The Master andthe Tyrant
The Fifties and Sixties were a golden age for classical recordings on both sides of the pond. The advent of stereo allowed excellent, concert-hall quality sound, and, as RCA’s wonderful second Living Stereo set attests, there were great musicians in abundance to make the most of it.
Arthur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz were two of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Both feature here, especially Rubinstein, who contributes an alert and compelling Beethoven concerto cycle with the Austrian maestro Josef Krips that disproves the suggestion Rubinstein wasn’t a natural Beethoven pianist.
No one, however, denied his authority in Chopin. The two-CD set included here of the complete Nocturnes has never been bettered. Stir in stuff like the Grieg Piano
Concerto and some brilliantly turned encore pieces, and his contribution alone is worth the modest price of this set: €65 for 60 CDs!
Among the leading conductors in the US during this period were the tyrannical Fritz Reiner, in Chicago, and the charming Alsatian, Charles Munch, in Boston. Both are in fine form here in romantic repertoire that will appeal to all tastes, and where the remastering confirms the excellence of the original recordings.
There are also other pieces of historical significance. For instance, the US debut of the brilliant Soviet pianist Sviatoslav Richter in a Brahms Second that has never been surpassed, and Aaron Copland conducting his own Appalachian Spring. Add in four complete operas – Tosca with Jussi Björling and Otello with Jon Vickers, as well as Lucia and
Barber Of Seville –and a lifetime of listening pleasure awaits.
Reiner worked with Strauss in Dresden for seven years from 1914, and was an ardent disciple, even down to employing the same minute but clear beat as Strauss, who, as well as being a great composer, was one of Europe’s finest conductors. ‘The audience should get hot, not the conductor,’ Strauss advised; advice Reiner took. This is a mixed bag in which the Chicago recordings stand out, and there is some duplication, but at about €25 for 11 CDs, it’s an irresistible bargain.
Perhaps of even greater historical significance is the Decca reissue of recordings made by Clemens Krauss with the Vienna Philharmonic, from 1950 until his death, aged 61, in 1954. Captured here in clear though hardly opulent sound are seven symphonic poems, including Heldenleben and Don Quixote, and an excellent, complete Salome.
No better set will be issued in this, Strauss’s 150th year, which is following a predictable course; not much new stuff, but unmissable reissues. This set costs €20.