Schubert and Haydn as played by Helene Boschi

A great find here. Schubert and Haydn sonatas played by the virtually unknown Swiss-French pianist Helene Boschi.  Released on the Artia label in monaural sound, I would guess these records were made about the time of Mademoiselle Boschi's frequent appearances in Prague during the mid 50's.

I was introduced to Boschi via a transfer made of the 22nd piano concerto of Mozart by Rolf Otterhouse. Otterhouse is one of the masterminds behind the European Archive, a superb collection of records from a bygone time. His transfer of the Mozart can be found on his  blog. It is an excellent performance, well balanced with tempos immaculately judged and orchestral support just about perfect. A true collaboration this record.

Here, Boschi works her magic in a solo setting. The results are impressive indeed. Not only does she have the "chops' but her musical judgement rates as pure and genuine. I don't know what to say other then she seems to be able to get under the skin of the music and produce results that are true to Schubert and Haydn respectively. You will wonder and ask, "why don't I know this woman?"

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Rene Leibowitz conducts two firsts - Schubert and Bizet

Two first symphonies, those of Schubert and Bizet, presented here on the Oceanic label (though the Musical Treasures record label is shown above.)  Distinguished conductor-composer Rene Leibowitz leads the Paris Radio Orchestra, also known as the Paris Philharmonic in many issues, in these early 50's recordings.

I like the programming here. Both of these works were written during the respective composers' formative teenage years. The pieces are both sunny and well structured and are positively effervescent. Astonishing is that they are fully formed, mature works which I'm sure many an older composer would have been proud to pen.  The Bizet, in particular, is a real gem of a work and it is too bad that this composer did not write further in the idiom. Perhaps he might have if fate had not cut his life short at such a young age though, the same could be said for Schubert too.

Rene Leibowitz is a favorite conductor of mine. Every recording of his brims with excitement and sure handed authority. Though most of his records were made with second rate French orchestras during the mono age, he did leave a number of stereo records that are superb and highly valued by audiophiles and collectors. His Pictures at an Exhibition captures the intrumentation of Ravel in an eerily Mussorgsky way, as if Mussorgsky had orchestrated the pictoral episodes, while his integral Beethoven symphony set from London is considered by many cogniscenti to be among the top five sets ever recorded. It's a spectacular achievement of concentration and dedication.

In spite of sonic limitations, this record of Schubert and Bizet is very, very enjoyable.

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The Baby's Family of Villa Lobos

I know this lp is on Naxos, what isn't nowadays?? Here's my transfer of The Baby's Family by Villa Lobos performed by the excellent Cuban pianist, Jose Echaniz. The record date from 1955.

I'm rather amazed at just how versatile a musician was Heitor Villa Lobos. The man could write convincingly in pretty much any idiom and for any combination of instruments and voices. Gosh, he arranged a whole bunch of Bach inspired music for an orchestra of cello's! If that isn't gumption, I don't know what is. Yes, I do...try Handel's Royal Fireworks Music in the original scoring....30 oboes or so???

Here is music obviously inspired by the likes of Schumann, Debussy and Bartok. Miniatures that quite flavorfully capture a child's eye view of the people and world around him or her. This is simple, precious music that is meant to draw people in, especially younger people. It is unintimidating and welcoming, the kind of stuff that whets the appetite. Pianist Echaniz is a convincing interpreter (I am working on his incredible take on the compete Iberia of Albeniz) and he carefully crafts each little piece with its own distinctive voice. It's really all too bad that more pianists have not given this cycle a go, don't you think?

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The Waltz King with Arthur Fiedler and Eugene Ormandy

A nice RCA compilation of the music of Johann Strauss the younger featuring the conducting talents of Arthur Fiedler with the Boston Pops and Eugene Ormandy with the Minneapolis Symphony. I would guess that the Ormandy recordings are from the mid 1930's and the Fiedler ones probably 10-12 years later. Interestingly, Fiedler is given top billing here over Ormandy, who by the time of this reissue was solidly in the Columbia Masterworks camp with his Philadelphia Orchestra.

Both of these conductors are naturals with Strauss since each would have played violin in salon bands during their student years and early musical careers, absorbing the style and the oeuvre. I especially want to point out the skill and care that Ormandy brings to these works: his preparation, understanding and purposefulness yields brilliant and incisive playing by the very fine Minneapolis orchestra. It is amazing what details and genius is reveled when these works are not played as an afterthought. You know, I would have loved to have heard a complete album recorded by Beecham but alas, we have none. Beecham, of course, could yield dazzling results with repertoire that others spun an "oh hum" towards. Happily, maestros Ormandy and Fiedler are anything but ordinary.

Sunday is wonderful for Strauss!

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Harl McDonald conducts Mozart's Requiem

You never know what you will find! Here on a Camden reissue (276) is composer-conductor-pianist-musical administrator Harl McDonald's Philadelphia recording of Mozart's Requiem. McDonald leads the Philadelphia Orchestra, the University of Pennsylvania Chorale and unnamed soloists in presumably the Sussmayr version albeit it may also have editing by McDonald himself.

Harl McDonald was an enormous presence in Philadelphia from the 1920's up until his death in 1955. The man pretty much did everything at the University of Pennsylvania and within the workings of the Philadelphia Orchestra, serving the latter organization as General Manager and Board member for 16 years. McDonald was also a strong ally of Eugene Ormandy and the conductor reciprocated McDonald's support  by performing scores of the composer's compositions. As a composer, McDonald was rather unexceptional and somewhat dated however, pieces like the Legend of the Arkansas Traveler are tuneful, quite pleasant on the ear and deserving of the occasional listen.

This is solid recording, maybe not first tier, but honest, direct and unfussy. It moves along well without becoming bogged down in sentimentality or romantic flourish. McDonald did premiere the work in Philadelphia during the 1938-9 concert season so I am guessing that this record was cut during that time period.

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Vivaldi from Paris

Here's an early Westminster LP (c 1950) of the music of Vivaldi performed by Andre Jouve and the New Chamber Orchestra of Paris. Although I was not expecting much, I can honestly says that the spirited performances and attempt to shed the romantic veil over the music, more then compensate for any inadequacies in technique or style.

Andre Jouvre is a name not at all well known to me but I did previously make his acquaintance on a transfer of Prokofiev done on The Music Parlour . He's one of those conductors that pretty much spent his career within his homeland and made contributions that are more national than international in scope.

When this record was made, Vivaldi was still rather a curiosity and performances were not at all common as they are today. Jouve is quite credible and acquits himself well with his French musicians. It's interesting to observe how far our understanding of Vivaldi has come since this record was cut sixty plus years ago.

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On Boston Records - music of Mozart and Rust



Joseph de Pasquale

Mozart and Rust? I always thought Mozart's music was well oiled and lubricated like the engine in Rolls Royce. No, the Rust here is one Friedrich Wilhelm Rust who was a direct contemporary of Haydn. I had never heard of Rust and it was pleasant to make his acquaintance via this old Boston Records issue. The musicians were all distinguished members of the BSO: Richard Burgin, Joseph de Pasquale, Samuel Mayes, James Stagliano and Harvey Shapiro. I think this record dates circa 1955 and the contents specifically are Mozart's Horn Quintet K 407 and Rust's Sonata for Viola.

We all know the horn quintet and its a pleasure to hear Stagliano doing his thing. However, the fascinating piece here is the Rust composition, a sonata for viola with cello and two horns, a most unusual combination! The work itself is not earth shattering or for that matter memorable, but the sonorities with this instrumental combination are pretty nifty to listen too. And with players like these, they make a minor curiosity sound like something more than it really is.


Enjoy!

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Eduard Flipse conducts Mahler's 6th Symphony from the Holland Festival 1955

Interesting records turn up at unusual times and in unusual places. Like the record above, in somebody's garage, that I happened to spot, while at his house for something else. "Would you be interested in getting rid of that box of records?" "Sure, ah....how about 10 bucks?" And a mint copy of a 6th and 8th symphony of Mahler conducted by the all but unknown Eduard Flipse emerge with a layer of dust on top but otherwise in splendid shape.

Eduard Flipse: Dutch conductor, many years chief conductor of the Rotterdam PO and organizer of the Holland Festival. Like Mengelberg, an advocate for Mahler before the craze all got into high gear in the mid 60's. Gosh, I never realized that Mahler's time did definitely come by way of the low countries!

If you like your Mahler with a heavy dose of angst and neurosis, this is not for you. Flipse's approach is somewhat businesslike and his reading is modeled on the notes in the score, no more, no less. He does not read into the music what he thinks Mahler meant or does he try to interpret Mahler's emotional state in the general line of the music. Rather, Flipse lets the music speak on its own terms and he is well served by the alert and responsible playing by the Netherlands "second" orchestra. Its quite satisfying and serves as a nice counterweight to the emotionally draining versions by Bernstein and Mitropoulos. In a sense, Flipse is like Szell but I think he is overall more in tune with Mahler's unique world. I will point out that Flipse does place the Scherzo as the third movement and for me, that makes the most sense.

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More from Franz Berwald - The Piano Quintets

You asked for more and here we go! I was franky quite surprised at the interest in the previous Berwald post with symphonies conducted by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt. Well, here is positively winning record, one of the rare Nonesuch monos, of Berwald's two piano quintets performed by pianist Robert Riefling with the Benthien Quartet. I have no idea of the age of the recordings though the sound is quite good, immediate and crisp.

To be honest with you all, I really like these works much more than the symphonies. I find them more sure of foot and less jarring then the experimental nature of the larger works. In these quintets, one can hear shades of Schubert and Mendelssohn, with an occasional passing reference to Schumann. Maybe I'm just an old fart but I find the sense of continuity to the past and immediate present to be reassuring. This is not to say that the music is not fresh or inventive, it is! Berwald obviously knew the capabilities of the strings and he utilizes these well, especially in the plucking and pizzicato. His piano writing is superb and both of these works make clear that it's not piano v. strings. It's more like piano and strings needing each other in order to create a work of beauty and interest.

Hope you like this.

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Secular Music of Josquin des Prez with Safford Cape and Pro Musica Antiqua Brussels

A real surprise for you all today. Normally, I do not post early, early music but this issue from 1950 on the EMS label (213) is a stunner and I could not resist. American Safford Cape leads his Pro Musica Antiqua Brussels in secular vocal and instrumental music of the great master Josquin des Prez.

The EMS Record label had its origins in a New York City music shop called Elaine Music Shop. The brainchild of owner Jack Skurnick, it had an ambitious goal of creating a series of lp's that would chronicle the history of music, new trends in music, and the development of the art song. About a dozen releases were made and they were acclaimed for the recording quality and performances alike. Unfortunately, the series ceased with the demise of Mr Skurnick, about two years after the project began. I would say Mr Skurnick was a visionary.

The early music set of records was dominated by Safford Cape and his Pro Musica Antiqua. These records were so well received at the time that when EMS ceased operations, Cape and his group migrated to Archiv to continue on their survey of late medieval and renaissance recordings. Critics have noted that Cape's best work was on the EMS records and I would have to concur. Not only does he lift the music off of the score but he and his artists craft so tastefully the genius of Josquin in a way that is wholly appropriate to the spirit of period performance. The singing and playing here sounds so right and is so immaculate that the listening experience is pure and utter joy. The music is absolutely first rate, inventive, engaging and luscious.

Here's the program:

• N'esse pas un grant desplaisir (6 instr.)
• Parfons regretz (5 voices)
• Bergerette savoyenne (4 voices)
• Fortuna d'un gran tempo (3 viols)
• Douleur me bat (5 voices)
• Pour souhaiter (6 instr.)
• Faulte d'argent (5 voices)
• Petite Camusette (6 instr.)
• Incessamment mon povre coeur lamente (1 voice, 4 instr.)
• Je me complains de mon amoye (5 voices)
• La plus des plus (3 viols)
• Allégez-moi (6 instr.)
• La Déploration de Johannes Ockeghem (5 voices)
• Baises-moy (4 voices and instr.)

I love this record.  It's downright excellent.

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