From: dbarker@spang.Camosun.BC.CA (Deryk Barker)
Subject: Jascha Horenstein (Was Re: Mahler 9 (was Re:Mahler 1))
Organization: Camosun College, Victoria B.C, Canada
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 18:44:46 GMT

In article <ld0kr7INNgob@news.bbn.com> delatizk@bbn.com (Jonathan Delatizky) writes:
>dbarker@spang.Camosun.BC.CA (Deryk Barker) writes:
>
>
>>Das Lied:                                                        
>>                               But once again, for me, Horenstein
>>blows the competition away with his BBC Northern SO performance (April
>>1972) with John Mitchinson and Alfreda Hodgson. This was available on
>>an Ittalian label descant, and the Berkshire Record Outlet in MA had
>>copies. I believe Descant is now defunct but this performance is
>>shortly to reappear on Music and Arts. 
>
>It has done so, as of about a month ago.
>
>The playing is more than a bit ragged at times, but I agree that the
>performance is exceptional.  I think I still prefer Ferrier/Patzak/Walter of
>those that I've heard (many, but not as many as Deryk), but it's a close
>call.  I'm delighted to have finally made its aquaintance.

I recently met somebody who had been at the 1947 Edinburgh Festival
where Walter first conducted Ferrier in Das Lied. Envious is hardly
the word...

>Deryk - perhaps you'd like to post a list of Horenstein recordings (not just
>of Mahler) that are recommendable.  Of the relatively small number that are
>available, several are handicapped by poor sonics or poor playing.  I'm
>generally reluctant to shell out the $$ for a recording which may be of
>dubious quality, unless I know upfront what I'm getting, which is hard in the
>case of most live and semi-pirate older and historic recordings.

Well, I am currently working on a Horenstein discography which will be
published (commercially) sometime next year, if I can get off my butt
and finish it. Actually many more of his recordings are becoming
available: VOX has recently reissued many of his classics (the 1956
Beethoven 9, the 1957(?) Bruckner 8), and certain European labels -
eg. Intaglio - have issued some very interesting performances indeed,
a 1970 BBC SO Bruckner 9, the 1970 LSO Bruckner 8 from the proms - I'm
still looking for this, as I was present and remember it as a
staggering performance. I'll keep the net posted, if there is
sufficient interest, or mail individuals otherwise.

The Descant Horenstein Edition, probably still available from
Berkshire, also included a Mahler 7 (single CD) with the NPO from the
Royal Festival Hall in 1969, and a Bruckner 5 (single CD) with the BBC
SO from the 1971 proms - his first appearance after a heart attack
earlier that year.

The Mahler 7 is, IMO, the finest I've heard, and the Bruckner 5 ranks
up there with the 1942 and 1951 Furtwaenglers.

I agree that much Horenstein was recorded with second-rate orchestras
and less than terrific sonics, but he was one of this century's
*greatest* conductors, much underrated. His stuff on Unicorn (Mahler 1
and 3) is well played and recorded, and his 3rd is my all-time
favourite. The 6th is a live recording with the Stockholm PO who
weren't really up to it.

He also made numerous recordings for Reader's Digest (RCA) in the
early 60s. Much of this has been reissued, by Chandos (the Rachmaninov
concertos with Earl Wild) or Chesky (some of the Rachmaninov, his
wonderful Brahms 1, etc). These are also well played (RPO) and
recorded.

Horenstein is,. for me, another conductor like Furtwaengler in that
*nothing* he did was less than interesting, and much of it is
wonderful.

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