Search - Cuthbert Matthews, Gioachino Rossini, Antonin Dvorak :: Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Sir Thomas Beecham: Rossini; Dvorák; Wagner

The Beecham magic in live and studio recordings.

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 12/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No one could dispute that the Beecham issue in this series meets the aim of providing varied, representative, "live" and rare material. Works by ten of his favorite composers are here, many of which he conducted regularly throughout his 60 year conducting career. Browsers will probably want information re the "new" or "rare" material here, and also the sound quality. There is a hitherto unissued version of Dvorak's Legende No 2 (LPO 1935). Delius' "Appalachia" and the Weber "Der Freischutz" Overture are heard in a "live" performance from the Queen's Hall (LPO 1935). Rimsky-Korsakov's "Antar" Symphony is heard in a live studio recording (RPO 1951). Of the rest, the Tchaikovsky symphony gets its first movement issued for the first time in stereo. The sound quality varies from adequate (Mozart RPO 1947), OK for strings but ill-defined for tympani in the Queens' Hall concert, to quite brilliant (Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky). The Tchaikovsky symphony performance contains a few eccentricities. The quiet "moderato assai, quasi andante" interlude in the first movement (heard first at 4 minutes 55 seconds) is reduced in speed to crawling pace (albeit very graceful crawling). The triangle strokes that occur between each line of the folk tune Tchaikovsky quotes in the last movement ("In the Fields There Grew a Birch Tree") are much too loud. No one could talk Beecham out of his choice of such a deliberate tempo in parts of the first movement, but happily remastering engineers have somehow reduced in this reissue the triangle strokes to something less suggestive of a blacksmith at work. The two CDs are well filled, and there are extensive and immensely informative notes. Beecham always attracted the best English instrumentalists into the ranks of his orchestras. Sadly, oboist Leon Goossens' work is under-represented here, but Dennis Brain's horn playing is well displayed in the "Antar" Symphony. If our descendants in the 22nd Century were to dig up this double CD set and assess what they hear as proof that Beecham was one of the 20th Century's great conductors, I wonder where they would find it. I believe the proof is best to be found in the earliest of all the items here - the "William Tell" Overture."

Too many souvenirs, not enough performances

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/09/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"To the end of his days, the beloved Thomas Beecham was sniffed at as an amateur condcutor in some circles, and even his musicians described him as a "top line" conductor, meaning the melody line rather than inner voices. He was not formally trained in conducting, and like Koussevitzky in Russia, Beecham bought his way into the profession via a personal fortune. But he was adventurous and broke down many barriers in British musical life. (For example, and rather unbelievably, he gave the first British performance of 'Cosi fan tutte' in 1910.) This 2-CD set gives us snapshots of his many sides, from Wagner's masterpieces to "lollipops" (as he called light classical bon bons), from his beloved Delius to exotic fare like Rimsky-Korsakov's Antar Symphony.



Despite all the good Beecham did for English music, and remembering his great charm and wit, there still are not enough outstanding performances here. The first CD is a total loss unless you relish very dated sound (1934-47) lavished upon readings of the Freischutz and Willaim Tell Overtures that are brisk and shallow, a dreadful Rainbow Bridge finale to Das Rheingold (featuring some of the worst singing and wobbliest sound imaginable), a long, tiresome Appalachia by Delius, etc. Two stars.



The second CD rises higher, both sonically and musically. "Antar" is in very good 1951 mono, and although I've heard few comparisons and can't remember any, Beecham for the first time on this set doesn't sound like a dilletante. The performance is controlled and atmospheric, and Beecham's love of exotic sounds is matched by Rimsky's orientalism. The other big work on CD 2 is the Tchaikovsky Fourth, of which the first movement is in stereo from 1958, the other three movements in mono from 1957. Nobody could seriously rank this light, balletic performance among the greats, and Beecham displays his willful side in terms of quirky tempos. Even so, his jaunty reading represents a beloved condcutor in good form. Becasue Beecham was uniquely lovable, the whole of CD 2 rates four stars."

Spellbinding

David Saemann | 09/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What could be better than spending over 2 and a 1/2 hours in the company of Sir Thomas Beecham? The best performances on this set are simply scintillating. To hear Beecham in his prime in 1935 conduct live performances of Delius's Appalachia and Weber's Der Freischutz Overture is simply magical. The overture goes faster than usual, but with the sound of Beecham shouting at his troops to urge them on, the results are breathtaking. The performance of Antar is simply magical. As played by the nearly peerless Royal Philharmonic, its sinuous themes remain in your head for a long time. As for the Tchaikovsky 4th, it's a little awkward having the first movement alone in stereo, especially since the rest of the piece is in full sounding and beautifully balanced monaural. Nevertheless, it is one of the great performances of the piece, filled with charm and also drama. For fans of Beecham, this set is an essential purchase."