Erich Kleiber's Staatskapelle Berlin recordings, 1927-1928

I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I really love historic recordings. They give me a romantic “historic sensation” of listening to the same sounds as someone who bought these recordings a long time ago. Just like old books, they transport me to a different era.

With YouTube and Spotify, the amount of historic recordings available is staggering. What you miss, though, is the physical 78 rpm disc and some of the romanticism that comes with it. But at least you have the chance to hear rare records like these 1927-1928 recordings of conductor Erich Kleiber (1890-1956). He is now mainly known as “the father of” Carlos Kleiber, but he was a well-respected “kapellmeister” in his own time, with a focus on the works of Richard Strauss and Alban Berg. The latter displeased the Nazis, which was one of the reasons he immigrated to Argentina in 1936.

A 3-CD box with historical recordings can be a bit overwhelming, so I made a 50-minute selection of the performances I liked best. A thrilling Johann Strauss Fledermaus overture, matched by one of the best performances I know of Rossini’s William Tell overture. I chose the 1928 recording of Smetana’s Moldau. It is sonically less “open” than the 1927 recording, but it has some thrilling moments. The Merry Wives of Windsor by German composer Otto Nicolai and the Roman Carnival overture by Berlioz complete this set. I hope you will enjoy this selection!

The metadata is: 

Track 1 JOHANN STRAUSS II (1825–1899) Die Fledermaus – Overture

Staatskapelle Berlin, Spring 1927.

Track 2 GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792–1868) William Tell – Overture

Staatskapelle Berlin, July 1927

Track 3 BEDŘICH SMETANA (1824–1884) Vltava (Die Moldau) from Má vlast

Staatskapelle Berlin, April - December 1928

Track 4 OTTO NICOLAI (1810–1849) The Merry Wives of Windsor – Overture

Staatskapelle Berlin, June 1927

Track 5 HECTOR BERLIOZ (1803–1869) Roman carnival overture – Overture, Op. 9

Staatskapelle Berlin, 1927

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Oat7voRVKzWE665Zw0Jyj?si=f7880c17a61f448b(HTTP link)

One of the original 78 rpm sides. 

Hyperion's Hummel, the string quartets op. 30 by the Delmé quartet.

Recently, I bought a second-hand CD player. 😊 Although I had tossed out many items (they all went to the local radio station of the hospital in Delft), I still have enough albums that I enjoyed for a long time. Such as this Hyperion CD with the string quartets of Mozart’s pupil Johann Nepomuk Hummel. His opus 30 string quartets, composed around 1803, were a reaction to Beethoven’s opus 18 string quartets from 1801. The “own voice” of Hummel is especially notable in the menuettos of the quartets. Jumpy, unexpected twists and an own harmonic language (admired by Robert Schumann, no less) give these movements an unmistakable autograph by the composer. I hope you will enjoy these works as much as I did over the past years.

Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)

-String Quartet In C Major, Op 30 No 1:

1 Adagio E Mesto – Allegro Ma Non Troppo

2 Menuetto: Allegro Assai

3 Adagio E Cantabile

4 Allegro Vivace

-String Quartet In G Major, Op 30 No 2:

5 Allegro Con Brio

6 Andante: Grazioso

7 Menuetto: Allegro Con Fuoco

8 Finale: Vivace 4:43

-String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op 30 No 3:

9 Allegro Con Spirito

10 Andante

11 Allemande E Alternativo

12 Finale: Presto

The Delmé quartet:

Violins – Galina Solodchin, John Trusler

Viola – John Underwood

Cello – Jonathan Williams

Recorded on 9–11 September 1991

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/58XPkmA6BoXImmnIfSqY6g?si=c1e3e8e8c1694e2b
(HTTP link to the playlist)

My cherished copy of this CD 😉

Father and son Kantorow in Saint-Saens

Having watched the semi-finals of the Queen Elisabeth violin competition in Brussels, I noticed that the conductor there was Jean-Jacques Kantorow. As he was a solo-violinist for many years, he was a perfect accompanist for all the candidates in that contest. Almost at the same time someone attended me to a new CD by his piano playing son Alexandre Kantorow, who performed three of the five piano concerto’s bij Saint-Saens. Very fine performances and the not so often recorded third receives the best and most convincing performance I have ever heard! I thought it would be a nice idea to combine Jean-Jacques Kantorow’s recording of violin works by Saint-Saens with the new recording of him and his son.

Track 01-03 Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 29 (1869)

Track 04-06 Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61 (1880)

Track 07-08 Piano Concerto No.4 in C minor, Op. 44 (1875)

Track 09 Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse, Op.52 (for violin and orchestra, 1872)

Track 10 Caprice andalous, Op.122 (for violin and orchestra, 1904)

Track 11 Prélude from ‘Le déluge’, Op.45 (1875)

Track 12-14 Piano Concerto No.5 in F major, Op. 103, ‘L’Égyptien’ (1896)

Tapiola Sinfonietta

Alexandre Kantorow, piano (Tracks 01-03, 07-08 and12-14)

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin (Tracks 04-06, 09,10 and 11)

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, conductor (Tracks 01-03, 07-08 and 12-14)

Kees Bakels, conductor (Tracks 04-06, 09,10 and 11)

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/0Bjw0wmeA0ZiA1YAlr85xZ?si=Pr-D2kAPSsqNUSu7gMrasw (Spotify Webplayer link)

Do we need another Brahms cycle...?

“Oh, why do we need the X’st cycle of… (fill in)” is an often heard complain when people discuss a symphony or concerto cycle by a well known composer. In the days that CD boxes were 20 to 50 euro’s, I could understand that criticism, but with Spotify, a well played, well recorded cycle is often very much welcomed by me. Especially when as well played as this Brahms cycle by the WDR symphony orchestra under Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Symphony no’s 1 and 3 already caught my attention around Christmas 2017, when I found them on Spotify and a while ago I discovered that the complete cycle was online. Just listen for yourself. Fine music making, new details and musicians who really put their heart in this music. 

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Track 01-04 Symphony no 1 in C minor, Op. 68 (1855-1876)

Track 05-08 Symphony No. 2 In D Major Op. 73 (1877)

Track 09-12 Symphony no 3 in F major, Op. 90 (1883)

Track 13-16 Symphony No. 4 In E Minor Op. 98 (1885)

Track 17-26 Variationen über Ein Thema von Haydn Op. 56a (1873)

Track 27 Academic Festival Overture Op. 80 (1880)

Track 28 Tragic Overture, Op. 81 (1880)

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0JMHX9AWOjfWmkVN7lUEqg?si=e656aead67a64098 (if you want the weblink for this playlist)

Jukka-Pekka Saraste

German Christmas music from the 17th Century

For those who want a serene playlist of German Christmas music from the 17th century, this is the place! The Margaretha Consort recently recorded this CD, that has played many times on my computer. Conductor, gamba player Marit Broekroelofs wrote the liner notes that can be read here:

https://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.551398&catNum=551398&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English#

Playlist: 

1 Praeludium for Organ in G minor by Franz Tunder 

 Gerrit Hoving (Organ) 

2. Nun komm der Heiden Heiland by Michael Praetorius 

3. O Jesu, nomen dulce by Heinrich Schütz 

4. In dulci jubilo by Michael Praetorius 

Written: by 1619; Germany 

5. Maria durch ein Dornwald arr by Frank Wakelkamp 

6. Puer natus in Bethlehem by Michael Praetorius 

Written: by 1619; Germany 

7. Nobilissime Jesu by Alberich Mazak 

8. Heute ist Christus der Herr geboren, SWV 439 by Heinrich Schütz 

Written: 1632; Germany 

9. Teutsch Et in terra by Michael Praetorius 

10. Illibata ter beata by Petrus Hurtado 

11. Vater unser im Himmelreich by Hans Leo Hassler 

12. Quem pastores by Michael Praetorius 

13. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen by Michael Praetorius 

14. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern by Johann Hermann Schein 

15. Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, WV 69 by Heinrich Scheidemann 

16. Veni, veni, Emmanuel, Traditional, arr by Frank Wakelkamp

Margaretha Consort

Conductor:  Marit Broekroelofs

Hope you will enjoy it! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0DSDnGvaAWLwWwMOJ97Q9w?si=HNQ8STKXT82CqN75JtTt-g (Webplayer link) 

Young, snobbish classical loiterers

Found this cartoon and had a good laugh…

(Click for larger image)

Well, it is horrible to hear Beethoven over a pair of crappy Tanoy speakers outside, but what do young snobbish classical loiterers listen to? To op 101, the sophisticated A-Major sonate by Richard Goode? The highlight of his complete sonatas set! 

Or the ultimate vintage vinyl of the 1944 Furtwangler Eroica on Urania? One of the holy grails for classical collectors. Issued in 1953, but drawn from the market when Furtwangler found out this radio recording was issued without his consent. One of the most intense Eroica’s ever produced. 

Maybe they go for one of the finest recent Beethoven 4th piano concerto recordings, Pierre-Laurent Aimard with “the father of all Hipsters” Nikolaus Harnoncourt? 

You tell me! :-)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1828)

Tracks 01-03 Piano sonata no 28 in A-Major op 101. 

Richard Goode, piano

Tracks 04-07 Symphony No.3 E-flat major

Wilhelm Furtwängler and Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra

December 1944, Musikverin Saal, Vienna

Tracks 08-10 Concerto for Piano no 4 in G major, Op. 58 

Pierre-Laurent Aimard 

Chamber Orchestra of Europe,

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/1negIwqm45IBAbIfR5mwhz?si=fVW7q3y0QYWTik_hkihcfQ (Webplayer link)

You want to hear organ music on the Dutch radio? Well, forget it, buy a CD...!!

It was around 2004 when one of the most anti-radio verdicts was stated by then Avro program manager Ad ’s-Gravesande. After banning organ music from the classical PBS station radio 4 he was asked where organ lovers should go to after the ban he replied: “let them buy a CD” …

Weird, because “Dutch organ culture” was the winner of a public query in the search of the penultimate Dutch music culture. I remembered this ban, just after I heard one of the finest organ players of the Netherlands, Piet Kee, had died at the age of 90, last week. 

In the 1990’s he recorded a couple of splendid organ CD’s for the Chandos Chaconne label. The one I always liked best was the one with the 1743/1750 Weingarten organ. An organ filled with myths, stories and unique stops, as can be heard in the last two tracks of this CD. 

As a tribute to Piet Kee, this playlist:

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)

1. Ciacona d-moll

2. Präludium d-moll

3. Fantasie g-moll

4. Ciacona f-moll

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

5. Prelude in f-minor BWV 534

6. Fuge in f-minor BWV 534

Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)

7. Jesu, meine Freude (Variationen)

Johann Michael Bach (1648-94)

8. In dulci jubilo

Nicolas Antoine Lebègue (1631-1702)

9. Les cloches

Franz Xaver Murschhauser (1663-1738)

10. Variations on Laßt uns das Kindlein wiegen

Piet Kee, Organ

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/5H1vJYueA5KdiYQE5yZJcu?si=iS_pycyTQFiTVtt8TADZNg (webplayer link)