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CHARLES MUNCH
Boston Symphony Orchestra
BEETHOVEN
Extracts from Creatures of Prometheus
SANDERS THEATRE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, 8 MARCH 1960
Symphony No.4
SANDERS THEATRE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, 18 APRIL 1961
Symphony No.5
SANDERS THEATRE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
3 NOVEMBER 1959
Access to the publicly broadcast BSO concerts from this era has been extremely difficult even for researchers. This series of DVDs will make these performances available for the first time since they were
broadcast. Munch launched the BSO into television in 1955. He was an immensely popular conductor and well suited to being filmed.
This material represents some of the earliest televised concerts with the Boston Symphony and Charles Munch, and has been restored using the greatest care and state-of-the-art techniques. It is of exceptional musical interest and historical value. This performance of extracts from The Creatures of Prometheus is a rare one, Munch having only conducted the ballet at the BSO in one season (four performances in total).
In addition to the overture, Munch added two further movements from the ballet, which are not performed as frequently. According to Richard Dyer, Munch’s performance of the Fourth Symphony is both
fiery and fun, gracious and exhilarating. The fifth symphony perfectly encompasses Munch’s exuberance and panache.
Reviews of Munch’s audio recordings:
“Charles Munch is not the first conductor one associates with Beethoven’s symphonies, but excellent, privately issued French broadcast recordings from the 1960s show him to have been a strong, vigorous Beethovenian. [...]
The Fifth benefits from fleet tempos, tight ensemble, and punchy attacks, with the woodwinds nicely cutting through the string centered sonority. [...] It’s a fine performance comparable to the early 1960s Karajan, but with greater textural variety.” James Reel, Classics
Today.com, re. CM/BSO (05/02/1955) “[this performance is] impressive for [its] drive and technical brilliance”. Edward Greenfield., Gramophone, re Creatures of Prometheus (re RCA S136508, 10/62)
Sound format: LCPM mono
Picture format: 4:3
Running time: 83’
Subtitles: n/a
Menu languages: English
Booklet languages: E/F/G
Region code: 0
ICAClassics DVD ICAD5016
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