The third volume in
the Stokowski-New York Philharmonic
series has some surprises up its sleeve.
We have previously little known live
broadcasts, one a V-Disc, and two famous
Stokowski recordings in the Vaughan
Williams and Tchaikovsky. The VW6 has
always been known and admired for its
lithe, masculine sense of propulsion,
for the galvanic intensity the conductor
brings, in particular, to the first
movement. It also embodies the pre-revised
version of the Scherzo. And I suppose
also the hectic, much too hectic, finale.
But what about readers who already have
Sony SMK58933, where the symphony is
coupled with Mitropoulos’ equally electric
VW4 and the Tallis Fantasia, issued
a decade ago? For this issue Cala have
had access to the original lacquer discs
and remastering has gone right back
to the source material. The difference
in sound quality between the two is
quite remarkable. The veil that hung
over the Sony has been well and truly
lifted and the benefits are those of
transparency, immediacy, clarity and
definition. From string choir entry
points to something like the first movement
triangle the aural advance is evident.
Some might shy away from what they perceive
as a brightness that lifts weight from
the lower strings but I have to say
in my listening experiments that the
Cala wins every time.
The Tchaikovsky was
one of Stokowski’s most effective –
if controversial – interpretations,
inasmuch as he imposed his famous quiet
ending on the score (an artistic view
of the work advanced by Balakirev and
seconded by Modeste Tchaikovsky who
quoted his brother’s approval). Anyway,
it’s something that Stokowski invariably
did and as we can hear in this transfer
– again from the lacquer originals,
we can hear how he did it in a way previously
impossible from other transfers, even
previous CD transfers – the gains in
immediacy of texture are significant
and revealing. Coupled with them are
three works recorded in concert at Carnegie
Hall in the same year, 1949. Mozart’s
Haffner gets a real dusting down.
He hustles through the opening Allegro
con spirito as if he has a train to
catch at Grand Central Station and manages
to despatch the whole Symphony in fifteen
minutes flat. Stokowski always maintained
Mozart was his favourite composer but
this is – so far – the only extant recording
of a Symphony. His heavy, fast and ungenerous
phrasing in the trio of the minuet will
set some teeth on edge and in all honesty
it and the symphony as a whole didn’t
do much for me. Thomas Jefferson Scott’s
From the Sacred Harp (self introduced
in folksy style for the V-Disc audience;
"Hi Fellers…") is a delightful
and relaxed evocation, somewhat reminiscent
in tone of Vaughan Williams, though
winsome tangy winds and yearning strings
rich in the American string tradition.
There is unfortunately some pitch slippage
along the way – was that inherent in
the disc itself? Weinberger gets the
treatment with his Polka and Fugue from
Schwanda the Bagpiper – the orchestra
was used to it because Barbirolli programmed
quite a bit of Weinberger during his
tenure as conductor of the NYPSO. It’s
a bright, affectionate outing. I’ve
just seen Rob Barnett’s review in which
he mentions what sounds to him like
a repeating groove in this track. I’m
afraid I can’t comment because the last
three minutes of my disc mistracked
entirely on all three players I tried
so something’s wrong somewhere.
Still, this is a strong
entry in the Stokowski stakes and will
leave dedicated Stokowskians (and/or
Vaughan Williams adherents) with a dilemma.
Given the sonic advance this issue represents
should you invest in it or hang on to
your Sony. It will depend, I think,
on the couplings but as for the heart
of the matter I do think the use of
the lacquers has made this a necessary
purchase even if you have the Sony.
Jonathan Woolf
see also review
by Rob Barnett
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski
