Sir Thomas Beecham (conductor)
Complete Stereo Recordings on Warner Classics
Beecham Choral Society
Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
rec. 1955-59
Warner Classics 2173240891 [35 CDs: 2190]
I was so excited to receive this box for review as the discs go back to my earliest years of collecting. When Scheherazade was released, I was still at school and when Beecham died in 1961, I cut out a clipping and pinned it on the school noticeboard for all to see. Beecham was a celebrity and much loved by his admirers.1961 marked the end of my schoolyears and I went to Leeds University where I reorganized the Student Union record library. This gave me funds to buy what I wanted for the library. All the new acquisitions had to come to my flat to have the catalogue slips typed up, where I happened to have a Bang and Olufsen reel-to-reel recorder purchased by vacation work at Leeds General Infirmary. This is how I got to know much of the basic repertoire. Leeds itself had an excellent City record library and having read Gramophone one could hand in cards suggesting discs that might be bought for the library. Most of my suggestions were taken up and I was then the first to borrow the discs when they arrived. I saw Beecham conduct only once in November 1959 (Haydn’s Symphony No.104; Mozart’s Symphony No. 39; Delibes Le Roi s’amuse; Delius Summer Night on the River; Debussy Cortège and Air de Danse; Saint-Saëns Ballet Music from Samson and Delilah) To quote from the local paper, ‘He likened the audience to Oliver Twist, wanting more, despite the proximity of closing time that gave him to enlarge on our tyrannical licensing laws compared with the freedom of other countries.’ Outside London, pubs closing time was 10.30pm.
This box set is valuable for bringing back many of these discs to the catalogue having previously been driven out by the likes of Karajan and Boult.
These recordings come from a Golden Age of EMI stereo recordings before they went digital. There is no bass rumble or tape hiss. EMI stereo recordings were produced using valve technology and a Blumlein pair of microphones set at right angles to each other with a further pair of field microphones at the back of the studio to pick up ambience information. Blumlein also invented the recording cutter to put stereo information in a single LP groove and a playback moving coil cartridge to reproduce it. This simple set-up could produce superb recordings. Sample the Polovtsian Dances to hear a perfect integration of choir (Beecham Choral Society) and orchestra. There is no stress or overloading in the recording. My only criticism is that I prefer a harder stick on the timps. This particular disc is one of the few that have been remastered by Art and Son, who remastered all the Barbirolli EMI recordings. The majority of the discs were remastered by Parlophone from 2000 onwards; these remasterings are successful.
The first stereo LP to go on sale from EMI was Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade. When, in1958, I bought this disc I was not actually aware that it was the first recording in stereo released by EMI. The remastered copy in this box set sounds absolutely superb: a good, solid sound with natural imaging, delicate strings, woodwind and fantastic brass. If this was being recorded today, a separate microphone would be provided to boost Steven Staryk’s solos but otherwise it would be difficult to improve on it. It does not sound 70 years old. It just shows, as did the remastered Barbirolli recordings (review), that EMI laid down superb recordings, the quality of which could not be realised on domestic equipment at the time.
Another Beecham favourite was Berlioz’s Le Corsaire overture. When comparing the 1992 remastering with 2003, the brass and strings have been tightened up. Trombones are supposed to blare, Beecham sees to that, but they should not glare. This is successful. Being Beecham, there is a sense of vitality and fun. I get that, too, in the Mozart and Haydn symphonies. I was aware of these at the time of release but was spending my money on Bruckner and Mahler so did not get round to hearing them.
The Beecham recordings I come back to constantly are Sibelius’s Tapiola and Oceanides. The brooding malevolence of Tapiola is fully realised from the mysterious, disturbing woodwind in the opening,which slowly builds to a towering climax. It is regarded as Sibelius’s finest work. Oceanides is less fearful. There is a short passage in the cellos and basses which depicts the rapid lapping waves that you find in sheltered harbours. You can imagine a wave landing quietly and then the undertow pulling back. This is what forms the ripples in the sand beneath the surface. It is a quiet passage and Beecham misses it, along with every other conductor I have heard with the exception of Colin Davis who shows how it should be done.
As is well known, Beecham championed Delius and usually programmed something for his concerts; twelve items are recorded here. Unfortunately, my favourite work is Sea Drift but that is absent for the lack of a stereo recording.
There is so much more in this box that I cannot cover but I must just mention Carmen with Victoria de los Ángeles and Nicolai Gedda which our reviewer, the late John Philips, said is one of the joys of recorded opera (review). This is one of the French recordings in this box and somehow they do not open up like the EMI recordings, although they remain perfectly respectable. Other major works are Haydn’s The Seasons, Handel’s Solomon and Mozart’s Seraglio. No texts are provided.
Everything in this box was recorded over the space of four years, from 1955 to 1959, now spread across 35 CDs. They work out at about £3 each. A lifetime of pleasure for the cost of a meal out; but be quick because these boxes are soon gone.
Len Mullenger
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Contents
CD 1 Sibelius The Oceanides ⋅ Symphony No. 7 ⋅ Pelléas et Mélisande, Incidental music
RPO rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1955 remastered 2008 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 2 Schubert Symphony No. 6⋅ Grieg In Autumn ⋅ Old Norwegian Romance with variations RPO rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1955 remastered 1999 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 3 Balakirv Symphony No. 1⋅ Borodin Polovtsian Dances
RPO Beecham Choral Society. rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1955 remastered 2025 Art & Son Studio
CD 4-5 Handel Solomon John Cameron (bar) Elsie Morison (sop) Lois Marshall (so) Alexander Young(ten) RPO Beecham Choral Society
rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1955-6 remastered 2005 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 6 Brahms Schicksalslied ⋅ Academic Festival Overture⋅ Liszt Psalm XIII 3 “Herr, wie lange willst du” Walter Midgley (ten) RPO Beecham Choral Society
rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1955-6 remastered 2005 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 7 Mozart Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” ⋅Divertimento No 2 RPO
rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1955-6 remastered 2001 Parlophone Records Ltd | Symphony No. 41 in C major “Jupiter”:I. Allegro vivace (LPO Stereo test from 1934 newly remastered 2025 by Art and Son Studio)
CD 8-9 Mozart Die Entführung aus dem SerailLois Marshall (sop), Gerhard Unger (ten) Ilse Hollweg (sop) Gottlob Frick (bass) Leopold Simoneau (ten) RPO
rec Kingsway Hall 1956 remastered 1990 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 10 Beethoven Symphony No. 2 ⋅ The Ruins of Athens, incidental music
CD 11 Bizet L’Arlésienne, Orchestral suites | The Inimitable Sir Thomas Sibelius Tapiola ⋅ Delius Summer Evening ⋅ Irmelin Prelude ⋅ Dvořák Legend⋅ Grieg Symphonic Dance, Op. 64 No. 2 RPO rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1955, 1956,1959 remastered 2000 Parlophone Records Ltd Fauré Pavane ⋅ Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Français rec. 1959 Salle Wagram, Paris remastered 2025 Art & Son Studio
CD 12 Delius Brigg Fair ⋅ A Song before Sunrise ⋅ Marche Caprice ⋅ Two Pieces for small orchestra ⋅ Sleigh Ride ⋅ Intermezzo RPO
rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1956-7 remastered 2001 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 13 Delius Florida Suite ⋅ Dance Rhapsody No. 2 ⋅ Over the Hills and Far away RPO rec. No 1 studio, Abbey Road 1956-7 remastered 2001 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 14 Delius Songs of SunsetJohn Cameron (bar) Maureen Forrester (cnt)| Grieg Peer Gynt Ilse Hollweg (sop) Beecham Choral Society rec No1 studio Abbey Road 1956-57 remastered 2011 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 15-16 Haydn The Seasons Elsie Morison (sop) Alexander Young (ten) Michael Langdon (bass) Beecham Choral Society RPO
rec No1 studio Abbey Road 1956, 57, 58 remastered 2024 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 17 Handel Love in Bath, Orchestral Suite (tr20 Ilse Hollweg (sop))
rec No1 studio Abbey Road 1956, 57, 59 remastered 1990 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 18 Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazaderec Kingsway Hall 1957 remastered 1999 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 19 Lollipops RPO Beecham Choral Society
rec No1 studio Abbey Road 1957 remastered various dates Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 20 More Beecham Lollipos| Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4(I. Andante sostenuto) RPO
rec No1 studio Abbey Road and Kingsway Hall 1957, 58, 59 remastered 1991-2007 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 21 Fauré Dolly⋅ Bizet Carmen, Orchestral suite No. 1 | Franck Symphony in D minor Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Français rec. 1959 Salle Wagram, Paris remastered 2004 & 2007
CD 22 Liszt A Faust Symphony ⋅ Orpheus RPO Alexander Young (ten) Beecham Choral Society
rec Kingsway Hall 1958 remastered 2005 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 23 Strauss Ein Heldenleben RPO rec Kingsway Hall 1958 remastered 2006 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 24 Beethoven Mass in C major Jennifer Vyvyan (sop) Monica Sinclair (cont) Richard Lewis (ten) Marian Nowakowski (bass) Beecham Choral Society
rec No1 studio Abbey Road 1958 remastered 1992 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 25 Handel The Gods go A’Begging, Ballet Suite ⋅ Amaryllis(exc.) ⋅ Arrival of the Queen of Sheba⋅ Mozart Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Overture ⋅ Rossini Semiramide, Overture, English National Anthem, Bonus: Haydn Symphony No. 97 RPO rec No1 studio Abbey Road 1955 -1958 remastered 2022, 2025 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 26 Haydn Symphonies Nos. 99, 100 “Military” & 103 “Drum Roll” RPO
rec. 1958-59 Salle Wagram, Paris 1958 No1 studio Abbey Road remastered 1992 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 27 Haydn Symphonies Nos. 101 “Clock”, 102 & 104 “London” RPO rec. 1958-59 Salle Wagram, Paris 1958 No1 studio Abbey Road remastered 1992 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 28 Schubert Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 RPO rec. 1958-59 Salle Wagram, Paris 1958 No1 studio Abbey Road remastered 1999 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 29 Mozart Bassoon Concerto ⋅ Clarinet Concerto Gwydion Brooke (bassoon) Jack Brymer (clarinet) RPO
rec. 1958-59 Salle Wagram, Paris 1958 No1 studio Abbey Road remastered 2001 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 30-31 Bizet Carmen Victoria de Los Angeles, Nicolai Gedda, Janine Micheau, Ernest Blanc
Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Français rec. 1958-9 Salle Wagram, Paris remastered 2016
CD 32 Beethoven Symphony No. 7⋅ Brahms Symphony No. 2 RPO
rec No1 studio Abbey Road and Kingsway Hall 1958- 59 remastered 1989 Parlophone records Ltd.
CD 33 My Favourite Overtures: Rossini La gazza ladra, La cambiale di matrimonio ⋅ Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Die schöne Melusine ⋅ Berlioz Le Corsaire | Delibes Le Roi s’amuse (Ballet music) RPO
Delibes 1958-59 Salle Wagram, Paris . Others 1958, 59 No1 studio Abbey Road remastered 2002, 2003 Parlophone records Ltd rec.
CD 34 Berlioz Symphonie fantastiqueOrchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Français rec. 1959 Salle Wagram, Paris remastered 2003 Parlophone Records Ltd
CD 35 Bizet Symphony in C⋅ Lalo Symphony in G minorOrchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Français rec. 1959 Salle Wagram, Paris remastered 2000, 2004 Parlophone Records Ltd
BONUS (Mono) Rehearsals (on CD 9, 23, 25, 26, 29)
