This album is included in the following sets:
This set contains the following albums:
- Producer's Note
- Full Track Listing
- Cover Art
- Additional Notes
This release brings together for the first time all of Eduard van Beinum’s studio recordings of Mahler works. The LPO version of Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Decca’s first Mahler recording, was transferred from original 78 rpm discs. The remaining items were remastered from Japanese, Dutch and American LP pressings.
Mark Obert-Thorn
CD 1 The Decca Recordings (69:13)
MAHLER: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
1 Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht* (4:04)
2 Ging heut’ morgen übers Feld (4:17)
3 Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer (3:03)
4 Die zwei blauen Augen (5:13)
Eugenia Zareska (contralto)
London Philharmonic Orchestra ∙ Eduard van Beinum
Recorded 27 November 1946 and *16 December 1947 in Kingsway Hall, London
Matrix nos.: AR 10891-3, 10892-1, 10893-1 & 10894-2
First issued on Decca K 1624/5 in album EDA-71
MAHLER: Symphony No. 4 in G major
5 1st mvt.: Bedächtig. Nicht eilen – Recht gemächlich (15:00)
6 2nd mvt.: In gemächlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast (8:34)
7 3rd mvt.: Ruhevoll (Poco adagio) (20:04)
8 4th mvt.: Sehr behaglich – “Wir genießen die himmlischen Freuden” (8:55)
Margaret Ritchie (soprano)
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam ∙ Eduard van Beinum
Recorded April/May 1952 in the Grote Zaal, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
First issued on Decca LXT 2718
CD 2 The Philips Recordings (76:46)
MAHLER: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
1 Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht (3:52)
2 Ging heut’ morgen übers Feld (3:51)
3 Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer (2:59)
4 Die zwei blauen Augen (5:09)
Nan Merriman (contralto)
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam ∙ Eduard van Beinum
Recorded 8 – 12 December 1956 in the Grote Zaal, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
First issued on Philips A00410/1L
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde
5 Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde (8:46)
6 Der Einsame im Herbst (9:23)
7 Von der Jugend (3:07)
8 Von der Schönheit (6:51)
9 Der Trunkene im Frühling (4:19)
10 Der Abschied (28:27)
Ernst Haefliger (tenor) ∙ Nan Merriman (contralto)
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam ∙ Eduard van Beinum
Recorded 3 – 6 December 1956 in the Grote Zaal, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
First issued on Philips A00410/1L
Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn
Total duration: 2hr 25:56
Eduard van Beinum (1901 – 1959) was born in Arnhem, Netherlands , where he received his first violin and piano lessons at an early age. He joined the Arnhem Orchestra as a violinist in 1918. His grandfather was conductor of a military band. His father played the double bass in the local symphony orchestra. His brother was a violinist, and the two performed as a violin-piano duo in concerts. As a student at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, he gained conducting experience with several concerts by amateur ensembles. He also conducted concerts by the choir of the church of St. Nicholas in Amsterdam.
Van Beinum was the conductor of the Haarlem Orchestral Society from 1927 to 1931. He first conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam in 1929. He became second conductor of the orchestra in 1931, under the supervision of Willem Mengelberg . In 1938 he was named co-principal conductor, alongside Mengelberg. After World War II, Mengelberg was dismissed as principal conductor because of controversy over his (still-disputed) behavior and attitude towards the Nazi occupiers in the Netherlands. According to Kees Wisse, van Beinum "detested the Nazis and kept himself as aloof as he could." Van Beinum did receive a reprimand after the post-war de-Nazification activities, but this was not so severe as to keep him from his post with the Concertgebouw. Van Beinum remained as sole principal conductor of the orchestra after the war.
In 1947 he took over the leadership of the London Philharmonic Orchestra , but left after two successful seasons. According to Michael Kennedy in his biography of Sir Adrian Boult , van Beinum was "not well", which led the LPO to seek Boult as a successor to him. In general, van Beinum suffered from health problems, including a heart condition, which left him unable to conduct for much of the 1950–1951 season of the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Van Beinum made his US guest-conducting debut in 1954, with the Philadelphia Orchestra . He took the Concertgebouw Orchestra on its first U.S. tour later in 1954. In 1956, the year of van Beinum's 25th anniversary with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, he was invested as a Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau, and also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Amsterdam. Outside of the Netherlands, he also served as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1956 to 1959.
Van Beinum suffered a fatal heart attack on 13 April 1959, on the Concertgebouw podium while rehearsing the orchestra for a performance of Johannes Brahms ' Symphony No. 1 . He was buried in Garderen , in the Veluwe region, where he maintained a residence.
(Notes adapted from Wikipedia)