I sometimes feel sorry for the compilers
of collections such as this. In some
cases they will struggle to find suitable
material for issue. As most people know,
Arthur Fiedler was a prolific recording
artist, but most of his work was done
for RCA. So when Eloquence decided to
issue a disc of Strauss waltzes, they
must have looked around for something
unusual. They came upon the current
collection of waltzes conducted by Antal
Dorati, long unavailable on CD. Unfortunately
there was not enough material to make
a CD for the modern market. So what
to couple these Dorati performances
with?
Universal must have
had a wealth of other waltzes available,
from artists such as Karajan, Boskovsky,
Abbado and Knappertsbusch to name just
a few but most of these are already
available. Some years ago, Arthur Fiedler
issued a disc of Strauss waltzes on
Decca as one of their Phase 4 issues.
This probably gave Eloquence sufficient
material to justify CD issue. The only
problem was that Fiedler recorded exactly
the same repertoire that was on the
Dorati disc except Roses from the
South. Only one additional work
could be added to the Dorati items and
this brought the total playing time
to just over an hour.
That it is short playing
time for repertoire of this kind is
certain, as this disc will have to compete
with similar collections with longer
playing times. Whether it is still good
value depends upon the material released
and the price of the disc. In this instance
Eloquence have got it right.
Neither Dorati nor
Fiedler would be my first choice as
a conductor of Strauss waltzes, but
both acquit themselves admirably and
this selection has all the popular favourites.
The London Philharmonic does not possess
the tonal splendour of either the Berlin
or Vienna Philharmonics, but nevertheless
they play as to the manner born. It
would be difficult to fault these readings,
and Decca’s Kingsway Hall is kind to
both orchestra and conductor. One thing
you can usually expect with Dorati is
lively playing, and there is no concern
here. The London Philharmonic seems
to be enjoying itself in repertoire
that is somewhat out of the ordinary
for this very English orchestra.
The Boston Pops acquit
themselves very well in their item.
Such is the quality of Decca’s recording
that there is very little to choose
between the two. Fiedler’s ability to
get his American band - the Boston Symphony
Orchestra minus their first desk players
- to play with fervour is well known.
The only criticism
is that the inclusion of further waltzes,
such as The Emperor, Vienna
Blood, or 1001 Nights in Vienna
would have given collectors all
of the popular Strauss waltzes on a
single disc. Such are the vagaries of
repertoire planning.
If this repertoire
suits you this is a disc that can be
confidently recommended particularly
so given the price.
John Phillips
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Antal Dorati 
