Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Der Freischütz, Op 77. Overture
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Rapsodie espagnole
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Symphonie fantastique, Op 14
The Clevland Orchestra/Eduard van Beinum
rec. live, 22 December 1955, Severance Hall, Cleveland
Forgotten Records FR2229 [75]
I’ve heard and generally admired a good number of recordings by Eduard van Beinum (1900-1959). Most of these have been with what was then the Concertgebouw Orchestra, of which he was principal conductor (initially as a joint appointment with Mengelberg) from 1938 until his death. I’ve also heard a few recordings with the London Philharmonic, whose principal conductor he was for two years from 1947. However, I don’t think I’ve ever come across any examples of van Beinum’s work outside Europe. This disc, preserving a concert with the Cleveland Orchestra, is something of a rarity, therefore.
That rarity value makes it all the more disappointing that, as usual, Forgotten Records provide no notes whatsoever. I was able to piece together a little background information from internet research, learning that van Beinum made his US conducting debut in 1954 when he conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra. In that same year, he led the Concertgebouw Orchestra on their first tour to the USA. Fortunately, I was able to glean a little more information from Michael Charry’s very detailed book George Szell. A Life of Music (2011). The 1955/56 season was Szell’s tenth as music director in Cleveland; it was also the 25th anniversary of Severance Hall. As was his wont, Szell conducted the lion’s share of the orchestra’s subscription concerts but five guest conductors appeared, of which van Beinum was one (the others were Sir Thomas Beecham, Fernando Previtali, Thomas Schippers and Igor Stravinsky). Interestingly, Charry only references van Beinum conducting a work by the Dutch composer Hendrick Andriessen; maybe that was on a second programme conducted by van Beinum although it’s possible, I suppose, that the Andriessen work was performed at this 22 December concert and has been omitted from this disc, probably for reasons of space. (Please see footnote below.) I doubt that van Beinum’s engagement to conduct in Cleveland was an accident. Charry relates that when Szell agreed to take over in Cleveland, he negotiated sweeping powers in his contract, including the selection of guest conductors. It would have been a natural courtesy to invite van Beinum to Cleveland: Szell had made his debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra as long ago as 1936 and thereafter, though the Second World War interrupted the relationship, he made regular appearances with the orchestra for the rest of his life.
Before considering the performances, it may be worthwhile saying something about the provenance of the recording itself. Forgotten Records describe these recordings as a “Concert radiodiffusé enregistré le 22 décembre 1955”; in other words, that the recordings derive from a broadcast. I doubt that’s correct, though. Recently, and by chance, I learned some intriguing background information from Lani Spahr, the vastly experienced American restorer of historical recordings, which I share with his agreement. It seems that in the 1950s an audiophile engineer based in Cleveland obtained permission from George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra to make experimental stereo recordings of some of the orchestra’s Thursday evening concerts. The experiment was fairly short-lived but apparently some of these recordings have been retained in the Cleveland Orchestra’s archives. It seems that this van Beinum concert was one of those which the engineer recorded; certainly, 22 December 1955 was a Thursday. Lani Spahr has told me that he is sure the recording of this concert was part of the experimental series: the person who is currently responsible for the Cleveland Orchestra archive, of which the recording is a part, maintains that this was the case and that the 22 December concert was not broadcast. Apparently, this recording has been circulating for years among collectors, though how it came into circulation is not known.
This disc contains performances which are well worth hearing. In the spacious opening to the Weber overture the Cleveland horn section impresses. The main Allegro is played with fine energy. This spirited performance is a good opener to the concert.
Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole is also a success. In the opening ‘Prélude à la nuit’, van Beinum and the orchestra distil a fine atmosphere; the playing is very good. The performance conveys the mystery of the night and one can imagine the clear, dark skies. In ‘Malagueña’, Spain comes to life; here, the rhythms are idiomatically punchy. Van Beinum ensures that the seductive, swaying rhythms in ‘Habanera’ are very nicely articulated. Finally, we hear a vibrant rendition of ‘Feria’, though the celebrations pause for a short while midway through whilst the revellers pause for breath – or a short siesta, perhaps. The Rapsodie as a whole is very well played and conducted. I enjoyed the performance and felt that the applause at the end was well deserved.
The major work is the Symphonie fantastique of Berlioz. In the first movement I like the way van Beinum handles the opening ‘Réveries’; the ‘Passions’ section which follows is suitably turbulent and ardent. The waltz in ‘Un Bal’ is very persuasively shaped; there’s a graceful sweep to the music and I think the performance is very stylish. A successful account of ‘Scène aux Champs’ depends on the atmosphere which the performers can create. I think that, despite the age of the recording, this performance delivers on that count. Right at the start the echoing woodwind are well caught by the microphones. Van Beinum leads an atmospheric account which catches the mood – or, perhaps more accurately, the moods – of the music. Towards the end the timpani thunder rolls, both distant and not-so distant, register very well. The ‘Marche au supplice’ is strongly projected; van Beinum sets a good, steady tempo which means that the air of menace is well communicated. There’s a spooky start to ‘Songe d’une Nuit de Sabbat’, after which the grotesqueries in the Allegro come across really well. The Clevelanders characterise the diabolical march very well indeed; it begins with an ominous, weighty tread but the (controlled) hysteria mounts and the closing minutes are very exciting. At the end the Cleveland audience responds with a most enthusiastic ovation, which is only gradually faded. I’m not surprised at their reaction because this is an excellent and involving account of Berlioz’s amazingly imaginative symphony.
This concert shows Eduard van Beinum on excellent form. I don’t know how much preparation time he had with the orchestra but they respond very well indeed to the conducting of their distinguished guest. The performances also demonstrate how effectively George Szell had built the Cleveland Orchestra into a fine, versatile ensemble over the previous nine seasons. His guest conducting engagement in late 1955 was, so far as I’m aware, van Beinum’s only appearance with the Cleveland Orchestra. Perhaps a return invitation would have been extended had he not died suddenly less than four years later. On the evidence of these performances, had he returned I’m sure he would have done so as a very welcome guest.
The recordings have come up very well, which must reflect credit on the unknown engineer who was responsible for the original sound. Of course, we can’t forget that we are listening to sound that is nearly 70 years old. Nonetheless, the fundamental quality is very good and the recording conveys an excellent impression of the performances. There are some extraneous noises, mainly coughs, which betray the presence of an audience but not to an extent that disturbs the listening experience; frankly, this is a reminder of how much more disciplined audiences were in those days by comparison with some of today’s public.
The one drawback – a serious one – is the lack of any documentation. This is not exactly a bargain-priced release and I think purchasers deserve better. That one reservation aside, this is a most interesting release.
Footnote
After this review was published, I received from one of our readers, Terrence O’Malley, a copy of a review of the concert in question. It was published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on 23 December 1955. Mr O’Malley has access, through the Cleveland public libraries, to the digitised archives of this newspaper which, astonishingly, go back as far as 1845. The concert reviewer was Herbert Elwell (1898-1974). Elwell was, I have learned, an American composer and pupil of Nadia Boulanger who was based in Cleveland for many years. Under the headline ‘Van Beinum is Severance hit. Dutch guest conductor wins the respect of all’ Elwell warmly praised the performances led by van Beinum, who he described as “a fascinating interpretative talent”. Elwell went on to say that the conductor reminded him “in some ways” of Willem Mengelberg, “particularly in his combination of indisputable authority with a gift for yielding at just the right places”.
Interestingly, the review confirms that van Beinum did indeed play a very recent piece by Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981) at this concert. The work in question was Symphonic Etude (1952). The work clearly made a very favourable impression on Elwell but it was revealing to read this comment: “There has been so little 12-tone music performed in Cleveland (in this respect we are extremely provincial) that the audience was ill-prepared to receive and evaluate this specimen of free 12-tone writing.”
Herbert Elwell was very complimentary about the performance of Rapsodie espagnole, commenting that both this work and the Andriessen piece were “so completely assimilated and projected with such sympathetic assurance, that each became a world in itself, replete with significance and enveloped in the most luscious orchestral sound”. Van Beinum’s account of the Berlioz symphony was similarly praised. Elwell referenced the “sheer magic of interpretation, bringing to life a masterpiece in a way that could be achieved only by an artist of the keenest and most mature insights”.
It’s fascinating to read this contemporary review by an authoritative commentator. I’m greatly indebted to Terrence O’Malley for sharing this information.
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