Beethoven Symphony no. 1 in C, op. 21; Symphony no. 2 in D, op. 36; Coriolan Overture, op. 62; Mozart Three German Dances; Haydn Symphony no. 88 in G (fourth movement) ~ Colombia Symphony Orchestra; Bruno Walter, conductor ~ CBS Masterworks 2796930872.

Bruno Walter [1876-1964] was one of the greatest conductors of the first half of the 20th century. Canadians will know, or should, that he was so impressed with contralto Maureen Forrester that he asked her to sing at his farewell performances with the New York Philharmonic in 1953, an invitation that jump started her career. This CD is a remaster of recordings dating from 1954-1961.

The disk contains:

1. Beethoven’s 1st symphony which was first performed in 1800 - a charming and inventive work that sometimes clearly delineates his departure from Haydn and Mozart,
2. Beethoven’s 2nd symphony. It was written after he wrote the anguishing Heiligenstädter Testament wherein he diarised his increasing deafness. But it is a lively work of great joy. As a cautionary reminder to all reviewers, one critic of the time wrote: It is "a monster, a rampantly wild and writhing dragon that does not want to die and) before drawing its last breath, angrily beats its tail back and forth,"
3. Beethoven’s dramatic Coriolan Overture (date 1807)
4. Three German contredanses by Mozart (date-1791) and,
5. The last movement of Haydn’s 88th symphony (date-1787?)

When I see these remastered old recordings on the shelves of our local music stores, I often wonder whether the sound quality will detract from the performances. More times than I wish, that quality has been poor and made worse by modern audio equipment. Again more times than I wish, I have been disappointed when recordings that I heard when young just do not live up to my standards altered by age and listening experience. Here the performances are patient without mannerisms and a delight. I much prefer these two Beethovens to the any number of recordings by von Karajan. However, there is a difference in the quality of the recordings. The sound varies from excellent to good. It is quite thick in the Mozart. Perhaps being used to the NAC orchestra one looks for a cleaner line.

I wonder why the choice was made for the inclusion of Haydn and Mozart and the Coriolan. When Beethoven’s 1st debuted, a Mozart symphony and selections from Haydn’s Creation were also performed. Perhaps the choice was made to reflect this history and to show the comparison and contrast between the two and the revolutionary Beethoven. And perhaps the choice of the Coriolan is to show how far Beethoven had taken music by his middle period. Of course it also showsBruno Walter’s felicitous take on them.

- Bill Riley