The majority of the
items on this well filled "twofer"
made up the contents of two excellent
RCA CDs, issued in the 1990s. The Violin
and Cello Concertos together with the
Capricorn Concerto were all included
on 09026 68283 2. Slatkin’s accounts
of the Symphony and of the Piano
Concerto accompanied his partnership
with John Browning in Souvenirs on
60732-2-RC, which I think may be an
American pressing. To these pieces BMG
have added two items in which Charles
Munch leads the Boston Symphony.
Slatkin’s tenure of
the podium of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
ends this September and it seems that
the partnership has not really worked
out for some reason. That’s a great
pity as he’s a conductor whose work
I admire. These recordings, made with
the orchestra that he led from 1979
to 1996, show what excellent results
he can achieve.
The recordings are
described as "New Masters"
but to be honest I can’t detect any
significant difference between these
new pressings and the (very good) engineering
on the original releases.
John Browning was the
pianist for whom Barber wrote his Piano
Concerto. This is his second recording
of the work. His first, with Szell and
the Cleveland Orchestra was made for
CBS/Sony in 1964, I believe. That remains
a benchmark reading but anyone who already
has that should not ignore Browning’s
remake for in the intervening twenty-odd
years his view of the work seems to
have mellowed. This is reflected in
the timings. Here the performance lasts
for 29 minutes whereas in partnership
with Szell the piece flashes by in an
astonishing 23’01". Most of the
difference occurs in the first movement
which is significantly more expansive
in the later account. The sound on this
BMG recording is richer and fuller than
on the CBS version and that complements
the more expansive style of the later
reading. There’s greater urgency in
the Browning/Szell traversal of the
first movement. In the slow movement
the interpretative differences are less
marked but the greater depth and ambience
of the BMG sound contributes to a more
dream-like quality in the music making.
The high-octane finale with which the
work concludes is full of tension and
energy in the later recording. However,
with Szell Browning displays even more
drive. Theirs is a tumultuous, breathtaking
account. It’s fascinating to compare
and contrast the two readings. I don’t
prefer one to the other; in fact I wouldn’t
be without either.
The other two concertos
are much earlier works. The celebrated
Violin Concerto (1939-40) is in the
sure hands of the Japanese violinist,
Kyoto Takezawa. She studied at the Juilliard
School with Dorothy DeLay. She plays
with a fine, lyrical singing tone but
there’s strength there too. She project’s
Barber’s solo line very effectively
and poetically. Slatkin is an attentive
and positive accompanist. At the start
of the slow movement the long oboe solo
is played gloriously (is the player
Peter Bowman, I wonder?). When the soloist
finally takes the spotlight she plays
ardently. I must confess that I always
find the helter-skelter finale a bit
of an anti-climax but it whirls along
here and brings to an exciting conclusion
a fine performance of the concerto.
Perhaps this performance isn’t quite
as sinewy and razor-sharp as the benchmark
recording by Isaac Stern and Leonard
Bernstein but it’s a very considerable
achievement and very recommendable.
In the Cello Concerto
of 1945 Steven Isserlis offers a warm
and lyrical reading. Perhaps he doesn’t
project the solo line as powerfully
as some but his approach brings its
own rewards. At the heart of his interpretation
is the soulful, withdrawn Andante
sostenuto – or at least that’s how
the movement sounds in Isserlis’s persuasive
hands. It’s a simply gorgeous movement
and Isserlis, in eloquent partnership
with Slatkin, does it full justice.
In the passionate finale there is plenty
of vigour and drive but even here the
lyrical passages receive their full
due. With Isserlis a committed and eloquent
soloist this is a very satisfying rendition
of the concerto.
Barber’s Capricorn
Concerto (1944) is not too well
known. I don’t know of another work
by Barber that is so neo-classical in
style. It’s scored for the same forces
as Bach’s second Brandenburg Concerto
and is an inventive, witty work. I believe
the soloists here were all principals
with the St. Louis orchestra at the
time (Susan Slaughter and Jacob Berg
certainly were). They are all excellent
and relish to the full the opportunities
for both display and discourse that
the work presents. The notes that accompanied
the original release quote composer
Lou Harrison’s marvellous description
of the work’s "bubbling opalescence."
Even more usefully, those notes told
the listener that a manuscript of the
score indicated that Barber regarded
the solo oboe as representing his longtime
companion, Gian-Carlo Menotti, the trumpet
stood for the poet, Robert Horan and
the flute was Barber himself while the
orchestra represented Capricorn itself,
the house that Barber and Menotti shared
for many years. Purchasers of this reissue
aren’t given this very interesting information.
In fact they aren’t given any information
whatsoever about the music as yet again
BMG spoil a useful release by a lack
of any notes apart from three superficial
paragraphs in French. A missed opportunity.
Returning to the music,
the set also includes an irresistible
performance by John Browning and Leonard
Slatkin of Souvenirs for piano,
four-hands. This is sheer entertainment,
a jeu d’esprit if ever there
was one. Both pianists play with style,
panache and relish, treating listeners
to the spectacle of two fine musicians
having great fun.
The First Symphony
is an altogether tougher proposition.
Its very powerful first movement is
ardently projected by the St. Louis
players who also shine in the scampering
scherzo. Like the Violin Concerto the
slow movement opens with a long, yearning
oboe solo (Peter Bowman again?). This
is a beautiful movement that Slatkin
shapes very convincingly. He is just
as successful in the concluding passacaglia,
which is purposeful and strong.
Charles Munch and the
Boston Symphony complete the set with
two shorter works. The famous Adagio
for Strings benefits from the lustrous
richness of the Boston strings. Perhaps
the performance lacks the last degree
of inwardness, especially at the start.
However, I like Munch’s flowing tempo
and he builds the piece passionately.
The opening of Medea is pregnant
with tension and as the piece unfolds
the BSO turn in a performance of superb
atmosphere and virtuosity. These recordings
date from 1957 but are not bad for their
age.
This set contains the
essential Samuel Barber, at least as
regards his orchestral output. There
are other low price versions of most
of these works but for convenience this
set is very hard to beat. Even harder
to beat is the quality of the performances.
Without exception these are very high
and the sound is excellent. As ever,
the lack of documentation with this
series is a serious drawback but not
such as to deny this set the warmest
possible recommendation.
John Quinn
*Boston Symphony Orchestra/Charles Munch 