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Brahms 3, Boult, Christopher Howell
Posted by James Madison Cox on August 20, 2024, 2:32 am
Mr. Howell asks if Boult imposed his added tempo change in the Finale of the Brahms Third Symphony only on the c. 1971 EMI or perhaps also earlier in his career. All I can report is that Boult's 1954 Nixa (Westminster) ALSO had that added tempo change. I found it more convincing on the 1954 recording, but the point is simply that he did it. That tempo change is thought to be part of the Steinbach reminiscences of Brahms's suggestions. Bravo and thanks to Christopher Howell for his excellent article!
It would be interesting to know which article of mine Mr Cox is referring to. I think it must be well over twenty years old, since I remember susequently reviewing the 1954 Nixa cycle and noting that the tempo change was there also, if more spontaneously executed. I don't think I ever had the opportunity to comment, either in a review or an article, on the late live performance issued on ICA, but that also has the tempo change, again more spontaneously handled. My impression was that the ICA issue was the best of the three Boult performances we have. What is the source for thinking that the change may derive from Brahms himself via Steinbach? I should be interested in following this up, maybe with a new article. Brahms 3 raises a number of issues, particularly the rescoring of the final pages to bring out the motto theme with sustained strings instead of a fluttering tremolo. This is found in all of Toscanini's American recordings (the "com'è scritto" man!) but not in his Philharmonia performance. The rescoring turns up in many unexpected places (even Oivin Feldstad's Readers' Digest recording) but I've never heard or read any comment about it!
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Mr. Howell asks if Boult imposed his added tempo change in the Finale of the Brahms Third Symphony only on the c. 1971 EMI or perhaps also earlier in his career. All I can report is that Boult's 1954 Nixa (Westminster) ALSO had that added tempo change. I found it more convincing on the 1954 recording, but the point is simply that he did it. That tempo change is thought to be part of the Steinbach reminiscences of Brahms's suggestions. Bravo and thanks to Christopher Howell for his excellent article!