Review by James Leonard
The liner notes for this reissue of Beethoven's Fifth and Sixth symphonies include an essay on the Fifth that opens "There is in the world music of more sophistication, but none that more surely, more powerfully makes itself understood"; an essay on the Sixth that opens "In the heart of every music-lover, there is a cherished place for the 'Pastoral' Symphony"; an essay entitled "The History of Living Stereo" that describes the superiority of the recording process; and an essay entitled "Technical Notes" that describes the excellence of the remastering process.
While a certain amount of balderdash and ballyhoo are always necessary in program notes, it is remarkable that nothing more is mentioned of the conductor than his name. After all, there have been hundreds of recordings of the Fifth and Sixth over the years, and the thing that truly distinguishes this one from the competition is the conductor on the podium, the ardent Alsatian Charles Münch. As befits his birth, he was at home in both French and German orchestral repertoires, and while his recordings of Debussy and Ravel are rightly regarded as classics, his recordings of Beethoven and Brahms are nearly in the same league. As these 1955 recordings with the Boston Symphony demonstrate, his Fifth was muscular and direct, while his Sixth was relaxed and comfortable. While one would never mistake Münch's Fifth for Furtwängler's, the energy and excitement of the performance are completely convincing. And while one would never mistake Münch's Sixth for Walter's, the serenity and blessedness of the performance are extremely compelling. While the sound of the Living Stereo original and the current remastering is very impressive in its way, the real reason to hear this disc is to hear Charles Münch. |
