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Review by mwgfrg March 13, 2012 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
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Performance:  Sonics: |
Sanderling has always been a favorite conductor of mine, especially recordings (a) with the Dresden orchestra, and (b) from the '70s, when his tempos were a bit on the measured side, but not as slow as they subsequently became. Add to this that the discs are SHM-SACD, and my resistance completely disappeared.
My Japanese is non-existent, and there is little else in the included booklet or the liner notes. It appears that this is a recording of a live early '70s Tokyo performance which was broadcast on FM, with the final Weber overture apparently an encore. The sound is altogether excellent, capturing a wide spread, a fine combination of clarity vs. hall sound, and remains consistent throughout. Generous applause is also included. There is a bit more emphasis on the upper rather than lower strings than on most Sanderling recordings made at this time in Europe, but the overall richness of tone of this orchestra, one of Europe's finest, is clearly transmitted.
The program opens with a broad, beautifully played Meistersinger Prelude, and a fine Beethoven 8th which is somewhat on the slowish side, but not as much so as in later years. At one time I had a Sanderling Beethoven cycle (I believe with the Philharmonia), and my recollection is that this is a finer, more flowing performance than the one contained in that cycle. The major work on the program is the Brahms 1st Symphony. This performance is, in total, only about a minute faster than the Sanderling recording with the same orchestra in his superb Brahms cycle of the same period, but seems, particularly in the spirited and dynamic finale, quite a bit faster. The later recording with the Berlin Symphony is fine in isolation, but noticeably slower, and cannot compete on any level with the two Dresden performances. This live performance seems the clear choice. The Weber overture is equally nicely played and quite well done.
In sum, perhaps a bit of a specialist item, and rather expensive, but fast becoming a real favorite of mine.
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