Search - Hermann Scherchen :: In Lugano V2

Late Scherchen excellence

Larry Friedman (disquod@bluemoon.ne | Buffalo, NY | 12/30/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hermann Scherchen is usually known for his "weird" tempi. It makes one think of him as a kind of off-beat, new-age musician. In reality, he was nothing of the sort. He was one of the finest conductors ever to have recorded. The fact that he was not under contract to one of the major companies often kept him out of the running. More's the pity. These performances, taped in concert with a less than first-rate orchestra, will make you listen to the first two Beethoven symphonies as if you had never heard them before. They are full of tension and very, very revolutionary. If you want your Beethoven served to you on a velvet cushion, pick up any of the hundreds of other recordings. If you want to sit up and think, get these Scherchen CD's. He was one of the major forces in progressive music, and his performances show it. The sound, of course, is not up to modern standards, hence the four stars. Tahra, however, has done a wonderful job in bringing them up to snuff."

Scherchen the Best!

Gail S. Altman | Tallahassee, FL United States | 07/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hermann Scherchen is one of the finest (if not THE finest) interpreters of Beethoven's music who ever lived. He ignites each piece with a passion that is rarely found in recordings of Beethoven's music. If you enjoy hearing Beethoven's music with the intensity that the composer intended, Scherchen is definitely the conductor to buy."