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Basle & London Recordings 

Recorded 1928 & 1929  

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PAsc 210  

The NBC Symphony concert of 27 December 1952 featured the gifted Guido Cantelli (1920-1956) at the podium, leading music appropriate for the season, as in the Sinfonia from J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (c. 1735), but also the infrequent Symphony in D Major by Luigi Cherubini. The Sinfonia, beautifully paced, moves in the manner of a siciliano, permitting the NBC flutes and strings suggest a company of angels, while the oboes represent pious shepherds; and so the two forces blend as mortal and immortal energies collaborate for the festivity of the Nativity.

Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842) resided in Paris for most of his creative life, composing the Symphony in D in 1815. Although Cherubini distinguished himself mainly in religious music, his only venture into the symphonic realm demonstrates considerable prowess in the distribution of melodic and contrapuntal forces; and the work admired by Beethoven became cherished by Toscanini and his chief protégé Cantelli. Cantelli urges the opening movement: Largo; Allegro with verve and electrified energy, the rocket figures easily competitive with elements in Haydn's "London" Symphony. No small credit is due the NBC tympani section. The Carnegie Hall venue aids considerably in retaining the warmth and sonic resonance of the ensemble, too often diluted by Studio 8-H sonic limitations.

After the "intrusion" of audience applause at the close of the first movement, the Larghetto cantabile reveals Cherubini the singer of sweet luxuriant harmonies. Mozart and Schubert appear to have influenced the arioso style of the movement, although an occasional outburst suggests the presence of the dramatic stage or Beethoven. The NBC bass line exerts considerable force, again in the context of rocket figures. The woodwind complement introduces a sunny interlude, a cassation of beguiling transparency. The Menuetto: Allegro non tanto exudes a rough-and-tumble Haydn character, rustic and rife with syncopations. The middle section of this scherzo-but-for-name-only lavishes upon us some wonderful antiphonal effects, perhaps attributable to the deft wit of Rossini. The brilliant Allegro assai that concludes the work utilizes a number of muscular effects that Beethoven and Haydn had already employed, but here resonating with an original energy. The clarity of Cantelli's line, its polyphonic transparency, speaks volumes of the NBC's response to this talented maestro.

It has to seem ironic that the Death and Transfiguration (1889) Cantelli renders here in 1952 would provide at least one memorial for him four years later, under Mitropoulos. We have precious little Richard Strauss by way of Cantelli, but from the outset, this reading of the music inspired by Ritter's poem conveys sobriety and linear directness of purpose. Harp, violin, and flute initiate any number of nostalgic spasms from the dying subject, the tympani in dire opposition to the poetic flights of sentimental fancy. Commentators  have noted how Cantelli's approach often moves to a more Germanic color than that of his mentor Toscanini, and that Cantelli occasionally extends into the mystics of Furtwaengler territory. The Allegro molto agitato section, particularly, explodes with a feverish girth that has more of Wagner than Verdi. The ardor and bitter travail of the Meno mosso series of recollections juxtaposes heroic impulses against the inevitable concessions to the mortal coil. The NBC brass, Harry Glantz and company, shines with an especial luster. Cantelli segues to the final Moderato section under protest, refusing to "go gently into that good night." Even among the many Cantelli treasures, this restoration by Andrew Rose defines itself as a recording of special merit.
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In his book Putting the Record Straight John Culshaw tells of an incident when Decca was making this recording of the Brahms in May 1953 in Amsterdam. Everything went smoothly until the opening of the finale when Curzon, who had played this difficult work countless times previously, couldn't get the opening eight bars technically perfect. They tried many times and Culshaw told the engineer to keep the tape running until Curzon got it right. And finally he did, to the relief of all concerned. But when they listened to the playback, the engineer goofed and accidentally erased the perfect take! So they had to redo it once more, and this time Curzon got it right the first time. This concerto obviously was a favorite of Curzon He first recorded it in 1946 with Britain's National Symphony with Enrique Jorda as the unlikely conductor, and again in 1962 with George Szell and the London Symphony. All of these have been issued on CD. The Grieg was recorded twice by Curzon, first in 1951 with the LSO conducted by Anatole Fistoulari, heard on this Pristine issue, and in 1959 with the same orchestra directed by Oivin Fjeldstad. Curzon was in top form for both performances. The Brahms concerto always boasted fine mono sonics; the Grieg was of lesser quality, and Andrew Rose has produced a miracle in its restoration.

With the advent of electric recording, major companies began to record complete operas in live performances, and with remarkable success. This important issue contains performances by bass-baritone Friedrich Schorr, perhaps the great interpreter of the role of Hans Sachs. With a superb supporting cast, we hear the remarkable Schorr at his best. Mark Obert-Thorn has done his usual perfect restoration of recordings that were amazing for their era-voices were uncommonly natural and well balanced with the orchestra. Two previously unissued sides are also included on this well-filled disk (78:50) but because of limitations of CD playing time, the second had to be faded out about 30 seconds before its conclusion-but Pristine has kindly made the entire track available as a download. This is a major operatic issue!

Over a long period of time Sir Edward Elgar recorded much of his music, often in multiple versions to take advantage of advancing technology. EMI has already issued most of these, and Music & Arts has just released a 4 well-filled CD set of performances recorded 1914-1925, that includes the two works on the Pristine Audio CD. It also includes the violin concerto with Marie Hall recorded in 1916 and the cello concerto with Beatrice Harrison recorded 1919/1920; for a complete listing visit the Music & Arts WEBSITE. Enigma Variations was recorded Feb. 24 and Nov. 16, 1920, and April 11, 1921, and Symphony No. 2 required four days in March 1924, and April 16 the following year. There is no explanation why these widely-separated dates were necessary. For those interested in Elgar's first interpretive thoughts on these works, here they are within the limitations of the acoustic recording process. No question that Andrew Rose has worked miracles with the label's XR reprocessing technique. I haven't heard the M&A set-if you'd like to sample many other early Elgar recordings, that would probably be the way to go.

Violinist Albert Sammons (1886-1957) was best known in the United Kingdom, a favorite of major conductors including Sir Thomas Beecham. Delius wrote his violin concerto for Sammons, and he made the first recording of Elgar's violin concerto in 1929, three years before Yehudi Menuhin made his famous recording with the composer conducting. PA's new disk offers Elgar's Violin Sonata in E minor recorded Feb. 2, 1935, and Rubbra's Violin Sonata No. 2 recorded April 16, 1946, along with a group of short pieces often associated with the violinist. This is a welcome addition to the limited discography of this superb British violinist.

November 24, 1956 the musical world was saddened by the death of Guido Cantelli in a plane crash outside Orly airport in Paris, Cantelli was only 48, at the start of what would have been an incredible career, in demand everywhere. Toscanini had championed him and hoped he would take over the NBC Symphony-but it was not to be. Toscanini was not told of Cantelli's death as it was felt this tragic news would have hastened the Maestro's death (he died two months later at the age of 89). Cantelli made few commercial recordings, but there are a number of broadcast performance s particularly with the NBC Symphony, many of which have been issued on Testament. This new issue offers music of Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra October 13, 1951, and Symphony No. 5 with the La Scala Orchestra September 23-26, 1951. Both were made in Abbey Road Studio-there is no explanation of why the La Scala orchestra was in London at the time. Cantelli's Tchaikovsky is powerful and brisk; surely this is one of the fastest recordings ever of the concluding pages of Romeo and Juliet. The CD includes a quotes from Grammophone Magazine of their reviews of original issues well more than a half-century ago. Mark Obert-Thorn's transfers could not be bettered. This is a superb historic reissue!.   

LINK 1 (Curzon)

 LINK 2 (Schorr)

LINK 3 (Elgar)

LINK 4 (Sammons)

LINK 5 (Cantelli)