Many years ago, I stumbled across the Mengelberg Schubert 9 on an LP in a bin of assorted "cut out" records in a grocery store, of all places. It was probably the only classical record in the pile. I remember thinking "This looks interesting" and bought it, probably for about a dollar. It is one of the best dollars I ever spent. The recording is old (about 1937 or 8), but sounds better than many others from the time. The performance is great. It is flowing and melodious, and surprisingly brisk, at about 48 or 49 minutes overall. I especially like the faster than usual tempo of the opening of the 1st movement. It feels more like 2 beats to the measure instead of the usual 4. It really sings, and flows very nicely into the rest of the movement. I no longer have the LP, but did copy it onto a CD, which I listen to at least once a year or so.
It's difficult to disagree with much in this overflow-room instalment: the Bernstein DG Schubert recordings are just simply great (with the COA if my memory doesn't elude me?); the Klemperer recordings of 8 and 9 always were favourites, made of the stuff reference recordings are made of; the Mengelberg, when in a version with the sound as good as it gets, captivating - I once read a review, where the reviewer drew the attention to the fact that Mengelberg's (metric) tempo wasn't the same in any two consecutive bars, the underlying feeling of the pulse, though, was clearly present. Mengelberg, miraculously, not only managed to get away with it, but acquitted himself with (masterly) aplomb! The late Giulini 9th I haven'f heard, but surely will seek out. I have just one quibble, and a minor one to that: there was and is a third alternative to Fischer-Dieskau and Wunderlich in Die schöne Müllerin from just about the same period - by quite a few considered the superior version of the three, namely my compatriote, Aksel Schiøtz' with Gerald Moore in 1945. Fisch-Disch, though in better voice and less didactic than later on (I so much hate it, when the singer by "interpreting" pokes me in the eye with his index finger), has an approach, far too cerebral, too intellectual, for him to be considered a credible representation of a young miller-apprentice. Wunderlich is much more credible in this respect and his singing so beautiful and natural sounding. As a lied-interpreter, though, Schiøtz is in comparision to him much more experienced and much more detailed and nuanced. Compared to FD Schiøtz' interpretation is based on more subtle means: slight colourings ("Schattierungen"), inflections, the subtle emphasis of individual words and so forth, all within an unbroken melodic line, whereas FD unduly breaks the latter with overly use of accents and overemphatic enunciation. My choice between Wunderlich and Schiøtz depends on my mood: if veering towards a forthright sung and felt Müllerin, I go for the "Naturbube" (appr. 'the child of nature') Wunderlich; if veering towards a more nuanced, multi-layered, interpretatively all encompasing, and also beatifully sung Müllerin, I reach for Schiøtz.
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Many years ago, I stumbled across the Mengelberg Schubert 9 on an LP in a bin of assorted "cut out" records in a grocery store, of all places. It was probably the only classical record in the pile. I remember thinking "This looks interesting" and bought it, probably for about a dollar. It is one of the best dollars I ever spent. The recording is old (about 1937 or 8), but sounds better than many others from the time. The performance is great. It is flowing and melodious, and surprisingly brisk, at about 48 or 49 minutes overall. I especially like the faster than usual tempo of the opening of the 1st movement. It feels more like 2 beats to the measure instead of the usual 4. It really sings, and flows very nicely into the rest of the movement. I no longer have the LP, but did copy it onto a CD, which I listen to at least once a year or so.
It's difficult to disagree with much in this overflow-room instalment: the Bernstein DG Schubert recordings are just simply great (with the COA if my memory doesn't elude me?); the Klemperer recordings of 8 and 9 always were favourites, made of the stuff reference recordings are made of; the Mengelberg, when in a version with the sound as good as it gets, captivating - I once read a review, where the reviewer drew the attention to the fact that Mengelberg's (metric) tempo wasn't the same in any two consecutive bars, the underlying feeling of the pulse, though, was clearly present. Mengelberg, miraculously, not only managed to get away with it, but acquitted himself with (masterly) aplomb!
The late Giulini 9th I haven'f heard, but surely will seek out.
I have just one quibble, and a minor one to that: there was and is a third alternative to Fischer-Dieskau and Wunderlich in Die schöne Müllerin from just about the same period - by quite a few considered the superior version of the three, namely my compatriote, Aksel Schiøtz' with Gerald Moore in 1945.
Fisch-Disch, though in better voice and less didactic than later on (I so much hate it, when the singer by "interpreting" pokes me in the eye with his index finger), has an approach, far too cerebral, too intellectual, for him to be considered a credible representation of a young miller-apprentice. Wunderlich is much more credible in this respect and his singing so beautiful and natural sounding. As a lied-interpreter, though, Schiøtz is in comparision to him much more experienced and much more detailed and nuanced. Compared to FD Schiøtz' interpretation is based on more subtle means: slight colourings ("Schattierungen"), inflections, the subtle emphasis of individual words and so forth, all within an unbroken melodic line, whereas FD unduly breaks the latter with overly use of accents and overemphatic enunciation.
My choice between Wunderlich and Schiøtz depends on my mood: if veering towards a forthright sung and felt Müllerin, I go for the "Naturbube" (appr. 'the child of nature') Wunderlich; if veering towards a more nuanced, multi-layered, interpretatively all encompasing, and also beatifully sung Müllerin, I reach for Schiøtz.