![]() The first thing that strikes one is the richness of this superb remastering – it doesn’t sound old at all and is very immediate. In 1942, Beecham (left, with Sibelius) recorded this reading for American Columbia in New York – which he then considered not up to standard and sued the record company for issuing them without his approval – he lost. The fact that three separate companies have elected to issue three separate historic recordings of his Sibelius records, each with one of the Seventh, surely attests to this. His recordings of the composer’s music are loved and respected by many. Sir Thomas Beecham, possibly the most English of the English conductors, was a good friend and champion of Sibelius. Symphony No.7 (19’23”) on 4 tracks, recorded June 1942. The rest of the recording is satisfactory to my ears, but I curse EMI for ending the disc very rudely and abruptly at the same moment the final chord finishes, which deprives us of that cosmic reberb at the end. You will hear swish at the beginning, but fortunately it fades off and only reappears intermittently. I can no longer remember how the quality of the remaster on the Pearl label was like (I don’t even know if the album is available), but I was glad to be able to find this reissue on “The Art of Conducting” series on EMI. In Koussevitsky’s attempt here, the “historic” soundscape adds a certain poignant edge over this effect – and when I first heard it, I was bowled over completely. This is an option chosen by a few conductors – I know some people don’t like it, but I find it can add a tremendously heroic, earth-shaking sheen over the music, as the trumpet section hymns the glory of C major above the orchestra. One special attribute of Koussevitsky’s reading here is the trumpet high “C” played in the final chord. Whether you like the main body of this performance, do make sure you hear the ending. The trombone solos are powerfully played, though there isn’t any bloom around it. As a whole, the orchestra sounds great, but specific wind solo and section parts aren’t really flattered on this recording. Listen for their churning storm in the Adagio section (track 10, letter L in score). The BBC Symphony, particularly the strings, singing with great – almost silvery – intensity. Koussevitsky conducts with fine pace and a genuine understanding of the organic progression of the Symphony. Despite the unavoidable hiss and the reduced sound body, this historic Seventh is very listenable. But when I first heard this 1933 version on the Pearl label, I was astounded by the quality possible. Reissued 1997.Īs the Seventh Symphony relies a lot on sonority, historic recordings tend to lose a considerable degree of “substance”, more than other pieces of music. From The Art of Conducting Volume 3.ĮMI Classics The Art of Conducting CDM5 65918-2 mid-price.
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