Early Schubert and Mendelssohn from Louis Lane, Plus a Summer Bonus

This post continues my traversal through the recording of George Szell's predecessors and assistants in Cleveland. Recently we have heard from Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński and Erich Leinsdorf, and earlier from Robert Shaw and Louis Lane. We return to the latter today with one of his best discs, combining the first symphonies of those Romantic prodigies, Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Schubert.

The recordings come from a 1966 session in Severance Hall, when Lane was the Associate Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. He would become Resident Conductor in 1970, and later held conducting positions at the Dallas and Atlanta Symphonies.

US cover

This being the Cleveland Orchestra at the full extent of its powers, the performances are notable for their sheen and sophistication. Lane does not try anything tricky with the scores, not that they would benefit from such an approach. These are truly youth symphonies. Mendelssohn wrote his when he was 15; it was premiered at his sister's 19th birthday party and had its first public performances by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1827. The work shows an astonishing mastery for someone so young. The wonder is that it is not played more often.

For the symphony's 1829 London premiere, the composer reworked the Scherzo from his equally remarkable Octet of 1826 and substituted it for the Menuetto movement in the original score. Lane recorded both the Menuetto and Scherzo for his LP.

Schubert's first symphony dates from 1813, when the composer was 16. It, too, is not often heard, although it has been recorded any number of times, often in complete sets of Schubert's symphonies. The first major label recording was, I believe, led by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1953. That composer's suave way with the work has long been a favorite of mine, but Lane is not less persuasive.

UK cover

My transfer comes from the US and UK issues. As often happened, they had different covers. The 17rh century landscape (The Avenue at Middlehams by Meindert Hobbema) on the British release may have been more appropriate than the US' cardboard terrarium.

The two issues did have one thing in common beside the music - terrible pressings. I had to edit pieces and parts from the two records into one final, nearly blemish-free transfer. The sound is per usual from Severance Hall and the Columbia engineers - clear and a little too bright. Good enough to appreciate these fine performances from a much underrated conductor. Previously he has been heard here in film music, American composers, and a program of flute works, where he led the accompaniment for Maurice Sharp, the orchestra's principal.

A Summer Bonus

Our friend David Federman has sent along one of his welcome compilations, this one themed to the season - "Pinnacles of Summers Past." As usual, he has provided a generous selection of the best recordings of past decades - 32 items in all, including such artists as David Allyn ("I'm Old Fashioned"), and my own favorite summer song, "The Things We Did Last Summer," here in Jo Stafford's rendition. He ends with Dave Brubeck's "Summer Song" as performed by the composer and Carmen McRae. David's notes are in the download.