Today’s performance of Beethoven’s Second is courtesy of George Szell (1897-1970) and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra.
It was recorded on Friday, October 2, 1964, in Severance Hall. (I know it was Friday, even though the liner small print on the back of the CD sleeve doesn’t provide that information, because I Googled it.)
If you want to see for yourself what happened on that day, be my guest. But be forewarned, it’s not fun stuff. Lots of tragic deaths, according to its entry on Wikipedia.)
I first encountered Maestro Szell on Day 16 of my Beethoven project.
I haven’t yet formed much of an opinion about Maestro Szell. He seems to be a better-than-average conductor. But not – as of yet – an electrifying one. To me, anyway. Your mileage may vary.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five). The time breakdown of this particular one (Symphony No. 2 in D Major), from this particular conductor (Szell, at age 67) and this particular orchestra (The Cleveland Orchestra), at this particular time in history (October 2, 1964) on this particular record label (Sony Classical) is as follows:
I. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio………………………………………………………………10:17
II. Larghetto………………………………………………………………………………………………….11:34
III. Scherezo. Allegro – Trio……………………………………………………………………………3:41
IV. Allegro molto…………………………………………………………………………………………….6:22
Total running time: 31:14
My Rating:
Recording quality: 4 (slight tape hiss, not uncommon for its age of 54 years, some ambient sounds, and a somewhat lacking top end as if Noise Reduction cut off a bit of the high end)
Overall musicianship: 4
CD liner notes: 0 (none; boo! hiss!)
How does this make me feel: 4
I don’t know if hearing this on the heels of yesterday’s Sleepy Time tea performance from Simon Rattle made it sound better than it really is. But – boy howdy! – it sure does sound better to me. I’m hearing much more energy, dynamic range, and power in Szell’s performance than I did in Rattle’s.
Also, I’m hearing different instruments accentuated on the recording, ones I’m not sure I heard in other performances from other conductors and orchestras. They stand out in such a way that they seem to be occasionally playing something different from what I’ve heard in previous performances.
This isn’t quite a “Huzzah!” performance. But it’s not a “Meh,” either.
Maybe a “Muzzah”? or a “Huzzeh”?
I don’t know.
But this is…
No. I can’t do it. I can’t give this an unequivocal “Huzzah!”
A recording doesn’t win that award just because it sounds better than what came before it. It has to stand on its own as something truly extraordinary.
This is close.
But no cigar.