The Brahms Concerto is drawn from a live July 1943 broadcast concert with the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, the precursor of today’s New York Philharmonic. Adolph Busch played the work often–the notes include a listing of his partners in the concerto that begins with Fritz Steinbach, said to be Brahms’ favorite conductor, and goes on to include a “Conductors Hall of Fame” membership list. On this occasion it was William Steinberg, and together they deliver a brisk reading that includes a stirringly dramatic first movement, a slow movement that begins on the icy side with a neutral-sounding oboe solo but soon turns soulful thanks to Busch’s committed violin playing, and a whirlwind finale, with dynamic contributions from the orchestra and exciting violinism from Busch. After each movement the audience applauds vigorously, an understandable (if now politically incorrect) activity, for this is indeed an outstanding performance, undimmed by Busch’s occasional moments of suspect intonation. Music & Arts claims this is a first release in any format and we can be thankful for its arrival.
Its discmate, the Clarinet Quintet with Reginald Kell and the Busch Quartet, is another live performance, this from 1948. If it gets a slightly muted reception, that’s due to the availability of another Kell-Busch Quartet version, an EMI studio recording from a decade earlier. Both follow similar outlines, differing only in inconsequential details, though the studio performance has a slightly more expansive Adagio and the perky central section of the last movement is a bit more playful in the concert hall. In both, Kell’s liquid tone and the ensemble playing are admirable, as is the refusal to treat this late work as a message from the beyond–that is, the musicians don’t overdo the autumnal quality that, if exaggerated, can enervate a performance. They do play with an appropriate intensity though, even in the earlier studio version. So it’s good to have this performance even if it’s not as essential as the concerto. Music & Arts’ resident transfer wizard, Maggi Payne, has done an outstanding job to bring both pieces to an acceptable level of freshness and listenability.
