PASC059
- Symphony No. 6 in C major, D589 - Schubert
MP3
price
Bamberg
Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Released
in 1955 as Telefunken LGM 65026
Download ID: 230953
(Duration
25'52")
Play
sample movement:
It has
been suggested that Joseph Keilberth was once asked to become conductor
of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra but turned it down out of respect
for his mentor, Furtgwangler, leaving the post instead to the orchestra's
second choice, one Herbert von Karajan. The rest, as they say, is history.
Nevertheless, Keilberth is once again gaining recognition as a great conductor,
with his live recording of Wagner's Seigfried from 1955 gaining
a Recording of the Year award in the 2006 Gramophone Awards by a clear
and substantial lead in the voting.
In that
same year as he was conducting Wagner at Beyreuth, his own orchestra,
the Bamberg Symphony, continued to record in the studio for Telefunken.
We recently issued their interpretation of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
(PASC057), recorded in 1954, and in 1955
we find them tackling Schubert's delightfully lyrical and melodic Sixth
Symphony.
A youthful
work, Schubert completed it in 1818 at the age of just 21, it may not
rise to the artistic peaks of the later 'Unfinished' and 'Great' symphonies
(available here in recordings by Wood, PASC041,
and Walter, PASC014, respectively), and occasionally
shows its influences, it is surely impossible to fail to find charm here.
The Scherzo in our sample movement may start out sounding suspiciously
like Beethoven but is handled exquisitely by Schubert, and played with
great care and precision.
All in
all a fine recording of one of the lesser known Classical symphonies that
surely deserves a fresh listen!
