Beethoven Pastoral Symphony - Gramophone Collection

[Barbirollians]

Interesting Gramophone collection on the Pastoral from Richard Osborne this month - utterly different league from the recent BALs on the work but apparently he did an Interpretations on Record in the 1980s !

Won't give away the winner.

[pastoralguy]

Many years ago, I gathered all the available recordings of the Pastoral Symphony and recorded them on to mini-discs and numbered each disc from 1 to, iirc, 65. Each conductor was written down in a notebook with the corresponding number of the mini-disc next to it. I then put the book and discs in a shoe box and left them for a year. I then listened to each mini-disc randomly and noted down what I thought of each performance and tried to identify a favourite. In the end, I found two absolutely outstanding versions and one I absolutely hated.

My two favourites were Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. I loathed the Furtwängler recording.

[smittims]

Goodness, what dedication.I'm sorry you didn't like Furtwanglers' interpretation; it's a favourite of mine.

It's such a many-sided work that many different views of it can be equally valid. One long term reliable version I return to is Andre Cluytens and the Berlin Philharmonic, which had a long sojourn on Classics for Pleasure. Karajan and the Philharmonia are also rewarding to revisit.

[Barbirollians]

Which Furtwangler - live 1944 or the studio 1952 ?

[cloughie]

Goodness, what dedication.I'm sorry you didn't like Furtwanglers' interpretation; it's a favourite of mine.

It's such a many-sided work that many different views of it can be equally valid. One long term reliable version I return to is Andre Cluytens and the Berlin Philharmonic, which had a long sojourn on Classics for Pleasure. Karajan and the Philharmonia are also rewarding to revisit.

Two recordings from mono LP days I treasured were on HMV ALP1408 BPO Cluytens and Decca LXT5359 CAO E Kleiber.

[pastoralguy]

Which Furtwangler - live 1944 or the studio 1952 ?

The 1952 studio version. To give it a fair hearing, I bought a super dooper Japanese transfer at some considerable expense! I did notice the pitch on this version was a bit sharper than my EMI version.

[pastoralguy]

I’ve always felt that the Pastoral Symphony is a real test of a conductor’s technique and musicality since, yes, it really can descend into tedium very easily. I’ve certainly heard some mediocre live performances of this work.

[Petrushka]

The live LPO/Tennstedt is a truly life-enhancing experience, a miraculous performance that is my first choice alongside my long time favourite, VPO/Bohm. I'm also very fond of the Philharmonia/Klemperer recording and don't at all mind the third movement tempo.

[mikealdren]

Much as I love the chosen Bohm recording, my favourite is the Zinman (Tonhalle) recording which was not considered.

[smittims]

I agree, cloughie, Kleiber is superb, even better than his previous set with the LPO which was a 'launch title' on Ace of Clubs (ACL 2). His Concertgebouw has I think the most leisurely stay by the brook ; lovely. And Victor de Sabata made a fine late 78 version on HMV.

[Barbirollians]

I’ve always felt that the Pastoral Symphony is a real test of a conductor’s technique and musicality since, yes, it really can descend into tedium very easily. I’ve certainly heard some mediocre live performances of this work.

I fell asleep in one at Sheffield City Hall conducted by Muhai Tang - I have never been so bored by the piece .

My favourite nowadays is the Philharmonia /Karajan - but grew up with Loughran , then the VPO/Bohm , gnashed my teeth at Klemperer's third movement , was braced by Norrington , loved the Walter - was delighted to discover Boult and Kletzki - more recent favourites Krivine , LPO/Jochum and Monteux.

[Bryn]

I fell asleep in one at Sheffield City Hall conducted by Muhai Tang - I have never been so bored by the piece .

My favourite nowadays is the Philharmonia /Karajan - but grew up with Loughran , then the VPO/Bohm , gnashed my teeth at Klemperer's third movement , was braced by Norrington , loved the Walter - was delighted to discover Boult and Kletzki - more recent favourites Krivine , LPO/Jochum and Monteux.

Mention of Boult reminds me of my first recording of the Pastoral, purchased from the Swindon Woolworth. The orchestra was the LPO, playing under a similar pseudonym. It was very fine.

[smittims]

I've never understood why the LPO was billed as the Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra in America in the 1950s. I don't think it was because they were under exclusive conract to anyone else as was the case with the RPO at that time . Maybe 'London' was felt to be unattractive to Americans in an age of Anglophobia.

[Barbirollians]

I don't know although I have heard of that recording. I was referring to the late 1970s account with the LPO in his Indian summer with EMI

[richardfinegold]

I used to have the Bohm on lp. I remember it as the best from that otherwise routine Beethoven symphony cycle but otherwise I would have to refresh my memory. I presume it is available on streaming services.
it would be impossible to mention all of the recordings but one omission that surprised me as Krips/LSO, which I relistened to last night. The LSO yields nothing here to the VPO, and the Krips, despite its vintage, has better Sonics, as it was recorded by Everest on their 35mm tape, and it has become an audiophile favorite for this reason. I was also glad to see Monteux get a good mention, as that is my preferred recording featuring the VPO.
I purchased the Tennstedt on Petrushka’s recommendation years ago and then burned it to a SD card on my phone so it has accompanied me on many a trip, also a very good choice.
In the Historical choices, Pfitzner-are you kidding me? He sounds like a Hitler Youth drill master leading his charges on a forced 50 km hike through the Vienn woods, an impression that is reinforced by the boxy sound. If it turned out not to be Pfitzner, who after all is an important if odious historical figure, but some anonymous kapellmeister of years past I doubt that RO would have given it a mention. I would go with Toscanini, but RO seems to disqualify it because it is to Italianate. I would have to refresh myself on Furtwangler here.
RO doesn’t seem to like HIPP entities, but for me the most fascinating development regarding the recording history of this work over the past several decades has been here. He anoints Krivine and dismisses Hogwood in the same sentence and one clearly feels that he simply doesn’t care for the whole approach. Krivine is good but I award the palm here to the recent Savall, which has increased in stature with repeated listens.
Despite my criticisms of RO I learned quite a bit about the performing history of the work and really enjoyed the article