Customer Reviews

De Sabata Conducts Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 and Works by Stravinsky, Mossolov, De Sabata & Glazunov

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4 star:		(1)
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The recording project that has ensured that Italian conductor Victor de Sabatas name is familiar to 21st Century collectors is the 1953 Tosca with Callas, di Stefano, and Gobbi. Naxos has now reissued another of his great recordings. Following its release in the late 1940s, Sabatas recording of Beethovens Sixth Symphony gained extraordinary acclaim. Reviewing all available versions, the authors of the prestigious Record Guide, after expressing great affection for recordings by Toscanini and Bruno Walter, judged this Sabata recording to be the best.

Produced by Walter Legge, it was recorded in the Rome Santa Cecilia Academy, where it was found that the best results were obtained when the orchestra was seated at the back rather than the front of the hall.

This is a Pastoral of extreme delicacy and refinement. Every main statement is perfectly judged as to rhythm and phrasing. Every line of filigree work and every accompanying figure is polished and perfectly placed. Never before have I noticed that the subsiding of the thunderstorm is actually some of the most magical rather than some of the tritest pages in the symphony.

Collectors who are skeptical of historic reissues, doubting that 78 sides can ever be invisibly joined or that surface hiss can ever be eradicated, will find no grounds for complaint here. Neither problem occurs: the joining is seamless, and the hiss is inaudible even when the signal is very very quiet.

Other reviewers might care to comment on the remaining items offered on this Naxos reissue. They comprise early items from de Sabatas small recorded legacy, including one of his own compositions. It is to the Pastoral however, that I shall be returning, believing that quite possibly it is still the best.

While thoroughly agreeing with my learned collegue from Australia
re. the magical Pastoral Symphony, I would like to briefly draw attention to the other works on this disc, you are not likely to hear anywhere else.
The main drawing card for me in buying this record was Mossolov's Iron Foundry, I heard when I was about 8 years old at a concert in Hungary (1946). I haven't heard it ever since. It is a Soviet neo-realistic work, extremely interesting, creating the cacophony
of an a foundry in full action with shuffling, screeching, banging
and hissing noises ever increasing in volume as the 4 odd minute work
proceeds. Yet it is entirely musical: within a minute or so a memorable brass theme emerges somehow pulling the piece together. This work was lately discovered by Riccardo Chailly who recorded it.( Note: Honegger's Pacific 231 is of similar ilk)
Stravinsky's Fireworks is an early effort (Op.4), quite brilliant,
but still under the influence of Dukas and the French Impressionism, played with dazzling flair. The Glazunov pieces are lovely, romantic and melodic - most enjoyable.
Sabata's own symphonic poem "Juventus" is quite an accomplishment, though
influences of Richard Strauss and Korngold are noticeable, it is an interesting rarity. It wasn't ignored in it's time since Victor de Sabata started out as being a composer, but went into conducting instead as
Toscanini's disciple. Both Toscanini and Richard Strauss liked and conducted this piece.
De Sabata was a remarkable conductor, similar to Toscanini, with iron will and great outbursts of temper, though I find him with perhaps more flexible and great intuition in getting to the essence of the works.
I think this record is a good example of his genius. It may be mentioned the he conducted the orchestra at Toscanini's funeral.
An excellent document, most enjoyable performances. Sound is
restored by Naxos engineers is quite good under the circumstances.

The recording project that has ensured that Italian conductor Victor de Sabata’s name is familiar to 21st Century collectors is the 1953 “Tosca” with Callas, di Stefano, and Gobbi. Naxos has now reissued another of his great recordings. Following its release in the late 1940s, Sabata’s recording of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony gained extraordinary acclaim. Reviewing all available versions, the authors of the prestigious “Record Guide”, after expressing great affection for recordings by Toscanini and Bruno Walter, judged this Sabata recording to be “the best”.

Produced by Walter Legge, it was recorded in the Rome Santa Cecilia Academy, where it was found that the best results were obtained when the orchestra was seated at the back rather than the front of the hall.

This is a “Pastoral” of extreme delicacy and refinement. Every main statement is perfectly judged as to rhythm and phrasing. Every line of filigree work and every accompanying figure is polished and perfectly placed. Never before have I noticed that the subsiding of the thunderstorm is actually some of the most magical rather than some of the tritest pages in the symphony.

Collectors who are skeptical of historic reissues, doubting that 78 sides can ever be invisibly joined or that surface hiss can ever be eradicated, will find no grounds for complaint here. Neither problem occurs: the joining is seamless, and the hiss is inaudible even when the signal is very very quiet.

Other reviewers might care to comment on the remaining items offered on this Naxos reissue. They comprise early items from de Sabata’s small recorded legacy, including one of his own compositions. It is to the “Pastoral” however, that I shall be returning, believing that quite possibly it is still “the best”.