Historical Comparisons
Toscanini http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2003/Dec03/Missa_Toscanini.htm
Beecham http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2002/Aug02/Beecham_Beethoven.htm
The 1948 Walter Missa
Solemnis has been out before, most
recently on Urania, where the transfer
was frankly very poor. Since this was
a work Walter never recorded commercially
and since there is now a relatively
crowded field of off-air survivals from
this period it’s important that this
document gets the best possible restoration.
The 1940 Toscanini is now on Guild,
a blazing performance much admired by
me though in fairness not everyone shares
my admiration. The even earlier live
Beecham from the 1937 Leeds Festival
has made its mark on Somm, the latter
irrefutable evidence of the conductor’s
unlikely affinity with a score he performed
a mere handful of times. I’ve reviewed
them both on this site and both are
historic front-runners. The Walter,
in truth, isn’t.
The first thing to
say is that Music & Arts’ unnamed
restoration team has certainly made
considerable sonic improvements and
the latest restoration is in as good
a sound as it can ever have received.
But unavoidable problems remain and
played at relatively high level one
can hear the groove damage and acetate
crackle as well as some evidence of
distortion and rumble, as well as residual
pitch problems that must have plagued
the whole recording. Clearly there is
only so far one can go with this restoration
and no further. Nevertheless given that
the aural limitations have at least
been mitigated we can comment on certain
aspects of the performance. Music &
Arts’ booklet writer does mention the
Toscanini/1940 (much preferable to his
RCA 1953 commercial set by the way)
and characterises this Walter as quicker
in every movement as well as "more
moulded and spiritual." Actually
by my reckoning – if we want to reckon
such things at all – things are equal
in the Kyrie with the Italian if anything
fractionally speedier, and Toscanini
is far faster in the Credo than Walter.
What’s true is that
Walter doesn’t instil the same kind
of discipline – individual and corporate
– that Toscanini does. Some choral entries
aren’t well balanced and whilst this
may well be a recording limitation that
can’t apply to the messy start to the
Gloria and to the moments of raggedness
chorally and instrumentally. The soloists
are also variable. Steber starts stridently
but settles down somewhat; Merriman
is probably the pick of the quartet,
Hain has a bleating tone and Alvary
a hollow one. The latter’s pitch is
also uncertain though he does improve.
Leader John Corigliano is, on this occasion
at least, unable to match his predecessor
Mischa Mischakoff’s seraphic work for
Toscanini or Paul Beard’s sweet, portamento
delicacy for Beecham. Walter is certainly
profoundly engaged, his direction sure,
the conception (in outline at least)
full of the awe and rapture he had always
felt for the work. But the details militate
against him, and the imperfect execution
limits true appreciation. In the end
the sonic problems will limit pleasure
– though limit is not the same as obliterate,
as has been the case in previous transfers.
Jonathan Woolf
Eleanor Steber (soprano) 
