Pierre Monteux - Monteux at Tanglewood Vol. 2 (1959) [2016]

Monteux's stereo Tanglewood broadcasts part 2: 1959
"The performance here proffers a musical fireball by two acolytes of the Romantic ethos" - Audiophile Audition

For this second volume of live broadcast recordings by Monteux and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood we revisit a concert held on 1st August, 1959. The concert is presented as performed, minus the lengthy introductions from the radio announcer and, alas for reasons of time, the final Wagner Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan. I hope that this will appear, along with other recordings from this short series, on a final disc compiled from the different years we are covering.

Once again the sound is big and wide, though more controlled than in 1958, and I've resisted the temptation to narrow it as was necessary in the previous volume. Whilst there is perhaps the hint of a gap in the middle during the orchestral pieces, this is well filled when Serkin takes to the piano. As before, close miking resulted in a slightly over-dry sound quality to the original broadcasts, something I've been able to alleviate in a manner sensitive to the material. Sound quality in both broadcasts was excellent, and has been very well preserved, with one minor tape dropout easily cured. XR remastering has further enhanced the sound, and careful digital noise reduction has lowered tape hiss levels, more prominent in the second half of the programme, without impacting on the clarity of the recording.

Andrew Rose


Tracks:

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4
MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1
SCHUMANN Manfred - Overture
SCHUMANN Introduction and Allegro appassionato

Personnel:

Pierre Monteux, conductor
Rudolf Serkin, piano
Boston Symphony Orchestra