Beethoven Symp. #3 - c. Hans Pfitzner 1929 - Part 1

[Symphonicprelude]

I have this same recording, only it's on gold label Brunswick. It originally belonged to my great Grandfather. It's still my alltime favorite.

[EuropeanArchive]

Thanks! Do you by any chance have one of the Aucoustic pfitzner reocrds?

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Greetings,

Rolf

Historical classical recordings

European Archive, Paris

[merrihew]

I'm afraid not. Only 1928/1929 recordings. I wasn't aware that he made any acoustic records.

[Menophanes]

There is an acoustic Polydor of Schumann's fourth symphony (inexplicably omitting the scherzo); I hope to post it here some time. The sound is very thick and murky even by the standards of 1924/5, but it does add to the picture of Pfitzner as a conductor whose interpretations somehow manage to sound (to my ears at least) perfectly honest and not at all showy, despite the constant tempo-changes.

[follygan]

Fantastic, amazing..! Great quality of recording too.. I mean the filming and sound recording from your superb Gramophone into digital sound! Better than some professional records companies do! (NAXOS, to just mention one)

[merrihew]

This is not a very good example of the sound quality. Check out my posting of Rosa Ponselle singing the Ernani aria.

[kspm01]

Thanks a lot for bothering posting this long, fantastic work! We are used to more nervous, tight interpretations nowadays, but I like it this way, the music breathes more. The only aspect I'm surprised about with the Berliner are the intonation imperfections here and there.

[merrihew]

I've heard/read of other recordings of the BPO from this period with intonation problems, but in this case the recording quality may be partly at fault.

[themfromspace]

Wow, this is amazing.  Thank you!

[transformingArt]

Wonderful and somewhat more 'classic' Performance! Thanks for Posting!

[jkenny313]

First line on my previous post should read:

"Thanks from the requestor or requester..."

[jkenny313]

Thank you from the requestee.

I read that Hitler had "requested" that

Pfitzner re-write Mendelson's "Midsummer Night's Dream" because M. was Jewish.

To his credit, Pfitzner refused.

How would you compare this recording with say,

the Szell/Cleveland one ? To me, Pfitner's

sounds "bigger" and not as tight and dry,

if that means anything...

Thanks again.

[2ndviolinist]

Nothing by Szell/Cleveland holds up to conductor/orchestra combos like Pfitzner/BPO, Stoki/Philly, Mengelberg/Concertgebouw, Stock/Chicago, etc. Pfitzner is the least of these but usually interesting if not great. Szell is invariably straight and dull.