Album

Of all the postwar conductors whose posthumous live performances are most eagerly awaited by collectors, those by Klaus Tennstedt are probably the most consistenly exciting. His earlier East German performances reveal a driven conductor with an urgent need to communicate, while his later London recordings reveal a masterful conductor with an overwhelming need to connect. As these three performances from two different concerts with the London Philharmonic demonstrate, Tennstedt had grown and deepened after he left East Germany—but he hadn't lost any of the evangelical fire that always distinguished his performances. His magical Oberon Overture by Weber and his magnificent Ninth Symphony by Schubert from 1984 and his shattering Tragic Overture by Brahms from 1983 are all examples of Tennstedt in his prime. There's an edge and an excitement to Tennstedt's conducting that's hard to match and harder to describe. It's not his attacks, although they're bright and sharp. It's not his textures, although their tight and clean. It's not his interpretations, although they're clear-headed and strong-willed. It's the combination of all three plus his unbearable urge to achieve communion with the music that makes these performances so thrilling. With the superlative playing of the LPO—surely, it never performed better for any other post-Beecham conductor?—this disc belongs in the pantheon with the canonical Furtwängler and Walter recordings of the Schubert Ninth and Brahms Tragic. BBC Music's live sound is a bit distant, but still vivid and present.

© James Leonard, Rovi

CD 1
Carl Maria von Weber Composer Oberon, J.306 (opera) Work Recorded 1984 London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt Conductor
1	Oberon, J.306 (opera)	9:23			$1.49
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Symphony No.9 in C, D.944 ('Great') Work Recorded 1984 49:38 London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt Conductor
2	1.Andante. Allegro ma non troppo	13:14			$2.49
3	2.Andante con moto	13:39			$2.49
4	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	10:40			$1.99
5	4.Finale: Allegro vivace	12:05			$1.99
Johannes Brahms Composer Tragic Overture in D-, Op.81 Work Recorded 1983 London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt Conductor
6	Tragic Overture in D-, Op.81	14:05			$2.49