First CD release of 1954 live Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto

[charlesb]

According to the Japanese HMV website, a previously unreleased live recording of the Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto will be released on 30th June 2018. The soloist is Takahiro Sonoda and the performance was recorded on 7th April 1954 at Karajan's first concert in Japan, with the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

The 2CD set also includes Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony with the same orchestra (recorded on 21st April 1954). The symphony was previously released some years ago on CD by DGG in Japan.

www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Tchaikovsky-1840-1893_000000000018904/item_Tchaikovsky-Symphony-No-6-Beethoven-Piano-Concerto-No-4-Herbert-von-Karajan-NHK-Symphony-Orchestra-Takahiro-Sonoda-P-1954-2CD_8824117

[philharmonie]

Thank you, Charles, I have just ordered. Best wishes Tilo

[charlesb]

According to the www.hmv.co.jp website, these CDs have now been released, a few days earlier than the original release date.

The HMV site says the version with the Beethoven concerto is a limited edition, so if you are thinking of buying it, you need to act quickly and make sure that you are getting the 2 CD version. Several Japanese websites are advertising the 2 CD set (including Amazon and Tower) and the CDs are also being offered on Ebay.

The Japanese HMV website is also listing 2 new CD releases of Karajan 1960's live performances in Paris. Beethoven's 8th and 9th Symphonies from 26th April 1960 will be released ( www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Beethoven-1770-1827_000000000034571/item_Symphonies-Nos-8-9-Herbert-von-Karajan-Berlin-Philharmonic-1960-Paris-Monaural-2CD_8923116 ) and also a concert including Locatelli's Concerto Grosso opus 4 number 10 and Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" from 9th April 1962 will be issued ( www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Strauss-Richard-1864-1949_000000000019384/item_R-Strauss-Zarathustra-Schubert-Symphony-No-8-Locatelli-etc-Herbert-von-Karajan-Vienna-Philharmonic-1962-Paris-Stereo-2CD_8923117 ). The Beethoven CDs are mono but the 1962 concert is listed as a stereo recording.

[charlesb]

I received the CDs yesterday. I have not had a chance to hear them yet. However, Barty says of the Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto "It is a pity that the Japanese company saw fit to filter the recording so heavily. This comes out especially in the 2nd movement where the Tutti passages sound like they have been strained through a wet sock. The filters are so heavy, it is possible to hear them cut in every time the strings enter in full."

If you managed to get the concerto recording, I hope you enjoy it.

[barty]

As for the Tchaikovsky 6 of 21 April 1954 which has been issued i can report the following.

I find the Tchaikovsky also a little over filtered, although nothing like as intrusive as the Beethoven.

However there is a very serious anomaly -

1) New Issue - third bar - the Bassoon breaks the sustained note(dry mouth - the double reed refuses to sound) then carries on - this is not apparent on the old Japanese DG issue. As there was only one performance on this tour in 1954, it must be digital editing on the old DG issue to cover the mistake. I suspect that they have used the bars 7-8-9 twice or have splice in the opening six bars from another performance. I tend to favour the former.

The sound of the new issue is fuller than the DG - it is most definitely the same performance -Anyone who has the old DG CD can easily compare the two beginnings and then  listen at 11.00 minutes for the great timpani crash followed by the brass chorale a few bars later(there is a false entry from a trumpet who immediately stops) this is the same on both versions.

So to sum up - great new sound - anomaly of the Bassoon break in the third bar - the new issue is very much "in your face" and all the better for that.
The case of the Bassoon break is only a problem for the old DG Japan CD as obviously this new CD has been issued as the performance was "warts and all".
Well worth getting.