Forthcoming Klemperer/Concertgebouw box

[Frank Berger]

I noticed this at Presto and am wondering about reactions:

tinyurl.com/84mqwz77

[Joel]

Great news, I'm looking forward to this! I already have some, but not all, of the individual Amsterdam recordings from archiphon.

[John Fowler]

Klemperer complete Concertgebouw recordings:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/otto-klemperer-legendary-amsterdam-concerts-1947-1961/hnum/10611207
100.83 EUROS
7.88 EUROS shipping
108.71 EUROS total (128.40 U.S. BUCKOS)

[Joel]

Shoot, it looks like I checked this too late. The link is out of stock, and on the amazon stores the best price I could find including shipping to Canada is €173.42 from amazon.de

[Phillip Wheeler]

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 2:54:22 PM UTC-4, Joel wrote:
> Shoot, it looks like I checked this too late. The link is out of stock, and on the amazon stores the best price I could find including shipping to Canada is €173.42 from amazon.de

I purchased it. The sound was remarkably improved from some other versions that I owned. I highly recommend it for Klemperer fans.

Phillip

[Frank Berger]

On 7/28/2021 2:54 PM, Joel wrote:
> Shoot, it looks like I checked this too late. The link is out of stock, and on the amazon stores the best price I could find including shipping to Canada is €173.42 from amazon.de
>

I ordered this in March from Presto and paid $146.75 plus shipping. That's about 123 Euros. Sometimes you just gotta pull the trigger.

[John Fowler]

My Klemperer in Amsterdam box arrived July 29, one week after it was mailed by jpc.de
Extremely impressive production with a 206 page hardcover book in English, German and Japanese (90 pages in English).
Except Archiphon forgot to include an index, so I will have to make one and post it here and on Amazon.
On the plus side, Archiphon has published three Klemperer discographies,
arranged alphabetically by composer, chronologically 1924-1971, and even alphabetically by recording location (beginning with Amsterdam)
https://www.archiphon.de/arde/klemperer/index.php

[Joel]

Thanks for the information everyone, I'll try to grab it asap.
I found it reasonably priced on a couple of Japanese websites, but HMV apparently no longer ships internationally, and the other site is hard to understand, I suspect they also won't ship to Canada.

https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Classical-Collection-Boxed-Set_000000000088040/item_Otto-Klemperer-Concertgebouw-Orchestra-Legendary-Amsterdam-Concerts-1947-1961-Live-24SACD-Hybrid_11840107
https://diskunion.net/portal/ct/detail/CL-1008312157

Before I realized HMV wouldn't ship to me, I was looking around the site to see if I wanted to order anything else at the same time, and found this box of Toscanini live performances. Strangely I couldn't find any information on the label or box elsewhere, so it seems like a risky purchase. Interesting anyhow.
https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Classical-Collection-Boxed-Set_000000000088040/item_Arturo-Toscanini-Live-Broardcast-Recordings-24CD_11430016

[Mr. Mike]

On Thu, 29 Jul 2021 11:41:09 -0700 (PDT), Joel <fox....@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Before I realized HMV wouldn't ship to me, I was looking around the site to see if I wanted to order anything else at the same time, and found this box of Toscanini live performances. Strangely I couldn't find any information on the label or box elsewhere, so it seems like a risky purchase. Interesting anyhow.
>https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Classical-Collection-Boxed-Set_000000000088040/item_Arturo-Toscanini-Live-Broardcast-Recordings-24CD_11430016

The usual crappy translation:

CD1
Beethoven
· "Fidelity" Overture Op. 72
· Symphony No. 1 in C major Op. 21
· Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 "Hero"

Recording: October 28, 1939

CD2
Beethoven
· Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 36
· Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60
· Leonore Overture No. 3 Op. 72a

Recording: November 4, 1939

CD3
Beethoven
· "Coriolan" Overture Op. 62
· Symphony No. 6 in F major Op. 68 "Rural"
· Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op. 67

Recording: November 11, 1939

CD4
Beethoven
· Egmont Overture Op. 84
· Septet for woodwinds, horns and strings in E flat major Op. 20
· Symphony No. 7 in A major Op. 92

Recording: November 18, 1939

CD5
Beethoven
· Leonore Overture No. 1 Op. 138
· Symphony No. 8 in F major Op. 93
· String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135
III. Lento assai, cantata e tranquillo
II. Vivace
· Overture "The Creatures of Prometheus" Op. 43
· Leonore Overture No. 2 Op. 72a

Recording: November 25, 1939

CD6
Beethoven
· Choral Fantasy Op. 80
Ania Dorfman (piano)
· Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 "Chorus"
Jarmila Novotna (soprano), Kersten Torbolui (alto)
Jan Peerce (tenor), Nicola Moscona (bus)
Westminster Choir

Recording: December 2, 1939

CD7
Wagner
Orchestral works
· Opera "Meistersinger of Nuremberg" -Prelude to Act 3
· Opera "Tannhäuser" -Overture and "Venusberg Music"
· Opera "Tristan und Isolde" -Prelude and Liebestod
· Opera "Valkyrie" -Valkyrie's riding

Recording: November 28, 1943

CD8
Mozart
· Opera "The Magic Flute" Overture K620
· Divertimento No. 14 in B flat major K287
· Symphony No. 35 in D major, KV 385 "Huffner"

Recording: November 3, 1946

CD9
Schumann
· Manfred Overture Op. 115

Tchaikovsky
· Manfred Symphony Op. 58

Recording: November 10, 1946

CD10
Frank
· Symphony in D minor
Recording: December 14, 1940

· Symphonic poem "Psyche" -Psyche and Eros
Recording: January 5, 1942

· Symphonic poem "People of Aiolis"
Recording: November 12, 1938

· Frank Symphonic Poem "Atonement"
Recording: March 15, 1952

CD11
Prokofiev
· Symphony No. 1 in D major Op. 25 "Classic"

Tchaikovsky
· Symphony No. 6 in B minor Op. 74 "Sorrow"

Recording: November 15, 1947

CD12
Glinka
· Spanish Overture No. 1 "A splendid capriccio by Aragon's Jota"

Tchaikovsky
· Manfred Symphony Op. 58

Recording: February 28, 1948

CD13
Rossini
· Overture to "Seviria's Barber"

Tchaikovsky
· Symphony No. 6 in B minor Op. 74 "Sorrow"

Recording: March 21, 1954, Stereo

CD14
Shostakovich
· Symphony No. 1 in F minor op. 10
Recording: January 14, 1939

Kavalevsky
· Symphony No. 2
Recording: November 8, 1942

· Overture to the opera "Kora Brunyon"
Recording: April 11, 1943

CD15
Prokofiev
· Symphony No. 1 in D major Op. 25 "Classic"

Debussy
· Video-Iberia
I. Par les rues et par les chemins
II. Les Parfums de la nuit
III. Le Matin d'un jour de fête

Saint-Saens
· Symphonic poem "Danse Macabre" in G minor Op.40

Richard Strauss
· Symphonic poem "Don Fan" Op. 20, TrV 156

Recording: March 25, 1950

CD16
Brahms
· Symphony No. 1 in C minor Op. 68
Recording: November 3, 1951

Mussorgsky
· Suite "Pictures at an Exhibition"
Recording: February 14, 1948

CD17
Brahms
· Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 73
Recording: February 10, 1951

· Symphony No. 3 in F major Op. 90
Recording: February 8, 1941

CD18
Brahms
· Tragic Overture Op. 81
· Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

Recording: October 28, 1945

CD19
Berlioz
· Symphony "Harold in Italy" Op. 16
Recording: January 2, 1939

· Overture "Religious Judge" Op. 3
· Romeo and Juliet Op. 17-Love Scene
· Lacozzi March
Recording: April 5, 1941

CD20
Tchaikovsky
· Manfred Symphony Op. 58
Recording: January 10, 1953

· Fantasy Overture "Romeo and Juliet"
Recording: March 21, 1953

CD21
Beethoven
· Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 "Hero"
Recording: September 1, 1945

· Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op. 67
Recording: May 8, 1945

CD22
Richard Strauss
· Symphonic poem "Don Quixote" Op. 35
Recording: October 22, 1938

· Symphonic poem "Don Fan", Op. 20, TrV 156
Recording: October 14, 1939

· Salome ~ Dance of the Seven Veils
Recording: January 14, 1939

CD23
Richard Strauss
· Symphonic poem "Ein Heldenleben", Op. 40
Recording: February 1, 1941

· Symphonic poem "Till Eulenspiegel's pleasant mischief" Op. 28
Recording: May 17, 1946

· Symphonic poem "Death and Transfiguration" Op. 24, TrV 158
Recording: November 17, 1946

CD24
Toscanini Final Concert
Wagner
Orchestral works
· Opera "Lohengrin" -Prelude to Act 1
· Drama "Siegfried" -Whisper of the Forest
· The drama "Twilight of the Gods" -Dawn and a trip to the Siegfried
line
· Overture to the opera "Tannhäuser"
· Opera "Meistersinger of Nuremberg" -Prelude to Act 1

Recording: April 4, 1954, Stereo

NBC Symphony Orchestra
Arturo Toscanini (conductor)

[John Fowler]

KLEMPERER: LEGENDARY AMSTERDAM CONCERTS 1947-1961

Archiphon insists on using Roman numerals to identify their discs.
Confusing: if a concert is spread over more than one disc, Archiphon uses a mix of Roman and standard numerals.
i.e. the 22 March 1951 Mahler Memorial Concert is spread over Disc V/1 and Disc V/2
(hybrid SACDS - also play on CD players)

PART ONE: Repertoire not recorded for EMI:

BACH: Wedding Cantata BWV 202 (Elisabeth Schwartzkopf soprano) 1957 (XIII/1)
BARTOK: Violin Concerto (William Primrose) 1951 (III)
BEETHOVEN: Concert Aria ‘Ah Perfido’ (Gre Brouwenstijn soprano) 1951 (IV)
FALLA: Nights in the Gardens of Spain (Willem Andriessen piano) 1951 (III)
GLUCK: Chaconne from ‘Orfeo ed Euridice’ - 1961 (XVI)
HENKEMANS: Flute Concerto (Hubert Barwahser) 1951 (III)
JANACEK: Sinfonietta - 1951 (III)
KLEMPERER: Symphony No.1 - 1961 (XVI)
MAHLER:
--- Kindertotenlieder (Kathleen Ferrier contralto) 1951 (V/1)
--- Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Herman Schey baritone) 1947 (I)
MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto (Johanna Martzy) 1954 (XIII/2)
MOZART:
--- Motet ‘Exsultate, jubilate’ (Maria Stader soprano) 1955 (VIII/2)
--- Concert Aria “Ch’io mi scordi id te?” (Elizabeth Schwarzkopf soprano) 1957 (XIII/1)
--- Oboe Concerto (Haakon Stotjin) 1956 (XII/2)
--- Piano Concerto No.22 (Annie Fischer) 1956 (XII/1)
--- Violin Concerto No.5 (Jan Bresser) 1951 (II)
SCHOENBERG: Verklarte Nacht - 1955 (VI/2)
SCHUBERT: Symphony No.4 - 1957 (XIV)

PART TWO: Repertoire duplicates EMI recordings:

BACH: Orchestral Suite No.2 (Hubert Barwahser flute) 1957 (XIII/1)
BEETHOVEN:
--- Symphony No.2 - 1956 (IX/2)
--- Symphony No.4 - 1956 (X)
--- Symphony No.5 - 1956 (X)
--- Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’ - 1955 (VIII/1)
--- Symphony No.6 ‘Pastoral’ - 1955 (VI/1), 1956 (XI/1)
--- Symphony No.7 - 1951 (IV), 1956 (XI/2)
--- Symphony No.8 - 1949 (II), 1956 (XI/2)
--- Symphony No.9 (Brouwenstijn, Hermes, Haefliger, Wilbrink) 1956 (XI/3)
--- Creatures of Prometheus - Overture, No.5 Adagio, No.16 Finale -1956 (IX/1)
--- Leonore Overture No.3 - 1956 (IX/2)
--- Missa Solemnis (Schwarzkopf, Merriman, Simandy, Rehfuss) 1957 (XV)
--- Piano Concerto No.3 (Annie Fischer) 1956 (IX/1)
BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme by Haydn - 1957 (XIII/2)
BRUCKNER:
--- Symphony No.4 - 1947 (I)
--- Symphony No.6 - 1961 (XVI)
HINDEMITH: Nobilissima visione - 1955 (VI/2)
MAHLER:
--- Symphony No.2 ‘Resurrection’ (Vincent, Ferrier) 1951 (V/2)
--- Symphony No.4 (Maria Stader soprano) 1955 (VIII/2)
MENDELSSOHN:
--- Hebrides Overture - 1947 (I), 1957 (XIV)
--- Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture & Incidental Music, sung in German - 1955 (VII)
MOZART:
--- Symphony No.25 - 1951 (II)
--- Symphony No.29 - 1956 (XII/1)
--- Symphony No.41 ‘Jupiter’ - 1956 (XII/2)
--- Serenade K525 ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ - 1955 (VIII/1)
--- Masonic Funeral Music K477 - 1951 (V/1)
--- Don Giovanni Overture - 1954 (XIII/2)
R.STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel - 1957 (XIII/2)
STRAVINSKY: Symphony in Three Movements - 1957 (XIV)
WAGNER: Die Meistersinger Prelude to Act One - 1957 (XIV)

[drh8h]

Regarding the Toscanini set, I am suspicious about the provenance of the transfers. Most all of this material, maybe even all of it, has appeared on Music and Arts, Pristine Classical and other labels in transfers of varying quality.

Dennis H

[drh8h]

On Friday, July 30, 2021 at 9:24:57 AM UTC-4, John Fowler wrote:
> KLEMPERER: LEGENDARY AMSTERDAM CONCERTS 1947-1961
>
> Archiphon insists on using Roman numerals to identify their discs.
> Confusing: if a concert is spread over more than one disc, Archiphon uses a mix of Roman and standard numerals.
> i.e. the 22 March 1951 Mahler Memorial Concert is spread over Disc V/1 and Disc V/2
> (hybrid SACDS - also play on CD players)
>

snip

The numbering system is somewhat maddening, but if one is lucky enough to find a copy of this set, it is well worth the listen. Transfers are of a high quality. I am not a person who finds OKs live performances, esp. in later years, often to be dramatically different from his studio recordings but generally he is in his best 1950s form, and a few of the pieces are way ahead of his commercial versions (e.g. MSND, Stravinsky Symphony). Others will have their favorites.

Dennis H

[gggg gggg]

On Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 9:13:40 AM UTC-8, Frank Berger wrote:
> I noticed this at Presto and am wondering about reactions:
>
> tinyurl.com/84mqwz77

(Recent Y. upload):

Mahler - Symphony No 2 ‘Resurrection’ - Klemperer, COA (1951)

[John Fowler]

“We are for the first time publishing all surviving recordings from Klemperer’s Amsterdam concerts between 1947 and 1961 in the best possible sound quality.” (page 87).
I compared the contents of this box with the three discographies of Klemperer published by Archiphon:
https://www.archiphon.de/arde/discologica/OK-discography-chronologic.pdf
There are three omissions:
--- Beethoven Symphonies 1 and 9: July 9, 1964 - but this collection is limited to 1947-1961. So technically not an omission.
--- Bruckner: Symphony No.5: February 16,1957 “regrettably a deep cavernous ubiquitous drone on the Radio Netherlands source tape has left us no choice but to disqualify this recording from inclusion.” (page 52)

A possible fourth omission is almost certainly a typo:
The concert of July 7, 1955 is “complete” on Discs VI/1 and VI/2:
--- Beethoven Symphony No.6 ‘Pastorale’
--- Hindemith Nobilissima visione
--- Schoenberg Verklarete Nacht
But the discography lists a fourth work on that concert: Beethoven Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’.
If true, this would have been a ridiculously long concert.
The Eroica was performed on November 6, 1955 (Disc VIII/1) and I suspect that the discographer listed the same performance twice.

CORRECTION TO MY INDEX:
BARTOK: Viola Concerto (William Primrose) - 1951 (III) – not Violin Concerto

[Frank Berger]

In other words, no omissions, except for an unlistenable Bruckner 5.

[Invocation]

Is there anything published for the first time in this boxset? I know Archiphon previously has issued quite a few Klemperer recordings individually.

[John Fowler]

On Monday, August 2, 2021 at 12:08:40 PM UTC-5, Invocation wrote:
> Is there anything published for the first time in this boxset? I know Archiphon previously has issued quite a few Klemperer recordings individually.

Three recordings are marked "First official release":

Disc XIII/2
two recordings with the Hague Residentie Orchestra, June 26, 1954
--- Mozart Don Giovanni Overture
--- Mendellsohn Violin Concerto with Johanna Mattzy

Disc XV:
Beethoven Missa Solemnis (Schwarzkopf, Merriman, Simandy, Rehfuss) May 19, 1957

[Invocation]

Thanks a lot!

[vhorowitz]

I got my copy from JPC today. So glad I ordered it before it went out of stock! I'm mystified as to why this very attractive package would be so limited in quantities so that IF anyone bothers to review it, it won't be available. There has been a tremendous amount of work done to find better sources and/or perform very good audio restoration. I could quibble that there is a BIT more audible processing at work than ideal (a little bit of a stereo effect, which might affect headphone listening, and what seems to be a touch of reverb which is certainly unnecessary), but a few comparisons to previous Archiphon issues reveals obvious improvements. The Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements, for example, was a crumbling mess of distortion previously, and is now tonally pretty clean and marred by just a bit of tape "swish" here and there. Some items are from original radio master tapes (the Beethoven 8th and 9th concert from 1956) and those are fabulous sonically. Everything I've heard so far is more than listenable and there is nothing that is a chore to get through sonically (so far). And the music making is a joy nearly without equal in Klemperer's discography. Being both a Klemperer fan and a Concertgebouw Orkest worshipper, it's nearly nirvana!

Neal

[John Fowler]

AMAZON REVIEW:

“We are for the first time publishing all surviving recordings from Klemperer’s Amsterdam concerts between 1947 and 1961 in the best possible sound quality.”

(but there are some exceptions - see the end of this review).
Klemperer did not record 18 of these 48 compositions in the studio with the Philharmonia Orchestra for EMI.

Archiphon has been producing quality historical CDs for nearly thirty years.
But they have outdone themselves this time.
24 Hybrid SACDS - they sound fine on a standard CD player - plus a 206 page hardcover book in English, German and Japanese (90 pages in English).
The sound is much clearer than in previous transfers, though SACD strikes me as overkill.
Three recordings are published for the first time;
--- Mozart Don Giovanni Overture (Residentie Orchestra) - 1954
--- Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Johanna Martzy (Residentie Orchestra) - 1954
--- Beethoven Missa Solemnis with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf (Concertgebouw) - 1957

A lot of people associate Otto Klemperer with very slow tempos, but this only really applies to recordings made near the end of his life (EMI Mahler 7).
Klemperer was a life-long sufferer from bipolar mental illness, and his interpretations varied greatly depending on whether he was manic or depressive.
Between 1945 and 1955 Klemperer was mostly manic:
Exciting performances characterized by radically fast tempos.
His tempos moderated between 1955 and 1965, his first decade at the helm of the Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI).

The 1951 performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony in this box is an example of the manic Klemperer.
It is the most famous recording in this collection – previously released on Guild and Decca.
The median timing for all conductors in Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony is about 80 minutes (longer recordings spill over on to a second disc).
The 1951 Amsterdam performance times in at 71 minutes, versus 80 minutes for the 1962 EMI studio recording.
[I have a Klemperer CD of a Sydney Australia Symphony performance (in English) from 1950 that is 67 minutes (the fastest on record.]

I have seen this box advertised at wildly varying prices.
I pre-ordered mine from a German dealer for $130, so shop around.
Two complaints:
--- No texts or translations for the vocal works.
--- There is no index, so I have prepared one.

Archiphon insists on using Roman numerals to identify their discs.

This can be confusing:
If a concert is spread over more than one disc, Archiphon uses a mix of Roman and standard numerals.
The 1951 Mahler Concert is spread over Disc V/1 and Disc V/2

INDEX TO CONTENTS: Part One - Repertoire not recorded for EMI:

BACH: Wedding Cantata BWV 202 (Elisabeth Schwartzkopf soprano) - 1957 (XIII/1)

BARTOK: Viola Concerto (William Primrose) - 1951 (III)

BEETHOVEN: Concert Aria ‘Ah Perfido’ (Gre Brouwenstijn soprano) - 1951 (IV)
FALLA: Nights in the Gardens of Spain (Willem Andriessen piano) - 1951 (III)

GLUCK: Chaconne from ‘Orfeo ed Euridice’ - 1961 (XVI)

HENKEMANS: Flute Concerto (Hubert Barwahser) - 1951 (III)

JANACEK: Sinfonietta - 1951 (III)
KLEMPERER: Symphony No.1 - 1961 (XVI)
MAHLER:

--- Kindertotenlieder (Kathleen Ferrier contralto) - 1951 (V/1)
--- Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Herman Schey baritone) - 1947 (I)
MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto (Johanna Martzy, Residentie Orchestra) - 1954 (XIII/2)
MOZART:
--- Motet ‘Exsultate, jubilate’ (Maria Stader soprano) - 1955 (VIII/2)
--- Concert Aria “Ch’io mi scordi id te?” (Elizabeth Schwarzkopf soprano) - 1957 (XIII/1)
--- Oboe Concerto (Haakon Stotjin) - 1956 (XII/2)
--- Piano Concerto No.22 (Annie Fischer) - 1956 (XII/1)
--- Violin Concerto No.5 (Jan Bresser) - 1951 (II)

SCHOENBERG: Verklarte Nacht - 1955 (VI/2)
SCHUBERT: Symphony No.4 - 1957 (XIV)

PART TWO: Repertoire that duplicates EMI recordings:

BACH: Orchestral Suite No.2 (Hubert Barwahser flute) - 1957 (XIII/1)

BEETHOVEN:
--- Symphony No.2 - 1956 (IX/2)

--- Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’ - 1955 (VIII/1)
--- Symphony No.4 - 1956 (X)
--- Symphony No.5 - 1956 (X)

--- Symphony No.6 ‘Pastoral’ - 1955 (VI/1) and 1956 (XI/1)
--- Symphony No.7 - 1951 (IV) and 1956 (XI/2)
--- Symphony No.8 - 1949 (II) and 1956 (XI/2)
--- Symphony No.9 (Brouwenstijn, Hermes, Haefliger, Wilbrink) - 1956 (XI/3)
--- Creatures of Prometheus - Overture, No.5 Adagio, No.16 Finale - 1956 (IX/1)

--- Leonore Overture No.3 - 1956 (IX/2)

--- Missa Solemnis (Schwarzkopf, Merriman, Simandy, Rehfuss) - 1957 (XV)
--- Piano Concerto No.3 (Annie Fischer) - 1956 (IX/1)

BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme by Haydn - 1957 (XIII/2)
BRUCKNER:

--- Symphony No.4 ‘Romantic’ - 1947 (I)

--- Symphony No.6 - 1961 (XVI)
HINDEMITH: Nobilissima visione - 1955 (VI/2)
MAHLER:

--- Symphony No.2 ‘Resurrection’ (Vincent, Ferrier) - 1951 (V/2)
--- Symphony No.4 (Maria Stader soprano) - 1955 (VIII/2)
MENDELSSOHN:
--- Hebrides Overture - 1947 (I) and 1957 (XIV)

--- Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture & Incidental Music, sung in German - 1955 (VII)
MOZART:
--- Symphony No.25 - 1951 (II)
--- Symphony No.29 - 1956 (XII/1)
--- Symphony No.41 ‘Jupiter’ - 1956 (XII/2)
--- Serenade K525 ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ - 1955 (VIII/1)
--- Masonic Funeral Music K477 - 1951 (V/1)

--- Don Giovanni Overture (Residentie Orchestra) - 1954 (XIII/2)

R.STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel - 1957 (XIII/2)
STRAVINSKY: Symphony in Three Movements - 1957 (XIV)
WAGNER: Die Meistersinger Prelude to Act One - 1957 (XIV)

OMISSIONS:
Archiphon has published three Klemperer discographies on-line: Alphabetical by composer, Chronological by date of recording, and Alphabetical by place of recording.

One recording is missing from this box:

--- Bruckner: Symphony No.5: February 16,1957 “regrettably a deep cavernous ubiquitous drone on the Radio Netherlands source tape has left us no choice but to disqualify this recording from inclusion.” (page 52)

A possible second omission is almost certainly a typo:

The concert of July 7, 1955 is complete on Discs VI/1 and VI/2:
--- Beethoven Symphony No.6 ‘Pastorale’
--- Hindemith Nobilissima visione
--- Schoenberg Verklarete Nacht
But the discography lists a fourth work on that concert: Beethoven Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’.
If true, this would have been a ridiculously long concert.

The Eroica was performed four months later on November 6, 1955 (Disc VIII/1) and I suspect that the discographer listed the same performance twice.

Beethoven Symphonies 1 and 9 were broadcast on July 9, 1964 - but this collection is limited to 1947-1961. So technically not an omission.

[John Fowler]

The 1951 performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony in this box is a prime example of manic Klemperer.
It is the best known recording in this collection – previously released on Guild and in a Decca box devoted to contralto Kathleen Ferrier (“I hate to work with Klemperer. I find he shouts like a madman … Perhaps his Mahler comes off, because he wastes no time nor sentiment, but oh!!!! Whataman!!!”)

The median timing for all conductors in Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony is about 80 minutes (longer recordings spill over on to a second disc).
The 1951 Amsterdam performance times in at 71 minutes, versus 80 minutes for the 1962 EMI studio recording.

[the speed record is held by a 1950 Sydney Symphony performance conducted by Klemperer: 67 minutes (sung in Australian) available on YouTube.]

[John Fowler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuG0cfbZp9w&list=OLAK5uy_mwWT6NgW_GglB2Cbwmsa8Tx9kGqNowxt8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNzrN3pWjdA&list=OLAK5uy_mwWT6NgW_GglB2Cbwmsa8Tx9kGqNowxt8&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkp099YvtSk&list=OLAK5uy_mwWT6NgW_GglB2Cbwmsa8Tx9kGqNowxt8&index=3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiQsYSNN-Bc&list=OLAK5uy_mwWT6NgW_GglB2Cbwmsa8Tx9kGqNowxt8&index=4 (Oh Rose so red)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc6bupwZ-ZI&list=OLAK5uy_mwWT6NgW_GglB2Cbwmsa8Tx9kGqNowxt8&index=5

[Frank Berger]

On 8/4/2021 1:11 PM, John Fowler wrote:
> The 1951 performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony in this box is a prime example of manic Klemperer.
> It is the best known recording in this collection – previously released on Guild and in a Decca box devoted to contralto Kathleen Ferrier

Also released by itself in 1990 on London and Decca 425970.

[John Fowler]

On Monday, August 2, 2021 at 12:08:40 PM UTC-5, Invocation wrote:

> Is there anything published for the first time in this boxset? I know Archiphon previously has issued quite a few Klemperer recordings individually.

Three recordings are marked "First official release":

Disc XIII/2
two recordings with the Hague Residentie Orchestra, June 26, 1954

--- Mozart Don Giovanni Overture

--- Mendellsohn Violin Concerto with Johanna Mattzy

Disc XV:

Beethoven Missa Solemnis (Schwarzkopf, Merriman, Simandy, Rehfuss) May 19, 1957

There may have been a misunderstanding.
Though marked "First official release" in the book, Archiphon previously published these recordings on YouTube:
The Mendelssohn and Mozart in 2015.
The Beethoven in 2020.
They may have meant "first official release" of the new remastering.
There is definitely less distortion in the Mendelssohn Concerto on the SACD

[John Fowler]

Otto Klemperer: Finale of Jupiter Symphony (timing without repeat):
1951 = 5:44 Amsterdam live (insanely fast)
1956 = 6:11 first EMI recording
1962 = 6:40 second EMI recording
(Klemperer observed the repeat in 1951 and 1956, but not in 1962).

[drh8h]

Years ago, a famous and now deceased critic claimed he had never heard a Klemperer performance that relied on speed. Obviously, he didn't know some of the Amsterdam recordings. Or even the Vox records, which could be quite swift, e.g. Bruckner 4.

DH

[John Fowler]

Is there a faster Jupiter finale on record?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wm01fPa4eU
repeat @2:03

[mswd...@gmail.com]

Well, cut the repeat out of Klemperer's performance and you have a timing of 5:43. There are several repeat-free performances I have that are similar or faster.
Even more manic: Munch/BSO on West Hill from Dec 26, 1952 lands it in 5:22.
You wouldn't expect it, but Karajan/NYPO (Nov '58) has nearly identical timing to Klemps here.
And Klemperer himself seems faster in the Hague recording from two years earlier, though my sense is that the pitch in my Archiphon disc is sharp enough that it more than accounts for the 12 second difference. So the RCO disc may be him at his fastest.

Fine recording. Anyone know if the box is still available anywhere?

[Joel]

> Fine recording. Anyone know if the box is still available anywhere?

I waited a few days, emailing HMV Japan to see if they plan to ship internationally soon. They replied they could not give me any estimate. Then I looked and my previous leads were gone! The cheapest I found now is Amazon Japan (https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/gp/product/B0948P1PZK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5&psc=1), followed by Ebay. I should probably order now from Amazon Japan, it's just hard to pull the trigger given how inflated the price is now.

[John Fowler]

CORRECTION - the Amsterdam concert was not 1951. It was 1956, only three months before the first EMI recording.

Finale of Jupiter Symphony (timing without repeat):

1956 (July) = 5:44 Amsterdam live (insanely fast)
1956 (Oct) = 6:11 first EMI recording

1962 = 6:40 second EMI recording

(Klemperer observed the repeat in 1956, but not in 1962).

[John Fowler]

This box is a co-production of Archiphon (Hamburg), Presto Music (UK) and King International Inc (Tokyo).
It seems to be sold out in Germany and the UK - only available from Japan where it costs about twice as much.