Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543: 1. Adagio - Allegro
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543: 2. Andante con moto
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543: 3. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543: 4. Finale. Allegro
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: 1. Molto Allegro
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: 2. Andante
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: 3. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: 4. Allegro assai
Symphony No. 41 in C major ('Jupiter'), K. 551: 1. Allegro vivace
Symphony No. 41 in C major ('Jupiter'), K. 551: 2. Andante cantabile
Symphony No. 41 in C major ('Jupiter'), K. 551: 3. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio
Symphony No. 41 in C major ('Jupiter'), K. 551: 4. Molto Allegro
Bruno Walter rerecorded these symphonies in stereo, and they are also available on Sony as part of their Great Mozart Interpreters series. Many music lovers, however, will prefer these mono versions for the playing of the ... more »New York Philharmonic, as well as for Walter's slightly more energetic way with the music. One way or another, you should sample this legendary conductor's interpretations of works that he conducted peerlessly for over 60 years. --David Hurwitz« less
Bruno Walter rerecorded these symphonies in stereo, and they are also available on Sony as part of their Great Mozart Interpreters series. Many music lovers, however, will prefer these mono versions for the playing of the New York Philharmonic, as well as for Walter's slightly more energetic way with the music. One way or another, you should sample this legendary conductor's interpretations of works that he conducted peerlessly for over 60 years. --David Hurwitz
CD Reviews
A WARNING TO ALL WHO LISTEN!
jdflynnno | 08/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you buy this CD, please be aware that you will never hear Mozart symphonies like this performed as well in a live performance. You will only remember wistfully that no matter if the orchestra is your local university ensemble or the Vienna Philarmonic, the conductor you see IS NOT Bruno Walter. Even Stravinsky, who loved to steal from Mozart as much as Rickey Henderson steals bases in baseball, thought Walter conducted Mozart like no other. Some conductors, like Karl Bohm, thought Walter was too sentimental in Mozart, but all I hear is perfect balance, perfect tempi, perfect performance. Forget the sonic limitations here from the 1950s. Mozart is THE MAN, and Walter's conducting is as good as it gets. That's all, folks!"
Great Artistry of the Past
Raymond Rosen | USA | 04/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To those of us who remember Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer, Toscanini, etc., and start to doubt our memories of the great beauty brought into our lives through the art of music, I suggest this disc. After hearing it, I had to buy more discs to share this joy.The more we hear the recordings by artists of the first fifty years of the twentieth century, the more we are reminded of their greatness and that which is not present in popular performers today.Use this disc as a standard to expect more from present day musicians."
HIGH VOLTAGE!!!
Alan Majeska | 01/04/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I quite agree with the other reviewers.having listened to breezy performances of Mozart's performances by Sir Neville Marriner which i always enjoyed i have always carried an impression that Mozart was a genius whose works are full of drama,wit,humour and sweet pathos.Now i have to revise my views after listening to this HIGH VOLTAGE performance.It reveals an astonishing depth ,breadth and sweep that i could not notice previously in other performances.Walter reveals the polyphony in these heroic works and also brings out the organic unity.The orchestral fabric is transparent.The MONO recording is excellent and does not come in the way of these glorious performances.
Toscanini considered the third movement of Mozart's Symphony no 40 as the most tragic piece ever written.i found this hard to accept after listening to performances by marriner and Szell.they sounded heroic!Walter reveals why and how it is tragic!he starts of the first movement quite slowly but as it develops it reveals the underlying pathos like no other performance.it is heroic and at the same time tragic!it is not the pathos of a weakling!
These are wholesome and mature performances that cannot be surpassed!"
A beloved Mozart conductor at his peak
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 03/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These classic mono recordings from 1953 and 1956 are easy to evaluate--they have been mainstrays of the Mozart catalog for fifty years and show no sign of decline. Walter was at his most vigorous here, showing more inner life and alertness than in his stereo remakes with the Columbia Sym. We are fortunate that two great Mozarteans, Walter and Klemperer, left us both their mono and stereo versions of the same works, for even in decline these towering musicians are commadning in their interpretations.
Having said that, I was still surprised on revisiting Walter's Sym. 39 at how forwardly aggressive it really is compared to late Walter, and how much better the NY Phil. plays than I had remembered. The G minor and Jupiter are equally muscular and diect. This is often edge-of-your-seat musicmaking, caught in very warm mono sound. The slow movements are without repeats, and period-performance fanciers will be impatient with the weighty minuets and romaticized slow movements. To me, neither is much of a limitation. Walter's Mozart is as timeless as his Mahler, and this CD is a treasure. I'm grateful that Sony didn't stick with the stereo versions, which were already bestsellers in their catalog."
Don't let the MONO sound put you off...
Alan Majeska | Bad Axe, MI, USA | 08/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Don't let Sony's Mono sound put you off this recording: these are wonderful performances, the sound clear and balanced in these early-mid 1950s recordings. Bruno Walter (1876-1962) was one of the 20th century's great Mozart conductors, along with Otto Klemperer, George Szell, Thomas Beecham, and Karl Bohm. He performed Mozart frequently in concert throughout his career, and recorded Symphonies 25,28,29,35,36,38,39,40,and 41 with the New York Philharmonic in the early 1950s (Mono sound) and Symphonies 35-41 with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra (members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic + some studio musicians) in the late 1950s in stereo. Both sets are excellent in sound and performance: the earlier set has slightly faster tempos and a "Leaner" sound; the later set slower tempos and a richer, fuller sound, due to stereo technology.
I recommend these highly, along with Walter's recordings of Mozart Symphonies 36+38; and 25,28,29,35:also in the "Bruno Walter Edition" if you can find them. Sony is to be commended for releasing these recordings. I also recommend Walter's later Columbia Symphony cycle of Mozart Symphonies 35,36,38,39,40,41 if you can find it. For a differing point of view, there's George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra Mozart Symphonies 35,39,40,41 (35,40,41 are in a Sony "Essential Classics" budget issue)."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1