Collectors have
long benefited from the profusion of broadcast Milstein material.
The latest retrieval to come my way derives from Claves who
have collated two concerto performances given five years apart
at the Septembre Musical in Montreux. The first was the
Lalo with Cluytens and then from 1960 we have the Brahms with
the touring NDR under the excellent and sane Brahmsian Paul
Kletzki.
In common with most
Auer pupils Milstein didn’t play the Intermezzo of the Lalo.
He takes a little time to settle but once relaxed the playing
is as suave and commanding as one could wish. Once or twice
his tone becomes a touch glutinous – one senses the moments
are gestural rather than inherently felt – but otherwise the
precision and refinement of the playing are remarkable. It’s
playing of captivating allure without exaggeration, as the second
movement makes explicit, and the noble intensity of his slow
movement is allied to expressive restraint. His pert portamenti
in the finale enliven the playing still further. Milstein’s
playing here is broadly comparable to his Philadelphia/Ormandy
and the later St Louis/Golschmann traversals in purely technical
and tonal matters. But this live performance has rather unflattering
sound – it can impart a rather brittle sound to the strings
of the Orchestre National de Paris, who are not in any case
the most warmly expressive of groups. And orchestral discipline
in the finale does sag – the ensemble is not as polished as
it should be.
That problem is
not apparent in the Brahms concerto. I’ve always rather baulked
at writer Henry Roth’s description of Milstein’s lack of “intellectualism”
in this concerto. I’m not quite sure what it really means. One
thing is for sure; his conception remained remarkably consistent
over the years and you’ll find little variance of approach.
More and more performances are being unearthed but if you know
the Philharmonia/Fistoulari, the VPO/Jochum, the live Concertgebouw/Monteux
or the Steinberg or the other survivals you will appreciate
the unchanged conception. Maybe Roth was actually objecting
to Milstein’s known and outspoken reservations about the work,
as a failed emulation of the Beethoven.
So, no revelations
here – just freedom and flexibility, a well chosen and apt sense
of tempo relationships, no distensions after the first movement
cadential passage (unlike so many performers today) and superbly
focused tonal qualities. The playing throughout is highly auspicious,
unshowy, nobly grave and buoyant in the finale. There are some
coughs from the audience and there’s some high level hiss but
the sound is warmer than in the chillier Lalo.
Certainly Milstein
was no Henry Merckel in the Lalo, nor did his Brahms necessarily
reach the level of Busch or Huberman. And it’s true that multiple
recordings, studio and live, exist of his playing of both these
works. So I suggest this is an ancillary disc for collectors
– reinforcing the manifold pleasures of his playing in these
two works.
Jonathan Woolf