Customer Reviews

Symphony 9 New World / Symphony in D Minor

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What do "engineers" have in their heads to treat such masterpieces the way Mr. Crimp did with these Mengelberg recordings? They're 'overfiltered' and with serious problems of balance in the Franck Symphony. As a result, one does not hear the clicks and noises present in the original, but high frequencies are not present either. IMO Mr. Crimp made the "mediocre" originals sound even more mediocre.

As for the performances, if you appreciate Mengelberg's abilities as a colorist (like I do) and if you're, just like me, a fan of his surprising and funny rubati, these performances are for you. But, for God's sake, try to purchase the earlier Teldec reissue of the Dvorak (Symphony 9 " New World ") and the Opus Kura edition of the Franck (Franck: Symphony in D; French Music). With all the clicks and noises/hiss there's much more music in these alternative releases.

The performances deserve 5 stars, but the "remastering"...

Recording during a live performance after the Germans occupied Amsterdam, Dvorak's "New World" Symphony throbs with emotion (Mengelberg was involved in sheltering the Jewish members of the orchestra and helping them to escape). Did the orchestra and conductor collectively look beyond the Nazis in the audience, toward the freedom represented by the United States?