. . . or click on the link here for Audio Player – Vaughan-Williams: Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis – NY Phil. – Bruno Walter – Approx. Feb. 15, 1953 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection
Very familiar territory this weekend, played by one of the world’s great orchestras, led by one of the giants of the Podium of the 20th Century.
One work – Vaughan-Williams incandescent Fantasia on A Theme By Thomas Tallis, with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Bruno Walter, from a concert broadcast approximately February 15, 1953. I say approximately, because it’s on the same tape as the Guido Cantelli Ravel I posted last week, and this was broadcast on February 22nd of that year. So I am using the educated hunch.
I am a huge fan of Bruno Walter – particularly during his tenure with The New York Philharmonic. A lot of commercial recordings with Walter and NYPO have been reissued over the years (but as far as I know, the Brahms Symphony cycle with New York hasn’t been reissued, in favor of the stereo recordings with the Columbia Symphony in the early 60s . . .arrghh!), but not a lot of his broadcast concerts, which were weekly staples in the diets of most music lovers in the 1940s and 1950s have.
Whatever the reason, and I am sure there are many, much of what he did in New York has yet to be reissued. Maybe this concert performance of the Tallis Fantasia has been available, I am not sure. If it has, you may already have it. If it hasn’t, here is another rarity. If you are familiar with the work of Bruno Walter, this will add to your enjoyment. If you’ve never heard of Bruno Walter, it’s time to start hitting the Search button and find out more about him; you’re missing something.
Enjoy, either way.
Thanks for this post. Bruno Walter has been a lifelong hero of mine and I have been very honored to participate in numerous projects related to his art. You may be interested to know that Walter’s great 1950s New York Brahms Cycle has been issued on CD, only not in the US. Currently, a pair of French Sony CDs (still sealed) of these recordings is being auctioned on e-Bay. Sony issued these recordings in Japan and England, as well. Additionally, the French United Archives label, apparently now defunct, released both the Brahms and New York-Philadelphia Beethoven sets, along with the only CD release of Walter’s New York version of Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll – recorded the same month as the Vaughan Williams Tallis performance. The Wagner comes as pairing to Walter’s 1946 New York Schubert in its only other CD issue after a Japanese Sony CD release. Thanks, again for sharing ths and so many magnificent treasures!!
Steven Reveyoso
Thanks so much for your words, your support and your information. I was very happy to hear Sony (France) finally issued the NYPO/Brahms symphonies. I remember when Sony in Japan issued a Walter live series of lps (in the early 80s) – you couldn’t get them in the States, or anywhere else. It was frustrating. Same thing with the Walter/EMI CD-Box you could only get from Tower in Japan. What’s ironic is that so many of these “historic musicians/performances” have provided the backbone and the enormous influence on musicians today. I have often hesitated to put these performances up (the Walter and the earlier Cantelli) because I thought everyone knew about them and had them in their collections. Once again, I’m wrong. I guess I have my work cut out for me. Thanks again and keep coming back – it’s people like you who make all this worthwhile!
Gordon
Dear,
Thank you for your wonderful publications.
As you have stunning audio treasures, perhaps have you recordings under the direction of Maestro Josef Krips. We sincerely looking not commercial recordings of this great conductor for our archives.
best regards
Gil Frossard – General Secretary from the Josef Krips Association.
Thank you so much for your note. Yes, I have some Krips concerts from the Hollywood Bowl from, I believe, 1963. I hope to put those up in the coming weeks.
Thank you +++
We don’t associate at first sight Bruno Walter and RVW: thanks fpr that rare document. The Brahms/NYPO under him remains one of my favorite, so alive !!