Hans Kindler Conducts Tchaikovsky; Reups

Hans Kindler is not remembered today, but he was a well regarded conductor in his day, the 1930s and 40s.

Kindler, originally a cellist, founded the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. in 1931, and led it until being replaced 17 years later. He passed away the following year.

The conductor and his ensemble recorded for RCA Victor in the 1940s, but only had the opportunity to inscribe two symphonies - the Brahms Third and this worthy attempt at Tchaikovsky's Third, or Polish Symphony. It comes from the orchestra's first RCA session, on November 8, 1940, according to a Kindler discography in the Autumn 1999 International Classical Record Collector.

For a relatively new ensemble, the Washingtonians acquit themselves well. The symphony is well paced and alertly played, and the recording is good. You can learn more about Kindler here.

This transfer is taken from an early 1950s reissue on RCA's budget Camden label. At that time, most or all of Camden's classical line was offered under pseudonyms; in this case the National Symphony became the "Globe Symphony."

I have previously offered three other symphonies from American orchestras in those recordings' Camden guise, and am reupping them today along with this newcomer. They are:

Tchaikovsky - Manfred (Indianapolis Symphony/Fabien Sevitzky)

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 1 (Indianapolis/Sevitzky)

Vaughan Williams - London Symphony (Cincinnati Symphony/Eugene Goossens)

I heartily recommend the two Tchaikovsky symphonies in particular - they are strongly characterized under Sevitzky's baton. All of these have been remastered and the sound is excellent. Links for these recordings are in the comments.