Wagner from Furtwängler and Flagstad

Richard Wagner in 1871

Continuing a series of conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler in programs of famous works, today we hear him and the Vienna Philharmonic in the music of Richard Wagner.

The program concludes with (and switches orchestras for) the final scene of Götterdämerung, with soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Brünnhilde. The Philharmonia is the orchestra for this famous recording.

These overtures, preludes and other excerpts are all what are sometimes called "bleeding chunks," an epithet that seems to have driven them from the concert hall. Well, I happen to love these pieces as the brilliant works they are. And these Furtwängler recordings are among the finest of their kind.

It is often said that Furtwängler's live performances were more powerful than his records. The critic Andrew Porter referred to this in his obituary for the conductor:

His monument, so far as the gramophone is concerned, is the complete Tristan und Isolde. Fidelio, the Beethoven and Brahms symphonies, will be treasured; the Mozart, the Schubert and the Haydn discs are valuable. But something of the incandescence that one knew in the concert hall and the opera house is gone from them. In the Tristan it remains, and also in those Wagner extracts, the final scene from Götterdämmerung with Flagstad and the Philharmonia Orchestra, recorded at the same time as Tristan, and the Rhine Journey and Funeral Music with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. It is to these records that we shall turn first when we wish to show our children what manner of great conductor he was.

And it is to many of those records that we turn today. 

Die Meistersinger: Prelude and Dance of the Apprentices

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is famed as Wagner's only comedy. Set in the 16th century Reformation, it concerns the guilds of the time, with the Mastersingers devoting their talents to music.

The Prelude is an intricate piece of music that stands marvelously well on its own (as do most of the works in this program). Of this performance, W.R. Anderson in The Gramophone wrote: "Our friends [i.e., the conductor and orchestra] at their best, I think: scarcely a twinge, and above all, dignity, breadth, and a reproduction conveying full tonal virility and blend. The reverberation period of the chamber seems just right."

Ad in The Gramophone, 1950

This transfer comes from a German EMI (Electrola) reissue "Unvergessen (Unforgettable) Wilhelm Furtwängler." The LP was processed in the label's then-popular synthetic stereo, which I have turned into mono. The sound is quite good for 1949.

The Prelude is accompanied by short and delightful "Dance of the Apprentices" from Act III. This is followed in the opera and on most concert programs by the "Procession of the Masters." But not here - the dance was used as a fill-up on the 78 set and apparently there wasn't room for the Masters to promenade on that particular side.

Lohengrin Prelude; Tannhäuser Overture

Furtwängler's 1954 recording of the Prelude to Lohengrin is coupled here with his 1952 traversal of the Overture to Tannhäuser. These are splendid performances of what used to be concert staples. Denis Stevens wrote in The Gramophone that they are "well played and excellently recorded, and there is an impressively wide dynamic range in the Tannhäuser Overture, where the woodwind engages our attention by its splendid ensemble work."

Ad in The Gramophone, 1955

Stevens also makes me happy by casting aspersions on the LP's bedmate, Liszt's Les Preludes (not included here): "One of Furtwängler's most remarkable qualities was his ability to lend an air of epic majesty even to the relatively meretricious productions of certain 19th century composers who should have known better."

Siegfried Idyll

Let me call in Wikipedia to set the scene of this Romantic masterwork: "Wagner composed the Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present to his second wife, Cosima, after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869. It was first performed on Christmas morning, 25 December 1870, by a small ensemble of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich on the stairs of their villa at Tribschen (today part of Lucerne), Switzerland. Cosima awoke to its opening melody."

The composer wrote the piece for a small ensemble, later publishing a version for an orchestra of 35. I suspect Furtwängler (like many conductors) employed a larger ensemble for his 1949 recording.

Lionel Salter was taken with the performance in The Gramophone: "The immediate thing which strikes one about this recording is the sensuous beauty of the string tone, warm and caressing, pure and beautifully controlled. The violins in the Vienna Phil. not only have perfect unanimity ... but they are obviously all real artists."

Note: this performance is abridged; it is about half the length of the score. I will see if I have a longer version to replace this one. Thanks to dgrb for his note about this!

Götterdämmerung - Siegfried's Rhine Journey and Funeral Music

The program notes of the Los Angeles Philharmonic set the scene: "'Siegfried’s Rhine Journey' functions as an orchestral interlude between the Prologue and Act I of Götterdämmerung, as Brünnhilde sends Siegfried off to seek new adventures, riding her horse and carrying her shield toward the Rhine and his fate. The music progresses from the near silence of the dawn (in the brass) to moments of intense string writing that gives way to the 'Hero' motive as Siegfried sets out on his river journey."

Ad in The Gramophone, 1949

Götterdämmerung is of course the final opera in Wagner's so-called "Ring cycle" - more formally Der Ring des Nibelungen. And Siegfried here is not Wagner's son, he is the son of Siegmund, the mortal son of Wotan, king of the gods. Brünnhilde, Siegfried's lover, is the immortal daughter of Wotan and Erda, the goddess of earth, wisdom and prophecy.

More from the LA Philharmonic: "Following his murder at the hands of Hagen, the death knell of 'Siegfried’s Funeral March' opens with funereal timpani as Siegfried’s body is placed on his shield and carried off by the vassals. The music vacillates from deep mourning and rage-filled outbursts to the majesty of the 'Hero' motif, brought out in bold relief at the center of the movement."

Alec Robertson in The Gramophone on this performance: "Siegfried’s Journey is not so brightly recorded as on Toscanini’s disc and seems a little foggy at the start: but the noble performance of the Funeral Music, in which the conductor dispenses with the ritardandos that very slightly marred his earlier 78's recording, is better recorded than before, and is, indeed, excellent. Be warned to listen to these pieces first of all. The Closing Scene is so tremendous that nothing can be heard after it for some considerable time!"

This comment leads us on to the end of this program, below.

Götterdämmerung - Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene

Wilhelm Furtwängler and Kirsten Flagstad

The LA Phil annotator again: "Upon removing the ring from Siegfried’s finger, Brünnhilde orders his funeral pyre to be built and launches into the 'Immolation' aria. The fire spreads to Valhalla, bringing about the death of the gods and the destruction of the old order, accompanied by many of the leitmotifs heard throughout all four operas."

As I mentioned above, this is a renowned recording. Alec Robertson's comments in The Gramophone: 

This magnificent recording of the Closing Scene from Die Götterdämmerung awakens the keenest regret that steps were not taken to record the whole of The Ring before Kirsten Flagstad’s retirement. Brünnhilde was her finest part and one with which she identified herself more completely than she was always able to do with Isolde, wonderful though her singing of that part was. But we must be thankful for what we have. There is the superb complete recording of Tristan: and now with the great singer in as fine a voice, Furtwängler and the orchestra as inspired as in that set, and a recording as worthy of them all, there is this outstanding issue. As the first bars sound, one feels the thrill that heralds a great performance: and it is indeed, and superlatively, that.

The download includes texts and English translations of the scene.

The LPs above were made for the German market; the notes are entirely in that language. I've included Google Translate versions of each back cover, which provide English versions.

LINK to the complete Furtwängler Wagner program

More from Furtwängler and Flagstad

One of the finest vocal compositions of the 20th century was the set of Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss. We are fortunate to have an exceedingly beautiful and touching live recording of the first performance, given in 1950 by Flagstad, Furtwängler and the Philharmonia Orchestra in the Albert Hall. The problem is that the only surviving copy of the recording was a set of battered transcription disks, which have been transcribed several times over the years.

I have now revisited and improved the gritty sound on my copy of the recording, which I first offered in 2018. The results can be found in the original post here, together with a more modern recording of the songs featuring soprano Elisabeth Söderström.

Buddy Clark: 1936-41 Transcriptions

Continuing an exploration of vocalist Buddy Clark's early recordings, in this set we turn to transcriptions dating from about 1936-1941. These come from two sources: transcriptions from the radio program Your Hit Parade, which sponsor Lucky Strike pressed for promotional purposes of some type, and a set of Associated Transcriptions made for radio station use. The sound is good, as are the performances. There are 19 selections in all.

Lucky Strike Transcriptions

Your Hit Parade began its long tenure on radio and television in 1935, with Lucky Strike cigarettes as sponsor. Clark was one of the first vocalists to be featured, appearing from 1936-38. The sponsor pressed some of the recordings, and it is a selection of those that appear here. Mark Warnow is the conductor, except as noted.

Harry Warren and Al Dubin wrote "September in the Rain" for James Melton to sing in the 1937 film Melody for Two. 

Mark Warnow

"Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" has a curious history. Lyricist Jacob Jacobs and composer Sholom Secunda wrote it as "Bei Mir Bistu Shein" ("To Me You're Beautiful") by  for a 1932 Yiddish language musical, I Would If I Could. There are a variety of stories about how lyricists Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin came upon the song, but their version of it became a giant hit for the Andrews Sisters in 1937. Richard Himber conducts Buddy's performance.

Richard Himber

Allie Wrubel and Herb Magidson wrote "Goodnight Angel," a very pleasing but now forgotten song. Hal Kemp recorded it with Bob Allen on vocals.

Al Goodman

As was noted here recently, the Gershwin brothers wrote "Love Walked In" for Kenny Baker to sing in the film Goldwyn Follies. Al Goodman conducts Clark's performance.

Associated Transcriptions

Associated was a major supplier of transcriptions to radio stations, but the first two songs actually come from a disc the company produced for Muzak. This was in the early years of the service, when it was employing recognizable artists for its product.

The two Muzak songs are likely from 1936. Both were written by Mach Gordon and Harry Revel. "A Star Fell out of Heaven" was recorded by any number of bands that year. "When I'm with You" comes from the Shirley Temple epic Poor Little Rich Girl, where Shirley, Tony Martin and Alice Faye all had a crack at it. Mark Warnow conducts for Buddy.

In about 1938, Associated produced a recording of the famous tango "Caminito" with Clark singing in English and a singer only identified as Chico in Spanish. Lon Gladstone is listed as the conductor, but that was a baton name for Lud Gluskin.

Lud Gluskin

"Will Love Find a Way" is from the 1934 Stags at Bay show at Princeton University. The author was the short-lived Brooks Bowman, who also wrote the far better known "East of the Sun" for that production. Gladstone/Gluskin again is the bandleader. Buddy is uncredited on the label.

Shortly after the Hammond company introduced the first commercial synthesizer, the Novachord, Associated employed it for some of its transcriptions. It may have been a technical marvel, but it still sounds to me like an anemic organ.

Buddy's first encounter with this scourge was "Let There Be Love" with music by Lionel Rand and lyrics by Ian Grant, published in 1940, a tune still beloved of cabaret artists. (Bobby Short's version can be heard here.)

"From Another World" is from Rodgers and Hart's 1940 show Higher and Higher. Shirley Ross was among the vocalists who introduced the song - her big solo number was the far better-known "It Never Entered My Mind." Shirley's commercial recordings of songs from the show can be found here.

For the next several songs, Clark gets what Associated called a "Novelty Orchestral Accompaniment," but they can't fool me. It's the Novachord again, at times with an organ and a clarinet.

"Trade Winds" was a product of Charles Tobias and Cliff Friend. Crosby and Sinatra both had a go at it in 1940.

For "There's a Great Day Coming Mañana" Buddy unexpectedly breaks into an Al Jolson imitation halfway through the number. He had a reason - Burton Lane and Yip Harburg wrote the piece for Jolie to sing in the musical Hold Onto Your Hats, which ran on Broadway for five months in 1940-41.

I think "When the Lilacs Bloom Again" is a version of "Wenn der weiße Flieder wieder blüht," written by Fritz Rotter and Franz Doelle in the 1920s.

Next we have two famed songs from Rodgers and Hart's musical Pal Joey of 1940 - "Bewitched" and "I Could Write a Book."

"Because of You" was written by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson in 1940. It did well for Tommy Tucker and Larry Clinton at the time, but the big hit wasn't to come until Tony Bennett revived it in 1951.

Jack Tenney and Helen Stone wrote "Mexicali Rose" in 1923, but it wasn't on the charts until Bing Crosby recorded it in 1938.

Nat Brandwynne

Buddy wasn't liberated from the "Novelty Orchestra Accompaniment" until the final two songs in this set, which have a backing by Nat Brandwynne, who had accompanied the singer from quite a few Brunswick recordings a few years earlier. Nat was favoring a soupy Guy Lombardo sound at the time.

Buddy and Nat combined for two songs from Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin's musical Lady in the Dark - "My Ship" and "This Is New." Buddy doesn't suggest the neuroses of Liza Elliott, but this is worth hearing if you don't mind the ultra-30s backing.

LINK

Thor Johnson in Cincinnati: Decca Recordings

The conductor Thor Johnson (1913-75), while not a familiar name today, did make quite a few records. The ones that are remembered are principally with the Cincinnati Symphony on the short-lived Remington label. But before those sessions, he and the orchestra recorded in 1951 for the Decca company of the UK (London in the US).

UK Decca seldom if ever recorded in the States until the those sessions in the Cincinnati Music Hall. This was to be the only such recording date for the orchestra; even so, it resulted in three LPs worth of material, most of which has been assembled for this post, including music by Hugo Alfvén, Edvard Grieg, Hector Berlioz and Franz Schubert.

These are good records of - for the time - unusual repertoire. I believe only the Berlioz songs have been reissued.

About Thor Johnson

Johnson was born in Wisconsin to a family of Norwegian and German descent. His father was a Moravian minister, and he himself devoted quite a bit of time to music ministry for that denomination.

I've read that he studied with Serge Koussevitzky, but this is not mentioned in the biographical material available today, the most detailed of which is on the site devoted to Remington records. Before his 1947 ascent in Cincinnati, he had conducted the North Carolina Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony and, during World War II, a US Army band. For the 34-year-old Johnson to be appointed in Ohio was quite an accomplishment. His predecessors there included Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ysaye, Fritz Reiner and Eugene Goossens.

Thor Johnson

Johnson led the Cincinnati ensemble until 1958, when he became a professor at Northwestern. He then headed the Interlochen Academy from 1964-67, becoming music director of the Nashville Symphony from 1967 until his death.

Johnson and the Cincinnati orchestra have appeared here once before - with a Remington recording of Robert Ward's Symphony No. 3 and Leon Stein's Three Hassidic Dances. (That recording is newly remastered in ambient stereo.) Johnson had a strong commitment to contemporary music, personally commissioning dozens of new works.

Alfvén - Midsommarvaka, Grieg - Suite from Sigurd Jorsalfar

We start with music reflecting Johnson's Scandinavian heritage: Hugo Alfvén's Midsommarvaka ("Midsummer Vigil"), the composer's Swedish Rhapsody No. 1, and a suite from Edvard Grieg's incidental music for Sigurd Jorsalfar, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's play about King Sigurd I of Norway.

These works played to Johnson's strengths - orchestral discipline and, in the Alfvén, his ability to build tension throughout the performance of an episodic work. Here and in the records below he also chose unusual pieces that were not in the catalogue.

Midsommarvaka actually had been recorded several times before, but only once outside Scandinavia. The Cincinnati recording was made a few years before the opening theme of the piece became famous as the "Swedish Rhapsody," in a pop performance by Percy Faith. (Go here for an elaborate discussion of the two popular Swedish Rhapsodies, along with several disparate performances.) The Cincinnati performance also took place a few years before the composer's own early-stereo recording, which can be found here.

The Sigurd Jorsalfar incidental music consists of three pieces: a prelude, "In the King's Hall"; an intermezzo, "Borghild's Dream"; and a vigorous "Triumphal March." This suite also was not often heard at the time. The Classical Discography shows only 1925 recordings conducted by Georg Schneevoigt and Frieder Weissmann.

Second cover - I have no idea what is going on here, but Johnson seems fine with it

The Gramophone's verdict was as follows: "The Grieg incidental music I find enchanting; he had a highly individual touch with the orchestra, making his points with care; and those points Thor Johnson treats with understanding, and holds Grieg’s exquisite balance between harmonic epigram and broad statement... As in the Grieg work, we meet in Alfvén’s Swedish Rhapsody excellent playing, sympathetic conducting, and excellent recording - more uniform in its best qualities, indeed, than its partner is... The Swedish Rhapsody is engaging enough as music - immensely skilful, painstaking, energetic, even inventive."

Saturday Review's Irving Kolodin added that "the really superb performance of Alfvén's colorful score leaps off the disc with startling vitality."

LINK to Alfvén and Grieg

Berlioz - Les Nuits d'été

Like the works on the disc above, the songs from Hector Berlioz's cycle Les Nuits d'été had not often been recorded before this disc came along. The English reviewers of this LP mention two numbers that had been done by Maggie Teyte, and the discography also suggests that Tito Schipa had recorded some or all of the six.

Not only was the material unusual, it demonstrated the range of the orchestra and conductor, and introduced US audiences to the Belgian soprano Suzanne Danco (1911-2000), who had begun recording extensively for UK Decca after the war.

Suzanne Danco

Desmond Shaw-Taylor wrote in The Gramophone: "Suzanne Danco earns our gratitude by singing, for Decca, the entire cycle of Nuits d’été, which shows Berlioz at his most lyrical, fresh and inventive. It is evident that these songs are not all intended for the same type of voice; 'Sur les lagunes,' for instance demands a high baritone of the type of Gérard Souzay. There is some monotony in the shrill tones of Mme Danco’s upper register, and in 'Absence' and 'Le Spectre de la Rose' she cannot match the warmth and subtle coloration of Maggie Teyte’s famous record. (By the way, she sings the 'Spectre' in the original key of B; Maggie Teyte transposed it up to D.) Whatever the drawbacks of this recording, made in Cincinnati with the Symphony Orchestra of that city, I count it as a most valuable possession..."

Irving Kolodin in the Saturday Review: "One is conscious at times of a little acidulous bite, a shrill edge in her vocal sound, but also - and much more consistently - of her really fine musical intelligence and sense of poetic line. I'd scarcely call Thor Johnson's direction of the score a magical evocation of mood, but he makes few false moves. The total may be termed satisfactory if not deeply satisfying."

For those curious about Maggie Teyte's record, I've just posted it to my singles blog.

The LP download includes texts and translations.

LINK to Berlioz - Les Nuits d'été

Schubert - Symphony No. 3

Schubert's third symphony, written when he was 18, is a delightful work that was seldom heard then, or now. The discography and reviews suggest that there was at most one other recording in the catalogue at the time the Cincinnati LP came out.

The Gramophone reviewer's comment on the symphony: "To have this work available on gramophone records is valuable indeed, for it makes a permanent possession of a work seldom played in public, if ever. It is lovable music, bubbling over with cheerfulness, and laughter, and love, and tenderness; but I should not call the whole a great work of art. The first movement shows much promise as well as considerable achievement. The second movement is couched melodically in too nearly a nursery-rhyme idiom to appeal to my taste. The scherzo is amiable. On the whole, I consider the last movement the best of the four."

The US cover - I detect a pattern here

As for the performance, Irving Kolodin in the Saturday Review was reserved in his comments, noting that it did not show Johnson as a distinguished stylist, but adding that "he obviously has the orchestra playing with zest and unflagging attention."

In the US, the Schubert symphony was coupled with one of Johann Christian Bach's attractive Op. 18 symphonies. For this post, I worked from an Internet Archive needle drop of that London release, but the J.C. Bach side of the disc was severely damaged. I could not find another copy, so I haven't been able to include it. That's why at the top of this section I used the cover of the UK Decca 10-inch LP, which is devoted solely to the Schubert symphony. 

LINK to Schubert Symphony No. 3

Haymes Sings Gershwin (American Pop Song)

Together with recent posts of David Allyn LPs, I've added a few of his appearances on the American Popular Song radio program of 1976, with composer Alec Wilder and pianist Loonis McGlohon. That was a National Public Radio series based on Wilder's influential 1972 book of the same name.

I've had some requests for more episodes of the show, which featured the great vocalists of the time. So I will be posting a few Dick Haymes appearances, starting with today's hour devoted to the music of George and Ira Gershwin.

The selections are generally well-known - "Who Cares?", "Someone to Watch Over Me," "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "They Can't Take That Away from Me" and "A Foggy Day," but a few deserve some additional commentary.

George and Ira

"Love Walked In" is from the last project George worked on. I described the scene in an earlier post as follows: "[D]iners often appeared in movies. The one that comes to mind is the Owl Diner in the Goldwyn Follies of 1938, with short-order cook Kenny Baker serenading Andrea Leeds via the Gershwins' 'Love Walked In.' You can see the clip here."

For "Bidin' My Time," Alec Wilder mentions seeing the Broadway run of Girl Crazy, which introduced the song in 1930. He was enthralled not just by the song but by the group that performed it, the Foursome - particularly because they played ocarinas in harmony, which Wilder found amazing. That group, a favorite of mine, has appeared on my other blog three times, with posts that include two different recordings of "Bidin' My Time." (I have the rest of the Foursome's complete Decca recordings if anyone is interested.)

Loonis McGlohon

The last Gershwin work that Haymes sings is "For You, for Me, for Evermore." Loonis mentions that Dick had the honor of introducing the piece in the 1947 film The Shocking Miss Pilgrim. Haymes recalls that composer Kay Swift, who was closely associated with George Gershwin until his 1937 death, was present during the filming, having prepared the songs with Ira Gershwin from unpublished melodies.

I recently posted a comprehensive look at Swift's own music, which also included the songs from The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, including both the soundtrack and commercial recordings of "For You, for Me, for Evermore."

Alec Wilder

All the American Popular Song programs included at least one song by Wilder. Haymes presented two. The first is "Night Talk," which Dick describes as being like "Lush Life," only better. Loonis was the lyricist. Alec wrote both words and music for the second song, "The Child I Used to Hold," which was new at the time. Both are worthwhile.

Dick's performances are not at the level he attained in the 1940s or 50s, but are still good, even though his pitch does waver a bit. I've mentioned before that these shows were not well recorded - I had a hard time getting Haymes to sound natural.

The program is fully tracked and tagged to facilitate repeat listening of the songs.

Coming up is a show devoted to the songs of Harry Warren.

LINK

A Brahms Program with Furtwängler and Menuhin

Programs with the eminent conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler have met with approval from readers, so today we offer another edition, this one delving into the music of Johannes Brahms for the first time.

As he was in the Beethoven concerto, Furtwängler is joined by Yehudi Menuhin for a performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto. The conductor then leads a performance of Brahms' final symphony, the Fourth.

Johannes Brahms, circa 1866

In his book on Furtwängler's recordings, John Ardoin has this to day about Brahms: "By training, inclination, and nature, Brahms was more a classicist [that a romantic] ... Yet beneath his classic exterior beat a fervent heart, and it is in the interior of Brahms's music that we discover, as Furtwängler did, its true meaning and essence."

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

The Violin Concerto was set down in a recording session in summer 1949, presumably during the Lucerne Festival and using the festival orchestra.

Those who listened to the Beethoven concerto recently featured here will know that Furtwängler and Menuhin were very much in harmony. John Ardoin had this to say: "The recording ... of the Brahms Violin Concerto is not only their finest collaboration on disc, but it stands as one of Furtwängler's major studio performances. What took place during these sessions and what resulted are best described by Menuhin: 'The great classics were in Furtwangler's blood. He never gave the impression of a deliberate conception; he merely released the work, and indeed the musicians, who never failed to be inspired.'

"The rapport between Furtwängler and Menuhin is ideal in this spacious, uncomplicated, even-tempered performance. It is filled with eloquent phrasing and deeply felt emotions."

Furtwängler and Menuhin at a recording session

The critic of The Gramophone had these thoughts: "The balancing and dove-tailing of the solo and orchestral parts are accomplished to perfection, and, what is more, I am glad to note that Furtwangler faithfully observes Brahms’s fairly lavish dynamic indications...

"His [Menuhin's] playing of the first movement is fine, spacious, and intense. In the slow movement his tone and phrasing do full justice to the poetry of the music, and the emotional expression is properly controlled. The Finale is thrown off deftly and with the right amount of abandon. The playing of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra is very good, although the place where the recording was made would appear to be a little too resonant."

Actually, I prefer a bit of distance between the orchestra and listener, unlike the close-up perspective that would later become common. It also is in keeping with the broadcast sound of the fourth symphony below. This is deservedly a famous performance.

This transfer is from what was likely the first LP issue, put out by RCA Victor in about 1950, when EMI in England and (I believe) Germany had not yet adopted the long-playing format. At the time Victor itself was trying to interest classical listeners in its seven-inch 45-rpm format, without much success. An artifact of that effort can be seen in the cover design, which uses the 45 box artwork inset in a 12-inch frame.

LINK to Violin Concerto

Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

Unlike the Furtwängler performances presented here to date, this recording of the Brahms fourth symphony comes from a broadcast rather than a recording session. It captures the conductor and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in an October 24, 1948 date in Berlin's Titania-Palast, a movie theater that the orchestra often used for radio appearances and recording sessions.

Titania-Palast

It's often said that the conductor's live performances were "better" than his records. This is an assertion that is impossible to validate, but we can say that this is a very good reading of a symphony that is notoriously hard to bring off - or at least the concluding passacaglia thereof.

Ardoin on this performance: "Everything Furtwängler accomplishes in the finale reflects and grows out of Brahms's marking of allegro energico e passionato. It is fast, it has energy, and above all it is streaked with passion. Along with these qualities, there is also a dizzying senses of controlled abandon ... It is an elation that carries us through the sectional character of the movement, binds the variations tightly together, and peaks in a coda that is Dionysian in its frenzy. Within this high-powered expenditure of energy and passion there is an amazing island of repose - the espressivo variation for solo flute, set against the woodwinds and accompanying strings.

"The potential for this momentary release of tension before the great final push is, of course, a feature of the movement, but few conductors have seized upon its possibilities to such a concentrated extent, and used them to such high dramatic purpose as Furtwangler has."

The passacaglia's theme is adapted from a chaconne theme in Bach's cantata BWV 150, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich - reflecting the composer's reverence for great music of an earlier era.

The relentless ending of the passacaglia is often sometimes to the inevitability of fate. However, in tis performance it is less fate that seems inevitable than the genius of the classical tradition that Brahms upheld.

The sound from this broadcast is very good. My transfer is from its first issue on LP, which German EMI (Electrola) put out in the 1950s. The back cover notes were entirely in German, so I have added a version with a good English translation, courtesy of Google.

LINK to Symphony No. 4

Three from Jerry Gray and Band

Jerry Gray (1915-76) was one of the most significant arrangers of the swing period, working with the bands of Artie Shaw and Glenn Miller - for the latter both his civilian and Army Air Force ensembles.

Gray has not been featured here for many years, so I wanted to make amends by presenting three of his 10-inch Decca LPs from the early 1950s - two new transfers and one remaster from long ago.

A few words about Gray's career from a earlier post: "Gray first came to notice for Artie Shaw arrangements, including Shaw's biggest hit, 'Begin the Beguine.' Shaw, always ambivalent about fame, disbanded that particular group in 1939, and Gray went to Glenn Miller. He proceeded to write many of that band's iconic numbers - 'Pennsylvania 6-5000,' 'Sun Valley Jump' and 'A String of Pearls' - and arranged others - 'Chattanooga Choo-Choo,' 'Elmer's Tune' and 'Moonlight Cocktail.' Many people think he invented the clarinet-lead Miller sound ... Gray wasn't limited to that sound. His own identity was much more tied up with his compositions. His pattern was to start with a short melodic cell, repeat it, vary it, and then elaborate. If you are familiar with the Miller library, 'Pennsylvania 6-5000' is a good example of this pattern."

Jerry's band existed as a studio ensemble, radio orchestra and a road outfit, although the personnel could vary. The band was heard three time a week on the radio show Club 15 until early 1953.

These recordings show a tight ensemble with talented soloists and excellent arrangements, many of them Milleresque. 

In the Mood

Jerry was in effect Decca's entry in the great Glenn Miller revival sweepstakes, contending with such Miller influenced bands as Ralph Flanagan, Ray Anthony and Tex Beneke. For his first LP, Decca chose to lead off with one of the most famous Miller hits, "In the Mood." Ironically, Gray didn't arrange the song for the Miller band, but he had done so earlier for Shaw.

The LP also includes several standards along with two of Jerry's compositions. One is "A String of Pearls," among the greatest tunes of the swing era. Here, he even includes Bobby Hackett's famous trumpet chorus from the Miller record, transcribing it for reeds. The second Gray original is "Desert Serenade," his band's theme song. Also in the album is "Minuet in G," based on a Paderewski piece.

These recordings all come from 1950, soon after Gray started recording for Decca.

LINK to In the Mood

Dance Time with Jerry Gray

Many big bands in the early 50s were at pains to distance themselves from the progressive jazz bands such as that of Stan Kenton by calling themselves dance bands. There were dancers on the cover of the LP above, and for this 1953 offering the title (and murky cover) made the link explicit. 

The songs include three Gray originals - "Oh! So Good," "Solid as a Stone Wall, Jackson," which I believe he wrote for Miller, and "A Pair of Trumpets," which features Pete Candoli and Mickey Mangano. There are two numbers by Jimmy Valentine - "One Stop Boogie" and "Tompkins Cove," Jerry's famed arrangement of "Begin the Beguine," his gloss on Sibelius' "Valse Triste" and his chart for David Rose's  "Holiday for Strings," first heard with the Miller AAF band.

The recordings date from 1950-53.

LINK to Dance Time

A Tribute to Glenn Miller

In August 1951, Decca had Gray in the studio to record eight numbers that he had arranged for Glenn Miller. Unlike the LPs above - which are composed of items also released on singles or EPs - this album was first issued as a 10-inch LP (along with the usual variants of a 45-rpm box and 78-rpm album).

Four of the eight songs are Gray compositions - "Jeep Jockey Jump," "Flag Waver," "Introduction to a Waltz" and "V Hop." Drummer Don Lamond is the emphatic soloist on "Flag Waver."

The other selections are Handy's "St. Louis Blues," Kalmar and Ruby's "Who's Sorry Now?", Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth's "Shine On Harvest Moon" and Larry Clinton's "The Dipsy Doodle."

I transferred this material from my set of the 45s many years ago and have revisited the sound for this post.

LINK to A Tribute to Glenn Miller

Jerry Gray in the studio in the 1940s, with tenor sax Al Klink and
clarinetist Hymie Schertzer. The pianist may be Bob Curtis. 

Film Music from Copland and Thomson

 Paris 1925: Virgil Thomson, Walter Piston, 
Herbert Elwell, Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson, two of the leading American composers of the 20th century, wrote some of their most appealing works for films.

The film scores of Copland, the more famous composer, are actually not as well known as his popular masterpieces such as Appalachian Spring, while many of Thomson's most recognized pieces were for the cinema.

This post brings together newly remastered versions of works by both composers in the film realm. All appeared here originally many years ago.

Apropos of the photo above, there also are links to works by the Americans Walter Piston and Herbert Elwell. All four composers studied with Nadia Boulanger in 1920s Paris.

For the film compositions herein, Copland and Thomson worked in a relatively simple, accessible idioms for works that centered on rural life. Their music can be contrasted with the urban focus of John Alden Carpenter's ballet score Skyscrapers, which recently appeared here, or some of George Gershwin's works.

Copland - Our Town; Thomson - The Plow That Broke the Plains

This 10-inch LP from 1951 brings together suites from scores by the two composers under the direction of Thomas Scherman and his Little Orchestra Society. Both are treasurable and both are in very good performances.

Thomas Scherman

Copland's music is from 1940. Vivian Perlis has written: "With the threat of impending war, Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, with its look back at an America of homespun values, was tremendously appealing. Copland accepted the invitation to compose the musical score for the screen version of life in the small town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. He explained, 'For the film version, they were counting on the music to translate the transcendental aspects of the story. I tried for clean and clear sounds and in general used straight-forward harmonies and rhythms that would project the serenity and sense of security of the story.'" The orchestral suite is from 1944.

The Plow That Broke the Plains was a Pare Lorentz documentary from 1936 that was sponsored by the US Resettlement Administration. Its purpose was to provide the background for the dust storms then devastating the Southwest. The centerprice of Thomson's suite is a memorably sarcastic piece called "Blues (Speculation)," followed by "Drought" and "Devastation."

LINK to Our Town and The Plow That Broke the Plains

Copland - The Red Pony; Thomson - Acadian Songs and Dances

Decca soon would follow up the coupling above with a 12-inch LP that combined Copland's music for The Red Pony with Thomson's Acadian Songs and Dances from the film Louisiana Story. Both films are from 1948.

Vivian Perlis writes about The Red Pony: "The film was adapted from a novel by John Steinbeck and featured famous Hollywood stars. But it was not a commercial success, and Copland's practical nature led him to recast the musical material for concert purposes. The Suite is in six sections with titles that match the action of the film. Although the melodies have a folklike quality, they are Copland's own."

While Louisiana Story was directed by the documentarian Robert Flaherty, it is a fictional work. The film was sponsored by the Standard Oil Co., although its name does not appear in the credits. The story concerns a boy, his pet raccoon, and friendly oil drillers. Thomson's Acadian Songs and Dances, which make up one of the two suites from the film, are delightful. The second suite from Louisiana Story is below.

LINK to The Red Pony and Acadian Songs and Dances

Thomson - Suite from Louisiana Story and Five Portraits

Thomson's suite from Louisiana Story contains music that was not derived from folk sources. The Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy had recorded the score for the film, and these experts for Columbia. Thomson's music was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1949.

The coupling is a suite of Five Portraits of the composer's friends, the best known of whom are Pablo Picasso and the composer Alexander Smallens. Thomson himself conducts the Philadelphians in this 1945 recording.

The transfer is from an early 10-inch LP. (Thanks to Joe Serraglio for the use of his transfer!)

LINK to Louisiana Story and Five Portraits

Thomson - Suite from The River; Luening - Prelude, Two Symphonic Interludes

Thomson's other famous film score is for another Pare Lorentz documentary, The River, from 1937. It was this score that particularly influenced Copland, who called it "a lesson in how to treat Americana." The river here is the Mississippi and the sponsor of the film was the New Deal's Works Progress Administration. The opening theme of the "The Old South" is perhaps the composer's most familiar music.

Walter Hendl, Dean Dixon

The performance here is a good one, by the Vienna Symphony and the American conductor Walter Hendl.

Otto Luening

This early American Recording Society LP also contains works by the American composer Otto Luening, who became known for his tape and electronic works but in earlier times wrote in an accessible style that produced the Prelude on a Hymn Tune by William Billings and Two Symphonic Interludes. Here, the unidentified orchestra is conducted by the American Dean Dixon. Again, the performances are good.

LINK to The River and music by Otto Luening

Music by Walter Piston and Herbert Elwell

The composer Walter Piston has appeared here a number of times:

Howard Hanson's recording of the Symphony No. 3 is here, along with works by Wallingford Riegger, Alan Hovhaness and Henry Cowell.

The Incredible Flutist, Piston's most famous score, can be found in two recordings, both by the Boston Pops and Arthur Fiedler:

• The 1954 recording is part of a collection called The Ballet, with works by Meyerbeer, Stravinsky, Ravel and Weber.

• The 1939 recording is here, along with MacDowell's Piano Concerto No. 2 (with soloist Jesús María Sanromá) and Piston's orchestration of the Moonlight Sonata's first movement.

The blog featured Herbert Elwell's music very recently: a recording of his best-known work, the ballet score The Happy Hypocrite. That same score also appeared in suite form by the Cleveland Pops Orchestra and Louis Lane. The latter post also includes a private recording of Elwell's Blue Symphony.