George Szell - Franck: Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York - Import CD

Credits:

George Szell

Description:

The SOMM/ARIADNE label has launched a new series titled “George Szell in New York.” The first release features two live recordings from 1953, when Szell conducted the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra—the predecessor to the New York Philharmonic. Having left Europe as fascism was on the rise, Szell took refuge at a friend’s home in New York in October 1939. Although he initially struggled to find work, his reputation grew as his guest conducting engagements increased the following year, and in 1942, he was invited to become the conductor of the Metropolitan Opera. He appears to have been an uncompromising perfectionist even then; that same year, when he guest-conducted the NBC Symphony Orchestra—which had been rigorously trained by Toscanini—during the “Eroica” Symphony, the second movement, more than 50 times, reportedly enraged Toscanini—who was present—to the point that he declared, “This is an insult to my orchestra.” On July 4, 1943—America’s Independence Day—he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic, conducting at Carnegie Hall. With that orchestra, he recorded three LP albums for CBS between 1951 and 1954. In 1946, he became music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, and and even after stepping down from the Metropolitan Opera in 1954, he continued to make regular guest appearances in New York. When Bernstein resigned as music director of the New York Philharmonic in 1969, he took on the roles of music advisor and senior guest conductor, having built such a special relationship with the orchestra that he even assisted in the search for a successor. According to a fascinating six-page essay by Lani Spahr—the producer and engineer behind the SOMM recordings and the reissue of *ARIADNE*—Sell conducted Franck’s symphony more than 20 times in the United States. His first performance was with the Cleveland Orchestra on October 30, 1947, and his last was a concert with the New York Philharmonic on April 6, 1970. The recording included here is a live performance from Carnegie Hall in 1953, a performance that perfectly balances the romantic, nuanced sound and solid structure characteristic of Szell. Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2—of which there are also live recordings from his 1970 tour of Japan and a recording with the Concertgebouw Orchestra—is considered one of Szell’s signature works, though he conducted it for the first time in the United States surprisingly late, on January 24, 1952, with the Cleveland Orchestra. On January 15, 16, and 18 of the following year, he conducted the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. The recording included here is from the live performance on the final day. Harold Schonberg, a leading American music critic, wrote in *The New York Times* about this performance: “A powerful and dramatic interpretation… a flexible conducting style that avoids rigidity, coupled with complete confidence in the work. Everything—including the well-considered balance—crystallized into a rich sonic texture.” The performances of both pieces were originally released on the CD “The Art of George Szell, Previously Unissued Concerts 1943–1957,” and while that CD was also supervised and remastered by Rani Spahr, this release reportedly uses a different source that was sought out specifically to achieve better sound quality. Naxos Japan