Franz Liszt - Faust Symphony; etc. (Thomas Beecham)

Information

Composer: Franz Liszt

CD1:

• (01) A Faust Symphony, S. 108

CD2:

• (01) Les préludes, S. 97
• (02) Tasso, S. 96
• (03) Orpheus, S. 98
• (04) Psalm XIII, S. 13/2

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Thomas Beecham, conductor (CD1; CD2 3, 4)

Philharmonia Orchestra
Constantin Silvestri, conductor (CD2 1, 2)

Date: 1958
Label: EMI

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Review

Back in its day, Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's 1958 recordings of Liszt's "Faust" Symphony and tone poem Orpheus were greeted with heartfelt gratitude by the listening public. Here were performances of tremendous power but wonderful delicacy, of terrific sophistication but marvelous tenderness, of high-minded idealism and deep-in-the-body sensuality that seemed to capture all the aspects of Liszt's multifaceted genius. In this nearly half-century-later reissue, Beecham and the RPO's performance still sounds grand, if not quite so grand as it sounded then. The caveat is not for the playing -- the Royal Philharmonic was then one of the finest London orchestras and its playing here combines brilliant polish with a very un-English passion -- nor is it for the conducting -- Beecham was then one of the very finest English conductors and his direction here combines compelling commitment with unstoppable joi de vivre. No, the caveat is for the recording itself, which, while it sounded great in the early days of stereo, here sounds dim, distant, and dated in this 2005 reissue. Also, additional caveats may be the inclusion of Constantin Silvestri and the Philharmonia's rough and ready recordings of Liszt's Les Préludes and Tasso and Beecham's over-the-top recording of Liszt's hellbent for glory setting of Psalm XIII. Still, anyone who loves the works will want to hear Beecham's recordings of A Faust Symphony and Orpheus, still arguably among the finest performances of either work ever recorded.

-- James Leonard, AllMusic

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Franz Liszt (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a prolific 19th-century Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, and music teacher. Liszt gained renown in Europe for his virtuosic skill as a pianist and in the 1840s he was considered to be the greatest pianist of all time. As a composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent composers of the "New German School". Some of his most notable musical contributions were the invention of the symphonic poem, developing the concept of thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form, and making radical departures in harmony.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Liszt

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Thomas Beecham (29 April 1879 – 8 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario, and a major influence on the musical life of Britain in 20th century. In 1932, together with Malcolm Sargent, Beecham founded the London Philharmonic, and he conducted its first performance at the Queen's Hall in 1932. In 1946, he founded the Royal Philharmonic and conducted it until his death in 1961. Beecham's repertoire was eclectic, sometimes favouring lesser-known composers over famous ones. He preferred making records to giving concerts; his EMI recordings have been continually reissued on LP and CD.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beecham

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