GHCD 2341 Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977) - Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) – Finlandia Op. 26/7- Symphony No. 1 in E minor Op. 39 – Peiléas and Mélisande Op.46 (Excerpts from the incidental Music) – Symphony No.7 C major op. 107 –Helsinki City Symphony Orchestra – Recorded live at Helsinki University’s Festival Hall Wednesday June 17 1953 – 78:55
Audio Phile Audition Friday May 16 2008
The E Minor Symphony is one of four Stokowski led and inscribed with some constancy.
SIBELIUS:
Finlandia, Op. 26, No. 7; Symphony No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 39; Pelleas and
Melisande, Op. 46: 5 excerpts; Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op. 105 - Helsinki
City Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski
Guild GHCD 2341, 78:55 (Distrib. Albany) ****:
Recorded live at Helsinki University’s Festival Hall, 17 June 1953, Leopold
Stokowski (1882-1977) leads the same orchestra long associated with Sibelius’
first great champion, Robert Kajanus. While the sound occasionally flickers and
orchestral definition suffers wow and blurred timbres, the intensity of
music-making never wavers. Typical of Stokowski, even the popular and
over-performed Finlandia enjoys some long-held caesuras and an elastic
singing line. The opening announcement by Jim Fassett possesses a musical
counterpoint of the vocal version of the piece, a male chorus intoning “Be Still
My Soul” in Finnish.
The E Minor Symphony is one of four Stokowski led and inscribed with some
constancy. After its long pedal and woodwind introduction, the upward rising
figures and bucolic chirpings gain ascendancy over the pizzicati. A crackly haze
covers some of the sonic patina, but the sensuality and underlying pulsation of
the motives quite sweep one away. The musical evolution, according to truncated
aspects of sonata-form, Stokowski takes to majestic heights, especially the
central climax of the first movement, which sounds as if it were led by an
inflamed Celibidache. The Andante bears several points of departure with
the symphony in the same key by Tchaikovsky, and Stokowski warms up to the
affects in equally poignant terms. A distinct winter wind blows through these
northern trees and lights, the music gusting with elemental fury. Gallant
thunder for the Scherzo, whose flute, trumpet, string, and tympani parts
oppose each other in colorist combat. Sonic deterioration and flutter plague the
glorious finale, a rather hectic tempo adapted by Stokowski, but the largamente
theme rises with a glacial majesty over our horizon.
The five excerpts from Pelleas et Melisande exude that same dark-hued
melancholy that Faure realizes from the same tale. Melisande, By the Sea,
Pastorale, Entr’acte, and The Death of Melisande each flow with
somber energies, occasionally obviated by broken sound. But the tenacity of
purpose, the lyric impulse, never falters. Stokowski seems to have cherished the
C Major Symphony, whose one-movement fantasia evolves out of a series of
through-composed chords and modal harmonies. Distant in sound, the music still
maintains a vivid, striking character as its main, melodic impulse snakes and
hesitates its way into prominence. I found that raising the volume helped
matters, the woodwinds and strings’ antiphons gaining in anguish and angular
symmetry. Stokowski takes the middle section, storm-like, furioso, the
sea perhaps a factor in the sense of storm and stress. After ten minutes, the
elegant theme ascends and the energetic flurries and diaphanous string runs
carry us into a northern world like few others. The final intensities bear a
striking resemblance to the B Minor tone-poem Tapiola.
Gary Lemco
MUSICWEB THURSDAY APRIL 24TH 2008
Invaluable for Sibelians and Stokowskians – atmospheric historic recordings ... Rob Barnett
Jean
SIBELIUS
(1865-1957)
Finlandia Op. 26 No. 7 (1899) [7:08]
Symphony No. 1 in E minor Op. 39 (1898) [32:56]
Pelléas and Mélisande Op.46 (excerpts from incidental music) (1905)
[14:56]
Symphony No.7 in C major op. 105 (1924) [17:48]
Helsinki
City Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski
rec. live, Helsinki University’s Festival Hall, 17 June 1953,
GUILD
GHCD2341
[78:55]
This disc is of the greatest musical interest. It contains a complete concert
from Helsinki entirely devoted to the music of Sibelius in which the Helsinki
City Orchestra is conducted by Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977).
Sibelius did not lack for concert performances during his long life. Ironically
this popularity coincided with his ceasing ambitious composition activity after
circa 1925. Kajanus, Wood, Bantock, Beecham, Stokowski, Ormandy, Collins and so
many others took his music worldwide. It held the stage until the lurch of
fashion moved it into eclipse for a decade or so after Sibelius’s death. After
this the upswing in interest guaranteed it recordings from a new generation of
conductors including Maazel. Even then Boult, Cameron and Collins championed the
symphonies during the post-mortem ‘darkness’. Now, some fifty years after the
composer’s death recordings abound. Most recently we have had three momentous
volumes of Bis's glorious Complete Sibelius series alongside a landslide
of new recordings and reissues.
This Guild collection is new to the commercial recording field. It is decidedly
vintage stuff but those who demand exemplary modern sound will want to pass it
by. Dedicated Sibelians will however be snapping it up and they will be right to
do so. Stokowski championed so many contemporary composers during his years with
the Philadelphians and in the long 'wilderness' years after that. He certainly
knew his Sibelius and was widely respected in this repertoire. This led to the
prized invitation to Helsinki as the conductor of the valedictory concert in
Helsinki's Sibelius Festival in 1953, a mere four years before the composer's
death in 1957.
The recordings derive from second generation transcriptions of a CBS complete
concert broadcast and incorporates audience applause as well as hall ambience.
The latter is felt most strongly during the announcements. Radio commentary is
included with the commentator reminding us that Sibelius was listening to the
concert in Järvenpäa over the wireless. Who is the announcer please? His voice
and manner is both agreeable and dignified.
After a stern, whiplash-gruff Finlandia, reminiscent of the excellent
Horst Stein/SRO recording on Decca, comes the First Symphony. This was a work
which Stokowski was to re-record in London in 1976 for CBS within a year of his
own death. On that occasion his orchestra was Sidney Sax's
National Philharmonic. Here we have a tetchy, even vituperative, reading in
which the predominant impression is of acceleration – even impatience. The
Helsinki players are pushed to the limit. This is among the very speediest
Sibelius Ones (32:56). Compare this with Barbirolli’s Hallé EMI Classics
recording at 41:50. That said, there is respite and balm in the yearning
Andante (II 1:02). As is the case throughout this disc the mono sound is of
unrefined AM quality. You also have to resign yourself to some rustling
distortion and a few worse moments (I, 7:55). These only register transiently
and then only if you let yourself be distracted from what is going on with the
orchestra.
There are also five episodes from the music for Pelléas and Mélisande: a
hesitant Mélisande with a lovely lippy oboe principal, a grumbling and
rockingly inimical By the Sea in which sea is a shuddering horror, a
translucent and lovingly shaped Pastorale in which the solo flute is an
airy dancer and a Golovanov-hard-pressed Entr'Acte (just a shade too
breathless and impatient). There’s also a well sustained and intense The
Death of Mélisande in which the piled-on string tone suffers from
distortion.
I am in two minds about this Seventh. It pushes forward purposefully but its
epic qualities are generalised. Compared with Ormandy this is sometimes almost
ordinary, even perfunctory. Mravinsky - and his Melodiya engineers - made more
of the hieratic eminence of the trombone and the whooping climax at 15:10. I
should also just note that with the disc under review there is some hissing and
tizzing distortion at 10:34. On the other hand more is made of the storm element
and parallels are drawn, consciously or unwittingly, with the Prelude to
The Tempest and the supernal gale in Tapiola. A firm grip is
maintained by Stokowski on the sense of grandeur and summation that soaks the
final two minutes of this performance.
The insightful notes are by Robert Matthew-Walker who time and again hits the
spot with fresh observations and perspectives. Interesting to be reminded that
Stokowski, like all his contemporaries, including that doyen of the Sibelius
acolytes Kajanus, failed to leave a complete cycle of the symphonies. This
honour ultimately fell to Ehrling, Collins and Watanabe.
Sibelians will quite properly want this invaluable collection. I hope that Guild
have more Sibelius concerts in their recording roster. What I wouldn't give to
hear Stokoswski conducting Pohjola's Daughter or some of the symphonies
conducted by Basin Cameron one-time conductor of the SFSO and once-known as
Basil Hindenburg! Meantime do snap up this collection and you will encounter a
mixed Seventh, a white hot First, and a very fine Pelléas suite.
Rob
Barnett
Page created Wednesday May 21 2008