Ferenc Fricsay - a genius!

[Andy Evans]

I'm having something of a Fricsay-athon, and I'm almost spellbound at some of his interpretations. All his Bartok for a start and now reaching into Stravinsky, Kodaly etc.

It isn't just that the Berlin RIAS of that period was astonishing - maybe better than the Berlin Philharmonic. It's just the extreme clarity that Fricsay brings to complex scores. timing is perfect, little nuances are brought out and above all the subtext - all the multiple phrases in modern works - is knitted together in such a way that phrases seem to make perfect sense. I'm constantly saying to myself - "Ah - that's how it goes". He seems to give exactly the right weight to parts without exaggeration or distorting rubato. Everything seems to flow. At times he can be over-analytical, but there's also an intensity about the interpretations that draws you in.

What should I be looking at to take my journey further? I'm most interested in the modern repertoire.

[Johannes Roehl]

Am 11.10.2012 10:48, schrieb Andy Evans:
> I'm having something of a Fricsay-athon, and I'm almost spellbound at
> some of his interpretations. All his Bartok for a start and now
> reaching into Stravinsky, Kodaly etc.

...

> What should I be looking at to take my journey further? I'm most
> interested in the modern repertoire.

Did you listen to the DG recordings or to the recently (audite?) issued
radio broadcasts (or whatever)?
I am not familiar with the latter, but you can safely get all of his
Bartok, Stravinsky, Kodaly as you said. There is not so much more modern
music (maybe more from broadcastst?) and some of it may be buried in
boxes: Martins petite sinfonie concertante, Prokofieff's Classique, a
little Liebermann and von Einem, Blacher's Paganini Var. as well as de
Falla and some other piano concertos with Margrit Weber.

His later recordings of classical/romantic repertoire are often very
slow, quite different from the fierce earlier interpretations, which is
often attributed to his illness that claimed his life at only 48.
The early/mid-fifties Tchaikovsky 4-6 as well as Mozart 35/41 are still
in the lean and mean phase and recommendable, IMO.

If Ramon Khalona is still reading the group, he will be able to provide
tons of more information and recommendations.

[John Wiser]

"Johannes Roehl" <parr...@web.de> wrote in message
news:adnga2...@mid.individual.net...

This is a heady brew, when it turns up, which is not often:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004UGOL

JDW

[Roland van Gaalen]

Andy Evans wrote:

> I'm having something of a Fricsay-athon, and I'm almost spellbound at some of his interpretations.

> What should I be looking at to take my journey further? ...

Don't miss this one, even though it's only the Moldau by Smetana (a wonderful piece, actually):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fsYPz4aWnc

(found on YouTube; I have mentioned it here before; also see related rehearsal videos on YouTube)

Fricsay puts a spell on the orchestra (they are on fire, aren't they?) as well as the listener!
--
Roland van Gaalen
Cape Town

[Oscar]

Get yr hands on this documentary: Music Transfigured - Remembering Ferenc Fricsay (2009) 57m with 23m of concert film http://tiny.cc/y9c0lw Great rehearsal footage of the man in action. Get it for a mere $5.16 new sealed here: http://tiny.cc/qbd0lw

[John Thomas]

On Oct 11, 1:48 am, Andy Evans <performanceandme...@gmail.com> wrote:
> What should I be looking at to take my journey further? I'm most interested in the
> modern repertoire.

Despite your preference I'll still recommend his Beethoven 9 as one of
the greatest ever recorded.

[wagnerfan]

He conducted a superb Entfuhrung and Don Giovanni for DGG (casting
aside) Wagner fan

[wkasimer]

On Oct 11, 11:59 am, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:

>  He conducted a superb Entfuhrung and Don Giovanni for DGG (casting
> aside)   Wagner fan

What's wrong with the Entfuhrung cast?

Bill

[wagnerfan]

Greindl. Wagner fan

[wkasimer]

On Oct 11, 2:16 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:

> >What's wrong with the Entfuhrung cast?

>  Greindl.

I disagree. I admit that I'm a Greindl fan, but this is one of his
best recordings - that black, cavernous voice suits Osmin perfectly.

Bill

[wagnerfan]

Not for me - you only have to hea Frick or Moll to hear what a truly
great voice in the role sounds like - one free of that quaver amd ugly
tone hat aflicted almost all of Greind's recordings.

Wagner fan

[wkasimer]

On Oct 11, 3:49 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:

>  Not for me - you only have to hea Frick or Moll to hear what a truly
> great voice in the role sounds like - one free of that quaver amd ugly
> tone hat aflicted almost all of Greind's recordings.

Oh, I've heard Moll and Frick, and they certainly sing better than
Greindl. But singing Osmin is also about character, and Greindl's got
plenty of that.

Bill

[wagnerfan]

Funny but I dont hear much interpretation from him in this role; he
is competent but not more . IMHO of course
Wagner fan

[aesthete8]

I like Fricsay's ORFEO ED... which is sung in German.

Listen to the instrumental lead up to CHE PURO CIEL--so heavenly that
you almost wish Fischer-D. wouldn't start singing.

[Matthew B. Tepper (Supernews)]

wkasimer <wkas...@comcast.net> appears to have caused the following letters
to be typed in news:f0c9c06c-da48-4227-9bfe-1ece1b85c6e8
@q7g2000pbj.googlegroups.com:

I agree. This is my second favorite "Entführung," and my favorite in German
(my favorite being the one conducted by Menuhin and sung in English).

--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!!
Read about "Proty" here: http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/proty.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of my employers.

[ec38...@gmail.com]

There is a great book on Fricsay incl. his discogpaphy published only in Sweden. I purchased it more than a decade ago.

[whiskynsplash]

The Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 20: Historical Recordings has a
CD devoted to Fricsay -- Annie Fischer in the Third Piano concerto
(1957) and the Seventh Symphony (1960) with the Berlin Phil. Both very
good recordings.

[randy...@gmail.com]

The Third Piano Concerto with Fischer is one of my top 5 Fricsay recordings.
It is also available as a single CD from Japan, PROC-1155 (Tower exclusive - look for it on eBay occassionally)

[whiskynsplash]

> It is also available as a single CD from Japan, PROC-1155 (Tower exclusive - look for it on eBay occassionally)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Strongly agree about the Annie Fischer Beethoven Third Piano Concerto.
It's one of the best recordings I've heard.

I bought eight Volumes of the Complete Beethoven Edition on DG cheaply
from the local 'Arf Price Books -- there's still life in the old
Bricks and Mortar! Another revelation on the Historical recordings
volume was the Violin Concerto with Josef Wolfsthal and the Berlin
Phil/Manfred Gurlitt, conductor (1929). A very sweet tone from the
soloist (who apparently died young). Almost the opposite from the
Heifitz/Toscanini approach.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Beethoven-Vol-Historical-Recordings/dp/B000001GZN

[Matthew B. Tepper]

whiskynsplash <whisky...@yahoo.com> appears to have caused the

following letters to be typed in

news:85160bd8-df17-4873...@p14g2000yqk.googlegroups.com:

> I bought eight Volumes of the Complete Beethoven Edition on DG cheaply from
> the local 'Arf Price Books -- there's still life in the old Bricks and
> Mortar! Another revelation on the Historical recordings volume was the
> Violin Concerto with Josef Wolfsthal and the Berlin Phil/Manfred Gurlitt,
> conductor (1929). A very sweet tone from the soloist (who apparently died
> young). Almost the opposite from the Heifitz/Toscanini approach.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Beethoven-Vol-Historical-Recordings/dp/B00
> 0001GZN

I'll add my agreement too.

[wagnerfan]

he conducts my favorite les Preludes

Wagner Fan

[ec38...@gmail.com]

DG offers it as download but these flacs are from terribly compressed files. I ordered a week ago the Tower CD mentioned above (through cdjapan for tthe known reasons). Hopefully it will be a better transfer.

[gggg...@gmail.com]

And the chorus after that is simply heavenly.

[vih...@protonmail.com]

seventeen intelligence™, et c

[gggg gggg]

On Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 1:48:10 AM UTC-7, Andy Evans wrote:
> I'm having something of a Fricsay-athon, and I'm almost spellbound at some of his interpretations. All his Bartok for a start and now reaching into Stravinsky, Kodaly etc.
>
> It isn't just that the Berlin RIAS of that period was astonishing - maybe better than the Berlin Philharmonic. It's just the extreme clarity that Fricsay brings to complex scores. timing is perfect, little nuances are brought out and above all the subtext - all the multiple phrases in modern works - is knitted together in such a way that phrases seem to make perfect sense. I'm constantly saying to myself - "Ah - that's how it goes". He seems to give exactly the right weight to parts without exaggeration or distorting rubato. Everything seems to flow. At times he can be over-analytical, but there's also an intensity about the interpretations that draws you in.
>
> What should I be looking at to take my journey further? I'm most interested in the modern repertoire.

(Recent Y. upload):

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, Ferenc Fricsay/BPO, rec 1949 restored

[Lawrence Chalmers]

One of my favorite modern works by him is the Hartmann 6th symphony.

[Bob Harper]

Both of his late recordings of the Pathetique are wonderful. I have, but
don't know well, the 1953 version with the BPO. The stereo version with
his RIAS orchestra from 1959 is excellent in every respect, but the live
(alas, mono) version on Orfeo, coupled with the Bartok 3rd Concerto
(Annie Fischer), recorded 24 November 1960 with the BRSO is the stuff of
legend. Though he had more than two years left to live, he was already
suffering from the cancer than would take his life in early 1963. The
knowledge that his days were numbered informs the performance, and even
though it exceeds the 'ideal' timing given us by DK, I defy anyone to
hear it and not be deeply moved.
https://tinyurl.com/u6amxcwz

And don't miss his Beethoven 9 on DG; one of the great ones. Also, his
'New World' is right up there. I could go on but I've written enough.
One of the great conductors, gone too soon.


Bob Harper

[raymond....@gmail.com]

For many, Fricsay was the greatest of them all.

Ray Hall, Taree

[gggg gggg]

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.classical.recordings/c/01nZ90SGzXw/m/7FDZ4kxeAwAJ