André Cluytens was a great conductor, but these wretchedly played performances do little justice to his reputation. Both of the orchestras involved were simply not up to the task before them. You would think that even in 1962 the Mussorgsky-Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition would be somewhat familiar, but the Milan players are woefully unprepared, starting with the unsteady trumpet solo at the very beginning (the player can barely sustain the held notes). Instances of ragged attacks, missed or ill-timed entrances (most shockingly in Catacombs), garbled rhythms, and tenuous intonation abound–so many that you are constantly distracted from the music. Worst of all, the tam-tam and chimes are completely missing from the Great Gate of Kiev! The ensemble fares little better in La valse, which, thanks to the rather coarse orchestral timbre, hardly sounds like Ravel.
The slightly superior performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite at least allows for an appreciation of Cluyten’s interpretation, which is notable for its energy and drive. But the players let him down big time in the Infernal Dance as they sloppily negotiate the composer’s rapid-fire rhythmic exchanges. The 1962 recordings feature limited dynamic range and a good bit of audience noise, but are clear enough to hear every annoying flaw in the performances. Not recommendable even to Cluytens devotees.
