Search - Otto Klemperer :: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Klemperer's Vital Paris 'Brandenburgs' from the 1940s

T. Beers | Arlington, Virginia United States | 07/23/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 1946 Vox production is one of the rarest of all Klemperer recordings and has been remastered very successfully for CD, considering the source. (The CDs were prepared from vinyl 78s.) That said, I want to make it very clear that these are not high fidelity recordings, and the presence of surface noise from the original 78s is an added distraction. I find that the ear quickly adjusts, and what you hear coming from these discs is no worse than a lot of what you hear on historical releases from Pearl or Naxos, companies that are acknowledged leaders in the transfer of old recordings to CD. But clearly, this reissue will not appeal to the casual music lover, or even to more serious fans who put a premium on up-to-date technology. As for the performances, they are fascinating! Unlike earlier sets from Alfred Cortot (1920s) and Adolf Busch (1930s), these 'Brandenburgs' are recognizably modern in style. No, they do not reflect our current understanding of baroque performance practice. But they are, nevertheless, athletically vibrant performances that avoid heaviness; vibrato is held to a minimum; and portamento "scoops" ala Cortot & Co. are avoided completely. Klemperer in the 1940s was a much more vital - even volatile - interpreter than the magisterial (some would just say "slow") conductor who recorded for EMI in the '60s. So if you know Klemperer's Bach only from his later stereo recordings, you're in for a surprise. Tempos in this Vox set are quick, textures are lean, articulation is vibrant. Moreover, these are true chamber performances, employing a band of no more than 15-20 players for the first concerto and much smaller ensembles for the others. And thankfully, Klemperer's Paris instrumentalists are a nimble, even virtuosic, bunch. (Most important: the horns avoid that nasal, saxophone-like sound so typical of French brass playing before the 1970s.) One oddity needs to be mentioned, and it's a whopper. Probably because no clarino trumpeter was available to play the Second Concerto, Klemperer uses a (real) saxophone as substitute! I swear it's true, but you won't learn about this from the liner notes. Given the age of the recording, you probably wouldn't notice this just by listening and the damn thing works very well, but still ... . One last, personal note. I am profoundly grateful that I have been able to purchase these recordings; I never thought I would hear these very famous performances at all, let alone in transfers sounding this good. For any real Klemperer fan, or anyone interested in vital Bach playing of any sort, these CDs are a "must buy". (But, certainly, there are plenty of fine, modern recordings of the 'Brandenburgs' available for those who are averse to the sound of old recordings or who value modern notions of baroque performance practice.) Price for the 'slimline,' two-CD set is very reasonable; packaging is attractive but austere. (The booklet contains a general essay on Klemperer, but not a word about how these 'Brandenburgs' came to be recorded or the identification of the Paris 'Pro Musica Orchestra'. Probably the players are unknown.) A fleet, even dramatic, performance of Mozart's 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' included on Disc 2 makes a nice bonus."

Interesting because of Klemp.

Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 10/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is as chamber-like as you can get when it comes to the Brandenburgs. Klemperer just lets these guys play as they want to! And the results are not that bad. The sound is in not-the-greatest mono, but the interpretations are purely based on improvisory and "music-making" qualities! It's so interesting to hear them like that. I wouldn't have even considered buying these recordings if Klemperer wasn't involved.



I do have to say one thing though, Klemperer's studio EMI recordings from the 1960's with the Philharmonia Orchestra are the very best renditions of the Brandenburgs I have ever heard.



WARNING: These late 1940's recordings are for Klemperer fans and anyone else will probably not adhere to them as they might think, they are extremely individual performances and not for the record books as those by Britten, Marriner and Richter are."