Beecham Conducts Berlioz & Mendelssohn

1. Symphony No. 5 in D major/D minor ("Reformation"), Op. 107
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

2. Les Troyens, opera, H. 133a Royal Hunt and Storm
Composed by Hector Berlioz
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

3. Les Troyens, opera, H. 133a Trojan March
Composed by Hector Berlioz
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

4. Prince Igor, opera (completed by Rimsky-Korsakov & Glazunov) Overture
Composed by Alexander Borodin
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

5. May Night: Overture (Mayskaya noch'), for orchestra
Composed by Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

6. Eugene Onegin, opera, Op. 24 Waltz
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham

Product Description

Amazon.com
The enterprising Biddulph label specializes in vintage recordings by greats of the past, lovingly restored in transfers that preserve the liveliness of the originals. Sir Thomas Beecham's career is well-documented on many labels, but these issues are of uncommon importance since they restore to the catalogues his relatively rare 1944-45 recordings with the orchestra he founded. They include a flowing Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5, a work he never re-recorded, along with others that never found their way onto LPs or CDs until now. Hard to say where to start. WHL 041 has a sparkling Haydn Symphony No. 97 and a vivacious Beecham arrangement of Handel music. WHL 042 has a lyric Beethoven Symphony No. 4 and a mellow Schubert Symphony No. 6. And on WHL 043, the Mendelssohn is joined by short works of Berlioz, Borodin, and others which Beecham's magic turned into sparkling gems. The playing throughout is excellent, as are Mark Obert-Thorn's transfers of the well-recorded 78s. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

Roman Carnival Overture, Op.9
King Lear Overture, Op.4
Waverley Overture, Op.1
Les Francs-Juges Overture, Op.3
The Corsair Overture, Op.21
Overture To Les Troyens
March From Les Troyens

Customer Reviews:

Great playing and interpretation; 4 stars for sound: good but not great.......2007-04-20

Thomas Beecham's Berlioz is famous to many listeneners from his stereo EMI French National Orchestra SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE, with the LES TROYENS March of the Trojans and LE COURSAIRE OVERTURE (Royal Philharmonic). These mono 1954 recordings are more exciting, with faster tempos and a more vital feeling or urgency about them. However, I would give 5 stars to all of Sir Thomas's later Berlioz recordings, too.

ROMAN CARNIVAL is one of the great recordings, as are LEAR and CORSAIRE.
This MARCH OF THE TROJANS is more swaggering than the EMI stereo remake.
The Royal Philharmonic play wonderfully, and were one of the 5 best orchestras in the world in 1954.

Highly recommended, unless you don't tolerate mono recordings in any form.

TB's Brilliant Berlioz.......2005-05-20

Recently I have begun buying titles in Sony's British Import series "Sir Thomas Beecham: The Original CBS Recordings" and I must say I am enjoying them very much. This disc features the conductor's 1954 mono recordings of Berlioz Overtures -- Roman Carnival, King Lear, Waverley, Les Francs-Juges, Le Corsair, and the Overture and March from Les Troyens. TB was a Berlioz specialist so many of these works were re-recorded in stereo (particularly noteworthy are Corsair and Troyens March accounts featured on an EMI "GROTC" title with the Symphonie Fantastique -- see my review.) But devotees of the great British conductor will certainly want these selections as well, provided they don't own already own the Sony Import 2CD of Beecham performing Berlioz, which duplicates all of this material. (That title is not available on Amazon but is via HMV UK.) In all, "Sir Thomas Beecham: The Original CBS Recordings" is a delightful series and I look forward to purchasing (and reviewing) more of them.

Average customer rating:

Beecham Conducts Berlioz & Mendelssohn

Manufacturer: Biddulph Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001ZDV
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Sym No.5 in D 'Reformation': I. Andante-Allegro Con Fuoco
Sym No.5 in D 'Reformation': II. Allegro Vivace
Sym No.5 in D 'Reformation': III. Andante
Sym No.5 in D 'Reformation': IV. Andante Con Moto
Les Troyens: Royal Hunt And Storm
Les Troyens: Trojan March
Prince Igor: Ov
May Night: Ov
Eugene Onegin: Waltz
Eugene Onegin: Polonaise

Amazon.com

The enterprising Biddulph label specializes in vintage recordings by greats of the past, lovingly restored in transfers that preserve the liveliness of the originals. Sir Thomas Beecham's career is well-documented on many labels, but these issues are of uncommon importance since they restore to the catalogues his relatively rare 1944-45 recordings with the orchestra he founded. They include a flowing Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5, a work he never re-recorded, along with others that never found their way onto LPs or CDs until now. Hard to say where to start. WHL 041 has a sparkling Haydn Symphony No. 97 and a vivacious Beecham arrangement of Handel music. WHL 042 has a lyric Beethoven Symphony No. 4 and a mellow Schubert Symphony No. 6. And on WHL 043, the Mendelssohn is joined by short works of Berlioz, Borodin, and others which Beecham's magic turned into sparkling gems. The playing throughout is excellent, as are Mark Obert-Thorn's transfers of the well-recorded 78s. --Dan Davis

Sir Thomas Beecham Conducts Berlioz, Grétry, Méhul, Massenet

Average customer rating:

Sir Thomas Beecham Conducts Berlioz, Grétry, Méhul, Massenet

Manufacturer: Beecham Edition
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002J4YMY
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Sir Thomas Beecham Conducts Favourite Overtures, Volume II

Average customer rating:

Substantial overtures from Beecham's peak period, but not in best sound

Sir Thomas Beecham Conducts Favourite Overtures, Volume II

Manufacturer: Dutton Laboratories
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000025XA4
Release Date: 1995-06-20

Customer Reviews:

Substantial overtures from Beecham's peak period, but not in best sound.......2006-03-15

I get impatient with Beecham's fondness for snippets of music lasting less than 5 min. Here we move up to gobbets lasting about 8-12 min. This Dutton reissue consists of prewar London Phil. recordings between 1933 and 1940; as one would expect, the sound is variable. The opening Marriage of Figaro Over. from 1937 is shrill and nasty, but the next item, a Don Giovanni Over. from 1940, though cramped and not very colorful, is more listenable, and the third item, a Magtic Flute Over. from 1938, is best of all.

And so it goes through Weber, Brahms, Wagner, etc. Even after adjusting my ears, I wouldn't say that any of these recordings is a sensual pleasure, but they represent Beecham in good if not revelatory form. He avoidss the tendency prevalent in the 78 era to rush the music so that it can fit on a side--we get a realistic picture of his ideas about each work. Overall, I'd rank this colleciton somewhere in the middle of available Beecham reissues.