AVAILABILITY
www.tahra.com
Tahra is embarking
on a van Kempen (1893-1955) reissue
programme of which this is the second
volume. The first includes Beethoven
(Symphony No.8) and Liszt (Les Préludes),
and Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto with
Adrian Aeschbacher whilst the third
has Bruckner No.4, more Liszt and a
torso of the New World Symphony
amongst others. The central volume has
three symphonies all recorded during
May 1943 in the Concertgebouw. This
was a busy time for the Dutchman who
had been appointed conductor of the
Dresden Philharmonic in 1934 – and who
then moved on to Aachen in 1942. All
of his recordings up to this point had
been made in Germany, as the very handy
78 discography included as a booklet
demonstrates, and this trio of symphonic
recordings represents his first discs
with his old orchestra (he’d played
as a violinist in the Concertgebouw
under Mengelberg). Prior to this he
was principally noted on record as an
accompanist – to such notable players
as violinists Kulenkampff, Stanske (Mozart
K218) and de Vito (Brahms), pianist
Kempff – including a good C minor Concerto
in 1942 - and cellist Mainardi (in the
Dvořák
and Schumann). It is true that he was
also given some prestigious symphonic
assignments and he laid down competitive
versions of symphonies by Schumann and
Beethoven. Shortly after these Concertgebouw
recordings he went back to Berlin to
set down the Dvořák
Violin Concerto with Příhoda –
a classic recording, now thankfully
available on Symposium.
This trio of Symphonies
shows a conscientious, diligent and
frequently acute musical personality
at work and in the Schubert one who
could rise to moments of considerable
and visceral power and engagement. In
addition the Polydors were very well
recorded for their time and reveal considerable
detail. His Haydn is good but not outstanding.
The Andante features some fine wind
playing from the principals and a good
robust sense of direction and it’s not
surprising, given his past life as a
rank and file violinist that he shows
sensitive regard for the string lines
here and elsewhere. His Sibelius tends
to be rather clear and careful and doesn’t
hang around. I liked the rugged sonorities
he cultivates in the finale though it
does come at the cost of a bit of overload
at a few points – but there is a driving
accumulation of momentum that makes
fine logical sense, even if such as
Kajanus and Collins (two of my favourite
early recordings of the work) are by
no means challenged. The pick of the
three is, however, the Schubert. Van
Kempen moulds the Andante with great
understanding, ensuring separation and
aeration of texture between the string
and wind choirs and when it comes to
the finale he brings real electricity
to much of the movement, not least the
superb coda. Throughout he does engage
in some compellingly personal gear changes
– not to all tastes – but it’s a convincing
and total vision of the work, excellently
realised by an acutely responsive orchestra.
This slim-line double
contains very successful transfers and
brings back to circulation wartime recordings
of real value. In the Schubert one finds
the best of him – but he was never a
negligible conductor and almost everything
he recorded was of some value.
Jonathan Woolf
Concertgebouw Orchestra/Paul van Kempen 