BEECHAM conducts Mozart, Volume 3 (1912-58) - PASC415

At the lunch held for Thomas Beecham’s 70th birthday, congratulatory telegrams—including some from composers—were read to him. When the applause died down, Beecham asked gently, “Nothing from Mozart?” For all of Beecham’s renown as a conductor of Delius and Handel, Mozart was central to his repertory. Indeed, Beecham explored the heights and depths of Mozart, and Mozart in turn gave Beecham the most comprehensive avenue for displaying his artistry. Beecham said that Mozart introduced into music “an intimacy, a masculine tenderness, unique—something confiding, affectionate.” Beneath the conductor’s brilliant exterior, this was a quality Beecham shared with the composer, endearing him to his players and audiences. Beecham was one of the few conductors of his time to program large amounts of Mozart’s orchestral music, and, of that time, he presented Mozart with a full orchestra and a large sound, although never with sentimentality. He was noted for meticulously placing marks for expression in his players’ parts, so it is not surprising that, particularly in the two symphonies on this CD, one can hear an attention to detail rare in recordings of these works from any era. Beecham quipped that “a fine performance” required “the maximum of virility coupled with the maximum of delicacy.” The bawdy overtone notwithstanding, there is truth in this remark for Beecham’s Mozart. It always is vibrant and energizing, but never with a lack of feeling for color and nuance. For better or worse, it sounds like no one else’s Mozart.

Beecham starts the 40th Symphony at a quicker tempo than many of his contemporaries did. One immediately is struck by the orchestral sound’s beauty, as is true throughout both symphonies. A member of the Cleveland Orchestra commented on the simplicity of Beecham’s gestures in Mozart, which must have contributed to the gorgeous tone. The urgency of the RPO’s playing helps accentuate the first movement’s tragic sense. Beecham gives the Andante much room to breathe. It is full of the “masculine tenderness” Beecham describes. In the third movement, the orchestra’s sound, with its tragic nature, has overtones of Gluck. The trio, to use Beecham’s term, is “confiding.” The final movement features despair matched with exhilaration. The “Jupiter” on this CD is Beecham’s 1950 mono version, not his stereo remake. Its opening movement is lively, noble, and majestic. The slow movement is truly cantabile, with beautifully flowing, singing phrases. The whole has a domestic feeling, as if depicting Wolfgang alone with Constanze. A mixture of pomp and gentleness informs the third movement. The last movement is operatic in its scope and its multiplicity of gestures. It is of a piece with the ensemble that closes Don Giovanni. Beecham’s (and Mozart’s) zest for life is readily apparent.

The bassoon concerto receives the only stereo recording on the CD. Gwydion Brooke is a rich-toned and nimble soloist, with a distinctive sound. The uncredited cadenzas he uses play to the instrument’s gnomic quality. Beecham is a warm and sympathetic colleague. The 1912 recording of the Figaro overture, featuring the legendary Beecham Symphony Orchestra, demonstrates that Beecham at age 33 already possessed the drive, wit, and elegance that would characterize his whole career. Andrew Rose has done wonders remastering the two symphonies, which are in full-toned and beautifully balanced mono, while his version of the concerto represents the Abbey Road studio at its finest. He also has coaxed a highly listenable sound out of the 1912 acoustic overture. If you are looking for stereo CDs of the two symphonies, I would recommend Jeffrey Tate and Yehudi Menuhin. Beecham, however, is a law unto himself and deeply inspired. Perhaps we should give the conductor the last word. When Fritz Reiner came backstage to congratulate the conductor “on a wonderful evening of Beecham and Mozart,” Beecham replied, “Why drag Mozart into it?”

Dave Saemann
This article originally appeared in Issue 38:2 (Nov/Dec 2014) of Fanfare Magazine.