This live May 31, 1964 concert gives us “old Klemp” at his redoubtable best. Indeed, it’s hard to believe that Barbirolli’s disgusting Mahler recordings with this same orchestra playing like pigs date from the same period. Obviously, the Berlin Philharmonic had yet to grow into the “international powerhouse” ensemble that it now claims to be, but boy, could it ever play Beethoven and Mozart! What makes the latter performance so extraordinary is Klemperer’s dazzlingly fast tempo for the finale, which challenges the orchestra’s string players to give their very best while at the same time completely giving the lie to the myth that “the later the date, the slower he got”. The Bach suite, on the other hand, is predictably on the heavy side; but it’s wonderfully clear contrapuntally, and those who enjoy Klemperer’s way with the music already know what to expect.
The “Pastorale” Symphony also is typical of Klemperer, grand and steady, but with phenomenally well-sustained tension in the outer movements and one of the most detailed and convincing storms that you’ll find anywhere. Especially impressive is the way that Klemperer has “de-Karajanized” the orchestra, coaxing it (as is clear from the rehearsal segment included) to permit the winds to really cut through the string textures in a way that Karajan never would have allowed (and should have, quite frankly). It’s a very great performance by any standard, and the mono broadcast-quality sound beats many stereo issues from this period in transparency, timbral accuracy, and truthful balances. Of all the live dreck being foisted on the public these days by an industry seemingly determined to prove that the reputations of “great” artists were undeserved on any given night, this is one concert that truly deserves wider dissemination. It’s a triumph. [3/24/2004]
