[78-L] Schubert's 9th

[David Lennick]

Great performance..I remember those discs as being very difficult to track, but 
that was in the 90s when I didn't have the same variety of styli available. CR 
matrices? Those always gave me difficulty.

dl

DAVID BURNHAM wrote:
> I've forgotten if I've brought this up before but if you are interested in classical music and have access to a copy of Schubert's 9th, (7th as indicated on records), by Leo Blech and the London S.O., (Victor M33), give it a listen, (if your only access is the Koch CD reissue, it hasn't got quite the same impact).  It is the most hair-raising performance imaginable.  There are interesting tempo changes which are quite unusual by today's standards and some of the speeds are breath-taking.  We had a violinist from the Toronto Symphony visiting us this evening and she described the tempos as terrifying for the strings, particularly in the first and last movements, (however the LSO nails them all).  The quality is surprisingly good for what is probably a c. 1926 recording; not only is the balance between sections quite transparent but the actual quality of the sound is unlike any other orchestral recording I've heard from that period.  The brass has a
>  particular impact but all sections are clearly recorded.  There is not the usual amount compression employed which retains far more of the original dynamics but the price payed for this is that some of the quieter moments are buried in surface noise.  Oh to have had modern recording equipment available for this performance!
> 
> I've been listening to it while I typed this but the performance has now ended, (and it's 5AM), so I guess I'll end this and go to bed.
> 
> db
> _______________