A few miles outside Brattleboro, Vermont on Route 9, you round a curve and, if you’re not careful, you’ll miss the unpresuming little side road that leads to Marlboro. And when you get to the grounds of the college that’s home to the world-famous music festival, there’s still not much to see, especially if you’re expecting the more elaborate trappings of a Tanglewood, for instance. But in the rustic structure of its concert shed and the lush, green forests and hills of the surrounding landscape lies the charm and beauty of this world-class festival, the dream of a handful of musicians–including Rudolf Serkin, Adolf Busch, Marcel and (the indomitable) Blanche Moyse–that’s now celebrating its 50th anniversary. And of course, it’s really the musicians and their devotion and loyalty to this phenomenal enterprise that makes it so special. And what amazing musicians they are! Over the years the list of participants reads like the ultimate roster of all-stars of solo and chamber music performance, and this two-disc commemorative set from Bridge, drawing from concert recordings made by the Marlboro festival between the years 1969-97, offers a good sample of the many outstanding visitors the festival attracts each summer.
When Sony released its 40th anniversary commemorative set of Marlboro recordings 10 years ago, included was the classic 1960 performance of Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock, with soprano Benita Valente, clarinetist Harold Wright, and pianist Rudolf Serkin. Here, we get the same musicians performing the work nine years later, and besides being in clearer, cleaner, more vibrant sound, we hear an interpretation that’s moved from a more careful, detail-oriented, classically-styled account to a more spontaneous-sounding, facile, sonorous reading–perhaps more romantic in approach. Both are dazzling for their virtuosity and flair and remain unrivalled; Valente seems even more confident in 1969 and Wright’s leaping clarinet lines at the work’s end are even more astounding than before. And this is just one of the set’s highlights. The four hands of pianists Cecile Licad and Mieczyslaw Horszowski manage to make Beethoven’s Three Marches Op. 45 more than just engaging concert openers: they’re downright delightful, fun pieces that leave you wanting to hear more from this unlikely duo who in 1979 were aged 87 (Horszowski) and 18 (Licad) . Then comes a warm, passionate, and thoroughly romantic performance of Verdi’s E minor String Quartet (also from 1969), with violinist Pina Carmirelli at the helm.
An absolutely smashing 1974 performance of Bartók’s Divertimento for String Orchestra, with Sándor Végh and the Marlboro Festival Strings, leads off Disc 2. Not only is the playing first rate–crisp, crackling with energy, alternately gritty and mellifluous where called for–but the sound belies its age with its penetrating immediacy and depth. A series of more recent works–György Kurtág’s Quintet for Winds Op. 2 and Hommage à Mihály András for string quartet, and String Quartet No. 1 by György Ligeti–conclude the program. These pieces, recorded in 1996 and 1997, represent Marlboro’s commitment to new music and its sponsorship of visiting composers such as Kurtág, who was in residence when this recording of his music was made. Far removed in style from Beethoven, Schubert, and even Bartók, these latter works nevertheless receive impeccable performances by musicians of the caliber of cellist Siegfried Palm and oboist Rudolph Vrbsky (and not surprisingly offer the collection’s best sound).
There’s one flaw in this otherwise outstanding set: the performance of Mendelssohn’s Op. 13 string quartet. First violinist Lisa Beth Lambert just can’t seem to get the intonation right throughout the first movement–perhaps a consequence of unfriendly weather conditions on that August day in 1995, but nevertheless a bothersome distraction. It gets much better later–in fact immediately in the Beethoven-esque Adagio second movement, and from there the quartet makes beautiful music together. Interesting photos and informative liner notes complete this desirable package. Kudos to Bridge, and long may the Marlboro Festival live! [Editor’s note: Instead of the actual CD cover for this release, we used one of the photos from inside the liner booklet–a picture of Harold Wright, Benita Valente, and Rudolf Serkin by Clemens Kalischer. Due to the gold-embossed lettering and near-black background, the real cover wouldn’t reproduce.] [8/20/2001]
