At the time it was first issued, this was one of the better Manfreds, coming from a distinguished Tchaikovsky conductor. While we’re still waiting for a truly outstanding recording of this uneven but wonderful piece, both Muti and Ashkenazy, each with the Philharmonia Orchestra, have since eclipsed this version. Of course it has memorable moments: the entrance of the strings in the first movement is thrilling; the second-movement scherzo is deftly played. But Ormandy’s third movement drags a bit, and (like so many others) he fails to whip up the finale to the requisite hysterical frenzy. The engineering also gets a bit congested at the climaxes, particularly at the entrance of the otherwise timbrally opulent organ toward the end. Ormandy/Philly fans will want this as a matter of course, but you can get Ashkenazy’s Manfred very cheaply on Australian Eloquence–an unbeatable bargain.
