George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra (vaimusic.com)

[chinkim0077]

beautiful

[orovalleydude]

Astounding.  Thank you for posting...

[whitacrefan17]

who disliked this

[Maciciotto]

grande orchestra , grande direttore.

[chicagoman58]

I can't wait until the George Szell bio comes out next year...it's by Michael Charry, who is in the "George Szell with Three Young Conductors" video.

[valdengo1]

..what a stunning genius he was.....one postscript from members of the orchestra, after they had retired, long after the death of Szell.....one violinist bought a new car, while keeping a mediocre violin...Szell spied this in the parking lot from his office in Severance...and fired the violinist soon after

[sallyrob101]

This rehearsal excerpt of the second movement of Beethoven's fifth symphony clearly shows the genius of George Szell, one of a handful of really great conductors in America in the 20th century. The Cleveland Orchestra was so fortunate to have him and many of us still enjoy the recordings to this day.

[jockboy69]

I guess this was made when John Mack was newly-appointed principal oboe. He came into the orchestra in 65, hired by Szell. One of the greatest oboists of the 20th century. He was mentor to hundreds, if not thousands, of superb oboe players.

[JasonMenonOfficial]

the concertmaster is my violin teacher.... he is amazing....

[paulostroff99]

Awesome

[jannnyyy1]

The glory days!!!!!xx

[chicagoman58]

On the New York Philharmonic's website, each member is featured and interviewed. In response to the question,

"What was your most important musical influence?" one member replies, "Listening to recordings of The Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by George Szell".

That is indeed high praise!

[kateyoung9]

does anyone know who the clarinet soloist was at this time?

[1D5R7T]

Robert Marcellus

[jockboy69]

@kateyoung9 Robert Marcellus.

[lynnharrell]

@kateyoung9 Yes Robert Marcellus . I was principal cellist until "71. Lynn Harrell

[chicagoman58]

I think that is Abraham Skernick (viola) in the lower left hand corner. He breaks a smile at 2:03 when Szell says "should be that nice..." and he and Szell appear to exchange glances. According to Donald Rosenberg's book, they had a special working relationship.

[strad1944]

Great memories! Thanks for posting!! Lynn Harrell solo cellist in CO 1966-1971. I owe so much to this man for my start in this music world...

[canebluff]

@strad1944

Well, I probably saw you. I was a CWRU student '71-78 and sometimes sat in on the rehearsals at Severance (they were free for students). Some great memories.

[psalmtone2008]

@strad1944 Lynn Harrell! No kidding. Heard you play many times with the LA Phil!

[freestylefan1]

Interesting to see how "the human metronome" achieved his effects.

[tosand1]

What a conductor he was

[j72050]

..wait a minute...Szell was born a Jew, but converted to Catholic ...so says his biorgraphies and his musicians during the last 40 years......

[paulostroff99]

@j72050 -Whats the big deal.Many converted for many reasons.This does not imply anything other than them making this change for reasons unknown to us.Perhaps they forgot that Jesus himself was a Jew.

[47viviane]

my favorite conductor!!! so much passion and love for the music, he poures his energy into the music instead of egotripping

and his teaming up with Leon Fleisher on Brahms 1st - unparalleled!!!

[ipmoic]

WHat a wonderful film and such terrific tone quality.

The orchestra never played better, but it took a toll.

Among the prominent evacuees:

Mark Lifschey-- 1st Oboe

Myron Bloom--1st French Horn

Joseph Gingold--Concertmaster

Perhaps better to listen to than be involved......

[opus1gouger]

I believe that Myron Bloom was still there under Lorin Maazel. It was under Maazel that Rick Sollis took over, I believe.

[wehaveasituation]

Any ideas on why the Nazi war criminal in the movie The Marathon Man was named George Szell? We know that Karajan signed up twice for the Nazi party, and Strauss stayed and even composed a piece for Hitler. But Szell? Is it just a coincidence or did someone have it in for him? I grew up in Cleveland while he was there. His Beethoven symphonies are the best, period.

[japanesesweet]

interesting observation about marathon man and Szell-the conductor was Jewish so definitely there`s no reality in this.

He clearly had his fair share of enemies though!

You mention Karajan signed up x2 for the Nazi party for opportunistic reasons.This is true,though he wasn`t anti semeitic as far as i can tell.

[faziolipianonerd]

Szell is such a wonderfully musical conductor, he really conducts music in such a way that an audience member can't help but being moved.

[atomicmrpelly]

Great video. I especially love the snippet of the voice-over at the end, hilarious!

[Jhd0358]

So Beautiful

Pure Genius!

[j72050]

Karajan is a huckster that was primarily interested in marketing music, movies and himself...he was a mediocre dull boring conductor that got breaks he never deserved. King of mediocrity, he does not belong with Toscanini, Szell, Reiner, etc

[MillyProductions]

karajan is not bad!!!!! have you listened to his recording of the adagio in g minor? it is the only recording i can listen to.

[SharpHarp99]

Yes, Karajan cared about marketing and his artistic ideals were certainly different from Szell's. But have you ever seen him rehearsing (especially Schumann 4?). The same uncompromising passion and dedication for any detail in the score.

[toscaninizt]

truly prisitine. Perhaps now conductor has dived soo far into the music texture, the sound texture of the 5th...maybe Bernstein, but nobody else.

[billyguns2]

It is scandalous that this great conductor is so poorly represented on YouTube! For heaven;'s sake where is his incomparable Haydn, Mozart, Dvorak, Smetana, etc. etc. etc.?

[Tigerwarhawk]

From 1:30 to 1:55...that sound is so delicate, clean, and beautiful. Goodness!!

[jepcorp]

Szell is masterful with Beethoven, producing clean tones and perfect tempo. Cut of the same cloth as Karajan, Bernstein, and Ormandy. To come close to Szell on Beethoven is a very high standard, that very few reach worldwide nowadays.

[gbonkers666]

The Cleveland Orchestra rules!!!

[jockboy69]

@gbonkers666 So true! I got to hear them 30-35 times a year (every Thursday night) for twelve years of my life. I only lived a 3 minute drive from the hall.

I will never forget those years; and they influenced me to this day. One of the greatest orchestras in the entire world; probably always will be. There is a special pride in that orchestra, maybe missing in some others. They go anywhere in the world, and everyone is astonished at the level of polish from a not-so-major American city.

[09090707]

you just have to love that hungarian accent, even if myself am hungarian, when I speak english I tend to have a pretty accurate east coast american english accent, but most of us never get over the strong hun accent, and also Cleveland is still known throughout the world because of Szell's magisterial work

[platero55]

I was a big fan of Szell and the Clevelanders back in the 1970s. They did wonderful work in all kinds of repertoire. I think what I appreciate most about Szell now, 30+ years later, is that he did so much to discard musical mannerisms that had become bad habits. The resulting performances were clean AND expressive.

[lynnharrell]

@platero55 Not much into the '70's! Szell died the summer of 70 or 71. I can't remember.. Lynn Harrell

[ramrambatti]

He came to my country to perform for world expo. I was only 9 y/o at the time. I was so shaken by his performance. He became my hero. He came to my country though he was sick. He later died due to the illness. He is still my Hero.

[reviewsvoiceontube]

I believe there is no orchestra as quick-responding to its head/conductor as trained or as precise nowadays...and, of course, there is no conductor like Szell...very impressive. Thanks for posting this.

[sasha42196]

I think rating orchestras is a thing of the past. This is not the Olympics, whoever gets to the finish line first. The "Big Five" thing (NY, Philly, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland) goes back to the 50s and, in my opinion, was more about elite status rather than the orchestra itself. There are so many top orchestras in the world that are just as good. I do think that Cleveland orchestra is amazing with a unique voice. Listening to the 5th with Szell is awesome even in rehearsal.

[msholmes]

Absolutely brilliant! With Szell, the was never routine!

[bach16]

What are the top orchestras including Cleveland orch?

[potohornplayer92]

I believe Berlin is 2nd and Vienna is the best.

[carusoclarinet]

you should read the reviews of this past cleveland orchestra tour where cleveland ripped vienna a new asshole!!!

[winrx]

Szell was indubitably a towering musical genius, but many of his interpretations of the standard repertoire were way too pedantic, with phrasing not unlike that seen in the typical Asian violinist or pianist concertizing these days...

[sasha42196]

winrx, so which is it, "pedantic" or "towering musical genius"? Maybe he was not as charismatic or "cool" as, say, Andre Rieu. But this is the real stuff. And, speaking of phrasing, he was famous for his meticulous attention to phrasing. Yes, some criticize him for lacking emotion. Well, Szell said himself "I cannot pour chocolate sauce over asparagus".

[Strad615]

My violin teacher was assitant conert master

[dxhaloxc]

cleveland orchestra is probably one of the best technically playing orchestras worldwide now.

[L571J]

In my opinion, Pittsburgh and San Francisco have far better orchestras and it is really an insult to include Cleveland in the same ranks as Boston and New York.

[bene951]

I would disagree... totally disagree. My friend saw the Cleveland Orchestra and New York Phil each play Tchaik 6 this past concert season and said Cleveland was a significantly better orchestra. I don't know where you get your orchestral reviews, but the general consensus is that this orchestra is just as good as any other previous Cleveland Orchestra... many think it is the best of the 5 right now.

[bmarquez12345]

Lived in Boston for 4 years after living in Cleveland for 6...missed the Cleveland orchestra every one of those four years. Boston is good, but Cleveland definitely sounded better and more consistent.

[Bluecorvette69]

You are very right if you are comparing those groups currently to the Cleveland Orchestra. Their current CM Preucil is a complete disaster. SF in my opinion is the best orchestra in the US. They have an excellent music director.

[finlayma84]

You are the first person I've ever heard call Bill Preucil a "disaster!" As a student at CIM, I had the good fortune to hear him play frequently, and I have to say he is one of the very best violinists I've ever heard. And I think he leads the orchestra stunningly well. Welser-Most is another story: I feel like he has sapped the life out of the orchestra in a terrible way. I share your assessment of SF...MTT is one of the best conductors ever and they sound just fabulous these days.

[jockboy69]

@L571J Absolutely absurd remark.

[L571J]

@jockboy69 Do you have anything to add or do you just intend to offer insults?

[jockboy69]

@L571J nothing to add.

[L571J]

Cleveland went form the 6th largest city in the country with the money of John Rockefeller behind it to being the poorest city in the country in a matter of 50 years. What was once a magnificent city with huge sums of money devoted art and culture has now become a city of the unemployed where a mediocre baseball team and a decent basketball team are the center of everyone's attention. The only things Cleveland has going for it now are Case Western and the Cleveland Clinic.

[DiannePatti]

don't forget -- University Hospital.

Remember how the musicians were appoplectic about Szell's replacement! (not mentioning names :)

Does anyone else here remember seeing the headlines when Colavito was traded? lol! It was all downhill after that. But...maybe people said the same thing after Mantle was traded away.

[DiannePatti]

What a privilege it was to grow up in Cleveland and experience the Orchestra under George Szell. Coupled with our Museum of Art, we had the cultural Mecca of the United States!

[L571J]

I don't think I would call it the cultural Mecca of the U.S., maybe just the mid-west. It is too bad Cleveland continues to disintegrate.

[DiannePatti]

Have you toured the art museums in other major US cities? Cleveland dwarfs them all (in content -- the size of the Geddy notwithstanding). Ex: A year or so before Tut made its US tour, it made a special trip to & show in Cleveland. Coupled with the unsurpassed Orchestra, they have classical culture all wrapped up.

[L571J]

I believe you mean The Getty. Yes, I have been to quite a few museums in the U.S. and I would not call Cleveland the cultural Mecca. A good art museum and a great orchestra according to informed sources (though I don't particularly like it). Hardly a cultural powerhouse though. The natural history museum is joke, the science center is atrocious, and there is little in the way of diversity. No doubt Cleveland was once a major force, but it is no longer. History only counts for so much.

[DiannePatti]

Yes, that's right, Getty. Thanks. Well, which museum would you say, surpasses Cleveland in content?

Note that I did say, when we were growing up we had the cultural Mecca.

[blaquestrength]

Opinions are just what they are...I live in Cleveland and I would beg to differ. God bless

[jockboy69]

@L571J Ridiculous remark.

[L571J]

@jockboy69 The only thing that is ridiculous is that you have responded to a comment that is 2 years old!

[jockboy69]

@L571J Doesn't make any difference HOW old the remark is; it was ridiculous then and it's ridiculous now!

[apollodionysus7]

I love George Szell!

[marinejunta]

aww it's the same Severance Hall stands

[sbor2020]

Szell was the master - one of those long gone central Europeans that were a conduit for a central European sensibilty that has long since died. I have a recording of Szell/Cleveland Beethoven 5 and I shall find new things when i listen to it again.

[gochiz]

a true master of the arts

[nickfox2]

For all of his exacting standards and ruthless discipline, let's not forget his turn to the first violins at 1:53 as he says, with almost childlike wonder and affection after the last structural tonic cadence, "That was nice..." It's such a charming, lovely moment!

[cobrafarmer]

George Szell's performances are so vital, detailed, and expressive. His performance of Beethoven 5 with the Concertgebouw Orchestra is fantastic, as is his Jupiter Symphony with CSO. Thanks for the video.

[mistralmaster]

a genius.

[ipmoic]

This is wonderfully exciting to see and contemplate. Yes, there were some players in the winds and brass that either quit or, in art least one case, suffered a nervous breakdown due to his demanding standards. A great conductor but not a nice guy.

[heathersma]

Terrific Video. I agree that Szell and Reiner are two of the best of the 20th century, perhaps The Best. However, I don't think either of them could get a job today. The Musicians Unions are much to strong to tolerate the exacting standards and temperment of either Szell or Reiner. Mahler and Toscanini would be jobless also.

[jorgepoveda]

The problem in those times is with the lack of discipline in every field,not only in the music arena. It is caused by a bad understanding of the human rights, the lack of social responsability and the corruption of the politicians reflected in all areas of the humans efforts...But I think the problem is minor in music than other disciplines...

[j72050]

Lets face it...compared to Szell, the weak silly conductors today, all of them, are mere impostors, pretenders, cookie cutter hacks and the orchestras play music...in spite of them.

[wiliscool]

What movie is this from?

[JHBowden]

The Art of Conducting: Great Conductors of the Past

[JHBowden]

My bad, that's not correct.

[dwyant1210]

They certainly do not make them like Szell anymore. I have to say, though, if I were in his orchestra, I would be a very nervous person! I wish that Szell and Fritz Reiner were still alive. Those two men were the best conductors of their day. It is wonderful that this video remains of Szell so that young musicians can listen to the wisdom of the man who made the Cleveland Orchestra what it is today.

[podiumman2]

I WISH HE WAS STILL ALIVE!!!  How Fantastic it would be to have him performing Beethoven on HD video with Dolby TruHD (lossless) surround! Of course, also to see him live!

[paulostroff99]

As good as there were in this century-without a doubt!

[KT8907]

Isn't it awsome to know that here in Cleveland, Ohio we are known for something else besides crime rates? We have a world renowned orchestra AND health care system! Go TRIBE GO BROWNS AND GO CAVS!!!!!!!!!!!11

[rdraznik]

Thanks so much for posting these

[enantiodrom]

Thank you for posting this remote document, Szell was, and steel is superb. Some more please if you can!!!

[billyguns2]

Thanks for posting this rare treat of one of the past century's greatest conductors in rehearsal; he shaped the Cleveland Orchestra into one of the most amazing ensembles of the past century.

[winrx]

It's surprising that there isn't much of a video legacy with Szell in Cleveland...

[ladyinthecloak]

Thank you for such a wonderful treat!

[HalWeller]

And these were the glory days in Cleveland! It's hard to imagine that he's been gone now for 37 years. But what great memories and recordings he left us.

[nibelungensohn]

Dohnanyi isn't half bad either but he is sadly underrated.