Born in Vienna in April 1902, the cheery-looking Josef Krips seems to have been pre-destined to achieve eminence in the Viennese classics. He recorded with both the Wiener Philharmoniker and the key London orchestras for Decca in the 1940s, 50s and 60s and the interpretations have genuine expressive power while remaining devoid of exaggeration or affectation. Two of Schubert’s best-loved and most-played symphonies are here coupled and both have been considered benchmarks in their recorded history. The Eighth with the Wiener Philharmoniker was Krips’s last recording for Decca. This issue forms part of a series of five reissues devoted to the art of Josef Krips.
SCHUBERT
Symphony No. 9 in C major, D.944 ‘Great’
London Symphony Orchestra
Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D.759 ‘Unfinished’
Wiener Philharmoniker
Josef Krips
Recording Producers: Ray Minshull (Symphony No. 9); Christopher Raeburn (Symphony No. 8)
Balance Engineers: Kenneth Wilkinson (Symphony No. 9); Colin Moorfoot (Symphony No. 8)
Recording Locations: Kingsway Hall, London, May 1958 (Symphony No. 9); Sofiensaal, Vienna, Austria, March 1969 (Symphony No. 8)
*** ROSETTE ‘an unforced, flowing and wonderfully satisfying performance [of Symphony No. 8] … the Ninth […] has long being counted as one his very finest records, perhaps the finest … unforced spontaneity … The playing is polished, yet flexible, dramatically strong … this is a Schubert coupling to treasure’ (Penguin Guide)
‘This is a splendid Great C major; classical in conception and full of propulsive energy’ (Gramophone)
‘echt-Viennese’ (Symphony No. 8) (Gramophone)