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Until a few days ago, I had none. I wanted to like him, because of his association with Toscanini, and his book "The Composer's Advocate, but didn't. I saw him perform with the SF Symphony once when he lead an extremely disappointing performance of Dvorak's 9th, and I was not fond of his leadership of the Decca/RCA Die Walkure. I also read Paul Henry Lang's now ancient survey of Beethoven symphonies for High Fidelity, where he is dead on in his review of the Toscanini and Szell sets, and he was generally dismissive of the Leinsdorf set.
But I recently read Canarina's History of the NY Phil from Bernstein to Maazel, in which Leinsdorf was one of the heroes, and my buddy and super record collector Bruckner9 has been singing Leinsdorf's praises to me for some time, especially his Mahler.
I recently acquired most of the volumes of the Franklin Mint's Great Conductor series (only Marriner to go), and decided to give the Leinsdorf set a spin, starting with the Mahler 1 he did with the Royal Philharmonic (originally a Phase-4 release). Imagine my surprise to hear a beautiful, vital and subtle reading (and well-recorded too!), one that made me interested to hear more. Next up was the Brahms Second Piano Concerto with Richter- also well played, and then the Beethoven 4th piano concerto with Rubenstein. Interesting contrast, because Rubenstein seems to lack innigkeit while Leinsdorf's contributions are more than solid. (Listen to Rubenstein's opening phrases, and then the orchestra's response, in the first movement - quite a contrast).
So, huh. I'll need to spin the Walkure again soon, and there are still two records in the Great Conductors set I haven't heard yet. But, as I told Bruckner9, it was time to eat some crow.
Follow Ups:
Back half building towards the finale is one of the most exciting finish. Starting off with an ascending strings then a brief soft passages which slows down with a flowing melody. Then a distant drum call and piccolo then again the spiralling strings. From there avalanche of music and thunderous orchestra enter. There's no stopping like a train speeding at a high speed flying off to the eternity! Anything after that follows this set will sound pale in comparison.
I was less impressed with his Mahler 1 with BSO, however.
Even on lowly Seraphim pressings. The Kije had the vocal parts.
the HDTT (High Definition Tape Transfers) site discussed by Chris from Lafayette in the Music Asylum, where you can download high-rez digital files of both of those, as well as Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra from Leinsdorf's BSO years.
I might try it, but since I have the original LPs (I assume you do too), I might try some of their other offerings instead.
Here's one that's hard to dislike.
TBH, I've never heard him conducting Mahler.
a very good sounding record. It's the only non-Dynagroove RCA Living Stereo with Leinsdorf and the BSO. I do have to say that the sound on some of the Dynagroove recordings is very good as well. The previously mentioned Romeo and Juliet, and the Mahler 1st and the Heldenleben, among others.
I know what you mean about his cavalier attitude towards Dvorak's New World Symphony - in the 60's, I saw a TV broadcast of Leinsdorf conducting this work (Tanglewood perhaps? - I don't remember), and on the last chord, where Dvorak asks for the entire orchestra to die down to a p/pp ending, Leinsdorf kept the dynamic level up at fortissimo! The Composer's Advocate? LOL!OTOH, I've heard some good Leinsdorf recordings too. I'm among the admirers of his Sheffield/LAPO recordings of Wagner, Stravinsky, Debussy, and Prokofiev, although I agree that his BSO Wagner and Prokofiev performances were also very fine. I thought his BSO Haydn symphonies were good too.
As I've posted over on the Music forum a couple of times, Phyllis Curtin regaled us (in one of her master classes) with horror stories of recording with Leinsdorf and the BSO early in the Dynagroove era - where the engineers forced her to stand and record 60 feet away from the conductor, thus destroying the normal communication she would have had with him in a normal (much closer) concert environment.
Edits: 06/26/15 06/26/15 06/26/15
And don't forget his early '60s recording of Schubert's 6th mass, with those wonderful singers.
Jeremy
.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
Thorens, micro-seiki, Grace, Dynavector. . . ah!. . . verily I'm overcome by the nostalgia of it all!
My more recent impressions of Leinsdorf come from the Sony reissue sets and a couple of JVC XRCD's from Japan (love that K2 processing!).
i agree strongly with Chris. i recently paid $10 for the Wagner with valkyries and i am sorry i didn't buy it at the time i bought the Romeo and Juliet.
and being direct to disc, you get full measure of the capability of the man.
for mahler's 3rd i say try the nonesuch release with jascha horenstein conducting. fantastic and on a budget label to boot.
mahlers 1st is best done by klaus tennestedt
...regards...tr
Rarely have I heard a more realistic recording, esp. if you were impressed with their earlier direct to disc efforts.
At the time they made this particular Lp, they had moved to a different and better venue, according to liner notes.
The Debussy Prelude is OK, but the Firebird is a snoozer; a seemingly impossible feat.
Still, an amazing recorded achievement.
I had the Wagner and the Romeo and Juliet and many other highly prized records. Left them in Sydney at my father's place. Naturally someone in the family decided they were junk. They were either donated or trashed.
It was long ago, but it still resonates. I'm selective about quality records and it is hard to lose great stuff.
the family members are sometimes just stooooopid. my brother in law took the B&O combos system (receiver,cassette deck,tt) and piled it in the garage never considering whom to consult. i had GIVEN this to his mother so i could have music in the air there. IDIOT.
there, now i feel better.
...regards...tr
nt
His Boston Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet synthesis on RCA. Never found a better performance. Too bad it's not the whole ballet.
Very passionate and colorful compared to most. Listen to the great orchestral "plunges" in the Balcony Scene for instance: Maazel--in his famous Cleveland recording-- seems clueless as to what's going on here.
I also have his Salome. It's not good, not bad.
Interesting. Unless you feel you have too many Mahler firsts, give the RPO version a try. I haven't heard the BSO version, but I understand the RPO is better.
I have a couple of copies of the RCA red seal Brahms PC 2 with Sv Richter. Apparently, from the liner notes, Fritz R got sick and Erich Leinsdorf was brought in. How is that recording (the first stereo concerto ever done by Richter in the US)? I believe my copies are used and imperfect representatives of pretty beautiful records. I have a couple of wonderfully preserved Rubinstein Red Seals of the set you mention. My uncle's, but I haven't spun them in a while.My impression is that Leinsdorf was close but not of the top rank of the famed conductors of that Golden Era. Have you heard his BSO recordings? Many in the catalog. I remember a very beautiful Pavane (Dynagroove copy).
I am at work, typing from memory.
Edits: 06/26/15
....so they agreed to disagree in that Brahms Second. It was just offered on the basis of Richter's name and reputation. The sound is not that good for a Living Stereo, either.
. . . it's the greatest recording ever of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto IMHO (my wife's too). That EMI re-make that Richter did with Maazel is nothing but warmed-over porridge in comparison. ;-)
'Warmed-over porridge'... That sums it up nicely...
Compared to the Leinsdorf set, this one sounds a bit sat on and rhythmically challenged. Lacking spontaneity. Particularly in the slow movement, tension just isn't there. Everything sounds a bit artificial and ever more ponderous and ostentatious. Did John Williams get an aha-moment for the Star Wars soundtrack listening to this? Maazel's direction is full of Hollywood moments. This certainly wasn't my style.
My LP is in the Franklin Mint set, so I don't know if the sound is the same as the Red Seal or not. This has become my favorite Brahms 2, although I am certainly no maven - I have heard it live once (with Bronfman) and have 5 recordings, I think. But the sound is not representative of the best sound RCA was getting in 1960. I thought at first it might be an air check, although it is better than that.
The Rubenstein Beethoven piano concertos are with the BSO. Very nicely recorded, too.
....with the BSO. These were unfortunately released just after the shaded-dog era, and were all Dynagrooves. However, they are all fine performances in decent sound. I would particularly call your attention to the Lt Kije with the original choral parts, that are omitted in most recordings.
I once suggested to Mike Hobson that he should reissue the Leinsdorf Prokofiev as Living Stereos, since there was nothing wrong with the master tapes. He didn't think they would sell.
OK, it's vinyl asylum and all but...
I got the set on CD, and then promptly ripped it to computer. ;-)
TWICE!
A splendid Kodaly Harry Janos Suite, and very good Mahler 1st and Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, though only the last is pre-Dynagroove.
I saw Leinsdorf conduct in person back in my student days. Makes me feel OOOOOOOLD.
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