Stokowski's transcriptions really are great and certainly brought Bach to a larger audience. As a Mahler devotee, I would be remiss not to note that Mahler was at the spearhead of getting Bach's music into U.S. concert halls with his Bach-Mahler Suite for Orchestra, during his tenure as Director of the New York Philharmonic. It was a popular piece, both in New York and on Mahler's U.S. tour concerts between November of 1909 and February of 1911, at a time when Bach's music was rarely, if ever, heard in American concert halls.
@@Lars_rumpleMintz There is an excellent recording of it by Chailly and the Concertgebouw Orchestra available on several UA-cam channels. Search for Bach Mahler Suite for Orchestra. Mahler directed it as he accompanied on a piano specially modified to sound similar to a harpsichord.
I’m reminded that my first encounter with Bach was probably through Stokowski. When I was a child, my father owned an RCA sampler disc that included two short Bach-Stokowski items. One of them was “Sheep May Safety Graze,” which for some reason deeply affected me. The album was “The President’s Favorite Music,” which purported to contain Eisenhower’s favorites. (I suspect that Eisenhower simply signed off on whatever RCA chose.) The album also included Munch’s furious account of the Coriolan Overture, which also was an early favorite of mine.
@christopherjohnson2422 Didn't Eisenhower famously say he was not fond of all those "arias and baccarolles " prompting Leonard Bernstein to compose a piece with that title?
Thank you for the wonderful video Dave! Finally someone has the courage to say that Stokowski's Bach are works of showmanship, yes , but also of integrity and genuine love for the music. They're actually very somber, respectful and revelatory of the inner works of the music. They are not (like I once read on Gramophone) any wacky "Victorian monstrosity": for that, turn to the Elgar or Respighi transcriptions..tremendous fun, especially Respighi's, but nothing on this level.
I have all of his recordings of these Bach transcriptions, but I also love and sometimes prefer others' work in this field. Respighi's amazing Passacaglia & Fugue in c minor, Schoenberg's St.Anne Prelude & Fugue, Henry Wood's d minor Toccata & Fugue; and a current favorite, Leo Weiner's Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C Major, a real blockbuster. I was lucky enough to talk with Igor Kipnis about, among other things, his recording of Brandenburg No. 5 with Stokowski. He said Stokowski was incredibly flexible, understanding, and open to matters of Baroque performance practice (as then understood) and was in no way dogmatic, resistant, or rigid in the collaboration.
I would love to see a nice box set of all of Stokowski's Bach recordings, which I imagine is quite substantial, but to have it in a nice package with a booklet would be so nice.
My introduction to Bach was an album of orchestral transcriptions, many of which Dave mentioned, by Ormandy and Philadelphia on Columbia with their typical sumptuous sound-- totally inauthentic but wonderful to listen to.
I remember as a kid in middle school or high school borrowing from the public library a Columbia disc of Bach-Ormandy transcriptions (with some quite inauthentic JC Bach tossed in). The library’s copy was mono, but I remember enjoying the record. My local library had tons of Columbia (USA) items. I assume that Columbia donated its overstock items. Almost no Bernstein, but a lot of Szell and Ormandy.
One of my favorite discs, Dave. Thank tip! The Czech Philharmonic under Stokowski plays the Toccata and Fugue in masterly fashion with beautiful sound that this legendary conductor never equalled in any of his other Bach orchestral recordings. Let's hope it aways stays in print. By the way, Dave, did Stokowski and Virgil Fox, the great organist, ever play together in a concert? Both were masterful in playing Bach.
Thanks! Truer words were never spoken. Great fun. And, for the record - you are correct (again): from the CD cover (in the tiniest possible font) - 'recorded live in The House of Artists, Prague, September 7 and 8, 1972''
@@jorgeleandrorosa2881 Google Goups has a post that identifies both names as applying to a single building. There is quite a bit of dialogue about it - and Supraphon.... My comment came from the cover of the disc shown in the original post.
Stokowski made his first recording, Brahms' Hungarian Rhapsody No.5, in 1917; and the last one, Bizet's C major Symphony and Mendelssohn's Italian, in 1977 (!).
His 1927 PO Toccata & Fugue in d minor still has impressive sound. Much better than a 1934 remake. No playback equipment of the time could adequately reveal what was in those grooves. Oh, and that Bizet/Mendelssohn disc was top flight, still a favorite. He still had a lot of gas in the tank.
Dave, I have searched internet in US and Europe, and discogs database, and cannot find this CD, only LP with the same cover. If it has one can you post the bar code from the back of the disc?
I'm a little confused. I have Stokowski playing the same transcriptions in my EMI "Stokowski Maverick Conductor" box. The disc is called "Bach Orchestral Transcriptions" but the orchestra is listed as the Leopold Stokowski Symphony Orchestra. So, are these totally different recordings? How do they compare? Should I go out and find the Czech Phil ones? I'm going broke here David and you're not helping!! 🤑
Yes, they are totally different recordings. He made a bunch throughout his career. As long as you've got stereo, you're in fine shape, but the programs are all different even if the big items often remain the same.
@mhc2231 The record Dave is showing in the video is also available as CD 20 in the Stokowski Complete Decca Recordings, 22CD box set. Happy hunting. Cheers, Arunn.
Stokowski's transcriptions really are great and certainly brought Bach to a larger audience. As a Mahler devotee, I would be remiss not to note that Mahler was at the spearhead of getting Bach's music into U.S. concert halls with his Bach-Mahler Suite for Orchestra, during his tenure as Director of the New York Philharmonic. It was a popular piece, both in New York and on Mahler's U.S. tour concerts between November of 1909 and February of 1911, at a time when Bach's music was rarely, if ever, heard in American concert halls.
Thanks for mentioning this -- I've never heard of it!
@@Lars_rumpleMintz There is an excellent recording of it by Chailly and the Concertgebouw Orchestra available on several UA-cam channels. Search for Bach Mahler Suite for Orchestra. Mahler directed it as he accompanied on a piano specially modified to sound similar to a harpsichord.
I’m reminded that my first encounter with Bach was probably through Stokowski. When I was a child, my father owned an RCA sampler disc that included two short Bach-Stokowski items. One of them was “Sheep May Safety Graze,” which for some reason deeply affected me. The album was “The President’s Favorite Music,” which purported to contain Eisenhower’s favorites. (I suspect that Eisenhower simply signed off on whatever RCA chose.) The album also included Munch’s furious account of the Coriolan Overture, which also was an early favorite of mine.
@christopherjohnson2422 Didn't Eisenhower famously say he was not fond of all those "arias and baccarolles " prompting Leonard Bernstein to compose a piece with that title?
Thank you for the wonderful video Dave! Finally someone has the courage to say that Stokowski's Bach are works of showmanship, yes , but also of integrity and genuine love for the music. They're actually very somber, respectful and revelatory of the inner works of the music. They are not (like I once read on Gramophone) any wacky "Victorian monstrosity": for that, turn to the Elgar or Respighi transcriptions..tremendous fun, especially Respighi's, but nothing on this level.
I have all of his recordings of these Bach transcriptions, but I also love and sometimes prefer others' work in this field. Respighi's amazing Passacaglia & Fugue in c minor, Schoenberg's St.Anne Prelude & Fugue, Henry Wood's d minor Toccata & Fugue; and a current favorite, Leo Weiner's Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C Major, a real blockbuster.
I was lucky enough to talk with Igor Kipnis about, among other things, his recording of Brandenburg No. 5 with Stokowski. He said Stokowski was incredibly flexible, understanding, and open to matters of Baroque performance practice (as then understood) and was in no way dogmatic, resistant, or rigid in the collaboration.
Thanks for your recommendations.
I would love to see a nice box set of all of Stokowski's Bach recordings, which I imagine is quite substantial, but to have it in a nice package with a booklet would be so nice.
My introduction to Bach was an album of orchestral transcriptions, many of which Dave mentioned, by Ormandy and Philadelphia on Columbia with their typical sumptuous sound-- totally inauthentic but wonderful to listen to.
I remember as a kid in middle school or high school borrowing from the public library a Columbia disc of Bach-Ormandy transcriptions (with some quite inauthentic JC Bach tossed in). The library’s copy was mono, but I remember enjoying the record. My local library had tons of Columbia (USA) items. I assume that Columbia donated its overstock items. Almost no Bernstein, but a lot of Szell and Ormandy.
The real feast is Pearl's two disc set of Bach by Stoky in Philadelphia - everything just sounds so right, and the sonics aren't bad for the period.
One of my favorite discs, Dave. Thank tip! The Czech Philharmonic under Stokowski plays the Toccata and Fugue in masterly fashion with beautiful sound that this legendary conductor never equalled in any of his other Bach orchestral recordings. Let's hope it aways stays in print. By the way, Dave, did Stokowski and Virgil Fox, the great organist, ever play together in a concert?
Both were masterful in playing Bach.
I really am fond of these transcriptions and I prefer his D minor Tocatta and Fugue to the organ original.
Thanks! Truer words were never spoken. Great fun. And, for the record - you are correct (again): from the CD cover (in the tiniest possible font) - 'recorded live in The House of Artists, Prague, September 7 and 8, 1972''
The edition I have (Original masters) says 'live at the Rudolfinum, Prague', The same days.
@@jorgeleandrorosa2881 Google Goups has a post that identifies both names as applying to a single building. There is quite a bit of dialogue about it - and Supraphon.... My comment came from the cover of the disc shown in the original post.
YESSSSSSS!!! Hallelujah💥💗💗💗💗💗
Stokowski made his first recording, Brahms' Hungarian Rhapsody No.5, in 1917; and the last one, Bizet's C major Symphony and Mendelssohn's Italian, in 1977 (!).
His 1927 PO Toccata & Fugue in d minor still has impressive sound. Much better than a 1934 remake. No playback equipment of the time could adequately reveal what was in those grooves.
Oh, and that Bizet/Mendelssohn disc was top flight, still a favorite. He still had a lot of gas in the tank.
Great transcriptions! Super Bach! I have that with a different cover.
Did you ever come across my Stokowski Disc on Glossa? 😳😱☺
Yes, in fact. It's called "Bach on the Tam-Tam: Stokowski's Unknown Transcriptions."
Dave, I have searched internet in US and Europe, and discogs database, and cannot find this CD, only LP with the same cover. If it has one can you post the bar code from the back of the disc?
It's on Amazon.com.
I'm a little confused. I have Stokowski playing the same transcriptions in my EMI "Stokowski Maverick Conductor" box. The disc is called "Bach Orchestral Transcriptions" but the orchestra is listed as the Leopold Stokowski Symphony Orchestra. So, are these totally different recordings? How do they compare? Should I go out and find the Czech Phil ones? I'm going broke here David and you're not helping!! 🤑
Yes, they are totally different recordings. He made a bunch throughout his career. As long as you've got stereo, you're in fine shape, but the programs are all different even if the big items often remain the same.
@mhc2231 The record Dave is showing in the video is also available as CD 20 in the Stokowski Complete Decca Recordings, 22CD box set. Happy hunting. Cheers, Arunn.
@@ommachi Thank you both. It sounds like too much fun, so I'll fid it.