The Maestro of Modernity: Leopold Stokowski and the Transformation of Orchestral Sound

1. Leopold Stokowski: A Maestro of Musical Interpretation
   1. Stokowski’s Orchestral Palette
   2. Unveiling Stokowski’s Late Works
   3. Symphony Showcases: Brahms and Mendelssohn
   4. Schumann’s Symphony No.2: A Stokowski Interpretation
2. Exploring Stokowski’s Transcription-Encores
   1. Capturing Tchaikovsky’s Aura
3. Q&A Section
   1. Q1: What defines Stokowski’s approach to conducting?
   2. Q2: How does Stokowski’s late work differ from his earlier recordings?
   3. Q3: What distinguishes Stokowski’s transcription-encores?
4. Where to buy Loepold Stokowski recordings?
5. Want to know more about Leopold Stokowski?
6. Listen to Leopold Stokowski FLAC recordings

Leopold Stokowski: A Maestro of Musical Interpretation

Leopold Stokowski, a name synonymous with innovation and controversy in the realm of classical music, left an indelible mark on the orchestral landscape of the 20th century. Revered by some as a magician and master colorist, and criticized by others as whimsical or even charlatan, Stokowski’s approach to conducting was nothing short of singular. His career spanned decades, marked by a relentless pursuit of pushing musical boundaries and eliciting intense, vibrant performances from his orchestras.

Stokowski’s Orchestral Palette

One of Stokowski’s most notable traits was his penchant for interventionist conducting. He was known to deviate from the notated score, implementing wholesale changes in orchestration, cuts, and even re-writing sections of pieces. While this approach garnered both admiration and skepticism, there’s no denying the vividness he brought to music, thrilling audiences with his expressive interpretations and rich orchestral textures.

Unveiling Stokowski’s Late Works

Cala’s dedication to preserving Stokowski’s legacy is evident in their recent releases, showcasing the maestro’s late works recorded in the 1970s. These recordings offer a glimpse into Stokowski’s later years, capturing his enduring passion and vitality despite his advanced age.

Symphony Showcases: Brahms and Mendelssohn

In the recordings of Brahms’ Symphony No.2 and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.4, Stokowski’s interpretative flair is on full display. While some may note occasional imperfections in ensemble playing, the spontaneity and orchestral blend he achieves are undeniable. Stokowski’s attention to detail and emphasis on phrasing breathe new life into these beloved symphonies, showcasing his unwavering commitment to musical expression.

Schumann’s Symphony No.2: A Stokowski Interpretation

Stokowski’s rendition of Schumann’s Symphony No.2 is marked by moments of brilliance and occasional eccentricity. Despite some mannerisms that may raise eyebrows, his interpretation captures the essence of Schumann’s writing, navigating its complexities with eloquence and depth. From the soaring melodies to the intricate filigree detail, Stokowski’s grasp of the symphony’s design is evident throughout.

Exploring Stokowski’s Transcription-Encores

Stokowski’s penchant for orchestral spectacle is perhaps best exemplified in his transcription-encores. From Debussy’s poetic piano pieces to Shostakovich’s foreboding prelude, each transcription bears Stokowski’s signature flair, offering a unique perspective on these beloved compositions. While some may find his interpretations bombastic or soupy, there’s no denying the sheer audacity and creativity behind Stokowski’s arrangements.

Championing the New and the Familiar:

Stokowski wasn’t just a masterful interpreter of established repertoire; he was a passionate advocate for contemporary music. His recordings of works by Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev, like the monumental “Gurre-Lieder” (1932), were groundbreaking at the time and remain valuable historical documents.

However, his interpretations of familiar classics are equally noteworthy. His renditions of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” (1954) and Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony (1954) showcase his ability to imbue well-known pieces with fresh energy and emotional depth.

The Art of Sonic Sculpting:

Stokowski’s approach to conducting transcended mere baton technique. He meticulously sculpted the sound of his orchestra, employing innovative seating arrangements, experimenting with early recording technology, and emphasizing long, flowing string lines. This approach is evident in his recordings of Debussy’s “La Mer” (1930) and Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” (from “Fantasia,” 1940), where the orchestra takes on a shimmering, otherworldly quality.

Starting Your Stokowski Journey:

If you’re new to Stokowski, there are several excellent collections to begin with. “The Essential Leopold Stokowski” offers a diverse selection across various composers and periods. For those interested in experiencing the “sonic Stokowski” in all its glory, recordings like “Stokowski: Showpieces” (featuring works like “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”) are a great starting point.

Capturing Tchaikovsky’s Aura

The final CD in Cala’s collection juxtaposes Tchaikovsky’s grandeur with Stokowski’s inventive flair. While Stokowski’s interpretation of Aurora’s Wedding may polarize listeners with its reverberant recording, his skillful conducting brings out the music’s voltage and charisma. Despite the challenges posed by the recording environment, Stokowski’s vision shines through, offering a tantalizing glimpse into his musical world.

Q&A Section

Q1: What defines Stokowski’s approach to conducting?

A1: Stokowski’s approach is characterized by interventionist conducting, often deviating from the notated score to introduce wholesale changes in orchestration and phrasing. His goal was to elicit intense, vibrant performances from his orchestras, pushing the boundaries of traditional interpretation.

Q2: How does Stokowski’s late work differ from his earlier recordings?

A2: In his later years, Stokowski’s passion and vitality remained undiminished, despite his advanced age. His late recordings showcase a continued commitment to musical expression, with a focus on capturing the essence of each composition through innovative orchestral textures and interpretative flair.

Q3: What distinguishes Stokowski’s transcription-encores?

A3: Stokowski’s transcription-encores reflect his penchant for orchestral spectacle, offering bold reinterpretations of familiar compositions. From Debussy’s poetic piano pieces to Tchaikovsky’s grand orchestral scores, each transcription bears Stokowski’s signature flair, showcasing his creativity and audacity as a conductor and arranger.

Where to buy Loepold Stokowski recordings?

On amazon, of course: Buy Leopold Stokowski CDs / LPs / Digital Recordings

Want to know more about Leopold Stokowski?

1. Leopold Stokowski on wikipedia EN
2. Leopold Stokowski on wikipedia IT
3. Biografie – Leopold Stokowski
4. Leopold Stokowski | Classical Music, Orchestral …
5. Stokowski, Leopold nell’Enciclopedia Treccani
6. Leopold Stokowski(1882-1977)
7. Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977): “Le mani espressive di …
8. Leopold Stokowski

Listen to Leopold Stokowski FLAC recordings

Listen to Leopold Stokowski FLAC recordings

Richard Wagner Die Walkure 1955 Keilberth Joseph @432hz FLAC

Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele conducted by Joseph Keiiberth at Festspielhaus Bayreuih, 25/07/1955

https://odysee.com/@CiboVivo:3/Wagner-Walkure-1955-Keilberth-Joseph–432hz-flac:4

Wotan……………………………………………………………….Hans Hotter
Siegmund…………………………………………………………..Ramon Vinay
Hunding…………………………………………………………….Josef Greindl
Fricka……………………………………………………………… Georgine von Milinkovic
Gerhilde…………………………………………………………….Hertha Wilfert
Heimwige…………………………………………………………..Hilde Scheppan
Waltraute…………………………………………………………..Elisabeth Schartel
Schwertleite……………………………………………………….Maria von llosvay
Ortlinde……………………………………………………………..Gerda Lammers
Siegrune…………………………………………………………….Jean Watson
Grimgerde………………………………………………………….Georgine von Milinkovic
RoBweiBe …………………………………………………………Maria Graf

There is always a “plus” when taking live sound, even if the sound is less perfect, it is the feeling “to be there” and the commitment of the singers.
The fifties are considered a golden age of Bayreuth, with a skewer of recurring singers, including all who are here. No need to present them individually, they are all among the best that has been heard in these roles. Keilberth himself came several summers in a row (and there are testimonies of it: 1952, 1954).
This is the second distribution in the summer of 1955, the August series. I did sosucrit otu to Savinien’s earlier comment for Amazon. The July one is broadcast by the firm Testament, in a complete Tetralogy. Little change distribution except that Varnay moves from Brunnhilde to Sieglinde. As a result, it is Modl who endorses the armor of the Walkyrie: we stay there at “hovering” levels. I fully agree with the previous comment.
The Sieglinde and Siegmund de Varnay and Vinay are not young heroes, they are already very marked by life. Greindl is the perfect bully. Modl is an already human Walkyrie, even before she lost her status as an immortal. Hotter is THE Wotan of the period of the microfurrow disc; live it is poignant. The only weak point for me is Milinkovic’s Fricka, I heard better for this goddess, wounded but sure woman and proud of her rank (Christa Ludwig, for example).
The sound is excellent, especially for singers, the orchestra is in the background, coming out of this famous “mystical abyss.

You will have understood that any wagnerophile will want to have this version, in addition to all the other “live” Bayreuth.

Play Listing:

CD 1

1. Die Walkure: Prelude (Vorspiel) (Act One)
2. Wes Herd dies auch sei (Act One, Scene One)
3. Kuhlende Labung gab mir
4. Mud am Herd fand ich den Mann (Act One, Scene Two)
5. Friedmund darf ich nicht heissen
6. Aus dem Wald trieb es mich fort
7. Ich weiss ein wildes Geschlect (Hunding)
8. Ein Schwert werhiess mir der Vater (Siegmund) (Act One, Scene Three)
9. Schlafst du, Gast? (Sieglinde/Siegmund)
10. Wintersturme wichen dem wonnermond (Siegmund)
11. Du bist der Lenz
12. Wehwalt heisst du furwahr? (Sielinde/Siegmund)

CD 2

1. Prelude (Vorspiel) (Act Two)
2. Nun zaume dein Ross (Wotan/Brunnhilde) (Act Two , Scene One)
3. Der alte Sturm (Wotan/Frica)
4. So ist es denn aus mit den weigen Gottern (Frica)
5. Nichts lerntest du
6. Was verlangst du? (Wotan/Fricka/Brunnhilde)
7. Schlimm, furcht’ ich, schloss der Streit (Brunnhilde/Wotan) (Act Two, Scene Two)
8. Was keinem in Worten ich kunde
9. Ein andres ist’s (Wotan/Brunnhilde)
10. O sag, kunde (Brunnhilde/Wotan)
11. Raste nun hier (Act Two, Scene Three)
12. Hinweg! Hinweg ! (Siegmund/Sieglinde)

CD 3

1. Siegmund ! Sieh’ auf mich! (Act Two, Scene Four)
2. Hehr bist du, und heilig gewaht’ich
3. So wenig achtest du ewige Wonne? (Brunnhilde/Siegmund)
4. Zauberfest bezahmt ein Schlaf(Siegmund)(Act Two, Scene Five)
5. Kehrte der Vater nur heim ! (Sieglinde/Hunding/Siegmund/Brunnhilde/Wotan)
6. Prelude – Hojotoho! Hojotoho! (Die acht Walkuren)
7. Schuzt mich und helft (Brunnhilde/Die acht Walkuren) (Act Three, Scene One)
8. Nicht sehre dich Sorge um mich (Sieglinde/Brunnhilde/Waltraute/ortlinde/Die acht Walkuren
9. Steh, Brunnhild’! (Wotan/Die acht Walkuren/Brunnhilde)
10. Wo is Brunnhild’ (Wotan/Die acht Walkuren) (Act Three, Scene Two)
11. Hier bin ich, Vater (Brunnhilde/Wotan)
12. Wehe ! Weh’! Schwester (Die acht Walkuren/Brunnhilde/Wotan)

CD 4

1. War es so schmahlich (Act Three, Scene Three)
2. Nicht weise bin ich
3. So tatest du
4. Du zeugtest ein edles Geschlect (Brunnhilde/Wotan)
5. Leb wohl, du kuhnes, herrliches Kind !
6. Denn einer nur freie die Braut
7. Loge, hor! Lausche hieher ! (Wotan)

Bonus:

8. Tannhäuser – Overtüre
9. Erste Aufzug – Erste Szene – Venusberg Bacchanal – Naht Euch dem Strande!
10. Dritte Aufzug – Zweite Szene – Daemm’rung deckt die Lande… O Du, Dein holde Abendstern
11. Dritte Szene – Ich hoerte Harfenschlag – Wie klang er traurig!

Time Timing: 4h 06′ 47”

Beethoven Symphonies 9 / 5 + Schoenberg A Survivor From Warsaw – Erich Leinsdorf / Placido Domingo / Boston Symphony Orchestra @432hz

Free listening in FLAC quality and Free Download in FLAC:
https://odysee.com/@CiboVivo:3/Schoenberg-Warsaw—Beethoven-9th-Symphony—BSO,-Leinsdorf-1969:b

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Erich Leinsdorf’s stint as music director of the Boston Symphony lasted from 1962 through 1969; these recordings were made at the very end of his tenure and they are glorious. The performance of the Ninth Symphony is lean, beautifully articulated and powerful, rather in the manner of Toscanini, Szell or Reiner. But unlike other, to my ears rather impersonal sounding Leinsdorf/BSO Beethoven symphony recordings, here the conductor seems thoroughly engaged with the music. And undoubtedly that is the result of the brilliant theatrical stroke of preceding the performance of Beethoven’s paean to triumphant humanism with Schoenberg’s shattering little cantata about the Holocaust. Leinsdorf insisted that this juxtaposition, one he had devised for his final public appearance as BSO Music Director at Tanglewood, should also appear on his recording of the Beethoven symphony. And it is positively chilling how the Schoenberg seems to fade into the opening string tremolos of Beethoven’s so-familiar first movement. Once you experience Leinsdorf’s performance of these two masterpieces you will never hear either the same way again. (I especially recommend the experience to those for whom the Ninth has become perhaps too familiar.) An amazing, unique experience. Sound quality is superb, completely living up to BMG’s promotional hype about its 96/24 remastering process.

Like another reviewer noted, Leinsdorf’s reading of this seminal work is lean and propulsive. It is far from routine as so many cookie-cutter performances are like Previn  Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 ~ Previn  or Dohnányi  Beethoven: Symphony No. 9  , or overly brittle like much of Szell’s Beethoven can be. I owned this newer release of the performance but ended-up selling it because I had absolutely no interest in the Schoenberg discmate. Instead, I purchased the Victrola reissue very inexpensively and in very acceptable sound  Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 “Choral” . No one investing in this recording should be disappointed. Highly recommended.

This recording of the towering Ninth is a revelation–not in spite of, but BECAUSE of Leinsdorf’s ability to get out of the way and let Beethoven be heard! I’m sick to death of having overzealous conductors drop anvils on my head to demonstrate the effects of their supposedly “inspired” deep thoughts on this work. If there’s a composer whose work doesn’t require the conductor to turn to the listener as if to say, “See? This part right here is significant!”, it’s Beethoven. Leinsdorf neither pushes nor drags; he may not be trying to provide the greatest “depth”, but he also isn’t boring us to death–a trend that started with Otto Klemperer, a well-documented manic depressive who made far too many recordings during his depressive periods and far too few during his manic periods. I like the way Leinsdorf varies the dynamics in the cantabile passages in the second movement, which helps it move, and the tympani are FOR ONCE not suppressed! He keeps the third movement moving (if there’s one thing I hate, it’s passing out and waking up to find the third movement is STILL going on like a bad day at work). And then there’s the finale, where Sherrill Milnes and Placido Domingo blend like chocolate and darker chocolate (which they would do for next two decades), both because of the sounds they make and their incredible skill at ensemble. Their dark tones and careful shading cover the passages where some awful, discordant sounds often emerge when the soprano is suddenly exposed or the principals are scaling in different directions–painful if you have a rather dry, sharp-toned tenor and a too-dark mezzo coupled with a wooly basso and a screechy soprano. This is a very well matched, blended, highly skilled ensemble of principal singers who for once don’t sound like they met up ten minutes before the recording–the best sung Ninth you’re likely to hear. I’ve heard too many versions where the singers are singing well but sound like they are on different planets.

I don’t know what another reviewer was getting at in saying Milnes is not a good enough vocal actor to put Schoenberg’s Warsaw piece over. It’s not an operatic role nor a standard accompanied narration, it’s a cantata-like sprechstimme (speech-singing) piece meant to dramatize terrible events that are actually depicted by the music. “Acting” it adds little value for a lot of effort, and whatever there is to be added that supposedly isn’t provided by Milnes is not something I’d search the catalog for to in the hope of acquiring a mythical better version of this short piece. It’s not like Sherrill Milnes was muttering to himself in this version!

The remastering has excellent sound and adds a little boom to what was already a well recorded and spacious LP issue; the previous CD issue was a bit more remote in sound and cut the Schoenberg.

This recording was made in April 1969 following the farewell concert of Erich Leinsdorf as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra with the same programme. For that ocasion Maestro Leinsdorf choose Beethoven’s 9th preceded with Schoenberg’s short but dramatic and intense work. This is a demonstration of Leinsdorf as a smart concert scheduler: both works speak on freedom and human rights, besides the great differences in motivation and inspiration. The results are terrible. Sherril Milnes as narrator in A Survivor form Warsaw frezees one’s blood, exposing al terror from the nazis invading the Jewish ghetto (it is told that Schoenberg heard the story from an actual survivor and composed the work on it). Leinsdorf’s Beethoven is a well paced, classic performance. You will not find here spectacular sounds, just an honest and exact performance with great sound form the Bostonians in a very german style. Timpani have a great presence and execution, also the chorus and the soloists. Besides, this is the first Ninth sung by Domingo, then an ascending star in the opera arena who had just signed an RCA contract. Recording is clear, wide and detailed.

The only recording in which the great tenor Domingo sings the ninth solo. Furthermore, “The Survival of Warsaw,” which I don’t have a chance to listen to easily, has also been made up for it. The combination of a tragic chorus song and a “song of delight” is valuable. It’s the essential ninth performance, but it’s the ninth standard in the analog stereo era for me, who is a favorite of Rheinsdorf and Boston Hibiki.

From the first movement to the third movement, Rheinsdorf’s skills as a symphony conductor are clearly understood. In the fourth movement with vocal music, “Oh, Rheinsdorf is a person from the opera.”It is stunning to be painstakingly.The choir is excellent, and the solo, especially the male voice, is amazing.It should be that, too, Sheryl Milns and Placid Domingo.

Revel, who likes Rheinsdorf, is already familiar with the decision-making of the various songs in the book of things.So, I will briefly introduce the “Rheinsdorf Board” that I caught, which is not hard to obtain and is easy to priced.

1. Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, which he wrote first.Both domestic and imported the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra are excellent.
2) Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, recorded with Richter at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
3. Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Perlman.
4. Hit at Puccini’s Turandot (
“Leinsdorf, Turandot”) at the Roman State Opera.(Björrink, Nilsson, and Tebaldi!).
5. Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky and Sibelius, who swung the Boston Symphony Orchestra in concert with Perlman (22 years old at Perlman).This is why only hits “Sibelius, Perlman”).

( Orchestra is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 with Lazare Bellman.

For 5, for some reason Sibelius has led a lack of propulsion, and this may be the reason why this is said to be “inevitable”.6 It is not without the tendency of “rare edition”, but its responsibility is due to the difference in the Auftact sense of Bellman (at the end of the same board there is a live in Carnegie Hall of Beethoven’s “Tragic Sonata”(but the audience’s puzzled applause is interesting), Rheinsdorf is just Rheinsdorf.

Arnold Schoenberg: Evolution from Tonality

Beethoven Op. 125 Symphony 9 “Choral” André Cluytens, Berlin Philarmonic, 1958, HQ MP3, 432HZ

Listen to: Beethoven  Op. 125 Symphony 9 “Choral”   André Cluytens, Berlin Philarmonic, 1958, HQ MP3, 432HZ (For download link and track list scroll down)

Eric Zuesse comment about Cluytens version of Beethoven Symphonies:

For decades, I considered this set, tied along with Konwitschny’s, to be one of the two best Beethoven 9 Symphonies sets ever recorded; but, as the decades passed, I found myself increasingly preferring this one even over the Konwitschny; and here is why:

First of all, I should make clear that both sets wear better with each successive hearing, and both are monumental and devoid of mannerisms, or of any pretenses or straining for effects. Furthermore, unlike either of the 1950’s & 1960’s Karajan sets (first with the Philharmonia, and then with the Berlin Phil.), both the Cluytens and the Konwitschny sets communicate the deep humanity and warmth of Beethoven, and aren’t at all steely cold. So, that’s a considerable advantage over Karajan’s style.

Ultimately, however, what makes this set the best are two things: First, that the conducting projects both the Germanic and the Belgian (Flemish or ‘Dutch’) cultural backgrounds of the composer (both of which cultures are strongly present in Beethoven’s music); and, second, that at the time when these recordings were made, the Berlin Philharmonic was the world’s greatest orchestra and had the ideal rich and resonant sound for performing Beethoven. By contrast, Konwitschny was strictly Germanic, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra was merely a great German orchestra, not the ideal sound for Beethoven, which was the Berlin Philharmonic during the 1950s.

Cluytens in this set introduced himself to the world as an astounding Beethoven conductor, after a career which had previously focused upon French music. This Belgian conductor had unfortunately become typecast as French because he built his career in Paris, but then in the 1950’s he conducted several times at Bayreuth, and soon became recognized as a very great conductor of German music. EMI’s Walter Legge had discovered him (along with Karajan and Klemperer) right after WWII, and mistakenly categorized him as EMI’s French specialist, but after Cluytens’s recognition at Bayreuth, Legge rectified his error by commissioning Cluytens to do this complete Beethoven set. Unlike with Karajan and Klemperer, whose EMI/Angel sets were performed with Legge’s own Philharmonia Orchestra, Cluytens was granted to perform these symphonies with the world’s greatest orchestra at the time, the Berlin Philharmonic. This was before Karajan had had the opportunity to transform this orchestra (after being named in 1956 as the Berlin Phil.’s permanent conductor) into the sleek hard machine they subsequently became. Under Cluytens, they were still the orchestra of Artur Nikisch and Wilhelm Furtwangler, with a deep, resonant and somber tone, which was perfect for Beethoven. Cluytens brought out their fullest glory, before Karajan took over and transformed the orchestra into the cold hard steel machine they subsequently became.

The tone here is golden, but with deeply shaded hues, as if from the forests, with brilliant beams of light shining through — perfect for Beethoven.

Cluytens’s style is perfect for this orchestra, and for Beethoven’s music: Everything noble comes forth to the maximum, with a stunning naturalness and lack of strain. Unlike, for example, Furtwangler, who raced climaxes in order to excite the listener, Cluytens is breathing deeply and steadily in the climaxes just as in the quiet passages, always calm no matter how loudly he is playing. There is a hypnotic effect that is at least the equal of Karajan at his best.

One of the reviewers said that Cluytens was least good on the Ninth, but, to the exact contrary, that was the symphony which I first knew from this set, before the complete Cluytens set was even issued, and I immediately recognized this performance of the Ninth as being among the most noble, radiant, hypnotic, and glorious, in the entire catalog. This recording enabled me to recognize that Cluytens was, without a doubt, one of the greatest of all conductors, and so I eagerly looked forward to hearing his complete set. Another reviewer said that the great orchestral sound here reflected Karajan’s influence; but Karajan had actually just taken the orchestra over at the time, and the sound that you hear on this set reflects the Berlin Philharmonic before Karajan transformed it away from what it had been, which was the world’s greatest orchestra. This set does not reflect the Karajan sound. It is much better than that. Karajan was a very great conductor, but he preferred a hard, steely, sound, and that’s not what you’ll hear on this set, which reflects instead the pre-Karajan Berlin Philharmonic. What had been the world’s greatest orchestra didn’t remain that way under Karajan, who turned it into just another sleek machine. The Cluytens set reflects the Berlin Philharmonic at its pinnacle.

The more that I heard each of these performances, the more that I came to revere each one, and I ultimately concluded that no recorded studio performance of any of these symphonies is better than the performance in the present set. Not only is this set the best ever recorded, but on most of the symphonies, the performance is at least tied with the best ever recorded, and that’s a spectacular achievement.

The First Symphony is as good as Karajan’s Berlin recording of it, but even better in its warmth, which contrasts with Karajan’s coldness. Only Konwitschny matches Cluytens here.

The Second Symphony is as good as Swarowsky’s and as Konwitschny’s, and I prefer all three to Karajan’s two recordings of the work.

The Cluytens Beethoven Third, “Eroica,” is certainly among the greatest in the catalog, along with von Matacic and the Czech Phil., and perhaps even better than any of the other fine recordings of this work, by Karajan-Berlin, Swarowsky, and Konwitschny. Whereas most performances of the Eroica fall apart in the final movement, Cluytens’s interpretation does not; it just keeps the pulse going, strong and steady to the very end.

The Cluytens Fourth is at least the equal of the other great performances of the work, by Swarowsky, Konwitschny, and Karajan-Berlin.

The Cluytens Fifth is likewise on a par with the other great studio recordings of this masterpiece, along with Karajan’s 1946 Vienna Philharmonic recording (which is the most visceral), and Swarowsky’s South German Philharmonic recording (which is the most severe). Cluytens makes the music glow with warmth and deep humanity, nothing at all harsh, but still retaining full monumentality, perhaps the most Beethoven-like of all recordings. As opposed to the wildness of the Karajan-Vienna, or the severe and unwavering tension of the Swarowsky, we have here a grace and civility that don’t diminish this work’s power one bit. There is only one performance that’s probably better than any of these, and it’s the live one by Konwitschny on Weltblick, paired with an equally stunning live Beethoven Seventh. Those two Konwitschny performances are superior even to his superb studio recordings of those two symphonies that are in the complete Konwitschny/Beethoven Symphony set, and his live Beethoven Fifth is everything that anyone could hope for in a performance of this magnificent work. That Konwitchny Beethoven performance is the best ever recorded.

The Sixth, “Pastorale,” is also at least the equal of the other great recorded performances of this work, which are the four recordings of it by Swarowsky.

The Seventh has only one equal: Konwitschny’s live performance on Weltblick. However, others are close behind these two: Leinsdorf with the Rochester Philharmonic, Karajan with the Philharmonia, Konwitschny’s studio recording, and Giulini with the Chicago Sym.

The Eighth is one of the three best, along with Karajan’s 1948 Vienna Phil. recording, and Swarowsky’s.

There are perhaps a larger number of great recorded performances of the Beethoven Ninth than of any other work: Cluytens, Karajan (Vienna 1948), Swarowsky, Konwitschny, Neumann, Matacic, and Bohm (Vienna 1980), might each be considered the best, though each in different ways. I prefer the Cluytens overall, but barely, because it seems to me to have the best combination of monumentality, warmth, and a mystical trance.

Unfortunately, Cluytens got cancer and died at the age of 62, shortly after completing this set. If he had lived an additional twenty years, he would have come to be recognized as one of the greatest conductors who ever lived, and as the supreme master on Beethoven, for whose music he possessed a very special personal affinity. Oddly, French music, on which he had built his reputation, was far less suited to his temperament. His premature death was an immense loss for the musical world, and this set was the pinnacle of his entire career, easily the best complete Beethoven set, even better than Konwitschny’s.

Listen to: Beethoven  Op. 125 Symphony 9 “Choral”   André Cluytens, Berlin Philarmonic, 1958, HQ MP3, 432HZ

Download:

Track List:

01 – Symphonie Nr. 9 – I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso.mp3
02 – Symphonie Nr. 9 – II. Molto vivace. – Presto.mp3
03 – Symphonie Nr. 9 – III. Adagio molto e cantabile. – Andante moderato.mp3
04 – Symphonie Nr. 9 – IV. Finale. Hymne an die Freude.mp3

Bach, J.S. – BWV 988: Clavierübung, Goldberg Variations (1955, Glenn Gould, HQ MP3, 432hz)

Listen to : Bach, J.S. – BWV 988: Clavierübung, Goldberg Variations (1955, Glenn Gould, HQ MP3, 432hz)

The “Goldberg” Variations is the last of a series of keyboard music Bach published under the title of Clavierübung, and is often regarded as the most serious and ambitious composition ever written for harpsichord. Based on a single ground bass theme, the variations display not only Bach’s exceptional knowledge of diverse styles of music of the day but also his exquisite performing techniques. Being also the largest of all clavier pieces published during the Baroque period, the work soars high above others in terms of its encyclopaedic character. From this, it is often considered that it sums up the entire history of Baroque variation, the Diabelli Variations by Beethoven being the Classical counterpart. However, doomed perhaps by its requirements of virtuoso techniques from a performer, it was not as popularly known as the Well-Tempered Clavier, which was not even published during the composer’s lifetime. Nonetheless, the work has long been regarded as the most important set of variations composed in the Baroque era: in 1774 Johann Philipp Kirnberger, one of Bach’s pupils, referred to it as “the best variations”, while in 1802 Johann Nicolaus Forkel, the author of the first ever biography of J. S. Bach, praised the work as the “model, according to which all variations should be made”.

Listen to : Bach, J.S. – BWV 988: Clavierübung, Goldberg Variations (1955, Glenn Gould, HQ MP3, 432hz)

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Track List:

01. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ I. Aria.mp3
02. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ II. Variation 1.mp3
03. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ III. Variation 2.mp3
04. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ IV. Variation 3.mp3
05. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ V. Variation 4.mp3
06. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ VI. Variation 5.mp3
07. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ VII. Variation 6.mp3
08. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ VIII. Variation 7.mp3
09. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ IX. Variation 8.mp3
10. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ X. Variation 9.mp3
11. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XI. Variation 10.mp3
12. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XII. Variation 11.mp3
13. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XIII. Variation 12.mp3
14. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XIV. Variation 13.mp3
15. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XV. Variation 14.mp3
16. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XVI. Variation 15.mp3
17. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XVII. Variation 16.mp3
18. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XVIII. Variation 17.mp3
19. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XIX. Variation 18.mp3
20. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XX. Variation 19.mp3
21. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXI. Variation 20.mp3
22. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXII. Variation 21.mp3
23. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXIII. Variation 22.mp3
24. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXIV. Variation 23.mp3
25. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXV. Variation 24.mp3
26. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXVI. Variation 25.mp3
27. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXVII. Variation 26.mp3
28. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXVIII. Variation 27.mp3
29. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXIX. Variation 28.mp3
30. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXX. Variation 29.mp3
31. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXXI. Variation 30.mp3
32. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988_ XXXII. Aria (reprise).mp3