By jlamede
27-Aug-2011

Remember Rosbaud!  

Hans Rosbaud's recordings are always worth collecting, and it's a pity he's not more widely remembered. I myself remember with affection his early recordings of Bruckner and Sibelius. His recordings of Mahler's Ninth and, particularly, Seventh are real milestones. He was also a keen pioneer in performing Schoenberg, Berg and other 20th-century composers.

This disc is especially rewarding. The Schoenberg Variations for Orchestra is characteristically pin sharp, beautifully clear, delineating each variation with great attention to detail and real punch. The Hindemith is equally good, with a lovely performance of the solo part by Ivry Gitlis.

The only slight disappointment is the Bartok. Of course, as a chamber work, this is not 'conducted' by Rosbaud but led by him as one of the pianists, and doesn't reflect his strengths. But more than anything else, the Sonata suffers from being a 1953 mono recording: it needs the benefit of stereo. Overall, though, this is an album well worth downloading.
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