The second volume of Stokowski’s New York Philharmonic
recordings of 1947 and 1949 – a record ban meant none were made in the
intervening year – continues the attractive piecemeal selection contained
in the first. Some were fill-ups to symphonic sets whilst others – the
Schoenberg, Wagner and Khachaturian – represent rather more arduous
repertoire. Whilst this does make for a rather miscellaneous collection
it serves not only to shine light on Stokowski’s less well known period
with the orchestra but also to amplify certain features in programming
and his wide-ranging musical tastes – which, as before, are Wagnerian,
Slavonic, contemporary Americana and this time the august then still-living
greats Sibelius and Schoenberg.
Stokowski proves himself a master of Wagnerian rhetoric;
Rienzi is grand, authoritative and well played – albeit there
sounds like a poor side join at 2.38. Stokowski admirers may care to
note that he recorded it multiply – in Philadelphia in 1919, 1926/7
and again, live, in 1962 and finally with the RPO in 1973. In the music
from Die Götterdämmerung there is a passionately declamatory
energy – listen to the string playing at 2.35 in Siegfried’s Funeral
March for example. As a performance it compares well with the subsequent
LSO traversals of 1966 and 1974 – though I’ve not heard the experimental
Bell Telephone recording of the Philadelphia in 1932. This was to be
his only recording of the Khachaturian, which had received its New York
première the previous month, given by Stokowski. This is light
and frothy stuff but entertaining – we can also hear leader John Corigliano’s
evocative violin solo in the second movement Nocturne, though
he’s unfortunately accompanied by some "crunch" in the transfer.
Still it would be hard heart that failed to respond the concluding Galop,
a frolicsome, rudely exciting conclusion to the five-movement dance
suite.
Stokowski’s only complete recording of Tchaikovsky’s
Serenade for Strings came with the LSO in 1974. Here he conducts
just the Waltz – a juicy, elastic rather overnuanced affair with
eyebrow cocking diminuendos. He had famously recorded Gurrelieder
back in April 1932, one of his greatest early recordings. A 1961 radio
performance has also surfaced in recent years but here he and Martha
Lipton perform just the Song of the Wood-Dove and very evocatively.
Stokowski uses Erwin Stein’s edition with its slightly reduced instrumentation.
Finally the little Sibelius morceau and some Copland - and more first
performances, the echt-Copland Prairie Night, warmly elemental,
and the rollicking Celebration Dance.
It would be wrong to call this essential Stokowski
but these are readings of flair and vigour, for too long buried in the
vaults and making a very welcome reappearance in this generally well-engineered
disc.
Jonathan Woolf
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold
Stokowski