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Review of Bruno Walter's stereo recordings of Mozart's Symphonies 35-41
Posted by Rob McKenzie on February 24, 2021, 9:19 am
Many thanks to Brian Wilson for his sympathetic review of the streamed version of these classic recordings. May I offer one factual correction? According to the volume which accompanies Sony's Complete Walter Edition (CDs), these recordings were made in 1959-60, not 1959-63. The only Mozart he recorded later was a single LP of shorter works, in March 1961. He died early in 1962.
Like Brian, I have always loved the Jupiter in this series: it's probably still my favourite version, not least for its stirring finale. The Linz is outstanding and all the others are excellent, although I think Klemperer on EMI/Warner and Pristine surpasses Walter in No.35.
Regarding Walter's NYPO Beethoven 7th and 8th Symphonies (also reviewed by Brian) I once compared Walter's timing for the 7th's finale with that of some other famous Beethoven interpreters. Surprisingly, even his stereo performance outpaced most of them. I don't necessarily regard this as a good thing. To me, the conductor's headlong speed combined with the omission of the repeat made the movement sound too short in relation to the rest of the work. (Possibly a minority view and in any case not a sufficient reason to deny the greatness of his view of work overall.)
Re: Review of Bruno Walter's stereo recordings of Mozart's Symphonies 35-41
I'm sure that 1959-60 is correct, but the CBS Maestro 2-CD set claimed '1959-63'.
I'm in complete agreement in regretting Walter's cavalier attitude to repeats, but those were different times. Clifford Curzon was equally guilty, yet his late Schubert is sublime in every other respect.