Customer Reviews

Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Dimitri Mitropoulos

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Mahler lovers should definitely listen to this highly distinctive performance of the 6th symphony, taken from a 1959 radio broadcast. Like Bernstein's Sony account, it is extremely intense, not as frantic and frenzied, but with more flexible adjustments of pace within a basic tempo and a richer, more expressive use of rubato in its shaping of phrases, in distinction to the more emotionally restrained, classically tight recordings of Karajan, Szell and Thomas Sanderling. The orchestra is that of the Cologne Radio, not quite as flawless in its playing as those in the aforementioned recordings, but giving their all, and the sound is in clear, full-bodied and spacious mono.
The other performances on this set are also quite distinctive (they are excerpts from Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet, La Mer and Dance of the Seven Veils, all from 1950s mono recordings with the NY Phil).

The great thing that Mitropoulos brought to the table as a conductor was his innate sense of the drama of music. As noted by other reviewers, Mitropoulos' approached every score afresh without reference to how anybody else did it, achieving remarkable results which were never stale. Nowhere is this more evident than in the remarkable recording of the Mahler Sixth included here. This performance is also available on a more expensive imported collection, but to have it available in this price range makes this a recording no Mahler fan should be without! I reviewed this performance in that collection, but to recap: The clarity of line and detail in this performance, even though it is in mono, is unsurpassed by any recording of this music I have heard. That's not always a virtue, as the first horn of the Cologne Radio Symphony is noticeably off-key in the opening, but Mitropoulos gets right by that and roars through a first movement that's truly astounding. His tempi are flexible, heightening the musical drama. Instead of the prophecy of Nazi jackboots we hear all too frequently in the opening march, Mitropoulos gives of the groans of 19th Century Europe being dragged kicking and screaming into the full horrors of the industrial age. It's a brilliant conceptualization, and probably a lot closer to what Mahler intended. There is more humor to the scherzo here, as well, that what we're used to hearing, but it is all dark, cynical gallows humor. Mitropoulos uses the offstage horns in the adagio not to evoke the calls of pastoral herdsmen, but rather the haunting of the spirits of a way of life already lost forever. Mitropoulos correctly conveys this music's sense of Europe at the crossroads, but it is the crossroads of an older man returning to his home after a long absence, only to find no one he recognizes and nothing to take solace in. In the Sixth, Mahler mourns a world which accomplishes so much materially and technologically at the expense of spiritualty, and that is exactly what Mitropoulos finds in the score and converys better than any other conducter I have heard.
Likewise, the Berlioz and Debussy performances contained here are full of dramatic tension, which Mitropoulos holds onto as long as he can, waiting until the very end to release it. Unfortunately, this dramatic approach to music-making is not so successful with the Strauss selection, taking it to extremes of melodrama which verge on camp.
Nevertheless, get this for the Mahler Sixth! It may not be definitive, but it is nothing short of AMAZING!

Mitropoulos was unlucky to die (on the podium, like Giuseppe Sinopoli after him) at the premature age of 64. His commercial recordings have more or less disappeared, leaving it to pirate recordings and live performances to sustain his renown. Many, many have come out, and although one admires his instinctive gifts and his improvisatory approach--which greatly influenced his protoge Leonard Bernstein--Mitropoulos lays claim to being the sloppiest of all great conductors, excepting only Hermann Scherchen and Jascha Horenstein.

His gifts and defects shine brightly on CD 1, which is devoted to a very alive, sympathetic Mahler Sixth from 1959. It perfectly shows off DM's imaginative sense of Mahler style; everything is so fresh and direct one could swear the music is being invented before our eyes. But the Cologne radio orchestra is far from being able to execute Mahler with technical security (good broadcast stereo for its day, however). If technical defects don't bother you, this performance deserves six stars.

CD 2 comes from studio recordings with Mitropoulos's own NY Phil. and is afflicted with many fewer mishaps. Execution is still fairly slapdash, though. Lovers of imaginative conducting won't care. In excerpts from Berlioz'a Romeo and Juliet(1952) we hear Berlioz on an expressive level to rival and surpass Munch and Monteux. Everything is light, flexible, and seductively musical. La Mer from 1950 is in more detailed sound, although all these mono recordings sound a bit tinny. Mitropoulos's Debussy is eerie, mysterious, and powerful. Mitropoulos was a fierce Strauss conductor, and his 1956 Dance of the Seven Veils is probably the most nerve-wracking you'll ever hear.

Overall, despite the caveats about sound and sloppy orchestral work, few conductors in this series have emerged sounding so inspired. Five stars, without a doubt.

From start to finish, this is a superb Mahler 6 by Mitropoulos. And, the recording lets you hear every note, which is generally a plus with one exception---the sometimes less than accurate playing of the principal hornist of the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra. Neverthelesss, this does not prevent Mitropoulos' stunning performance from making every point that needs to be made. Phrasing and emotional impact come across in truly revealing fashion. For example, in the first movement, despite a relatively close sound perspective, Mitropoulos is still able to make the supposed quieter mysterious moments sound effectively mysterious. In the second movement, he is exceptionally convincing in the grotesque passages. In fact, in situations like this with Mahler, I don't know that I've heard any conductor do better. Moreover, this IS the best interpreted scherzo of the Sixth I have ever heard....On the second disc, all selections are performed by the New York Philharmonic. Though I'm not particularly enamored with Berlioz, I do enjoy Mitropoulos' dramatic portrayal of the excerpts from Romeo and Juliet. Regarding the Debussy La Mer, I prefer the more poetic and atmospheric approaches of Tilson Thomas and Van Beinum, and the well played version by Munch. I have little interest in the Strauss Dance of the Seven Veils....If it's mainly the Mahler you're after, then get this set.

It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more notice on Amazon.com and in other places, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances! And as if that wasn't enough, the most recent volumes (beginning with no. 26) are now available at mid-line instead of full-price!

This particular CD, Volume 29, features the great Dmitri Mitropoulos, who led the New York Philharmonic from 1949-57, prior to the arrival of Leonard Bernstein. As the track information is not abundantly clear above, allow me to be of assistance. Disc one features a live recording of Mahler's 6th Symphony with WDR Sinfonieorchester Koln from 1959. Disc two finds Mitropoulos with the NYPO on excerpts from Berlioz's "Romeo et Juliette" (1952), Debussy's "La Mer" (1950), and Strauss' "Dance of the Seven Veils" from "Salome" (1956). All of the recordings sound wonderful despite the fact that they are in mono.

Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances previously unreleased on CD (or ever!) doesn't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Chances are, since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor isn't even in your collection. And that would truly be a shame.

... is how Michael Tanner describes this performance of Mahler's 6th in the sleeve notes. I bought this disc for the Mahler and also recently bought the Barbirolli version, which is equally greatly admired; I prefer the Mitropoulos version and listening to it can understand why Tanner is so strong in his appreciation: my five stars are for the Mahler.
Others have commented rightly on occasional imperfections of the playing, but it is the overall intensity and commitment of this performance that impress me. I feel that Mitropoulos, uncommonly perhaps, understood this music from the inside and what we get here is more an experience than a performance: for me this is, in a manner of speaking, 'unmahlerisch' Mahler, and all the better for it. The Finale is astounding, as shattering here as Mahler surely intended for it to be.
This is, incidently, a 'live' performance, though the audience is inaudible; Mitropoulos omits the exposition repeat in the first movement and plays the Scherzo as the second movement. The recording quality is very good, especially considering that it was originally Mono; there is to my ears a bit of 'glare', but that is quickly forgotten: this is one of those rare discs one feels grateful and privileged to listen to and to possess. I leave others to comment on the Berlioz, etc. which for me are a bonus to a Mahler disc which deserves more than 5 stars.

This double album of Mitropoulos has been a true revelation. The people who made the definitive musical choices deserves a kudos.

Dimitri Mitropoulos never was hailed according the stature of his musical genius. He never worried by cultivating public relationships (an issue very well known by conductors since the early Fifties). However his stage with the NYP from 1949 to 1957 was crucially definitive not only for this formidable Orchestra but for his next successor - Lenny Bernstein - who was visibly influenced by D.M. (As he admits on an interview about his vision of Schumann's Second Symphony) .

Over all these six decades, we must admit Mitropoulos conferred the Orchestra not only a sublime expansiveness and sublime virtuosi. He ignited in the soul of these notable musicians, major weight, depth and capacity to perform a variegated repertoire. For better or worst Mitropuolos was much more admired in Europe (And perhaps the most frequently invited conductor in Salzburg at the front of the Vienna Philharmonic) .

His impressive memory and his repertoire were exigent and demanding. The Operatic repertoire, his decisive contribution for diffusing Mahler's music, his unforgettable recordings respect the Russian programs (He recorded probably the most extraordinary Tchaikovsky's Third orchestral Suite, a brilliant Second and Fourth with Minneapolis, his Scriabin, his notable Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto in 1945 with Joseph Hoffman, one of the Best Mahler's Eights ever made, a crucial Schumann's Second Symphony from Salzburg) as well as his notable contributions with soloists of the height of William Kapell, Rubinstein, Casadesus simply can not left aside or attribute all these events to random. I'm certain that sooner than later the value of his effort (as in the case of Rafael Kubelik) will be just prized.

Let's begin with Mahler's Sixth. WDR Orchestra makes one of their most terrific performances I've ever listened about this meritorious ensemble.

Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet selections is outstanding. He displays febrile imagination, that golden touch that may be felt since the first bars. And shares with Charles Munch and Igor Markevitch the coveted honour of belonging the trilogy of most remarkable conductors of Berlioz during the Fifties.

His Debussy is virile and sumptuous, mercurial rather than merely contemplative, achieving a canvas of prodigious tonalities and moods.

Finally, we have another beloved composer by him: Richard Strauus; Mitropoulos may boast to be placed together with Fritz Reiner, Clemen Krauss and Rudolf Kempe as one of the most febrile and committed conductors of this notable composer.

In sum, an invaluable album that must be regarded as a true collector item. If you are a hard collector of the great music, this album is a must-have. Don't miss it!!!

And thanks to Mario Flores for having made me this supreme gift.

I have greatly enjoyed a number of the releases in the Great Conductors series, but this volume is one of my favorites. It features performances conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos with the New York Philharmonic and Koln Radio Symphony Orchestras. The first of the two CDs contains a great rendition of Mahler's Sixth Symphony, conducted by the Koln (Cologne) Radio Symphony Orchestra from a live recording in 1959. While the broadcast-quality stereo recording captures the energy of a live performance, the audience is on its best behavior, and audience noise is not very intrusive. This classic performance is well worth several times what this set is going for.

The second disk contains several performances with the New York Philharmonic from the 1950s. The 1952 excerpts from Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette introduced me to this work and led me to other fine performances led by Colin Davis, John Elliot Gardiner, and Arturo Toscanini. Mitropolous captures the drama of the work, and the orchestra plays very well. The Debussy La Mer from 1950 and the Dance of the Seven Veils by Strauss from 1956 are great performances too, though La Mer especially has been blessed with a number of magnificent recordings.

To me, the Mahler makes this an indispensable acquisition, with the very fine New York Philharmonic performances a bonus glimpse of how that orchestra sounded in the days before Bernstein's leadership.

While I'm glad I own this disc and like the series from which it comes, I suppose I'm a dissenting voice amongst the universal praise for these recordings. The Mahler is passionate but the WDR Sinfonieorchester of Cologne can barely keep up with the conductor. The recordings with the NY Philharmonic are less sloppy but tend toward a rushed, overblown style with wild dynamic leaps and explosions that the poorly mastered mono sound can barely handle.

Trying to be openminded, I'm left feeling that Mitropoulos was probably a conductor best heard live. As for being a "Great Conductor of the 20th Century"? Well, the competition from Furtwangler, Walter, Beecham, Szell, Reiner, Bernstein, Ancerl, Klemperer and a few other heavyweights looks pretty tough.