Conducting the Brahms symphonies
Subtitle: from Brahms to Boult
By: Christopher Dyment
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 250
ISBN-13: 9781783271009
Subjects: Performances; Conductors (Music); Performance practice (Music); History
Description: How did Brahms conduct his four symphonies? What did he want from other conductors when they performed these works, and to which among them did he give his approval? And crucially, are there any stylistic pointers to these performances in early recordings of the symphonies made in the first half of the twentieth century? Christopher Dyment provides a comprehensive and in-depth answer to these important issues.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-244), discographies, and index.
Table of contents: title: Brahms conducts : the composer and his contemporaries. Problems and conundrums; title: Brahms conducts his symphonies; title: Metronomic and sloppy? Hans Richter in Vienna and London; title: The early champions : Levi, Wüllner and Dessoff; title: Joseph Joachim : 'Just watch me'; title: Hans von Bülow : 'If I'd wanted that, I would have written it in'; title: Post-Bülow conductors : encouraging words for juniors; title: Brahms's contemporaries on his conducting of the symphonies; title: Facing the issues : an assembly of witnesses; title: The documentary evidence : lines of authority. Alexander Berrsche : Munich's recording angel (or Beckmesser?); title: Fritz Steinbach : 'all is perfection'; title: Felix Mottl : Wagnerian immersion and disastrous Brahms; title: Arthur Nikisch : the best of both worlds; title: 1859 : A vintage year : Max Fiedler, Karl Muck and a lone American; title: Felix Weingartner : 'tradition' or felicitous accident?; title: Arturo Toscanini : Brahms from Italy via Munich; title: Sir Henry Wood : sometimes successful; title: Willem Mengelberg, Oskar Fried and Bruno Walter : tradition-free?; title: The Mottl acolytes : Hermann Abendroth and Wilhelm Furtwängler; title: Sir Adrian Boult : always 'Steinbach for Brahms'; title: Fritz Steinbach's pupils : the Busch brothers and others; title: Walter Blume : dedicated to both Steinbach and Fritz Busch; title: The critical language : whose 'rubato'?; title: Interim conclusions; title: Recorded evidence : traditions traced or lost. The chosen recordings : an overview; title: Recording details and tabular analyses; title: A pure text?; title: Repeats; title: Some preliminary (and personal) observations; title: Symphony no. 1 in C minor op. 68; title: Symphony no. 2 in D major op. 73; title: Symphony no. 3 in F major op. 90; title: Symphony no. 4 in E minor op. 98; title: Conclusions. A synopsis with caveats; title: Following the trails; title: The ultimate message for today and tomorrow, and a warning.