Search - Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg, Richard [1] Strauss :: Jascha Horenstein conducts Strauss, Wagner, Mahler, Schönberg

Great with a Big Problem

Wayne A. | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 01/03/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It's swell that Vox, or whatever they are now, if they even still exist, released a small mountain of Horenstein recordings from its archives, vaults, whatever. Actually, in some instances, and a notable one here, I'd say they stored the masters in a barn perhaps, a barn with a leaky roof. We'll get to that.



Any Horenstein performance, even with second-string orchestras, always has something special about it. Honestly, I've never figured out what it is although it seems like he just consistently brings extra goodies out of the music. I'd guess that he saw a complex and thoughtful score with greater clarity and understanding than most; it's not surprising his Mahler, Brahms, Janacek, and so on are highly regarded. The Rite of Spring he recorded for Vox is one of the all-time great ones, perhaps the most atmospheric of them all. The same might be said of the Death and Transfiguration on this set. This set contains fantastic interpretations of works of the three featured composers. Recommended, but not as first choices, maybe not even as fifth ones...



Vox's sound, in the early days, always seemed marginal (a gentlemanly way of saying it sucked). These recordings, sonically, reflect that. I don't think tons of time was spent (or wasted) trying to liven up initially deficient recordings (although any improvement would have been welcome!). Most of the set is sort of OK to marginally OK in this regard but, sadly, the Schoenberg Chamber Symphony is almost unlistenable. It almost sounds like a radio broadcast sound-check. Pity, because any early Schoenberg recordings are a treasure and this one seems exceptionally good. There's a Brahms First and Beethoven Third in this set of releases that also have the same horrid gritty sound--it's like hearing an old LP played on a turntable with a damaged stylus, and through a cheap system to boot. This assessment from a guy who can generally handle old and funky-sounding recordings with aplomb. Honestly, I'd love to know why one recording company could do something magnificent in 1935 and another couldn't manage a decent-sounding recording in 1959. This is entirely aside from issues of how the masters were stored or maintained.



So, for the treasure-hunter looking for exceptional performances, recommended with the usual and familiar warnings. All others may want to steer clear.



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