The World Of Compact Discs

Contemporary Review, Sept, 2000 by Anthony Paterson

In this set Barenboim demonstrates his pre-eminence. As he says in a perceptive interview included in the accompanying booklet, modern performers have 'become more and more obsessed with speed, but unless you have the harmonic base clearly defined, you cannot create melody'. One can see his preference for stately development by listening to the 7th Symphony where three of the four movements last several minutes longer than in Karl Bohm's 1972 recording. This set will bring joy to any lover of Beethoven's symphonies.

A notable bargain collection of the Beethoven Symphonies has also recently been re-issued by SUPERAPHON ARCHIV (SU3451-2012; SU3453-2012; SU3455-2-2012). These consist of three separate volumes, each with two CDs, with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Paul Kletzki in performances from the 1960s. The transfers of these analogue recordings to CD have been well done and this set can be recommended to anyone anxious for a bargain or a gift to a young listener.

While on the subject of re-issues with Czech connections we should note that PANTON have a series called 'Great Czech Conductors' in which there are two CDs of particular note. Rafael Kubelik conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in a spirited rendition of Josef Suk's Asrael, a moving tribute to his father-in-law, Dvorak. [Panton 81 1101-2] It is even more evocative to have a re-issue of another work by Suk, his symphonic poem Ripening fittingly coupled with Symphony No 5 of a later Czech composer, Miloslav Kabelac. [Panton 81 1102] Here the Czech Philharmonic, with its superb female chorus, is conducted by Karel Ancerl. I used the word 'evocative' because this recording comes from a live concert during the 'Prague Spring' of 1968. After its brutal suppression, Ancerl. who had done so much to carry on the traditions of Czech music, fled to Canada.

Ferruccio Busoni's Piano Concerto in C Major, premiered in 1904, is the longest concerto in the repertoire at just under 74 minutes in this recording. Busoni was one of the greatest pianists of his time (1866-1924) and his work presents a formidable challenge to any pianist. HYPERION has made a recording of this work as number twenty-two in its admirable 'Romantic Piano Concerto' series. The American-based Marc-Andre Hamelin is the soloist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Mark Elder. [HYPERION CDA67143] There are five movements to this work and three draw upon the architecture of antiquity (Graeco-Roman, Egyptian and Babylonian) for inspiration. The final, fifth movement uses a somewhat pretentious and inflated German poem Aladdin by Adam Oehlenschlager.

It is instructive to compare this recording with the earlier one by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the same conductor with Peter Donohoe as soloist, which was recorded live at a Promenade Concert in 1988. As one would expect from a performance recorded in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, the present recording gains on clarity of detail, particularly in the orchestral playing. Hemelin takes the weightier movements (1, 3 and 5) faster than Donohoe, and the 2nd and 4th movements at a slightly less breakneck speed, with less bravura but more finesse. Overall, it is a superb performance and can be thoroughly recommended.