Listening to this new release from Testament has been like being
reacquainted with an old friend. It has stirred so many nostalgic memories
of my early concert-going. It was in the early to mid sixties that my
parents used to take me to Hallé concerts in the North-West of England,
which in turn nurtured my initial interest in classical music.
This previously unpublished BBC pre-recording in mono was taped in
Manchester’s Town Hall on 21 January 1964. The ever-popular and perennial
Symphony No.40 in G minor by Mozart receives an affectionate reading, with
Barbirolli and his players savouring the delights on offer. Tempi in all
four movements seem just right and comfortable. The beautifully shaped
opening phrases in the first movement are admirably set against a restless
accompaniment evoking a melancholic undercurrent. The only bugbear for me is
the omission of the exposition repeat which, to my ears, adversely affects
the balance of the movement. Yet this first movement has more forward
momentum and flow than Josef Krips’ disappointing recording with the
Concertgebouw, which is over-cautious and held back. Barbirolli’s Andante is
tender and eloquently crafted. Four minutes in he builds the music up into a
noble climax, but doesn’t overdo it on the angst front. Following a nicely
paced Minuetto, the finale is rhythmically alert and delivered with
confidence and has plenty of stamina. Disappointingly, again the repeats are
not done.
Although 1963 marked the 150
th anniversary of the Wagner’s
birth, the Hallé Orchestra delayed their celebrations until early 1964. At
the time there was a shortage of Wagnerian sopranos to call upon, and
Barbirolli was anxious to secure the services of the Finnish soprano Anita
Välkki (1926-2011). At the time Välkki had established something of a name
for herself in the role Brünnhilde, at Covent Garden, the New York
Metropolitan and the Bayreuth Festival, as a formidable rival to Birgit
Nilsson.
By coincidence, several weeks ago, I reviewed a ‘twofer’ from Testament
(
SBT 1507), which included the
Götterdämmerung selection, this time from an all-Wagner programme
given by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Pierre Monteux. The concert,
recorded live in Scheveningen on 1 July 1963 was also part of the
150
th anniversary celebrations. Monteux’s soprano was Birgit
Nilsson. It was interesting comparing the two recordings. Anita Välkki is
outstanding, with commanding vocal resources, harnessing power and a dark
timbre when called for. She invests the music with drama and ardour, and
instinctively contours the vocal line. I can understand Barbirolli’s wish to
have her on board. However, I did feel that Nilsson was more forwardly
projected in the sound-picture, giving that performance a more visceral
quality. For me, Monteux seems to secure that extra ounce of passion and
fire from Wagner’s scores and, although the 1963 performance has the edge,
it’s a close-run race.
For its age and provenance, the audio quality of this BBC recording is
remarkably fine, and Testament’s excellent digital re-mastering brings the
music vividly to life. Mike Ashman’s well-written liner contributions set
the context, and include excerpts from insightful reviews of the Wagner
items by J.H. Elliot (The Guardian) and Michael Kennedy (Daily
Telegraph).
More than anything else, this recording reminds us how inspirational a
conductor Sir John Barbirolli was.
Stephen Greenbank
