Cheap Fritz Busch (Music) (Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, Carl Maria von Weber, Franz Joseph Haydn, Richard Strauss, Fritz Busch, Alberto Medici, Leo Hansen) Price

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Customer Reviews of Fritz Busch

CD1 here contains Beethoven's Leonore III (DSRO "live" 1950), Mozart's "Linz" Symphony (DSRO 1949), Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony (DSRO "live" 1950 - from the same concert as the Leonore III), and Brahms' "Tragic Overture" (DSRO "live" 1950).

This is a fine Leonore, although it really "takes off" only in the closing pages. It is already available in a better transfer on Vol. 20 of DG's "Historic Beethoven" set - so its inclusion here is somewhat redundant. The "Linz" has long been my favorite recording of the work, just ahead of Scherchen, Koussevitzky, Otterloo and Matzerath. It's also a fine transfer - but I wish that room had been found here for its original HMV LP discmate - a superb Haydn #88.

This "Italian" is my desert island choice. While I also admire the early Koussevitzky and the Toscanini, Busch's reading has more sensible tempos - and the string playing is incredibly lyrical throughout. The Brahms "Tragic" is wonderfully weighty and ruminative - it's one of my favorite readings, along with those by Hans Knappertsbusch (M&A), Fritz Lehmann (Decca LP), Otto Matzerath (Webster LP), and Willem Mengelberg (Naxos).

CD2 opens with Weber's "Der Freischutz" Overture (DSRO 1948), and is followed by Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante (1951 DSRO), Brahms' 2nd Symphony (DSRO 1947), and Richard Strauss's "Don Juan" (1936 London Philharmonic).

This Weber is a fine reading, but it strikes me as a little reticent when compared with the Kleiber and Furtwangler. Busch's Brahms Symphony #2 is a MAGNIFICENT reading. I feel it is the finest "classical" account of the score - it ranks with Furtwangler ("live" 1952 BPO on EMI) and Schuricht/VPO (London LP) as one of the three greatest interpretations ever. Busch studied conducting at the Cologne Conservatory with Fritz Steinbach, who was reputed to be Brahms' favorite conductor of his symphonies, and this account is probably similar to what Brahms so admired. I happen to have a rather sentimental attachment here: my piano teacher from 1955 to 1964 was that conductor's great niece Gretchen Steinbach. I should add that the fine Swiss conductor Peter Maag was Steinbach's great nephew. Busch was also regarded as one of the greatest Strauss conductors - and this "Don Juan" certainly confirms that perception (sadly, it has the poorest sound in this set).

This is one of the few entries in the "Great Conductors" series that displays a representative cross-section of a maestro's art in well-selected performances. But if given a say in the matter, I would have skipped the Leonore, Freitschutz and Sinfonia Concertante in favor of that regal Haydn #88. And that would have left enough room for the stupendous "live" 1942 NY Phil. Beethoven Violin Concerto, which featured the conductor's brother Adolf Busch as soloist. To my ears, it is the only recorded account that rivals the classic 1932 Szigeti/Walter. But regardless of my quibbles, this wonderful 2-disc Busch set is utterly indispensable.

Great Conductors of 20th Century = Best Reissues of the 21st
It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more notice on Amazon and in other places, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances!

This particular CD, Volume 5, features the great conductor Fritz Busch, brother of the equally great violinist and composer Adolf Busch. As F. Busch died in 1951 before the dawn of the stereo age, the performances presented here are all in mono but don't let that disappoint you. Busch was a master of the German repertoire, but he was forced to take these talents on the road when he was ousted from the Dresden Philharmonic in 1933, thus fleeing Nazi Germany. He spent the war years in a variety of locales, but the concentration of his remaining years was in Copenhagen with the Danish State RSO. All but one of the tracks on this collection document that partnership with brilliant performances of Mozart's "Linz," Mendelssohn's "Italian" and Brahms' 2nd Symphonies, in addition to Beethoven, Brahms and Weber Overtures, and Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante. The final performance is of Strauss' Don Juan with the London Philharmonic, the disc's only pre-WWII recording.

Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances previously unreleased on CD (or ever!) doesn't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor may not be in your collection, and that would truly be a shame.