Diehard fans of this conductor will doubtless “Ooh” and “Ahh” over every minor tempo shift and pause for rhetorical emphasis while telling themselves how miraculous these performances are coming from a man of 95–but there’s not a lot happening here that’s terribly special. Of the two performances, the Mendelssohn comes off best: the opening is aptly sunny, the inner movements are presented without preciosity or slackness, and the finale is rhythmically on target if just a hair sluggish in tempo. Still, from a strictly musical point of view Szell offers greater precision and virtuosity, Ormandy a richer sheen, and Bernstein more sheer exhilaration. For a man of 95, this indeed may be a remarkable performance, but greatness requires no special pleading, and what’s in evidence here is simply good, professional studio work from an experienced band.
The same holds true for the Brahms, only more so. This is a generally decent, straightforward performance with few mannerisms, and even fewer insights. Tempos for each movement generally begin in a nicely flowing manner but wind up sounding lethargic thanks to overly blended sonorities in loud passages and cavernous sound that has the winds looming mysteriously out of some black hole at the center of the orchestra. The problem is evident from the very first forte statement of the first movement’s principal theme: Where is the brass? Or listen to the precarious balances between strings and winds when the latter get the second subject, just after the cellos. The third movement begins swiftly but hangs fire in the quicker interludes, and the finale suffers most of all from timid trumpets and trombones, mushy timpani, and a really unexciting coda. This was Stoki’s last recording; it’s not bad, but it’s also not a terribly impressive end to a very great legacy. Collectors of this conductor’s work will find it essential; others can do much better elsewhere.
