Leo Blech (1871–1958) held important posts with the Berlin State Opera for most of a period between 1906 and 1937. Forced out of Germany by the Nazis in 1937, he took a position at the Stockholm Royal Opera and then returned to Berlin in 1949. He retired in 1954. During his lengthy first stay in Berlin he recorded quite extensively for Polydor, and later for Electrola and HMV, but after 1937 his only recordings were one or two for Decca with the Suisse Romande Orchestra, made just after the Second World War.
In recent times his name has been mainly kept in front of the public via the three concerto recordings he made with Fritz Kreisler, but his contribution there is far from distinguished. Koch's new disc shows him in much better light. It begins with a very energetic, if not particularly subtle performance of Carnaval romain, followed by a fairly brisk, but affectionate interpretation of ''Vltava''. Blech's account of the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody is also highly affable, but vigorous—plenty of excitement is generated towards the end.
Good impressions in the shorter works are reinforced by a most stimulating performance of the Great C major Symphony. As you might expect from a musician brought up in the nineteenth century, Blech's approach to the score is romantic, very flexible and highly individual. Changes of pulse are frequent, particularly in the first movement, but not at all times in the places you quite expect, and the playing is always attentive and full of character. The slow movement has a conventional basic tempo, but both the Scherzo and the finale are taken quite excitingly at fairly swift speeds. The sound in this work is basically good for 1927 (all the transfers on the disc are of good quality), but there is an impression of the bass being reinforced by instruments not specified in the score, as had been the case in acoustic and some very early electrical recordings.
On this evidence Blech was not by any means a great conductor, and was certainly not a brilliant technician. However, the performances reproduced here convey a clear impression that he had an attractive, lively and effective musical personality.'