I
must admit to having a soft spot for Barbirolli. My favourite
practice venue at the Royal Academy of Music was the Barbirolli
Room, where, if hours of scales and long notes seemed daunting,
there was at least plenty to look at while blowing – the
big fat cigar sent from Sibelius and now crumbling with age,
the baton with its huge cork handle, medals, photos. After
four years absorbing all these artefacts it was unavoidable
that one would feel at least a slight affinity for the great
man.
The
first of these recordings is of a live concert in the Hallé Orchestra’s
home town of Manchester, and the stamp of quality is immediately
apparent, despite the mono sound. We have become used to
hearing Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 in the bruising
tempi now favoured by conductors striving for authenticity,
so that Barbirolli’s opening movement, while dramatic enough,
sounds more stately than urgent. There is little pulling
around of the tempo, and the crests and troughs of the music
are pointed out with detailed and accurate dynamics. Barbirolli
made one commercial recording of this symphony twenty years
before this performance, but his view on the music appears
to have remained consistent, the timings being almost identical
between the two. I particularly like the second Andante
con moto, which despite being measured in tempo is entirely
in proportion, and has beautifully intonated winds, atmospheric
strings and impeccably expressive phrasing. The performance
is not without wit either – the working out of the theme
toward the end of the third Allegro movement could
almost be straight out of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice!
The horns are let loose to great effect in the finale, and
you can sense the enjoyment everyone is getting from performing.
This is warm, respectful musicianship which at the same time
revels in the liberty of having everyone at the top of their
game.
Barbirolli
was, and still is better known for his all-round conducting
prowess, but as Lyndon Jenkins points out in the booklet
note, his work in the field of the contemporary music of
his time formed a notable part of his repertoire, although
sadly most of these performances went unrecorded. Barbirolli
was apparently fairly reticent in his regard for the music
of Shostakovich, but was convinced of its stature, and was
happy for performances to be led by visiting conductors.
Once committed to conducting a work himself, I can’t imagine
Barbirolli taking on the task with anything other than complete
devotion, and there is plenty of evidence for this in the
present studio recording. The opening is sustained and tenacious,
with full contrasts of passionate grit against elegant expression.
As the performance goes on, you might wonder what is missing
in comparison to other recordings from this period, but I
found few points of weakness. All of the significant moments
of drama and climax are right up there, and the only regret
is that the recording is in slightly foggy mono, no doubt
intended only for broadcast by the BBC. In this regard the
1965 recording by André Previn with the London Symphony Orchestra
will always be the winner. If there are any moments of doubt
then it must be in one or two of the extended transitional
passages, where the sense of direction can sometimes seem
to go mildly astray. The moving Largo has depth and
potent eloquence, and while there are one or two dodgy moments
in the finale there is nothing which would make one reject
this recording out of hand.
The
remastering on these aged recordings has been done sensitively
and successfully. There is a modicum of tape hiss, but this
is in no way intrusive, and most of the treble range seems
to have been preserved. Climaxes and tuttis are fairly free
from distortion, and the balance is good on the whole, with
surprisingly full range in terms of dynamics and spectrum.
There might be more significant recordings in terms of historical
value, but this issue can certainly be regarded as more
than a mere cul-de-sac of the recorded canon. Barbirolli’s
approach to Shostakovich is uncompromising and digs deep,
and his Beethoven is honest and expressive – fans will not
be disappointed.
Dominy Clements
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Hallé Orchestra/Sir
John Barbirolli 
