Georg Solti Chicago box set marks a career of milestones
GEORG Solti’s influence as a conductor was immense and on the 20th anniversary of his death Decca has released a 108-CD box set of his recordings.
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WHEN it comes to the great conductor Sir Georg Solti I have to declare an interest for his recordings have featured in my home music collection from the days of vinyl, through audiocassette, CD and now digital downloads.
His influence and importance cannot be over-estimated and to mark the 20th anniversary of his death Decca has released a deluxe 108-CD box set of all his recordings with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which coincidentally is marking its 125th birthday this year.
The set ranges in chronological order from their first recording at Medinah Temple, Chicago, in March 1970 of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony to their last at Orchestra Hall, Chicago, in March 1997 of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15. The collection plots how Solti took the CSO from relative obscurity to international prominence.
It includes 24 Grammy Award-winning recordings, few of which are more potent and moving than the terrifying reading of Shostakovich’s Babi Yar symphony, which interlaces poems by Yevgeny Yevtushenko with five powerful movements. Sir Anthony Hopkins and the Russian bass Sergei Aleksashkin are both simply wonderful.
MILESTONE
This work, Shostakovich’s 13th symphony, obviously resonated with Solti, a Hungarian Jew, as it relates the account of the Nazis’ horrific massacre of more than 33,000 Jews in a Ukrainian ravine.
Solti’s survey of the great late romantic symphonies of Gustav Mahler and Anton Bruckner still stand today as milestone recordings. Their authenticity goes back to the source as Solti was mentored by Bruno Walter, who was at Mahler’s death bed and who conducted the premieres of The Song of the Earth and the 9th symphony.
As you would expect Beethoven is well represented with two full cycles of the symphonies (recorded 15 years apart), as well as Vladimir Ashkenazy’s rolled gold performances of the five Beethoven piano concertos. Fidelio and Missa Solemnis are also there.
The Classical period is less well represented, Solti only recording two late Mozart symphonies (38 and 39) and Haydn’s large choral works, the Creation and The Seasons.
AFFINITY
Reflecting his times, the Baroque period is not touched on other than the larger set pieces, Bach’s St Matthew Passion and B minor Mass and Handel’s The Messiah. To modern ears used to historically informed performance they sound over-egged, though not as heavily larded as some of Solti’s contemporaries.
The Romantics Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Mendelssohn and Liszt all get guernseys and Solti’s affinity with his fellow countryman Bela Bartok is apparent in an extensive playlist with one album featuring fellow Hungarians Ernst Dohnanyi and Zoltan Kodaly.
Groundbreakers like Debussy and Ravel are given a brief appearance, while Stravinsky and Schoenberg get more time — a standout is the latter’s unfinished opera Moses and Aaron.
There is little in the way of late 20th century music other than a song cycle Final Alice, by American composer David Del Tredici, featuring a young Barbara Hendricks, and an album of works by Sir Michael Tippett, reflecting Solti’s strong links with Britain where he was chief conductor at Royal Covent Garden.
Operas included Verdi’s Othello, with Luciano Pavarotti and Kiri Te Kanawa in the starring roles, and two massive Wagner recordings in The Flying Dutchman and The Meistersingers of Nuremberg.
The beautifully produced box set comes with a handsome and lavishly illustrated hardback book with reminiscences by Solti and his wife Valerie, as well as collaborators including favourite Australian-born mezzo Yvonne Minton and British TV presenter Humphrey Burton.
This would make the perfect indulgent Christmas gift for the music lover in your family. It’s available at Fish Fine Music for $349.99.