My listening post this morning is the second floor of our local library.
Also known as my happy place.
And it’s here, right now, that I’m listening to a recording from 1961 – German conductor Franz Konwitschny (1901-1962), Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F major.
I’ve encountered Maestro Konwitschny seven times previously, on…
Day 13. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 31. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 49. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 67. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 84. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 103. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 121. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Seven “Huzzah!” ratings in a row!
That truly is remarkable. In fact, I’m not sure any conductor has that many “Huzzah!” ratings.
This CD box set from Eterna is amazing. Near perfect, in fact.
So, the big questions are:
Will Maestro Konwitschny’s luck hold out?
Or, will today’s performance end his streak of exceptional recordings?
I’ll soon know.
And so will you.
But first, an excerpt from the biography Beethoven The Man Revealed by John Suchet:
…while he was in Linz doing battle with his brother, his emotions in tatters, his health even if improved still fragile, his mood despondent, he completed his Eighth Symphony, his wittiest and most humorous symphony to date, replete with twists and turns, unconventional key changes and unexpected dynamics.
Fascinating. I had no idea Beethoven wrote this lovely symphony under such conditions.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five). The time breakdown of this particular one (Symphony No. 8 in F major),
from this particular conductor (Kontwitschny, at age 60) and this particular orchestra (Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra), at this particular time in history (March 17-23 1961) on this particular record label (Berlin Classics) is as follows:
I. Allegro vivace e con brio…………………………………10:12
II. Allegretto scherzando…………………………………….3:56
III. Tempo di menuetto……………………………………….4:48
IV. Allegro vivace………………………………………………….7:46
Total running time: 26:02
My Rating:
Recording quality: 5 (a superb recording for its age, noticeable, but not distracting tape hiss; rich, dynamic sound, an exceptional recording)
Overall musicianship: 5 (playful, inspired, magical, engaging)
CD liner notes: 5 (two essays that contain exceptional historical and technical detail by Matthias Hansen and Werner Wolf, but no timing of individual tracks – those are found on the CD sleeve)
How does this make me feel: 5 (“Huzzah!”)
Another home run!
I was hooked from the first minute or two of Movement I, which is my favorite in Maestro Konwitschny’s hands, with movement IV a close second (the last 30-45 seconds of Movement IV are pure gold, as exciting and fun as it gets.)
The orchestra sounds fresh and nimble, the recording as if it were made yesterday rather than over half a century earlier.
The recording presents this symphony how I like to hear it – with violins prominent but not blatantly in my face. When the violins ramp up it’s truly spectacular. That’s when the goosebumps make their appearance.
This performance was well recording. Kudos to the engineers and those who remastered it many years later.
I don’t know if Maestro Konwitschny is this magical conducting other orchestras and the works of other composers. But I’m going to find out.
“Huzzah!” once again!