster monaural sound with an impressive dynamic range.

 Argeo Quadri was primarily a conductor of opera and he spent many years as a resident in Vienna. Westminster, obviously playing into the Toscanini craze and legend of the 50's, signed Quadri as their resident Italian, probably in the hopes that another Italian, known for firm technical control and a fidelity to the score, would increase their sales exponentially. Quadri made a number of records, a very fine Sheherazade, a strong Respighi issue (posted here on this blog) and surprisingly, an excellent set of Corelli's Op 6 Concerti Grossi. Unfortunately for Westminster, Quadri did not develop into a seller like Scherchen, Rodzinski, or Boult. Probably a lot of that had to do with the fact that Quadri did not have much of a physical presence on this side of the Atlantic nor was he a larger than life figure as was Westminster stallwart Scherchen. Quadri also was not a martinet or an excessively ruthless person. All speculation, of course.

Argeo Quadri

The surprise of this program has to be the inclusion of the two pieces by Revueltas. I suppose that these were new to the London players and I find it fascinating that this Italian opera conductor would program these little known works when no one else did, maybe with the exception of Stokowski. The results are positively splendid, with the orchestra playing in a "by the seat of the pants" fashion. Juxtaposed with warhorses Espana and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Quadri manages to craft a varied and interesting program. I think you will like this alot. Oh....and if Iron Foundry doesn't get your attention!?

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David Glazer and the Kohon Quartet performing Hummel and Weber

A transfer of a lovely lp that I made some time ago. I was listening to it today and thought I'd better post it here before it slipped my mind....I am getting old too fast! David Glazer and the Kohon Quartet performing the clarinet quintets of Hummel and Weber. This Vox lp dates from 1963 and my copy is the mono edition in very good sound.

Of the two pieces presented here, the Hummel, I think, is the superior offering. At his best, Johann Nepomuk Hummel bridged the years between Mozart and Beethoven by taking composing elements of both and incorporating them into his own, relaxed, Viennese kind of way. You can hear Mozart in the quick passages and Beethoven in the softly lyrical slow movement. Its really exquisite music beautifully performed by one of the great 20th century clarinetists with this very underrated American string quartet. Hummel really was at his best in the works he wrote for smaller ensembles.

The Weber is enjoyable but does not plumb the depths of inspiration that this composer found in his dramatic writing for the human voice. Weber wrote a lot for the clarinet and his compositions display a great understanding of the technical capabilities of the instrument. The Weber is a showpiece for clarinet accompanied by string quartet rather than a work written for 5 instruments in equal partnership as is the case with Hummel. However, paired as they are, the styles work well and the variety makes this an engaging, nearly hour listen.

Wonderful stuff..pour a glass of wine or crack open a good ale and relax in your favorite easy chair!

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Hans Swarowsky leads excerpts from Berlioz's "Romeo and Juliet"

Excerpts from Berlioz's dramatic symphony "Romeo and Juliet" and Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" led by Hans Swarowsky on a Musical Masterpieces (Treasures) of the World issue. Probably recorded in the mid to late 50's, this monaural lp features the "Musical Masterpieces Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra" better know as the Vienna State Opera Orchestra though not, of course, the orchestra that comprises the famed Vienna Philharmonic. Whew!

Much has been written about Swarowsky and his actual, and non actual, recordings. Considered by many the greatest conducting professor of the twentieth century Swarowsky, himself, cut many recordings from Vienna during the 1950's and 60's, often for budget labels that worked on shoestring budgets and within tight time constraints. I'd suspect that Swarowsky's pay as a professor was not all that terrific and churning out records was a great way to supplement his, and his musical students', income. Since Swarowsky probably knew intimately many of his orchestral colleagues, the results he got were most often faithful and fully representative of the score and composer, though admittedly not the last word in technical perfection.

All that said, the performance here of the Berlioz is quite good indeed. Overall, I find Romeo and Juliet to be a bit wayward, not as cohesive as Symphony Fantastique, and in the wrong hands it can become a colossal bore. Happily, Swarowsky has the right hands, a strong sense of line, and an intuitive sense of drama. The listener's attention is held firm and one can only wish that Swarowsky had taken on the complete score. Dukas' perennial favorite too is afforded a splendid reading and the story is brilliantly etched from the musical score.

A rather nice remembrance of an influential man whose legacy has often been tarnished by careless marketing and the natural pitfalls of the bargain basement recording business.

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Brahms' choral works with the Akademie Kammerchor Wien

A very nice anthology, by Westminster, of choral pieces from different periods in Brahms' life. Conductors Henry Swoboda and Reinhold Schmidt lead persuasive accounts of Nanie, Gesang Der Parzen, Marienlieder, and Songs for Women's Voices in faithful monaural sound.

If you do not know the choral pieces of Brahms, you are missing something real special. Like any of his ensemble pieces for instruments, Brahms achieves a beautiful blend of lush sounds while never sacrificing articulation and clear phrasing. The music itself lends itself well to the text and the result is an experience which is pleasing to the ear and faithful to the message. Brahms' choral music captures the spirituality of the man that he could not fully express in his instrumental and chamber works. In order to capture Brahms' essence, you have to spend some time listening to the music he wrote for the most perfect of instruments.

No doubt, the Akademie Kammerchor prove to be excellent proponents of this interesting and varied program. These Viennese choristers most assuredly had this music in their blood and you can hear the love and respect they have for Brahms. You will love this program!

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