Review: Two Fascinating, Historic Kubelik Boxes
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2021
- They're here! Eloquence has released Rafael Kubelik's complete Mercury Living Presence and Decca recordings in two beautifully assembled boxed sets of 10 and 12 discs, respectively. Together, they offer a fascinating historical perspective not just on the conductor's illustrious career, but also on that of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the post-War Vienna Philharmonic, the nature of good music criticism, the origins of audiophile recording, and just as importantly, smart record catalog management. What a treasure-trove these two boxes represent!
Thank you for your comments on Claudia Cassidy, Dave. Every Sunday night in the late 60s through the 70s, I'd listen to her reviews on WFMT's Critics Choice program. They were astute and helped me understand music I heard at Orchestra Hall and Lyric Opera.
...one of your very best, thank you! So edifying...)
You have outdone yourself here! While the sound of the Vienna "Ma Vlast" is scrawny, "Sarka" is wonderfully exciting. Keep on reviewing!
Thanks, Dave. I have some of the MLP recordings as it is one of my favorite labels. However, I have never listened to them with the educated ear provided in your lecture. As usual, your talk was also enlightening, informative, engaging, and entertaining. Thanks for doing these. I consider myself knowledgeable after collecting without rhyme nor reason (except to have the pieces) for over sixty years. But (and as you say, "there is always a 'but,' what I've acquired and listened to over the years was mostly poking around in the dark.. Thanks for shining a light into some of the more obscure corners of my collection. Your observations and comments are always welcome.
I’ve found this video incredibly informative about the multiple factors contributing to the qualities of the Mercury and Decca Kubelik recordings. Michael Gray has done a lot of exploration into the equipment used during the early stereo experiments by Decca. It’s possible that the inconsistent and often shrill string sound of the stereo Decca recordings from this period in Vienna is due to them persevering with M50 omnidirectional microphones in their Decca tree despite everywhere else getting much better results in London Italy and Geneva using Roy Wallace’s preferred KM56 microphones. The quality and consistency of the recordings do seem to improve in line with Vienna changing to the KM56 tree in September 1958 and this was used for the Solti ring cycle. I have wondered about getting some of the mono Decca recordings from pre 58 Vienna in case they are better but Daves video has made me realise that the monos are still likely to be hampered by the non technical issues around the time.
I already have most of those CSO recordings and have great fun hearing them. I have that Tchai. 4 on LP.
Wonderful, Dave! You truly nail the virtues and problems of these performances, along with placing them in sonic and interpretive perspective. Kubelik is a great example of a musician who evolves and develops gradually, sometimes in fits and starts, and then when everything comes together in Kubelik's 50s and 60s, his best performances have a strength and staying power that results from all of this accumulated experience and seasoning. This usually is true of all great "late bloomers" from Arthur Rubinstein and Sviatoslav Richter to jazz icons like John Coltrane.
I've been saving early mono Mercury LPs with Kubelik and Dorati to listen to, so I was fascinated to hear your take on the first box. I felt from earlier listening to some of his EMI recordings that Kubelik was not what he later became in his Chicago period, so Claudia Cassidy had a valid point.
I've the mono recording of Mahler's 1st on Decca ( coupled with Tchaikovsky's _Romeo & Juliet_ ) on a single CD. I'll compare it, well, not with Kubelik's stereo one, but Bruno Walter's. I'm not much of an collector, but this talk gave me valuable context to enjoy my not so much encompassing collection.
Thanks, Dave!
I wish I had seen this review before I ordered both of these yesterday - I probably wouldn't have bothered with the Decca set! I found the big DGG set for half price and thought I would get these more or less for free, since they were about the same price as the discount. Definitely Kubelik overload, so I'll refer back to this video to see what I can safely omit. Thanks for the heads up! I loved the history bits here too.
This is really fascinating, and the defense of Claudia Cassidy is very thought-provoking (I recall reading a reference to her, years ago, as the "semi-literate critic of the Chicago Tribune," which I am sure reflects an ingrained sexism; what commentator says something anywhere nearly so brutal about Virgil Thompson's utterly wrong-headed judgments about the music of Sibelius?). But those Mercury CSO/Kubelik recordings have a special place in my heart. As we leave Father's Day behind, I am reminded of my father, who died in mid-1990s. I discovered classical music in the late 1960s, when I went to a childrens' concert at the Cleveland Orchestra. I prepped for it by playing my Dad's record of Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony in Beethoven's 5th. After that, I started to pull out his LPs, and among them were Kubelik's Mercury CSO recordings of Ma Vlast, the New World, and the Pathetique. I was only 11 years old, and that scherzo from the Pathetique knocked me sideways (as it should). I don't think I'd be here, at least in the same way, if it weren't for Kubelik and the CSO and Mercury Records, so I may bite the bullet and buy that CD box, which I don't really need. And I've still got Dad's LPs, though my turntable hasn't functioned for a while.
P.S. Dad bought those LPs as they come out, and the prices were marked on them in pencil: about $5.50 in the mid-1950s. The websites I am looking at tell me that's the equivalent of over $50 per record today. Dad cared about that music, even though I didn't see it all that often as I grew up. What a difference it made to me. Hail and farewell, GTK!
I heard Kubelik with the Cleveland orchestra in '73: Haydn 99 and, after intermission, Smetana's "Sarka" and Janacek's "Taras Bulba". Critic Robert Finn described the 2nd half as "X-Rated for Violence." LR
This was quite interesting. I have never liked the sound or performances of the Decca Dvorak symphonies in the box referenced here. I did order both of these boxes, however, and am just waiting for them to arrive in the mail. I figured it would be nice to have these recordings in boxed form, but it was also time for me to give them another listen.
Thanks, Dave, for an enlightening review. Your "rehabilitation" of Claudia Cassidy was unexpected but fair enough. As for Kubelik's early recordings, I have never warmed to them--at least to the ones I have heard in the three MLP boxes that came out a decade ago. Kubelik's recordings for that label are surpassed by Dorati's. The latter's set of Slavonic Dances is thrilling (more exicting, though not better played, than Szell--and certainly better than Kubelik's Decca recording). Now that we're on the topic of recently reissued "historic" recordings, how about a review of one or more of Scribendum's Knappertsbusch boxes? And I'll add another plea for a review of Scribendum's or Universal/Italy's Scherchen boxes. All fascinating, but I know the Scherchen recordings but have never heard any of the Kna. How about it?
Dave, would you be willing to do a video sometime on the Kubelik DG box? I know it’s been out for a few years now but would love to hear your thoughts sometime! Thanks for the education: I loved how you gave us the flipside of the “Acidy Cassidy” legend in this video. Good stuff!
I was quite excited for these releases, particularly for the CSO recordings, and they were only available for like five minutes! Well, at least I can enjoy the review (supremely informative and entertaining, as always), not the least the background on Claudia Cassady's criticism and the role she played in Kubelik's career and the history of the CSO. Thank you, Mr. Hurwitz!
Amazon has 11 copies today.
@@morrigambist Right you are! Thanks for the heads-up!
As a footnote, CSO live concerts for a time were broadcast in NY. I as able to tape quite a few of these on a cassette recorder. One of them was Kub's performance of Ma Vlast during a late return engagement in Chicago. I haven't played the tape in quite of few years and think it may no longer be playable. However, I do remember the performance and enjoyed it.
If you are referring to the Ma Vlast performance of October 27, 1983 - that complete broadcast was made available in 2020 on the CSO website for on-demand listening. I managed to make a copy of the recording before it was taken down. Kubelik's late career return visits were warmly welcomed.
Fascinating review David, and truly a fascinating take on Kubelik's tenure with the Chicago SO, especially in relations with Ms. Cassidy.
I wonder how Ms. Cassidy thought of Frederick Stock, Chicago Symphony's Music Director from 1905 through 1942. Granted that she didn't want this very fine ensemble to be deemed second best or get a second rate conductor, Stock was generally not rated as a top-tier conductor in comparison with, say, Reiner, Toscanini, Szell, Rodzinsky, Koussevitsky, Stokowski (although he was a great, innovative, programmer who promoted the music of Myaskovsky in particular). I should research this further.
Thank you nevertheless as always.
So informative, thank you. Cantelli had recorded Pictures with the NBC Symphony for RCA but when he heard the sonics (not the interpretation) of the Kubelik CSO Mercury recording he demanded RCA let him re-record his in better sound. They did alright but it may have led to RCA's reluctance to continue recording with Cantelli. A shame. It's a very fine Pictures but was superceded by Toscanini's the following year (1953). Mercury's results in that early hifi era certainly put the other companies on their mettle.
Mint green!
What color would be next
Very interesting on Claudia Cassidy. She was not a fan of pianist Jorge Bolet in the 1950s, which is how I first came across her (following this up by reading her obituary written by William Grimes [1996]).
A useful reminder that not every conductor is a superstar from their very first recording or their very first orchestral engagement. I don’t believe I’ve actually heard any Chicago with Kubelic, although I love the Bavarian Radio era. I’ll keep on listening!
Hi Dave, how much duplication is there between the Kubelik Mercury box and the three Mercury Living Presence boxes? I seem to have misplaced all three !!!
After listening to your Dvorak Symphony cycle review, I just ordered Kubelik with the Berlin Philharmonic on DG label! Looking forward to this set because I know NOTHING about Dvorak. Yes, I'm going out on a limb but sense this will be a great sonic experience.
Hope you enjoy it! Please let us know.
Hi Dave, would you consider doing a review of the big Kubelik DG box? Thanks.
Sure. Thanks for asking.
Pardon me for waxing nostalgic, but mentioning the Kubelik/Boston Symphony recording of Ma Vlast reminds me of the day I discovered the album at my local Sam Goody's. Oh how I wanted the box set, but damn, DG records were not cheap back in the day.
There are a few box sets that I'm still trying to decide if they're worth getting. First is the big Bruno Walter Complete Columbia Collection. Then, there's the Leonard Bernstein An American in Paris set. And I know you've reviewed the Richard Bonynge Ballet box.
Get them while you can. Once they're gone, you will have a big problem getting them.
Would you consider reviewing the Orfeo box "The Munich Symphonic Recordings" (C981115) of Kubelik as well?
You mean this one? ua-cam.com/video/DmAeFOqQVNI/v-deo.html
My home page does have a very handy search function, BTW ;-)
Speaking of Chicago's music critic, did Jean Martinon also have a lot of problems with her, or was that a different critic?
It was the same critic:(
He had more problems with the orchestra, but Solti was terrified of her. He would not come until she had retired, and she was pretty fair to him.
You're absolutely right about Kubelik taking a long time to hit his stride.
And his DECCA Brahms Symphony cycle IS variable in sound...The 2nd
comes off the best, possibly because it was the only one of the four
produced by John Culshaw. The Mercury Chicago Brahms 1st is quite good -
not quite in the Van Beinum-or-Bruno Walter-at-their-best category, but close.
That he eventually DID hit his stride is proven by his MEISTERSINGER AND PARSIFAL on ARTS -
possibly the greatest studio-recorded versions of those works.
Yes, that 1967 studio Meistersinger is fabulous..especially since it preserves the great Thomas Stewart in his signature role of Sachs, and gives us another hearing of the equally great Gerhard Unger as David. LR
I think sometimes Kubelik's live recordings show him in a much better light - for example there's a great Dvorak New World coupled oddly with Mozart's 38th (still a great performance) with the Czech Philharmonic on Denon. Personally I think that is better than his Berlin Phil version on DG (certainly better recording quality). His Audite Mahler I find preferable to his DG recordings in many cases too.
This is really interesting, Dave! As I recall, Kubelik's tenure as Music Director at the Met Opera came to sudden end when his solution to a casting crisis was to substitute one opera for another. So maybe his prowess in "programming" was never his strength? Claudia Cassidy...I went back and looked at your CT review of the RCA Martinon box and see that she was not mentioned. Do you think she was unfair in her criticism of him? I think she also soured on Reiner when she thought that his concert programs were being dictated by RCA's recording desires as well as the fiasco of the cancelled foreign tour. Nowadays, its the critics who get fired (Rosenberg In Cleveland, sadly).
As I just said below, Martinon had other issues in getting along with the orchestra. It was a bad match.
I went to high school with Rosenberg’s son, and his father got an incredibly raw deal from the local paper. Fired solely for being insufficiently slavish in his praise of the Cleveland Orchestra. The newspaper’s editorial board decided since the orchestra was one of the Crown Jewels of Cleveland civic life, the band was beyond criticism and the critic’s duty was to be a wholly uncritical cheerleader. Rosenberg was right to sue the paper on various grounds when he was terminated.
@@DavesClassicalGuide ...another ultimately bad match: Leinsdorf & Boston.
It's almost another world to hear about a single critic having that much power. Maybe things are different in Europe, but these days, I think the only single critic nowadays who can straight up end careers if they want to is the lead theater critic for the New York Times.
Sigh...
Just a bit correction: at 6:35 Kubelik's "ten" year was actually 3. Excellent review otherwise, it was a fun to listen. It is very interesting to compare different performances and as a classical music-lover audiophile: compare different recordings. I think that is one of the greatest fun in classical music.
Dave doesn't say "ten year", he says "tenure"
"Tenure" is the word.... also he mentions 3 years earlier in the talk......
Off topic but tangential to conductor boxes. The New York Times just reviewed the ORMANDY/Philadelphia box and it was not flattering at all. I will provide a link. I don’t know if it will work. The NYT has a paywall which might not allow people to read unless you have a subscription.
Looks like the link did not work or I am just a techno-dummy.
The review was not that bad as the sound reproduction takes the biggest hit which I agree with...the Ormandy performances mentioned highlight the good and the not so good which is fair...again though, dwelling on the RCA and stereo recordings not being included is such a waste of ink as that was not the subject of this set, as the title clearly indicates..
You are right, too that Decca VPO Dvorak 7 is very disappointing and the EMI VPO version is much better. The Dvorak Scherzo Capriccioso for EMI is fabulous. I have to admit, again, immense admiration for the depth of your knowledge and the soundness of your musical judgements.
Thank you!
Hello David. How did Cassidy write about Rodzinsky ?
She liked him.
The Decca Brahms always sounded shrill. I do not quite agree on his Slavonic dances which spell an eerie nostalgia in the slow dances in spite of a frail orchestra (the Vienna philharmonic was going through a low point in its history, not being able to fill age and war related vacancies with satisfactory enough players).
Dvorak 9 with Kubelik I prefer with Boston
He never made one in Boston.
You mean Berlin, right?
@@MarauderOSU yes sorry
My auto correct
I'm working alot and I do mistakes
@@luccharbonneau9382 JOKE ALERT: A priest, a minister, and a rabbit go into a bar. The bartender asks the rabbit; "What are you doing here?"; the rabbit replies "auto-correct."
@@HassoBenSoba funny