The late Romanian pianist Mindru Katz takes top honors with his polished and deeply musical Emperor Concerto, abetted by Barbirolli’s assertive yet supple support, with the Hallé Orchestra rising to and above the occasion. By contrast, playing standards deteriorate in the symphonies and overtures. Put simply, Barbirolli’s heartfelt but spongy direction lacks the cohesion and inner force distinguishing better Beethoven recordings from the 1940s and ’50s by maestros as disparate as Toscanini, Furtwangler, Kleiber, Jochum, Klemperer, and Scherchen, to name just a few. But if Barbirolli’s your man, Michael Dutton’s restorations can’t be beat.
