EDITION OTTO KLEMPERER

 

The Berlin Recodings 1950-58

 

RIAS SO / Otto Klemperer

 

BEETHOVEN

Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 36

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 ‘Pastorale’

Overture to ‘Egmont’, Op. 84

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 ‘Eroica’

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

 

MOZART

Serenade for Orchestra No. 6 in D major, K 239 ‘Serenata Notturna’

Overture to ‘Don Giovanni’, K 527

Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K 183 (137 dB)

Symphony No. 29 in A major, K 201 (186a)

Symphony No. 38 in D major, K 504 ‘Prague’

 

MAHLER

Symphony No. 4 in G major

 

HINDEMITH

Nobilissima Visione, Ballet Suite for Orchestra

 

These live and studio recordings with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin (later known as the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin), made between 1950 and 1958, are important documents of the rebuilding of German culture after the war. These recordings illuminate Klemperer’s late performing style, his repertoire and his interpretational ideals. He explored the repertoire of the 18th to the 20th centuries by creating three-dimensional sound, concise rhythms, clearly contoured forms and precise characterisations. He interpreted the works of Mozart and Beethoven; through Mahler and Hindemith he forged a connection to the music which had been banned by the Nazis. With this new 5-CD boxed set, Audite documents the artistic cooperation between Klemperer and the RSO Berlin, for the first time, using original tapes from the RIAS (today’s Deutschlandradio Kultur) sound archives, thus also ensuring the best possible technical quality.

 

This release is furnished with a “producer’s comment” by Ludger Böckenhoff.

 

This release forms part of our series “Legendary Recordings” and bears the stamp “1st Master Release”. The term stands for the exceptional quality of Audite’s archive releases which are all, without exception, produced using original tapes from the radio archives. Usually, these are the original analogue tapes with tape speeds of up to 76 cm/s, which are of astonishingly high quality, even by today’s standards. In addition, the process of re-mastering – executed with professional expertise and sensitivity – reveals hitherto hidden details of the interpretations, creating a sonic image of superior quality. CD releases produced from private recordings of radio broadcasts or old 78rpm records cannot match this level of sound quality.

 

Audite AUDITE21408