The fly in this otherwise useful batch of all-Brahms ointment consists of Pierre Monteux’s virtually unlistenable San Francisco Second Symphony, a performance and recording surpassed in every way by his stereo remake with the London Symphony Orchestra on Philips. If on hearing this someone were to tell you that it must have been made on wax cylinders, you’d be hard pressed to argue. It’s that bad (and for that reason it doesn’t factor into the overall rating). Otherwise, there’s some wonderful stuff here: Kurt Sanderling’s brooding and intense Tragic Overture with the marvelous Staatskapelle Dresden (his complete Brahms cycle with the orchestra is still a benchmark edition); Leopold Stokowski’s typically ebullient and atypically respectful account of the Academic Festival Overture; and the second of Günter Wand’s three versions for RCA of Brahms’ First Symphony, this with a clearly attentive Chicago Symphony. It’s an excellent performance, not quite as wild as his latest NDR release, but rock-solid in the first movement and very exciting in the finale.
Last but not least, there’s the Monteux/Szeryng/LSO recording of the Violin Concerto, a performance that never seems to garner much attention, but that nevertheless impresses on account of its (from Szeryng as much as Monteux) unforced lyricism, real dignity, and poise. Recorded in 1958, it’s come up sounding just fine and deserves a chance to reach a wide audience. Now if only RCA had used James Levine’s Chicago Brahms Second, this would be a memorable set indeed. Still, at the price, it’s a good deal. [Editor’s Note: This set is part of a French twofer series called “Artistes/Répertoires” and can be purchased from most European mail-order sources.] [8/31/2001]
