Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony No 4 in E flat, Romantic [58:03]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Symphony No 35 in D, K 385, Haffner* [16:48]
Anton BRUCKNER
Symphony No 9 in D minor** [52:30]
NBC Symphony Orchestra, *New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, **Philadelphia
Orchestra/Bruno Walter
rec. live, 10 February, 1940, Studio 8-H, NBC Radio City, New York; *6 February
1944, Carnegie Hall, New York; **28 February 1948, Academy of Music, Philadelphia
MUSIC & ARTS CD-1262 [59:10 + 68:22]
In his extensive booklet note for this set Mark Kluge quotes from a 1948 letter
written by Bruno Walter in which he says “It will interest you that
I conduct Bruckner annually here in America”. The conductor specifically
mentions leading past Bruckner performances in Boston and New York and that
he was about to take Bruckner to Philadelphia - the performance included in
this set. This was adventurous programming in those days when the Bruckner
symphonies were far less frequently performed than is the case today.
The earliest performance included here is the Fourth symphony. I find it fascinating
because there’s so much urgency in the conducting - at times almost
uncomfortably so - to my ears. It’s interesting to read Mark Kluge’s
comment that this performance “is entirely in character with Walter’s
other recorded performances of this composer prior to 1959”. It’s
a very long time indeed since I listened to Walter’s Columbia Symphony
Orchestra traversal of this symphony, which I used to have on LP - currently
available on CD as Sony Classical Originals 88697806152. However, I rather
suspect that recording was made after Mr Kluge’s watershed date of 1959
and though my memory may well be fallible after so many years I don’t
recall that Walter interpretation as being urgent. Indeed, it may be significant
that its current CD incarnation spreads over 2 CDs with the Tännhauser
Overture and Venusberg Music completing the set. I wonder if this is
an instance of Walter’s “mellowing” towards the end of his
career.
As I say, this 1940 performance, in which Walter uses the 1888 version of
the score, is often urgent. The scherzo is very fiery - I can’t recall
hearing such a hell-for-leather pacing of the hunting horn material. It’s
very exciting though perhaps just a little too fast, though the orchestra
articulates the music expertly. The trio, however, is appropriately leisurely.
I especially admire Walter’s reading of the second movement. The thematic
material is not the most memorable in Bruckner and needs an expert hand to
mould it; that happens here. In one or two passages Walter moves the music
on surprisingly swiftly; one such instance is the bars from 12:11 onwards
leading up to the main climax, yet when that climax is reached (12:35) Walter
makes it very broad and majestic.
I’m a bit more equivocal about the outer movements. The first movement
finds Walter pressing the tempo at several points and personally I prefer
a bit more breadth. However, one must acknowledge Walter’s direct connections
to the Viennese tradition where memories of Bruckner would have been very
vivid - the composer had, by then, been dead less than fifty years. In forming
such a flexible view of the music Walter is well served by the NBC Symphony
players. I doubt this music can have been too familiar to them yet Mark Kluge
rightly draws attention to the “extremely plastic execution” of
the music, which confirms the rapport between orchestra and conductor. There’s
much to admire in the finale even if I’m not always comfortable with
the several very urgent passages. The fortissimo tutti between 10:32
and 11:53 is thrilling even if, to my taste, the timpani are rather obtrusive.
The recording isn’t bad at all considering not only that it’s
over 70 years old but also that it emanates from Studio 8-H. That said, the
recording is somewhat taxed by the great brass unison passage at 1:07. Walter
handles the closing peroration superbly, building it up from a mysterious
start at 16:09. This is, in summary, a pretty impressive performance of the
symphony.
The Haffner symphony performance, previously unpublished, is worth
hearing. I didn’t have access to a score but so far as I can tell Walter
is pretty sparing with repeats. There’s often a quite pronounced bass
line; this is ‘big band’ Mozart. Despite the use of what sounds
like a fairly large orchestra Walter conducts with energy and he gets lift
in the phrasing. Be prepared for an extremely spirited dash for the finishing
line at the end of the first movement (from 4:47). The second movement is
gracefully done and the lighter scoring here means that the recorded sound
is particularly pleasing. The minuet is very definitely taken at three beats
in a bar while the finale is full of energy. Overall, this is a good performance
of the symphony from a conductor who was justly famed for his Mozart.
Music & Arts have already issued two live performances by Walter of Bruckner’s
9th. One was given in 1946 (CD-1110) and the other in February 1957 (CD-1212).
Both performances were with the New York Philharmonic. I’ve not heard
either of those but this Philadelphia account is very impressive. Walter must
have been something of a trailblazer in programming this work for, apparently,
this was the first time the orchestra had played it - I don’t think
Stokowski was a Bruckner man. Apparently, the warm reception for the Ninth
encouraged Ormandy subsequently to programme both the Seventh and this symphony
in Philadelphia. Walter uses the 1932 Critical Edition made by Alfred Orel
for the Internationale Bruckner-Gesellschaft though, apparently, he added
a few re-touchings of his own. The recording is not at all bad and, even more
than sixty years later, one can savour the brass tone of the Philadelphians
and, especially, the richness of the string choir. The first movement unfolds
majestically and Walter is equally successful in conveying both the passages
of grandeur and those in which Bruckner strikes a lyrical vein. The playing
is very good though one notices an over-eager entry by a brass player at 20:41.
Walter generates excellent momentum in the scherzo, which is splendidly articulated
by the players. The trio is light and lithe.
Despite a few brief passages (for example 7:40 - 7:45) in which I feel the
tempo is pressed just a little too much, Walter’s conception of the
finale is hugely impressive. Sadly, the Wagner tubas’ initial contributions
are somewhat fallible but they improve as time goes on and, thankfully, they’re
fine by the time the closing pages are reached. In fact the brass section
as a whole falter just occasionally in the finale; perhaps by now they were
tiring. However, any momentary lapses in the playing can’t detract from
a tremendous interpretation by Walter and it has to be said that in his authoritative
hands Philadelphia’s first experience of this symphony could not have
been more auspicious. This account of the Ninth is the highlight of the set.
This is an important issue. Aaron Z. Snyder has done a fine job with these
new restorations. These are performances which Bruckner enthusiasts and Bruno
Walter’s legion of admirers will want to hear.
John Quinn
Performances which Bruckner enthusiasts and Bruno Walter’s admirers
will want to hear.
Masterwork Index: Symphony
4 ~~ Symphony 9