Georg Solti
Posted by: Tam on 10 February 2007
I've been listening two a lot of Mahler 2s lately, prompted by the acquisition of a box of live Mahler recordings (an almost complete cycle) from Haitink and the Concertgebouw in a series of Christmas day concerts (this not to be confused with his more readily available studio issues, sadly those are easily available, these are not). Anyway, one of the reasons I bought it was that I was assured that it didn't have the flaws I find in his studio issues (the most critical of which is that symphonies 2 and 8 are seriously lacking in weight). Now, while the set has an excellent first and third (don't know about the rest, I haven't listened yet) the second was a little more problematic (a full review will follow at a later date for a much longer thread). The problems came in the finale, which was rather sluggish (only Bernstein's DG issue in my collection is longer) and contained some exceedingly sloppy horn playing. However, while superior to Haitink's studio issue, it still lacked the ultimate punch that someone like Rattle or Walter (in their very different ways) brings. Anyway, it prompted me to dig out a couple of seconds which, unlike Rattle and Walter, I haven't listened to in a good long while. Bernstein's final New York recording for me suffers from too many of the problems that brought down many of the symphonies on his last cycle - most notably that he draws things too much (the Concertgebouw 9th suffers particularly in this regard) and which seems to sap it of the overwhelming punch it might otherwise bring (certainly not rivalling his LSO reading from Ely cathedral).
Then, this evening I put on Solti's account with the Chicago symphony orchestra. I've long had an admiration for Solti and in particular his Mahler (it was the first complete cycle I bought, along with Bernstein's DG one). Indeed, he was probably the first conductor I started to collect and was a fan of (and while that has somewhat tempered over the years - I no longer have much love for my first Solti disc of Schubert's 5th, 8th and 9th symphonies, I nonetheless have a great many discs I'm extremely fond of). His Mahler cycle is remarkable to me in that I don't think it really has a weak link. It has few (if any, save possibly his remarkable 8th) recordings that I would take to my desert island, and yet, if I had to have all my Mahler from one conductor, I'd probably end up with his. The second is particularly fine. Brisk, if not quite a Walter's pace, with some lovely playing (and wonderfully recorded), true the urlicht is perhaps not quite so haunting as Janet Baker can sing it, but there is no lack of weight and the end is powerfully moving.
However, Solti seems to be one of those conductors who is loathed almost as much as he is loved - mention Wagner (despite my love for Krauss and Knappertsbusch's readings, and Haitink's mastery of the score, sadly let down by his Brunnhilde, it is Solti that remains my favourite), and people will spring up to say how much they dislike what he does with score - some suggest his conducting is heavy handed and melodramatic, others find problems with the Culshaw produced sound (and much more besides, see this old Ring thread). For me the sound is one of the things that makes it special. I don't find much sympathy with the comments one sometimes gets about how over driven he is, but listening to the Mahler second there were moments, especially in the finale, where I felt it (but there they served to increase the drama). Certainly his driven style helps make his Bruckner recordings fine (as I find the works can languish a little in the wrong hands, though the right ones, albeit few and far between) can take them slowly with aplomb.
Similarly, though there is arguably rather too much of him on offer, he gives an electrifying Beethoven 5th (though, for my money, it is the only work in his Chicago cycle that this doesn't hurt), no doubt aided by the prominence of the timpani. Indeed, this made me all the more curious to hear his concertos with Ashkenazy (as it struck me as a classic record label sticking together two of their big name artists), fully expecting Solti to trample all over the pianist. Strangely this does not happen, though one does get some most wonderfully played accompaniment.
Lastly, he gets a touch of credit for one or two real gems in the discography that were not his - namely the pioneering Mackerras survey of the Janacek operas (sadly not comprehensive). The story has it that when Decca decided to record the works towards the end of the 70s, they went to Solti and asked him (as he was one of their biggest names), he said he wasn't interested in doing them but they ought to get this chap Mackerras (and helped ensure the VPO were used).
regards, Tam
Then, this evening I put on Solti's account with the Chicago symphony orchestra. I've long had an admiration for Solti and in particular his Mahler (it was the first complete cycle I bought, along with Bernstein's DG one). Indeed, he was probably the first conductor I started to collect and was a fan of (and while that has somewhat tempered over the years - I no longer have much love for my first Solti disc of Schubert's 5th, 8th and 9th symphonies, I nonetheless have a great many discs I'm extremely fond of). His Mahler cycle is remarkable to me in that I don't think it really has a weak link. It has few (if any, save possibly his remarkable 8th) recordings that I would take to my desert island, and yet, if I had to have all my Mahler from one conductor, I'd probably end up with his. The second is particularly fine. Brisk, if not quite a Walter's pace, with some lovely playing (and wonderfully recorded), true the urlicht is perhaps not quite so haunting as Janet Baker can sing it, but there is no lack of weight and the end is powerfully moving.
However, Solti seems to be one of those conductors who is loathed almost as much as he is loved - mention Wagner (despite my love for Krauss and Knappertsbusch's readings, and Haitink's mastery of the score, sadly let down by his Brunnhilde, it is Solti that remains my favourite), and people will spring up to say how much they dislike what he does with score - some suggest his conducting is heavy handed and melodramatic, others find problems with the Culshaw produced sound (and much more besides, see this old Ring thread). For me the sound is one of the things that makes it special. I don't find much sympathy with the comments one sometimes gets about how over driven he is, but listening to the Mahler second there were moments, especially in the finale, where I felt it (but there they served to increase the drama). Certainly his driven style helps make his Bruckner recordings fine (as I find the works can languish a little in the wrong hands, though the right ones, albeit few and far between) can take them slowly with aplomb.
Similarly, though there is arguably rather too much of him on offer, he gives an electrifying Beethoven 5th (though, for my money, it is the only work in his Chicago cycle that this doesn't hurt), no doubt aided by the prominence of the timpani. Indeed, this made me all the more curious to hear his concertos with Ashkenazy (as it struck me as a classic record label sticking together two of their big name artists), fully expecting Solti to trample all over the pianist. Strangely this does not happen, though one does get some most wonderfully played accompaniment.
Lastly, he gets a touch of credit for one or two real gems in the discography that were not his - namely the pioneering Mackerras survey of the Janacek operas (sadly not comprehensive). The story has it that when Decca decided to record the works towards the end of the 70s, they went to Solti and asked him (as he was one of their biggest names), he said he wasn't interested in doing them but they ought to get this chap Mackerras (and helped ensure the VPO were used).
regards, Tam