Carl Schuricht, Great Conductors of the 20th Century [Original recording remastered]

The second CD in this wonderful collection is worth the asking price alone - Bruckner's mighty Eighth performed with real aplomb by a Maestro of the Old School and the omnipotent Vienna Philharmonic. In fact, it is a real history lesson in how Bruckner used to be performed four decades ago. Rather than being lofty and grand like Wand, Giulini and late Karajan (Vienna Phil), Schuricht treats you to a brisk, highly engaging symphonic experience which bristles with excitement and urgency.
It has been said that Bruckner thought and composed his music in blocks. In recent years, podium masters have often taken a broader view of the this symphony than their predecessors did. This allows you to examine each of the individual musical blocks before they are put into place to build the wonderful edifice that is Bruckner's Eighth. Schuricht, employing more fleet tempos, allows you the opportunity to see how these individual blocks fit together to construct the architectural design. In some ways the music actually flows better as you get to hear how one section links to the next. Initially. I was a bit shocked when I first heard Schuricht's interpretation. Then again, there is always more than one way to look at something. A mountain range can look equally magnificent at daybreak as it does at dusk, can it not?
The first CD is also highly recommendable. Schuricht gives a very persuasive account of Mendelssohn's Hebrides even though it is a monaural recording. The Schubert is probably the weakest selection in this compilation but still palatable. (Mackerras or Sinopoli are preferable here). The Mozart is given a most refreshing reading, full of spirit and zest. Finally,there is the Beethoven Symphony 1 which I cannot comment upon as I am just coming to terms with the piece having never owned a copy before. All in all though, this is a wonderful release in a wonderful series. All the selections have been carefully remastered and the sound quality is quite exemplary. Highly recommended!

I first came to know and love the interpretative genius that was Carl Schuricht through Beethoven at a time when taste in recorded examples of his symphonies was dominated by the massive presences of Klemperer and Karajan. I was so surprised by the contrast - especially in the 9th symphony - that I borrowed the score from the library to see who was messing with the tempi! The answer, of course, was all of them. However, to my surprise, closest by far was Schuricht, whose Beethoven (all symphonies recorded with Paris Conservatoire Orchestra) was vigorous, energetic and flexible. After that, the only adjective that truly fitted the interpretations of the other maestros was - dreadfully, dreadfully SERIOUS!

The recordings here have been lovingly transcribed and capture the warmth of the originals in a way that digital recording only rarely achieves. The natural urge of the technical team to re-master mono recordings as 'enhanced' stereo appears to have admirably resisted - though I suspect I can detect a digitally added 'rasp' to the big brass sections in the 1st movement of the Bruckner which is not very successful.

Schuricht - where he has been criticized - has mostly been taken to task for his choice of tempi where I believe he is (more or less!) vindicated by a simple look at the original score. No-one, however, took exception to his reading of orchestral texture which has always been outstanding. For instance, he never allowed forte-forte brass to overwhelm orchestral detail and one of the main joys of his interpretations is that discovery of the structural delights in a whole range of the classical repertoire which lesser luminaries were happy to bury in displays of musical pyrotechnics.

I am not a great fan of Mendelssohn or Schubert so I will not comment except to say they sound fine to me. I neglected to collect the maestro's interpretations of Mozart as I preferred the intimacy and immediacy of smaller orchestral forces for this composer's works. I am happy to say that I was wrong in so doing, as this interpretation has all the warmth and verve and energy of anything I have heard. It almost goes without saying that the Schuricht Bruckner is without parallel, as are his interpretations of 7 and 9. But, for me, the gem in this collection is Beethoven 1. The Orchestra of the Paris Conservatoire was never in the first rank of European orchestras but Schuricht recorded all 9 Beethoven symphonies with them and, in my humble opinion, they stand as the very best interpretations ever. The recording offered here has been utterly faithfully transcribed, no attempt has been made to redress the acoustic inadequacies of the Salle Wagram (which must have been tempting!). The result is a clean, uncluttered version of a fifties masterpiece where the incredibly disciplined strings of the PCO achieve a structural reading of Bethoven which has never been equaled or surpassed.

Roger Davie Webster. September 2003