OT: Tennstedt on Testament

[mahlerei]

A heads up for all Tennstedt fans. No Mahler in this batch of Testament releases but some mouthwatering discs none the less (including Bruckner .

http://www.testament.co.uk/default.aspx?PageID=74

[waderice]

The significant one in this list of future Testament releases is the recording of the first professional performance of the world's largest (in terms of numbers of performers required) and longest symphony ever written, the No. 1, Gothic, by British composer Havergal Brian.  At last, we should hopefully have this legendary performance in decent sound.  I've had this recording on inferior Aries-issue LPs for years.  It is a significantly better performance than the commercial issue on Naxos conducted by Lenard.

I wonder what Mahler himself would have thought of this work.

Wade

[mahlerei]

The significant one in this list of future Testament releases is the recording of the first professional performance of the world's largest (in terms of numbers of performers required) and longest symphony ever written, the No. 1, Gothic, by British composer Havergal Brian.  At last, we should hopefully have this legendary performance in decent sound.  I've had this recording on inferior Aries-issue LPs for years.  It is a significantly better performance than the commercial issue on Naxos conducted by Lenard.

I wonder what Mahler himself would have thought of this work.

Wade

Indeed, that Boult performance has been much talked about for years. I only know it through the Lenard recording, which is far from ideal. One for the wishlist.

Dan

[waderice]

There was another performance of the Gothic in 1980 (I think that was the year), also at Albert Hall in London, which was transmitted via satellite to the U.S.  The conductor then was Ole Schmidt.

[akiralx]

I'd be interested in the 1978 Giulini Ravel CD owing to the inclusion of the LH concerto and La Mer - but not the one with Schubert 4 if his (admittedly late) dire DG recording is anything to go by.  At least we can compare two La Mers from him (or should that be Les Mers?).

I'll reserve judgement on Tennstedt's Bruckner until I read some reviews, though his LPO live Bruckner 3 CD was rather mediocre.  He did of course make a fine Bruckner 4 (and four other LPs) with the BPO around this time (1979-1983) for EMI.

But I hope Testament are not just issuing any broadcasts by 'great-conductors-of-the-past-who-are-now-deceased' (to paraphrase Woody Allen), whatever their quality.  BBC Legends went down that route and I think it backfired.

One Testament CD I can strongly recommend is the Sibelius and Elgar violin concertos by Ida Haendel and CBSO/Rattle, from 1993 and 1984 respectively.  The Sibelius, from the Proms, is a very fine performance, dark and brooding, and technically first rate.

[waderice]

But I hope Testament are not just issuing any broadcasts by 'great-conductors-of-the-past-who-are-now-deceased' (to paraphrase Woody Allen), whatever their quality.  BBC Legends went down that route and I think it backfired.

I think in addition to your hyphenated phrase, it's a matter of repertoire selection in addition to who is conducting, which makes a label successful.  My comments on the Brian Gothic Symphony makes commercial release of this performance a definite must-have for anyone's collection, regardless of who is wielding the stick, even if it was Boult.  Commercial release of this performance will definitely fill in the deficient gaps of the commercial Naxos recording conducted by Lenard.

Wade

[akiralx]

But I hope Testament are not just issuing any broadcasts by 'great-conductors-of-the-past-who-are-now-deceased' (to paraphrase Woody Allen), whatever their quality.  BBC Legends went down that route and I think it backfired.

I think in addition to your hyphenated phrase, it's a matter of repertoire selection in addition to who is conducting, which makes a label successful.  My comments on the Brian Gothic Symphony makes commercial release of this performance a definite must-have for anyone's collection, regardless of who is wielding the stick, even if it was Boult.  Commercial release of this performance will definitely fill in the deficient gaps of the commercial Naxos recording conducted by Lenard.

Wade

Oh, I agree 100% about the Havergal Brian.