Stokowski conducts Handel and Bach

   During the early music period conductor was not a necessary person. Some gestures needed to start and finish together were given by the leader of the ensemble, who often was also the composer of a work and musical entrepreneur. Conductor became common person in classical music, after transition from baroque orchestra to classical symphonic orchestra. Substantial difference was not in set of instruments, but in the musical texture. Since in Mannheim school musical sentences were divided into small motifs and performed by different instruments, there was someone needed for every such moment, especially in symphonic forms. The result was the emergence of further opportunities and the development of massive symphonic sound in late romantic music. Performance of romantic music without a conductor was unthinkable, and for most symphonic music since Beethoven it would be a catastrophe. And these were circumstances of raising the role of conductors in modern concert life, up to the rank of the creator equal to composer.
   Among legendary conductors of 20th century one of most respected artists was Leopold Stokowski. He was born in 19th century, most probably in 1882, but he himself was giving different dates and places of his birth – from Cracow to Pomerania. However there are documentary evidences he was born in London. He studied in Royal College of Music since he was thirteen. After receiving Bachelor of Music degree in 1903, he immigrated to New York in 1905 and three years later he started conducting Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He was thirty years old when in 1912 he became director and conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Four years later he led Philadelphia Orchestra and Choruses during sensational American premiere of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand.

Leopold Stokowski conducts Handel and Bach (1977)

   Most striking feature of the Stokowski’s craft was conducting without a baton, in the choirmaster manner. He was explaining this way he is able to shape the sound more effectively. Indeed, his interpretations were famous for superior sound quality. Starting from positions of English romanticism, he was one of the most important conductors giving baroque music its modern quality. In fact he was under the strong influence of English performing tradition. In opposite to other countries, in England baroque music was alive, and compositions of Georg Frederic Handel were constantly in school teaching and in concert repertoire. This was great basis for Stokowski’s artistic development. And recordings of Handel’s most popular compositions belong to his great achievements.
   Georg Frederic Handel’s suites were always Stokowski’s showpiece. First recordings of these works he made on shellac discs in 1934. In 1962 with RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra he recorded the two Handel’s suites and album published by RCA became one of best sellers. In 1977 RCA label published double album of two baroque giants in series titled “Meister spielen Meister”. First record is Georg Friedrich Handel’s Music For The Royal Fireworks and Water Music Suite. Perfect renditions with clearly stable strings and bright brass were exemplary orchestral performance. The same with second part of 1977 album, it was 1975 recording of Johann Sebastian Bach transcriptions: Chaconne from Partita No. 2 D Minor, Preludio from Partita No. 3 E Major, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 D Major, Fuge G Minor (Kleine) BWV 578, Sinfonia from Kantate Ich steh’ mit einem Fuß im Grabe BWV 156, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645, Komm sel’ge Ruh BWV 478. This time perfect sound was receoived from London Symphony Orchestra. The same 1977 was the year great conductor passed by. Transcribing baroque music for symphony orchestra was one of Stokowski’s achievements, but this demands at least new post.

Fritz Reiner, Risë Stevens and Jan Peerce Carmen by Bizet

   Fritz Reiner is one of these great conductors who became legendary performers before the era of long playing phonographic recordings. He was born in Budapest in 1988, a year before Emile Berliner started marketing of disc records, which can be considered as the date of phonographic record has born. He was studied in his native city in Ferenc Liszt Academy, where during last years he was student of Béla Bartók. He was working with Richard Strauss in Dresden Semper Opera and with Opera House in Budapest. In 1922 he immigrated to United States where he took post of principal conductor of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
   In 1928 he became naturalized citizen what gave him chance to work as a teacher in Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of his students was Leonard Bernstein. In 1938 he became conductor of Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra, recording with this orchestra some early records. His career as recording artist started to grow after 1948 when he became conductor in Metropolitan Opera. In this period he recorded two renditions of Carmen, in 1951 with RCA Victor Orchestra for RCA Victor Red Seal label and in 1952 with Metropolitan Opera for Columbia Company. Both castings share the voice of Risë Stevens singing the role of Carmen. Although Columbia recording has in collective memory the position of legendary masterpiece, one year earlier RCA edition is still worthy of discovery.

Georges Bizet - Carmen - Fritz Reiner (1951, ed. 1974)

   This monophonic recording has unbelievably good space. It was republished in 1974 in original mono version and this pressing shows full master range of 1951 performance and recording mastery. Orchestra sound is clear, perfect in articulation, tempos are the best one can dream on. No effort at the uniqueness or pretending towards the originality – this performance is as clear in intentions as attractive in sound. Silence between the notes just can be heard what makes the energy of the orchestra just tangible. RCA Orchestra and The Robert Show Chorale merge into a spectacular narrative. Perfect articulation gives crowd scenes tremendous power. The sound of choral scenes is huge and in top of dynamic range sounds distorted but this may be my copy failure. Balanced solo voices in ensembles and perfectly directed solo arias drawing reliable pictures of different characters.
   Every Carmen performance demands at least four soloists to be stars. And in this recording all four are brightly shining. Risë Stevens as Carmen is great. Nothing new – she sung Carmen in years 1945-1961 with many conductors and singers. And her Carmen was one of most acclaimed in the history of Bizet’s masterpiece renditions. Her mezzo-soprano is deep and powerful, firmly positioned, warm and rich in sound and free of mannerisms what gives listener esthetic pleasure and full emotional satisfaction. This Carmen is warm blooded woman and strong believer. It’s one of best Carmen ever and really hard to stop listening.

   In RCA recording partners of Risë Stevens are Jan Peerce as Don José and Robert Merrill in the role of toreador Escamillo. Both are daring and brave. Jan Peerce sings with great culture, his tenor sounds little bit darker than average and dramatic skills give the character more depth than usual. Of course Don José character is a way more complicated than Escamillo. Toreador is in fact second plan role although his famous narration is one of iconic triumphal opera scenes. Robert Merrill in 50’s and early 60’s he was number one for baritone dramatic roles what can be perfectly clear considering this recording. Singing and playing the role of Micaela is important in the production. Licia Albanese, owes great fame her lyric soprano especially roles in Puccini operas as Cio-Cio San, Mimì, Liù and Manon Lescaut. Nice, smooth voice sounds as much different from Risë Stevens as Micaela differs of Carmen. Fritz Reiner’s 1951 rendition of Carmen despite the past 60 years is still engaging and worth to remember.

J. S. Bach – Motett BWV 227 & Cantate BWV 4 – Robert Shaw

In the collection of cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach there is quite a challenge to find weaker or just poor works. Of course it’s possible to find some which are not as good as the best ones. It is even not possible to determine what was the real number of cantatas Bach composed. In Wolfgang Schmieder’s catalogue (Bach Werke Verzeichnis - BWV) first 200 numbers are sacred cantatas, numbers 201-216 are secular cantatas and 217-224 are cantatas of doubtful authorship. Religious compositions are quantitative and qualitative dominant of this set. Among many church cantatas only ten are following the texts of church hymns without changes. One of them is Cantata Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV 4, based on short instrumental introduction and seven verses following original hymn by Martin Luther. It is also a unique work for it is perfectly implementing some ideas of musical semantics in young composers work.
The assignment of Cantata No 4 was the Easter Sunday and considering its style it was composed in period 1707-1713. It is also possible Bach composed this cantata as a part of his application for the post of organist in Mühlhausen. In this case the year would be 1707 and this could explain the reasons for radical aspirations, ambitious artistic assumptions, as well as following framework of some previous compositions, particularly Pachelbel’s cantata based on the same chant. Luther’s choral based on melody of mediaeval sequence Victimae paschali laudes became one of most popular chants in protestant church long before Johnn Sebastian Bach was born. Moving around the circle of German barock church and organ composers it’s realy hard to find the one who didn’t set up or at least cite Christ lag in Todes Banden choral melody. It is present rarely in vocal music, more likely in organ music and instrumental compositions, for examples in choral preludes.

Robert Shaw - Bach's Cantate BWV 4 and Motette No. 3 (1958)

What is specially meaningful, all instrumental citations or musical setups were always associated directly to the words of Luther’s religious poetry. This fact is widely known and understood in Germany and in Lutherans communities anywhere. This gives Cantata BWV 4 special position. Outstanding composers work and perfectly known choral give this music special attention. This resulted with dozens of great recordings. The oldest one is in arrangement by Francesco Pujol was recorded in Catalan in March 20 & 22, 1931 in Barcelona Palau de la Musica Catalana. Then in 1937 in Paris and in 1938 in Boston two recordings of this cantata made Nadia Boulanger. First recording after the war has been done in 1946 by Robert Shaw with RCA Victor Chorale and Orchestra. Published 3 years later started whole series of performances in fifties.
In 1958 Robert Shaw repeated recording sessions aiming the edition of better technical conditions. He conducted Robert-Shaw-Chor and RCA-Victor-Orchestra. This recordings were published one year later in RCA Red Seal series (LM-2273) and Living Stereo series (LSC-2273). Programm of this album featured two works by Johann Sebastian Bach: Motette No. 3 Jesu, meine Freunde BWV 227 and Cantate Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV 4. Some editions list countertenor Russell Oberlin while others say cantata was performed by choir. On cover and on record label were the names of basso continuo players Hugh Porter – organ, Harvey Shapiro – cello, Alvin Brehm – double bass. This album is very interesting document of past sensibility. And of course the performance is determined by the historical aesthetic criteria. The Robert-Shaw-Chor sounds perfectly, performing this cantata with concentration and tonal precision. Profound emotionalism kept under control gives effect of great powers and then metaphysical tranquility.