Joseph and Lillian Fuchs in Mozart

As a follow-up to my recent post involving Joseph and Lillian Fuchs, here is a 1961 LP of the siblings in Mozart's sublime Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, with a substantial bonus of Joseph in less-often-heard works.

Joseph and Lillian Fuchs

The album is presented under the aegis of "Musica Æterna," which I believe was a concert series at the Metropolitan Museum and Carnegie Hall led by conductor Frederic Waldman. On this LP, Waldman directs the Æterna Chamber Orchestra, which on its other recorded outings is usually called the Musica Æterna Orchestra.

Waldman has appeared on this blog before as conductor of a very early record devoted to Edgard Varèse, although I didn't even mention him in my comments, which seems thoughtless on my part. As I recall, Waldman's recorded output for US Decca was more conventional, by and large, but apparently the Musica Æterna concert programs were more adventurous.

Frederic Waldman

This present LP is a good one, although perhaps missing the exhilaration that marks the best performances. This may be accentuated because of the close recording. Regardless, the Fuchs duo displays a unanimity of phrasing that is its own source of wonder.

In addition to the Sinfonia Concertante, Joseph assays the Adagio in E Major and the Rondo in C Major. Both are impeccable performances.