Mozart — Requiem — Herbert von Karajan

★★★★★

   The story of one significant element can be nice perspective to see the whole. The same way performing Mozart’s Requiem and positioning this work in public memory can be interesting survey into dynamics of the western culture of last two centuries. This legendary work was performed as classic position with developing knowledge on how it should be executed to find most effective proportions or reinterpreted to find what we have lost from original Mozart’s idea and what just part of performing tradition is. Some information on next generations’ attitude against classicism can be traced by analyzing various attempts of completing the full cycle of this funeral mass. Phonographic recordings technology delivered many records being plentiful source for such research, but its accessibility changed the rate of cultural transformations.
   In the fast growing market of classical recordings in late fifties and early sixties basic works were recorded by many orchestras creating the catalogue of most expected monuments of music history. Mozart’s Requiem was one of most popular works every label ought to have in print. In catalogues of most active record companies there were more than one recordings of this popular work. One of famous renditions was published by Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft in 1962 and was signed by one of most active artists of this time, Herbert von Karajan. This is also one of most milestones in the career of the conductor. Recording session of Mozart’s Requiem took place in 1961. Herbert von Karajan conducted Berliner Philharmoniker, the orchestra he was leading from 1954 and Wiener Singverein working under direction of Reinhold Schmid. Soloists were soprano Wilma Lipp, alto Hilde Rössel-Majdan, tenor Anton Dermota and bass Walter Berry. Organ parts were played by Wolfgang Meyer.

Herbert von Karajan — Mozart — Requiem (1962, reissue 1977) 

   Recording Requiem with Berliner Philharmoniker Karajan had already huge experience leading most demanding works. He was famous for his interpretations of large-scale works including groundbreaking performances of Richard Wagner’s operas at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. In his early fifties he was one of most recognizable European conductors but it was his recordings in next decades what made him one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. In Requiem recorded for DGG he created vision of most romantic, dark reading of Mozart’s missa pro defunctis. Fragments finishing this work set by Franz Xaver Süssmayr are repeating musical material from those composed by Mozart. This makes the work more cohesive but also makes its cyclic construction less ranging. The most common way of challenging this deficiency was to reduce emotions to the level referenced to absolute forms of classical era. But this was also the way to skip all composer’s ideas and aspirations. Good conductors were always trying to conciliate elements of the cycle by bringing them together and differentiating as contrasting parts of the cycle. Herbert von Karajan made it in most exquisite manner, balancing elements of this work architecture to achieve effect of perfect classical form, but at the same time creating great amount of formal energy by enhancing powerful contrasts and creating solemn, grave mood with perfectly matched tempos.
   Few years ago I’ve led the cycle of lectures as part of master class for graduates of musical universities. As one of subjects of the history of musical culture course was lecture about history of performing and interpretative priorities traced on basis of recorded music. I’ve analyzed eight various performances of Mozart’s Requiem fragments. I chose only really best ones. And as an experiment, choosing fragments not shown during analysis, I have asked listeners which performance is closest to their idea of Mozart’s work. More than 80% of the group pointed Karajan’s recording as the most appropriate performance of Requiem. I’ve been repeating this experiment with various sets of performances in next year’s few times, always with the same result – Karajan’s 1961 recording in some groups was chosen unanimously. New esthetic trends are highly appreciated, but talking about one definitive rendition listeners still choose most traditional, solemn and profound performance ever. It says by itself. This version is already the element of cultural heritage. The only appropriate rate is five stars.

Otto Klemperer – Gustav Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde, Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”

   Otto Klemperer was a brilliant artist, the multitalented conductor and composer. He was one of most acclaimed conductors in 20th century. The fame of his phenomenal interpretations and conducting skills was as great so his compositions are almost completely forgotten. He was born in Breslau (now Wrocław in Poland). In 1905, shortly after his debut in Berlin, twenty years old conductor met Gustav Mahler. He was conducting the off-stage brass section in Symphony No. 2 performance led by Mahler. Then Klemperer visited Mahler in Vienna where he impressed composer playing by memory the Scherzo. As composer’s assistant, Klemperer made piano reduction of whole Resurrection Symphony. In 1910 he assisted Mahler in preparing premiere of Symphony of a Thousand. Later Symphony No. 2 C Minor “Resurrection” has become Klemperer’s highlight and one of the most important positions in his repertoire. He worked with many orchestras in Germany and gained the fame of the artist performing a new music. In fact he was paving the way for successes of Hindemith, Schoenberg, Stravinsky along many others.
   In 1933, when nazi-regime came to power in Germany, he fled to USA, but he has many troubles with a domestication in a new realm. Situation of an exile and various devastating experiences entailed setbacks in the professional life and the personal health. Klemperer had an operation of removing the brain tumor and suffered depression. His misfortune across the pond led him back to Europe after the war. The third stage of conductor's career came with recordings. First time he was recorded took place in 1924, but the technology of long playing records gave him a new chance for exposing interpretations of the greatest symphonic works. Since fifties his position gradually improved. He started series of recordings with Philharmonia Orchestra where he became first principal conductor in 1959. In this period Klemperer worked also at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. In 1971 artist retired and he was living in Zurich where he died in 1973.

Klemperer – Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde, Symphony No. 2 (1960)

   The conductor’s discography comprises long list of Mahler’s symphonic works recorded with various orchestras. Only in 1951 Otto Klemperer has recorded Symphony No. 2 twice with Vienna Symphony and with Concertgebouw Orchestra. To the famous Klemperer’s recordings of this work belongs also the one made with Philharmonia Orchestra in 1968. In 1951 Vox Records released two albums including Otto Klemperer’s interpretations of Gustav Mahler’s great works. Both were recorded in Vienna and later reproduced in many license editions. In 1960 Vox republished these legendary recordings as one three-disc album (VBX 115) in monophonic sound reproduction system but in the Ultra High Fidelity system. Despite the advanced pressing technology, the quality of these recordings is not always corresponding to the contemporary standards.
   Both recordings were played by Vienna Symphony Orchestra. These years the chief conductor for this orchestra was Herbert von Karajan, who later was admirer of older conductor’s artistry. And the main directions of their esthetical ideas were always close, so we can assume the orchestra met the needs. The recordings are also a valuable documentary capturing an image of the 1951 Vienna Symphony Orchestra’s sound. The historic sound of Vienna Symphony came with strong tutti, massive strings with pronounced slow vibrato, then the balanced wind and brass sections and contrasted dynamics. The orchestra sounds better in performance of Das Lied von der Erde than Symphony No. 2 where tone is unstable and sometimes annoying. Probably the most of floating sounds came out of the recording technology.
   There are some mannerisms typical for the pre-phonographic era and the orchestral sound sometimes is just not modern. Some mannerisms one can find in Elsa Cavelti (mezzo-soprano) performance in Das Lied von der Erde. Her partner was Anton Dermota (tenor) singing with nice lyric voice and natural ease. Symphony No. 2 has been recorded with joint choirs Akademie Kammerchor and Singverein der Musikfreunde and singers were Ilona Steingruber (soprano) and Hilde Rössl-Majdan (alto). Also parts of this recording show how even the beautiful voices can be spoiled with mannerisms and lack of technical excellence.