The Great Conductors and Their Best Recordings

[@Delius1958]

Thank you, Gil, fantastic video! Just Great! - Missed Raphael Kubelik and Eugene Ormandy though and for Klemperer his unbeatable orchestral Wagner. Greetings from Berlin, Harry

[@petterw5318]

The two great conductors I miss in the survey are Munch and Cluytens.

[@georgeholoubek6600]

This was a wonderful overview, Gil. Looking forward to a part two - maybe? I would humbly recommend a closer look at Eugene Ormandy, Bernard Haitink, Seiji Ozawa and Riccardo Muti, just to name a few. Thank you for these in-depth reviews.

[@orientaldagger6920]

Ormandy yes. Others came a bit later, this video is more historical it seems.

[@CaminoAir]

Being able to benefit from recommendations like this is invaluable. Thank you so much. I'll be dipping into the various segments/conductors over the coming days.

[@GilZilkha]

You’re welcome!

[@Adrian-hq5jk]

I had heard how certain critics had ridiculed Horenstein's Mahler 8 but one day I heard the final minutes of his Mahler 8 on the car radio without knowing it was Horenstein and was blown away. I knew that was a great performance, no two ways about it.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Great video Gil. Always a pleasure to see and hear your opinions on these wonderful recordings.

[@b1i2l336]

Thank you so much for this wonderful and detailed overview of most of the great conductors' standout recordings. Your choices are 'spot on.!' I would have included Ferenc Fricsay (Beethoven Ninth), Pierre Boulez (Ravel Daphnis), Charles Münch (Saint-Saëns 'Organ' Symphony), Igor Markevitch (Berlioz Damnation of Faust), Colin Davis (Mozart Requiem, LSO), Rudolf Kempe (R. Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos), and André Cluytens (Wagner Orchestral Music). I also would have singled out Toscanini's R. Strauss 'Death and Transfiguration' recording, one of the most electrifying listening experiences one could ever have. Chacun a son goût! But given the myriad of recordings and conductors, you have done an amazing job.

[@chel3SEY]

Very nice overview. You have an easy, thoughtful manner, unlike so many classical music aficionados.

[@GilZilkha]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@achim_FRA]

Hello Gil, I would like to congratulate you on this fantastic episode,. your pleasant descriptive manner makes it a great pleasure to listen to you for two and a half hours.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

My all time favorite Bruckner 5 is the Jochum/Dresden recording. Though, the sound is a bit opaque, the performance is absolute electric. That bass trombonist must be heard to be believed!!!

[@abhimanyukatyal5676]

So excited. Thank you for putting this together! Happy Thanksgiving.

[@GilZilkha]

Happy Thanksgiving!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

For Koussevitzky also recorded a lovely Beethoven 3rd, which I discovered by chance when I bought a set of 78s to spin on my newly acquired gramophone. Even through the dated sound (on RCA Victor), I found the reading one of most musical I'd ever heard.

[@irashatzman8458]

Thank you.Very informative.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Jochum is one of my favorite conductors, and you started off with a wonderful set of Haydn symphonies, which is my "go to" set, even over Marriner and Davis. Jochum makes those works live and breathe. Additionally, Jochum's Brahms and Bruckner are absolutely at the top.

[@phlmaestro7067]

I'm glad you picked the 12/8/52 Furtwangler Eroica instead of the wartime performance. The '52 has long been my favorite Eroica and gets to the heart of the work unlike any other performance I've heard.

[@ernestrobles1510]

I enjoyed your discussion regarding the differences between Furtwangler and Toscanini. Many think they are polar opposites, but they share an emphasis in the inherent drama in the music they performed.

[@leo1961berlin]

One big exception in this pantheon of great conductors is Guido Cantelli. Admittedly, he was cut down in his prime and his recording career spanned just seven years, but there wasn't a single dud. Not one. Cantelli was obsessive, he was a perfectionist who used to drive his players crazy with his impossible demands, but whether you take the celebrated recordings he made with the Philharmonia Orchestra (Brahms 3, Schumann 4, Tchaikovsky 6) or some of the live NYPO recordings (Mussorgsky's Pictures, one of the fastest on record, or Tchaikovsky 5), the tingle factor is never absent. Sometimes it's not a question of quantity but of quality.

[@classicallpvault]

Surprised to see that Herbert Blomstedt and Rafael Kubelik didn't make the list.

[@leestamm3187]

Agreed. In particular, including Pinnock rather than so many other much more significant conductors seemed odd to me.

[@GilZilkha]

@@leestamm3187Due to his work in the Baroque/HIP field. Marriner, Pinnock, and Gardiner occupy their own category.

[@leestamm3187]

​@@GilZilkha Fair enough, though that much more limited field affords Pinnock a better basis for inclusion. Also, while Marriner was particularly noted for chamber ensembles, he also worked with full symphony orchestras, including several positions as music director. The same is true for Gardiner.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

i like that you're doing a long-form video. I usually find your short videos to be too short.

[@leestamm3187]

@@OuterGalaxyLounge Me, too. Perhaps Gil encounters too many short attention spans, or maybe it's related to the demands of the platform.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Like most American classical music enthusiasts, I discovered the Mahler 3rd through Horenstein. As I'm now a professional trombonist, you can imagine my intrigue at this work, discovering it in my early high school years in the mid 70s. I played that Nonesuch record so many times, I'm sure the groove is worn smooth. But now, having heard many other interpretations, I find Horenstein's reading rather straight forward and mundane. In fact, I've since discovered a live performance that I much prefer. Still, as the first I ever heard, it will always hold a special place in my memory. I now have so many recordings of Mahler 3....LPs, CDs, cassettes, open reels, and downloads.....it's become an obsession for me. Still, my favorites are Bernstein NYP on Sony, and Abbado VPO on DGG.

[@orientaldagger6920]

Both are excellent. I rather prefer Lenny the final mvt has great continuity and flexibility with amazing string playing.

[@bokulchowdhury2659]

Thank you so much

[@furdiebant]

Thank you for this

[@Warp75]

Enjoyed that thanks

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

You overlooked one of the finest recordings, and one of the biggest surprises in the DGG catalog....Jochum's splendid recording of Elgar's Enigma Variations. Yes, one might claim that anyone standing in front of the London Symphony will get a good performance of English music, but this really stands out. Who would have thought it could have been so fine? Also, you skipped Jochum's remarkable Brahms recordings...two complete symphony cycles, both of which are top notch, and a violin concerto with Nathan Milstein. All of these are exemplary performances.

[@johnd1442]

Cannot agree more with the recommendation of Karajan's 1969 recording of Haydn's Creation with the Berlin Phil (far better than the second later recording with Vienna Phil from Salzburg) and the glorious, beautiful voice of Gundula Janowitz in her absolute prime (how come you cannot pronounce the name of one of the greatest sopranos of the 2nd half of the century???). Fabulous recording! Incidentally and sadly, Fritz Wunderlich died in the middle of the recording, the result of a fall down the stairs in a hunting lodge. The search for a singer that could match his voice for the recitatives led to the young Werner Krenn. Just for curiosity, that same year Krenn was Jacquino in a Fidelio production for Scottish Opera with Helga Dernesch as Leonore. It was their first meeting and they married soon after!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Furtwängler: I think I would lean toward his remarkable recording of the Tchaikovsky 6th on EMI. This is a work that shouldn't be a natural for him, but he really nailed it. Toscanini: It must be Pines of Rome. Mengelberg: The obvious choice is the astounding Mahler 4th from 1938. It's hard for me not to believe that Mahler himself didn't conduct it like this.

[@leestamm3187]

I also love the Mengelberg Mahler 4, a live performance recorded on November 9, 1939. It was the 110th of 112 performances of M4 that he conducted with the Concertgebouw during his tenure. I am also very partial to his 1928 recording of "Ein Heldenleben" with the NYPO.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I'm shocked that Stokowski never recorded any Mahler symphonies in the studio. Seems to me that those works would be a perfect fit for him.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

For those wanting to explore Mengelberg's recordings, it's important to remember that what works well in Mahler and R. Strauss, doesn't always work well in Beethoven. Though, I agree that his Bach St. Matthew Passion is quite reverent and profound, even that approach just doesn't fit, say, the Beethoven 5th.

[@classicallpvault]

Same with Karajan. His style, more occupied with tone colour and sound projection than with transparency, works better in Bruckner, Mahler and R.Strauss and in Romantic to modern era operas and massive choral works, than in the symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, or Mozart. He recorded much of the classical standard repertoire for DG around the same time Karl Böhm did, and Böhm's recordings are mostly superior. The difference becomes most noticeable in the Brahms symphonies. Brahms wasn't the best orchestrator and his music is really complex and full of counterpoint and chromaticism, which needs transparency and clarity rather than a colossal 'wall of sound' type approach, including rebalancing some of the dynamics of sections of the orchestra. Karajan's Brahms cycle for DG (which I have on LP) sounds great but some of the details get overshadowed. Böhm achieves a more transparent sound and fixes imbalances in the orchestration so the individual instrumental colours are better noticeable. His Brahms symphony no.2 was actually recorded with the Berliner Philharmoniker so it's an interesting case study for their different styles.

[@leestamm3187]

​@@classicallpvault Regarding Karajan's Mahler, he did a very respectable 9th. I find his others merely adequate.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

@@leestamm3187 I totally agree. Karajan's 5 and 6 are easily forgettable. He recorded the 9th twice and I prefer the first...the analog recording....I think the digital just doesn't quite capture the essence of the piece...plus it's early digital with rather glassy string sounds. Still, the roughly contemporaneous Bernstein/Concertgebouw is such a riveting and devastating experience...for me, nothing else comes close.

[@leestamm3187]

@LyleFrancisDelp I agree that the analog HVK M9 recording is much better. The digital I find a bit sterile, both interpretively and sonically. His 4th is decent listening, but nothing special.

[@abhimanyukatyal5676]

I would love to get your take on Ormandy’s most representative recordings.

[@GilZilkha]

Strauss Ein Heldenleben, coupled with the Szell Till Eulenspiegel and Don Juan I discussed in the video

[@orientaldagger6920]

The RCA Dvorak 7 and 8 are amazing.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Actually, I prefer Abbado's earlier Brahms 3rd with Dresden. I find it a much fresher interpretation and I've always loved the sound of that orchestra.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

A difficult decision indeed! So many great conductors and so many great recordings. How to select just one best recording per conductor? I'm looking forward to your views.

[@BohemianBaroque]

For someone like Hermann Scherchen (whom you did not feature and one of my favorites) I believe it is mostly subjective.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

How could you possibly talk about Reiner and not mention the Bartok discs, both of which are among the finest ever recorded? Or the Strauss Ein Heldenleben?

[@GilZilkha]

As I mentioned, Reiner recorded excellent Strauss, but I believe the Symphonia Domestica is particularly a standout. See also my video on the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

You didn't cover Christopher Hogwood. But then, I'm not sure he can be considered a "great" conductor. In fact, I'm not even sure he was able to read a full orchestral score. But he did leave some incandescent recordings, the best of which will always be Handel's "Messiah". That is, and always will be, my first "go to" recording.

[@leestamm3187]

Regarding your comparison of Walter and Klemperer in Beethoven 6, I think most nature lovers (like me) would prefer Walter. His interpretation better captures the ambiance of the outdoors.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

Klemperer is more outdoors if by outdoors you meant a rock quarry, lol.

[@leestamm3187]

@@OuterGalaxyLounge LOL. Walter's 6th is excellent, among a number that I greatly enjoy. Interpretively, my overall favorite for the Pastoral is Furtwängler's 5/23/1954 BPO recording. In particular, the leisurely tempo and scattering of rubato he takes in the opening movement really capture the feeling of a pleasant walk in the countryside and eloquently sets the scene for the rest. This is not surprising, since he grew up on the shore of a lake in the Bavarian Alps and enjoyed outdoor activities like swimming, horseback riding, hiking and mountain climbing. I clearly hear that connection in his Pastoral interpretation.

[@steveluciani]

@@leestamm3187 My desert island Pastorale is the first one I remember buying as a teen. Bohm and the VPO. Just re-listened and the sound is absolutely sumptuous, over 50 years later. The live Tennstedt LPO is also a favorite, although not as well recorded, IMO.

[@leestamm3187]

@@steveluciani That Böhm/VPO is a good one, I agree. I'm very partial to Tennstedt in general and the live LPO 6th is nicely evocative. Though noted for his exceptional Mahler, to my ear some of his Beethoven performances rank with the best.

[@diegogonzalez244]

A very enjoyable survey but a sequel may be needed given some of the names absent from your list.

[@dojocho1894]

I have the greatest recording of Handel's Messiah...its a 1995 recording with Trevor Pinnock and the orchestra and choir from St martens in the field....It is spectacular....there are many ones of messiah out there but this cd has a painting of the virgin mary on the cover if anyone is interested.

[@orientaldagger6920]

St martens in the field? Who's that? Never heard of them.

[@gerontius3]

Nice video. There's no "cow" in Stokowski though (try "stokovski" which is how he spelt it when he first came to the US so people would get it right).

[@orientaldagger6920]

He was British, so cow is correct

[@RichardGreen422]

If I may, I prefer Karajan's Vienna Also Sprach on Decca. And I think his all time best work was the Second Viennese School Box.

[@GilZilkha]

I strongly considered that Second Viennese box for this video, not to mention his live Mahler 9. In retrospect they both should probably have been included. Luckily you can always check out the repertoire videos for more recommendations.

[@nannojonkers6395]

Charles Münch ???

[@bartolo498]

58:40 I don't know that Missa, but the MET Don Giovanni and Fidelio from the early 1940s are blazing, very fast and dramatic. The early 1950s Brahms with NYP is not live, AFAIK, decent sound, at least as good as most Toscanini.

[@rolandonavarro3170]

Faltan: Ference Fricsay, Günter Wand, Guido Cantelli, I. Kertesz, etc.

[@orientaldagger6920]

Yes if the video is 10 hrs long