Stokowski conducts Philadelphia Rarities

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Robert Kelly, Leopold Stokowski, George Frideric Handel, Joseph La Monaca, Stephen Collins Foster, Richard Strauss, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Alexander Scriabin, Franz Schubert, (composers) Various

Label: Cala

Magazine Review Date: 5/1996

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 77

Mastering:

Mono
ADD

Catalogue Number: CACD0502

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
National Anthems, Movement: FRANCE: La marseillaise (Rouget de Lisle)	(composers) Various, Composer (composers) Various, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Schwanengesang, 'Swan Song', Movement: No. 4, Ständchen	Franz Schubert, Composer Franz Schubert, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Saltarello	Joseph La Monaca, Composer Joseph La Monaca, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Balance Test March	Leopold Stokowski, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Oh! Susanna	Stephen Collins Foster, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra Stephen Collins Foster, Composer
Messiah, Movement: Pastoral Symphony	George Frideric Handel, Composer George Frideric Handel, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Salome, Movement: Dance of the Seven Veils	Richard Strauss, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra Richard Strauss, Composer
(6) Songs, Movement: No. 6, Again, as before, alone	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor NBC Symphony Orchestra Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Adironack Suite	Robert Kelly, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor NBC Symphony Orchestra Robert Kelly, Composer
Marche slave, 'Slavonic March'	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor NBC Symphony Orchestra Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
(3) Pieces, Movement: No. 1, Etude in C sharp minor	Alexander Scriabin, Composer Alexander Scriabin, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor New York City Symphony Orchestra
(16) Deutsche Tänze and 2 Ecossaises	Franz Schubert, Composer Franz Schubert, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor New York City Symphony Orchestra
Romeo and Juliet	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor New York City Symphony Orchestra Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer

Composer or Director: Joaquín Turina, Henry Eichheim, John Philip Sousa, Harl McDonald, Anonymous, Manuel de Falla, Arcady Dubensky

Label: Cala

Magazine Review Date: 5/1996

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 78

Mastering:

Mono
ADD

Catalogue Number: CACD0501

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
Danzas Gitanas Set I, Movement: Sacro Monte	Joaquín Turina, Composer Joaquín Turina, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Veni creator spiritus	Anonymous, Composer Anonymous, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Veni Emmanuel	Anonymous, Composer Anonymous, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Etenraku	Anonymous, Composer Anonymous, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Bali	Henry Eichheim, Composer Henry Eichheim, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Oriental Impressions	Henry Eichheim, Composer Henry Eichheim, Composer
(The) Raven	Arcady Dubensky, Composer Arcady Dubensky, Composer Benjamin de Loache, Wheel of Fortune Woman Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra	Harl McDonald, Composer Alexander Kelberine, Piano Harl McDonald, Composer Jeanne Behrend, Piano Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
(The) Legend of the Arkansas Traveller	Harl McDonald, Composer Harl McDonald, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
Festival of the Workers	Harl McDonald, Composer Harl McDonald, Composer
Symphony No. 2, '(The) Rhumba'	Harl McDonald, Composer Harl McDonald, Composer
Manhattan beach	John Philip Sousa, Composer John Philip Sousa, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
(El) Capitan	John Philip Sousa, Composer John Philip Sousa, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Philadelphia Orchestra
(La) Vida breve, Movement: Danse espagnole No.1	Manuel de Falla, Composer Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Manuel de Falla, Composer Philadelphia Orchestra

Author:

“Everybody in the whole Academy was singing – except one music critic,” recalled a light-hearted Leopold Stokowski at a 1935 Philadelphia Orchestra Pension Fund Concert; “I saw him not singing!” Stokowski continued – and you could almost see the twinkle in his eye. Thereafter, and the audience gave their all for a ‘sing-along’ performance of Schubert’s Standchen, much as they had already done in La Marseillaise. The sequence provides an endearing opener for a strangely uneven programme of ‘first releases’ that includes a rowdy and extremely forgettable Balance Test March by Stokowski himself (no problems thereafter in the way of technical overload), a witty Saltarello by Philadelphia Orchestra flautist, Joseph La Monaca, a cliched but brief orchestration of Foster’s Oh! Susanna and a beautifully sustained (albeit anachronistically overdressed) Messiah “Pastoral Symphony”.
The jibe against critics is as relevant now as it was then, although – to be fair – this particular compilation courts critical controversy by programming material that was never actually passed for commercial release. And there are a few minor imperfections: 7'51'' into an otherwise lustily despatched “Dance of the Seven Veils”, where the focusing seems momentarily to falter; or 3'01'' into Robert Kelly’s winsome “Sunset reflections” and a rare spot of shaky ensemble; or in Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet fantasy overture (at, say, 9'28''), where bassoon and harp fleetingly part company. Tiny points admittedly, ones that if heard in concert (or from other, lesser performing sources) would hardly register. However, in this particular context they sound oddly conspicuous – especially given Stokowski’s habitually exacting standards.
Musically, there is much to either love, enrage or horrify, including a luscious reworking of Tchaikovsky’s song Again, as before, alone, a crudely driven and hysterically overwrought Marche slave (I hated it), a warmly layered orchestration of Scriabin’s famous C sharp minor Etude, some jaunty Schubert Deutsche Tanze (renamed “Tyrolean Dances”) and the Tchaikovsky overture, a passionate visitation, selectively reorchestrated and with a quiet ending that annotator Edward Johnson supports with some interesting historical evidence. Still, my ears tell me that Tchaikovsky’s last published thoughts effect a thrilling catharsis – one that I would not willingly exchange for Stokowski’s soft option, even though the performance itself (a very exciting one) shows the New York City Symphony Orchestra to good advantage.
“Philadelphia Rarities” was first issued in 1993 by the Leopold Stokowski Society and, to be quite honest, is in a totally different class. The playing is better, the programme more enterprising and the overall pleasure yield far greater. What is more, the new edition supplements the original programme with a shapely version of Falla’s “Spanish Dance” from La vida breve, which is beautifully played. However, my favourite items remain Hidemaro Konoye’s entrancing arrangement of Etenraku, the “Ceremonial Japanese Prelude” (flute, high strings, piano, percussion, etc.), and Arcady Dubensky’s “Melo-Declamation for Narrator and Orchestra” on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven with Benjamin de Loache (the narrator in Stokowski’s Philadelphia Gurrelieder – HMV, 6/33), a gripping period piece replete with eerie harp arpeggios and countless references to Tchaikovsky – and to the Fifth Symphony in particular.
As to the rest, there is an entertaining sequence of works by Colorado-born Harl McDonald, including a beefy (and tuneful) Concerto for two pianos and orchestra, some rip-roaring Sousa and the musical outcome of a tour of the Far East which Stokowski undertook with Henry Eichheim: Bali-Symphonic Variations, a fairly conventional romantic tone-poem flavoured with Balinese-style harmonies and visited by the odd flock of gongs. Not great music, but great fun – and dazzlingly well played.
The annotation is, as I’ve already suggested, both stimulating and informative, but I just cannot believe that what we actually hear is a truthful representation of Ward Marston’s original transfers. In fact, I know it isn’t – if only through comparing “Philadelphia Rarities” with its Stokowski Society predecessor (10/93). The “First Releases” album is even worse, with crude noise reduction furring the edges of selected quieter music. Seasoned collectors will tut and groan, but Stokowskians will be unable to resist – although one sincerely hopes that even they will join me in requesting that, in future, Cala seriously consider leaving Marston’s excellent work as it is. In other respects, however, “Philadelphia Rarities” in particular is well worth investigation.'

Stokowski - Historical Recordings

National Anthems, Movement: FRANCE: La marseillaise (Rouget de Lisle)

Schwanengesang, 'Swan Song', Movement: No. 4, Ständchen

Saltarello

Balance Test March

Oh! Susanna

Messiah, Movement: Pastoral Symphony

Salome, Movement: Dance of the Seven Veils

(6) Songs, Movement: No. 6, Again, as before, alone

Adironack Suite

Marche slave, 'Slavonic March'

(3) Pieces, Movement: No. 1, Etude in C sharp minor

(16) Deutsche Tänze and 2 Ecossaises

Romeo and Juliet