Respected for his Mahler interpretations, Erich Leinsdorf (1912-1983)
was known both for his work in opera as well as his convincing
performances of orchestral music. Leindorf’s esteemed recording
of the composer’s First Symphony is best encountered through
a sound recording, currently available on Red Seal CD 63469A,
a two-disc set that includes Leinsdorf’s recording of Mahler’s
Third Symphony.
Even though the sound on this DVD is mono, the result is quite
effective. More than that, the release gives a vivid image of
Leinsdorf at the podium, which also reminds modern audiences
of his regular television broadcasts with the Boston Symphony
Orchestra on the station WGBH. In fact the performances are
from 4 December 1962 (Mahler: Symphony no. 1), 13 November 1962
(Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche), and
12 November 1963 (Mahler: Symphony No. 5: Adagietto only). The
images recall television in its first decades as it brought
the arts from its point of origin to the world. Camera angles
are good for the day, with the close range reflecting more the
limitations of technology than the creativity at the core of
broadcasts like this. Yet the sound stands out in this recording,
as Leinsdorf moves from the somewhat wooden gestures at the
opening of the first movement to the lively manner with which
he handles the first theme. When the introduction reprises,
Leinsdorf appears warmer, as he leads an inspired performance
of this now familiar work conducted entirely from memory.
In this video it is possible to see how Leinsdorf offers a supple
approach to tempo, which offers appropriately spacious phrasing
throughout. His cues give a sense of the style that he wanted
from the players, and the result is evident in the performance.
While Leinsdorf’s manner at the start were somewhat overstated,
when the orchestra is at the full tutti of the recapitulation,
he held back on his movements as the players reached the climactic
point. He captures the style of the second movement from the
outset, in an extrovert performance of the Scherzo that benefits
from the single gesture per measure. Part of the success of
the interpretation comes from Leinsdorf’s decision not to use
the baton, and so his hands offer a clue to the ways in which
he made this performance expressive.
The third movement is particularly effective for the woodwind
sonorities in the passages that evoke the “Bohemian” musicians
to which Mahler referred in some of his own descriptions of
the piece. If Leinsdorf was at times minimal in his gestures,
it had an excellent result in the allowing the performers to
arrive at a tight-knit ensemble. The Finale has the conductor
in outstanding form, as his mastery of the score emerges in
a completely convincing reading. Never overindulgent, his conception
is present in almost every expression Leinsdorf used in this
compelling reading of the Finale and, ultimately of the entire
piece.
As a live broadcast, the performance of Mahler’s First Symphony
has some imperfections, but the strength of the interpretation
and strong response of the Boston Symphony overweigh them. With
the video, too, the superimposed image of the conductor over
the orchestra, a technical feat of the day, has its place in
the period when this was recorded. The occasional bump that
jerks the camera is a good reminder of the spontaneity involved
in this broadcast. Most of all, the quality of the performance
stands out.
Leinsdorf’s command of Strauss’s famous Till Eulengspiegel
is equally fine, with the subtleties from the podium contributing
to the irony of the tone poem. The performance is strong on
clarity of detail and tight ensemble. At the same time, the
“bonus” track offers Leinsdorf’s impassioned reading of the
Adagietto from Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. It has all
the ‘earmarks’ of a romantic reading, with fine details, such
as portamento, brought out expressively.
It is good to have Mahler’s First Symphony and the other two
performances from Leinsdorf’s maturity available now on DVD.
James L Zychowicz
Masterwork Index: Till
Eulenspiegel ~~ Mahler
1
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf
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