Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glorious, exhilarating music-making !, 12 Sep 2000
This cd is a re-issue of two live performances Decca released in the 70's in its famous series "Phase 4". Music lovers really have to thank Cala Records for the enterprise, because this cd is a treasure, and it's a sure recommendation even if you're not a Stokowski fan. Hands down, I'm an admirer of this great and controversial maestro, but I like to think I'm a "critical" one: for example I never liked his Brahms: it has always sounded too fast, constantly on the verge of collapsing into self-parody. No similar reservations with this splendid 1st ! Sure , the Stokowski features are all present: stormy dynamics, seamless "legato", an overall rich and deep orchestral sound. But here the sheer excitement goes along with a strong architectural grasp, and the result is one of the best 1st I know: it's at once ebullient and perfectly balanced, fiery yet refulgently grand. This is the (unedited!) recording of a famous 1972 Royal Albert Hall concert celebrating Stoki's 90th birthday and the 60th anniversary of activity with the LSO, replicating the same program he gave ...in 1912 ! The sense of occasion is palpable as the orchestra plays splendidly, like many other times during Stokowski's indian summer. The Elgar, too, is an absolute gem, for many reasons. Stokowski played some Elgar (he gave the American premiere of the 2nd symphony, for example) but, for some reason, this is the only Elgar recording he ever made. The circumstances of the recording are notable too, and witness the very special magic of this conductor: the Czech Philharmonic never played the Elgar before, and the rehersal time was very scarce because Stokowski had an accident during the trip to Czechoslovakia. And yet the results, as documented by this cd and by the Decca re-issue of the Bach Transcriptions, are striking. The Enigma is up there with the very best: avoiding any excess of sentimentality, Stokowski gives us a performance that is genuinely Elgarian in its ebbs and flows of heartfelt melancholy ( the strings' "swoon" in the Enigma theme is marvelous) and "nobilmente" dignity (the final E.D.U. is majestically swaggering). Also "Nimrod" comes out splendidly and, really, the wonderful, moody diversity of the Enigma Variations really seems to fit Stokowski's mercurial style. Apart from a few, typically "live", ensemble flaws the playing of the great Czech orchestra is glorious, a warm, burnished wall of sound. It's a kind of sound quite different from the one that Elgar usually gets from British orchestras, making this release even more interesting. About the sound, splendidly remastered by Cala, your enjoyment of it depends on your taste: if you just want what the Gramophone reviewers call "a natural concert-hall perspective" you'll have doubts about the super-miked, 20-channel Phase 4 recording technique, that makes you feel surrounded by a colossal orchestra. As for me, I loved every minute.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eloquent performance of Enigma, 13 Nov 2008
This is a wonderfully eloquent and warmly expressive performance of Enigma by late Stokowski. It shows how deeply he understood Elgar's inspired musical language and extrovert/introvert dichotomy. This is certainly one of his best recordings.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow! Glorious!, 4 April 2009
Glorous! Glorious! Glorious! This is brilliant, Stokowski in full flow with the mighty Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in a live performance of Elgar's Enigma Variations . It reminds me so much of Barbirolli's famous farewell live performance of Elgar's Sym 1 with the Halle Orchestra.
This is the Enigma as you've never heard it before, sitting in the orchestra with walls of sound all around. You could put out your hand and catch the drumstick! Listen to the Nimrod variation and it is simply overwhelming in sonic glory - heaven must be like this! Purists may quibble on different points. I see the Penguin Guide gives it 2/1 stars though the words are commendatory enough. Me? I would give it ten stars, if I could. It will take your hair off, so keep any false hair well secured! However, don't think it is all about glorious, burnished sound. Stokowski interprets the music well, indicating introvert/ extrovert passages precisely.
I understand the Czech Philarmonic had never played the Enigma before and rehearsal time was short. That makes it all the more amazing and I wonder what sort of result there would have been, if he had had a week with them. The CD points out that, unusually, this is Stokowski's only recording of Elgar's music and it is with a non-British orchestra.
The Brahms First Symphony is the splendid coupling, just as well done, and recorded live with the LSO at a concert in the Royal Festival Hall in 1972. It was an anniversary concert to celebrate the conductor's 60 years of association with the orchestra as well as his own 90th birthday. Roll on old age!
Don't miss this record. Thanks again to Cala Records for issuing it.
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