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Carl Schuricht in New York Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Egmont Overture Op.84 (1810) [8:46] Symphony No.7 in A major Op.92 (1826) [34:01] Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphony No.35 in D major K385 Haffner (1782) [17:10] Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream Op. 61 (1843) [4:37] Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Carl Schuricht rec. United Nations General Assembly. New York, 10 December 1956. ADD ARCHIPEL ARPCD0352 [64:39]

The Vienna Philharmonic was on an American tour under Schuricht and Cluytens when this broadcast was taped, live at the United Nations General Assembly New York, on Human Rights Day in December 1956. The resultant performances do not, it’s true, add materially to Schuricht’s discography but do find him and the orchestra in a decidedly unusual locale.   There’s a Schuricht VPO Haffner on EMI 75130, a Great Conductors of the Century compilation, that sounds not dissimilar to this New York performance. Schuricht is rather closer to Szell’s aerated and forward-moving 1960 performance, now newly varnished on Sony, than Beecham’s live 1958 BBC reading – to take just two almost contemporaneous performances by leading Mozartians of the day. The rather glassy and one-dimensional New York recording robs the orchestra of timbral depth but does impart a certain astringent drama to the proceedings. I think Schuricht cedes to Szell in the slow movement; Szell points with great sagacity and flair, whereas Schuricht sounds rather breathless and very occasionally relaxes the basic pulse.   The Beethoven Seventh Symphony receives a reading of comparable sanity and freedom from exaggeration. It’s cleanly articulated, quite quick and has a decisive sense of direction. Schuricht retained this sense of intensity and control over tempo relationships into old age as numerous documents attest. The earlier 1952 Seventh with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony (Hänssler Classics 93.141) demonstrates similar virtues though there the playing is less on the note than that of the Vienna Philharmonic. Both performances seem to me to be highly persuasive examples of a conductor in full control of orchestral material, allowing the music to unfold with necessary tension combined with an inner spirit of genuine power and moving intensity. If I prefer the Stuttgart performance it’s not by a great deal; the sonics are rather muffled but the New York performance is glassy and flat. One will need to seek beyond these limitations.   The Mendelssohn and Egmont bookend the programme appealingly. There are no notes, as is usual from this source. Schuricht admirers however can look favourably on this release; it was an unusual and unlikely location but he led the Vienna orchestra with surety and command.   Jonathan Woolf     Advertising Rates Visitor stats MusicWeb International has over 40,000 Classical CD reviews on offer Discs received Having a problem Donating? Gerard Hoffnung Concerts & The Bricklayer Story MusicWeb can now offer you discs from the following catalogues: Prices include postage There will be NO VAT Rises [Acte Préalable £13.50] [Arcodiva £12.00] [Avie from £6.25] [British Music Society £12.00] [CDACCORD from £13.50 ] [ClassicO £12.50] [Hallé from £11] [Heritage £10] [Hortus £14.99 ] [Lyrita ONLY £11.75 ] [Nimbus Special prices] [Northern Flowers £13.50] [REDCLIFFE £11 ] [Sheva £11] [Tactus £11.50 ] [Talent from £12.00 ] [Toccata Classics £10.50 ] Musicweb Special Offers Monthly Best Buys   New Releases New Releases   MusicWeb sells the Polish catalogue CDAccord £10.50 post free W-W MusicWeb sells the Arcodiva catalogue £12.00 post free W-W £11.75 post-free world- wide     Google Ads - for information about privacy matters, click here.  Amazon Musicweb International is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

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