From the Back Room: Böhm's Brahms 1

My recent post offering to present recordings I had prepared but never posted (Buster's Back Room) produced a variety of responses.

Several of you asked for one of my favorites - the conductor Karl Böhm - in a 1959 recording with the Berlin Philharmonic of Brahms Symphony No. 1. So here it is in my "From the Back Room" series. The transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my at times talky commentary may be abbreviated.

Karl Böhm

In this reading of Brahms' weighty Symphony No. 1, Böhm displays his usual careful balancing of the orchestral choirs, producing a performance of rare depth.

Here is what Martin Bookspan had to say in Stereo Review: "Bôhm gives us a solid. middle-European performance of Brahms’ granitic work. It is a reading of substance and dignity and is superbly well played by the orchestra and beautifully recorded by the engineers in both the mono and stereo editions. If I continue to prefer Klemperer's Angel recording (35481), it is because the octogenarian brings more of himself to his re-creation of the music. But I'd rate this new Bôhm version close behind that of Klemperer."

The sound from this original pressing is resonant but very good.

LINK

Beethoven with Pollini and Böhm

A quick tribute to the remarkable pianist Maurizio Pollini, who has died at age 82, in the form of one of my favorite recordings.

It is Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, here in a magnificent 1976 performance by Pollini and the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Karl Böhm.

The quality of this recording is evident from the opening bars. The pianist's astonishing perfection is beautifully set off by the warmth of the Vienna Philharmonic under the masterful Böhm.

In The Gramophone, Richard Osborne wrote: "Pollini’s performance is both brilliant and beautifully proportioned; driven but never over-driven, fierce but only to glowing point," adding that "Böhm and the Vienna Philharmonic are ideal partners."

David Hall's verdict in Stereo Review: "The slow movement is, as it should be, the high point, altogether moving in its flawless blend of tonal beauty and gripping drama. The finale ripples along its joyous way in the most satisfying manner imaginable."

I have treasured this LP since it came out in 1977, when I had very little money and almost never bought full-price albums. This was an exception. I found the record awe-inspiring nearly 50 years ago, and still think so today.

LINK

Szell, Ormandy, Böhm and Maag Conduct Mozart and Haydn

Two early LPs for you today showing mid-20th century approaches to Mozart and Haydn from leading conductors and orchestras.

Ormandy attempts to poke a cellist in the eye

The Columbia album has an April 1947 edition of Mozart's Symphony No. 39 from the Cleveland Orchestra, early in George Szell's tenure with that ensemble.

It is backed by a recording of Haydn's Symphony No. 88 set down by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy in December of the same year.

Also on offer is a London LP with two additional Mozart symphonies. First is No. 36 with Karl Böhm leading the Vienna Philharmonic. I enjoyed this rendition, which is from September 1950, but Lionel Salter in The Gramophone certainly did not, as you will see in an appended review.

Young Peter Maag

The other side of the LP has the Suisse Romande Orchestra under Peter Maag performing Symphony No. 29, in what was the Swiss conductor's first recording - at least the first to have been released. The taping is from October 1950. I believe this was during a time when Maag was Ernst Ansermet's assistant in Geneva.

Brahms from the VPO and Böhm

I was so pleased to pick up the latest edition of Gramophone and learn that Karl Böhm has been elected to its Hall of Fame. Not that I have much use for such halls as a concept - but still, Böhm is a musician worth remembering.

The conductor's benediction in print was delivered by the great mezzo Brigitte Fassbaender. Here is some of what she wrote:

Böhm

"'Karl the Great' he most certainly was; he was a consummate musician, his repertoire embracing a wide spectrum from the Classical to the modern. His crystal-clear interpretation of the Mozart operas with the BPO, his deceptively straightforward Beethoven with the VPO and his close artistic collaboration with Strauss in Dresden will ensure his place in the annals."

I while back I prepared a transfer of the June 1953 Böhm-VPO recording of Brahms' third symphony. I find it most enjoyable, although it probably does not represent the best work of either party. The sound from the Musikvereinssaal is good. The download includes the December 1953 Gramophone review, Fassbaender's encomium, and as always, hi-res scans, in case you want to print out and frame that amazingly ugly cover for some reason.

More Beethoven from Vienna and Böhm

I was so pleased with my first post of Beethoven from Vienna and Karl Böhm that I decided to prepare this 1955 version of the ninth symphony from that conductor, the Vienna Symphony, the Vienna State Opera Choir and four of the finest singers then active.

Big mistake on my part. The record, while generally in good shape, had two gouges that caused repeated sticking and skipping. I worked and worked on these patches until my admittedly limited supply of patience gave out. Exasperated, I turned instead to a Böhm-Berlin Philharmonic recording of the Missa Solemnis. And as soon as I finished transferring that performance, I discovered that DG had reissued it on CD, much to my surprise. (Since when did DG Originals reissue mono recordings?)

So I returned to this record with renewed determination and have been able to eradicate all the bad patches with the exception of one skip. (I apologize for that.)

What you will find upon listening is a well played and notably well sung performance with little of the solo squalling that often is heard in the symphony's fourth movement. And it is nicely recorded except for the usual close-ups on the soloists (and the triangle) in the final movement.

I believe this was recorded near the end of Böhm's tenure as director of the Vienna State Opera.

As for the hands on the cover, I'm not sure what they are supposed to signify. As far as I know, Bohm did not have two right hands, and the bony fingers are much more reminiscent of Otto Klemperer (at left) than Böhm.

REMASTERED VERSION - OCTOBER 2014

Beethoven from Vienna and Böhm

Come Wednesday, this blog will have been around for two years. I thought it might be time to feature some artists who are favorites of mine, but have not made an appearance yet.

So here we have conductor Karl Böhm and the Vienna Philharmonic, who both are on my most admired list. In fact, in my classical records room, Böhm is the only conductor with his own section.

Am I passionate about Böhm the way some are passionate about Furtwängler or Toscanini? Not really. Do I think this is the greatest performance of Beethoven's eighth symphony I have heard? No, I don't (although I am not one for anointing things as the best or greatest). So why do I want to play the record again as soon as it is done? Not completely sure, but in my experience Böhm's recordings always feature excellent balances, a rich but not overly plush sound (of course, recording with the VPO helps!) and an understated approach that always seems just right to me.

Böhm had a reputation for being a little cranky and pedantic, and some find him dull. (I looked up the Gramophone review of this LP, and sure enough, the reviewer thought it was uninspired.) I read his autobiography years ago, and it betrayed a man with no interest in self-analysis, reading like a very extended press release.

So if you listen, you may wonder why I am so enthusiastic. If so, you'll just have to indulge me - hey, it's my second anniversary here!

This very well recorded 10-inch LP was taped in the Musikvereinsaal in May of 1953.

REMASTERED VERSION - OCTOBER 2014