Igor Markevitch’s complete recordings for Philips, made between 1959 and 1968, including several recordings new to CD.
Igor Markevitch made his debut on the Philips label in 1959 with a pair of symphonies by Haydn, conducting the Parisian Lamoureux Orchestra, whose fortunes he had begun to revive two years previously. He had embarked on a full-time career as a conductor less than 15 years earlier, having been one of the most original voices of European music before the war. Yet he switched from composition studio to podium with the apparent ease and brilliance that marked everything else this polymath did: fluent in many languages, author of several books, teacher of conducting almost as soon as he had made it his own career, director of ensembles on both sides of the Atlantic, from Montreal and Havana to Madrid and Rome.
His decade of association with the Dutch label produced meticulously prepared performances of the widest range of repertoire: no other conductor can yet claim to have recorded both Victoria’s Magnificat and Tchaikovsky’s 1812. There are concertos by Mozart, Beethoven and Falla with Clara Haskil, whom Markevitch saw play Schumann at the very first concert he attended as a nine-year-old. The Lamoureux association also produced French-accented Beethoven and naturally idiomatic Bizet, but once that came to an acrimonious end in 1961, he began to make records in Moscow (vocal works by Brahms, Kodaly, Mussorgsky, Tcherepnin and Verdi, including a famously intense version of the Requiem) and London: his Tchaikovsky cycle with the LSO (1962-7, including one of the first ever complete recordings of Manfred) soon became a staple of the Philips catalogue.
Early in his career, Markevitch became renowned as an interpreter of his fellow Russo-French émigré, Stravinsky: a sympathy represented here by an authentically devotional, Russian recording of the Symphony of Psalms (long unavailable on Philips, like much else here), a French-made complete Soldier’s Tale with Jean Cocteau and Peter Ustinov, and LSO recordings of Apollon musagète and the small orchestral suites.
Further rarities include a disc of children’s music (Bizet and Leopold Mozart) with the USSR State SO and the Spanish recordings made in the late 1960s, marking the end of his Philips contract. Having become music director of the Spanish Radio and TV orchestra in 1966, he recorded two albums of zarzuela highlights and surveys of choral music from Victoria to Mompou and Halffter, as well as more familiar repertoire by Granados, Albeníz and Falla – much of it appearing for the first time on CD in this set. With original covers and a new essay by Peter Quantrill, the set presents a new and compelling case for a 20th-century genius to whom almost nothing was foreign.
CD 1
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732–1809)
1–4 Symphony No. 103 in E flat major, H.I:103 ‘Drum Roll’*
5–8 Symphony No. 104 in D major, H.I:104 ‘London’*
Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
CARL MARIA VON WEBER (1786–1826)
9 Preciosa – Overture, Op. 78, J.279
Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTV Española
*FIRST INTERNATIONAL CD RELEASE ON DECCA
CD 2
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791)
1–3 Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, KV 466
4–6 Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, KV 491
Clara Haskil, piano
Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
CD 3
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
1–4 Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21*
5–8 Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67*
9–12 Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93*
Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
*FIRST INTERNATIONAL CD RELEASE ON DECCA
CD 4
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
1–4 Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ‘Choral’*
Hilde Gueden, soprano
Aafje Heynis, contralto
Fritz Uhl, tenor
Heinz Rehfuss, baritone
Oratorienchor Karlsruhe
Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
*FIRST INTERNATIONAL CD RELEASE ON DECCA
CD 5
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
1–3 Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810–1849)
4–6 Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
Clara Haskil, piano
Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
CD 6
ALBAN BERG (1885–1935)
1–2 Violin Concerto ‘To the Memory of an Angel’
Arthur Grumiaux, violin
Concertgebouworkest
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897)
3 Tragic Overture, Op. 81
4 Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53
ZOLTÁN KODÁLY (1882–1967)
5 Psalmus Hungaricus, Op. 13
Irina Arkhipova, contralto (Alto Rhapsody)
Róbert Ilosfalvy, tenor (Psalmus Hungaricus)
Russian State Academy Choir
USSR State Symphony Orchestra
CD 7
GEORGES BIZET (1838–1875)
1–5 Carmen – Suite No. 1
6–10 Carmen – Suite No. 2
11–14 L’Arlésienne – Suite No. 1
15–17 L’Arlésienne – Suite No. 2
Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
CD 8
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
1–4 Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13, TH.24 ‘Winter Daydreams’
5–8 Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17, TH.25 ‘Little Russian’
London Symphony Orchestra
CD 9
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
1–5 Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29, TH.26 ‘Polish’
London Symphony Orchestra
6 Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32, TH.46
New Philharmonia Orchestra
CD 10
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
1–4 Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36, TH.27
5 Hamlet, Op. 67
London Symphony Orchestra
New Philharmonia Orchestra
CD 11
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
1–4 Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64, TH.29
London Symphony Orchestra
CD 12
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
1–4 Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, TH.30 ‘Pathétique’
London Symphony Orchestra
CD 13
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
1–4 Manfred Symphony, Op. 58, TH.28
London Symphony Orchestra
CD 14
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844–1908)
1–5 Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34
6–9 Scheherazade, Op. 35
Erich Gruenberg, solo violin
London Symphony Orchestra
CD 15
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
1 Ouverture solennelle ‘1812,’ Op. 49
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844–1908)
2 Russian Easter Festival, Overture, Op. 36
ALEXANDER BORODIN (1833–1887)
3 Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor)
Netherlands Radio Chorus (Borodin)
Concertgebouworkest
CD 16
IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)
1–10 Apollon musagète (1947 version)
11–14 Suite No. 1 for Small Orchestra
15–18 Suite No. 2 for Small Orchestra
19–22 Four Norwegian Moods
23 Circus Polka for a Young Elephant
London Symphony Orchestra
CD 17
IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)
1–24 L’Histoire du Soldat
Jean Cocteau, Jean-Marie Fertey, Peter Ustinov, narrators
Manoug Parikian, violin
Joachim Gut, double bass
Ulysse Delécluse, clarinet · Henri Helaerts, bassoon
Maurice André, trumpet · Roland Schnorkh, trombone
Charles Peschier, percussion
25–27 Symphonie de Psaumes
Boys’ and Male Voices of the Russian State Academic Choir
Russian State Academy Orchestra
CD 18
MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839–1881)
Orch. Markevitch
1 Cradle Song
2 The Magpie
3 Night
4 Where art thou, little star?
5 The Ragamuffin
6 On The Dnieper
Galina Vishnevskaya, soprano
NIKOLAI TCHEREPNIN (1873–1945)
7–13 Tàti-Tàti*
Olga Rostropovich, piano
LEOPOLD MOZART (1719–1787)
14–16 Toy Symphony (Cassation in G major for Orchestra and Toys)°
GEORGES BIZET (1838–1875)
17–21 Jeux d’enfants – Petite Suite, Op. 22°
Children’s Ensemble of the Moscow School of Music (Toy Symphony)
USSR State Symphony Orchestra
*FIRST CD RELEASE ON DECCA
°FIRST INTERNATIONAL CD RELEASE ON DECCA
CD 19
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813–1901)
1 La forza del destino – Sinfonia
2 Macbeth – Ballet Music (Act III)
3 La traviata – Prelude (Act I)
4 Luisa Miller – Overture
5 Aida – Overture
6 Giovanna d’Arco – Overture
7 La traviata – Prelude (Act III)
8 I vespri siciliani – Overture
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Messa da Requiem*
beginning
9–10 Requiem et Kyrie
CD 20
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813–1901)
1–19 Messa da Requiem*
conclusion
Galina Vishnevskaya, soprano
Nina Isakova, mezzo-soprano
Vladimir Ivanovsky, tenor
Ivan Petrov, bass
Russian State Academy Choir
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
*FIRST STEREO CD RELEASE ON CD
CD 21
FEDERICO MOMPOU (1893–1987)
1–8 Los Improperios
Peter Christoph Runge, baritone
Orquesta Sinfónica y Coros de la RTV Española
Alberto Blancafort, chorus master
TOMÁS LUIS DE VICTORIA (c. 1548–1611)
9 Ave Maria
10 Vexilla regis
Escolania de nuestra Señora del Buen Retiro
César Sanchez, Maestro de la Escolanía
Coro de la RTV Española
Alberto Blancafort, chorus master
PADRE JAIME FERRER (1762–1824)
11–16 Lamentación 1a
Ángeles Chamorro, soprano
Norma Lerer, contralto
Julian Molina, tenor
Orquesta Sinfónica y Coros de la RTV Española
CD 22
TOMÁS LUIS DE VICTORIA (c. 1548–1611)
1–8 Magnificat primi toni
Coro de la RTV Española
Alberto Blancafort, chorus master
ÓSCAR ESPLÁ Y TRIAY (1886–1976)
9–12 De Profundis
Ángeles Chamorro, soprano
Ines Rivadeneyra, mezzo-soprano
Carlo del Monte, tenor
Antonio Blancas, baritone
Orquesta Sinfónica y Coros de la RTV Española
Alberto Blancafort, chorus master
ERNESTO HALFFTER (1905–1989)
13 Canticum in P.P. Johannem XXIII*
IGNACIO RAMONEDA (1735–1781)
14 Veni Creator*
Ángeles Chamorro, soprano
Antonio Blancas, baritone
Orquesta Sinfónica y Coros de la RTV Española
Alberto Blancafort, chorus master
*FIRST CD RELEASE ON DECCA
CD 23
MANUEL DE FALLA (1876–1946)
1–7 Siete Canciones populares españolas*
Orchestrated by Igor Markevitch
ISAAC ALBÉNIZ (1860–1909)
8 Catalonia°
ERNESTO HALFFTER (1905–1989)
9 Fanfare (a la memoria de Enrique Granados)*
ENRIQUE GRANADOS (1867–1916)
10 Spanish Dance, Op. 37 No. 9 ‘Romantica’°
11 Spanish Dance, Op. 37 No. 4 ‘Villanesca’°
12 Intermezzo (from Goyescas)°
13 Zapateado (from Six Pieces on Spanish Folksongs)°
14 Spanish Dance, Op. 37 No. 8 ‘Asturiana’°
Ángeles Chamorro, soprano (Falla)
Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTV Española
*FIRST CD RELEASE ON DECCA
°FIRST INTERNATIONAL CD RELEASE ON DECCA
CD 24
MANUEL DE FALLA (1876–1946)
1–3 Noches en los jardines de España
Clara Haskil, piano
Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
4–16 El amor brujo
EMMANUEL CHABRIER (1841–1894)
17 España – rapsodie pour orchestre
MAURICE RAVEL (1875–1937)
18 Boléro
Ines Rivadeneyra, contralto (El amor brujo)
Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTV Española
CD 25
ANTOLOGIA DE LA ZARZUELA*
GERÓNIMO GIMÉNEZ (1854–1923)
1–3 La Tempranica (excerpts)
AMADEO VIVES (1871–1932)
4–5 Doña Francisquita (excerpts)
GERÓNIMO GIMÉNEZ (1854–1923)
6 El baile de Luis Alonso: Intermedio
VICENTE LLEÓ BALBASTRE (1870–1922)
7 La corte de Faraón: Son las mujeres de Babilonia – ¡Ay ba!
PABLO LUNA (1879–1942)
8–10 El Niño Judio (excerpts)
TOMÁS BRETÓN (1850–1923)
11–13 La Verbena de la Paloma (excerpts)
Ángeles Chamorro, Alicia de la Victoria, sopranos · Norma Lerer, contralto
Angel Custodio, Gregorio Gil, Carlo del Monte, tenors
Rafael Enderis, baritone
Julio Catania, Jesus Coiras, José Granados, Antonio Lagar, José Le Matt, basses
Coro y Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTV Española
Alberto Blancafort, chorus master
CD 26
MANUEL PENELLA (1880–1939)
1 El Gato Montés: Pasadoble
FRANCISCO ALONSO (1887–1948)
2 La Calesera: Dice el Rey que le debe guardar
RUPERTO CHAPÍ Y LORENTE (1851–1909)
3–4 La Revoltosa (excerpts)
FEDERICO CHUECA (1846–1908)
5 Agua, Azucarillos y Aguardiente: Vivimos en la Ronda de Embajadores
GERÓNIMO GIMÉNEZ (1854–1923)
6 La Tempranica: Zapateado
7 La boda de Luis Alonso: Intermedio
RUPERTO CHAPÍ Y LORENTE (1851–1909)
8 El tambor de Granaderos: Preludio
FRANCISCO ASENJO BARBIERI (1823–1894)
9–11 El barberillo de Lavapiés (excerpts)
RUPERTO CHAPI Y LORENTE (1851–1909)
12 El Rey que Rabio: Coro de doctores
GERÓNIMO GIMÉNEZ (1854–1923)
13 Enseñanza Libre: Gavota
MANUEL FERNANDEZ-CABALLERO (1835–1906)
14 Gigantes y Cabezudos: Jota
Ángeles Chamorro, Alicia de la Victoria, sopranos · Norma Lerer, contralto
Carlo del Monte, José Antonio Viñe, tenors · Antonio Lagar, bass
Orquesta Sinfónica y Coros de la RTV Española
Alberto Blancafort, chorus master
IGOR MARKEVITCH
*FIRST COMPLETE RELEASE ON CD OF ‘ANTOLOGIA DE LA ZARZUELA’
STEREO RECORDINGS
CD 1
Recordings: La Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France, 10–23 December 1959 (Haydn); Cinema Monumental, Madrid, Spain, October 1966 (Weber)
Original Philips Releases: 835 038 (Haydn); 6580 064 (Weber)
CD 2
Recording Producer: Vittorio Negri
Balance Engineers: Henk Jansen, Willem van Leeuwen
Recording Location: La Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France, 14–18 November 1960
Original Philips Release: 835 075
CD 3
Recordings: La Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France, October 1959 (Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8), October 1960 (Symphony No. 1)
Original Philips Releases: 835 087–088 (Symphony No. 1, released as a 2-LP set coupled with Symphony No. 9); 835 034 (Symphonies Nos. 5, 8)
CD 4
Recordings: La Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France, 20 January–2 February 1961
Original Philips Release: 835 087–88 (released as a 2-LP set coupled with Symphony No. 1)
CD 5
Recordings: La Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France, 1 December 1959 (Beethoven), 3–4 October 1960 (Chopin)
Original Philips Releases: 835 040 (Beethoven); 835 072 (Chopin)
CD 6
Recording Producers: Volker Straus (Berg); unknown (Brahms, Kodály)
Balance Engineers: Ko Witteveen (Berg); unknown (Brahms, Kodály)
Recording Locations: Moscow, Russia, 1963 (Brahms, Kodály); Grote Zaal, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 23–25 January 1967 (Berg)
Original Philips Releases: 802 785 (Berg); 835 734 (Brahms, Kodály)
CD 7
Recordings: La Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France, 30 May–10 June 1960
Original Philips Release: 835 039
CD 8
Recording Producer & Balance Engineer: Vittorio Negri
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 6–12 March 1965 (Symphony No. 2), 16–19 February 1966 (Symphony No. 1)
Original Philips Releases: 802 702 (Symphony No. 1); 835 390 (Symphony No. 2)
CD 9
Recording Producer: Vittorio Negri
Balance Engineers: Ko Witteveen, Vittorio Negri (Symphony No. 3); Vittorio Negri (Francesca da Rimini)
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 3–6 March 1965 (Symphony No. 3), 6, 7 & 9 June 1967 (Francesca da Rimini)
Original Philips Releases: 835 327 (Symphony No. 3); 802 840 (Francesca da Rimini)
CD 10
Recording Producer & Balance Engineer: Vittorio Negri
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 19–21 October 1963 (Symphony No. 4), 6, 7 & 9 June 1967 (Hamlet)
Original Philips Releases: 835 249 (Symphony No. 4); 802 840 (Hamlet)
CD 11
Recording Producer & Balance Engineer: Vittorio Negri
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 19–25 February 1966
Original Philips Release: 802 703
CD 12
Recording Producer & Balance Engineer: Vittorio Negri
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 9, 11 & 12 January 1962
Original Philips Release: 835 126
CD 13
Recording Producer: Vittorio Negri
Balance Engineers: Vittorio Negri, Tony Buczynski
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 1, 2, 13 & 14 November 1963
Original Philips Release: 835 250
CD 14
Recording Producer & Balance Engineer: Vittorio Negri
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 20–22 October 1962
Original Philips Release: 835 160
CD 15
Recording Producer: Jaap van Ginneken
Balance Engineers: Gerard Janszen, Ko Witteveen
Recording Location: Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 15–17 September 1964
Original Philips Release: 835 302
CD 16
Recording Producer & Balance Engineer: Vittorio Negri
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 17, 18, 26 & 30 October 1963 (Apollon musagète, Suites Nos. 1 & 2, Four Norwegian Moods), 14 November 1963 (Circus Polka)
Original Philips Release: 835 255
CD 17
Recordings: Théâtre de Vevey, Switzerland, October 1962 (L’Histoire du Soldat); Moscow, Russia, October 1962 (Symphonie de Psaumes)
Original Philips Releases: 835 181 (L’Histoire du Soldat); 835 120 (Symphonie de Psaumes)
CD 18
Recordings: Moscow, Russia, October 1962 (Mussorgsky), 29 December 1965 (Tcherepnin, Leopold Mozart, Bizet)
Original Philips Releases: 835 120 (Mussorgsky); 835 753 (Tcherepnin, Leopold Mozart, Bizet)
CD 19
Recording Producer & Balance Engineer: Vittorio Negri
Recording Location: Wembley Town Hall, London, UK, 16–18 October 1967
Original Philips Release: 839 575
CD 20
Recording Location: Moscow, Russia, 1960
Original Philips Release: G 03096-97 L
CD 21
Recordings: Cinema Monumental, Madrid, Spain, October 1966 (Victoria), 18 October–2 November 1968 (Mompou, Ferrer)
Original Philips Release: 839 776
CD 22
Recordings: Cinema Monumental, Madrid, Spain, 10–24 October 1966
Original Philips Release: 802 779
CD 23
Recordings: Cinema Monumental, Madrid, Spain, 18 October–2 November 1968
Original Philips Release: 839 775
CD 24
Recordings: La Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France, 3–4 October 1960 (Falla: Noches en los jardines de España); Cinema Monumental, Madrid, Spain, 11–24 October 1966 (Falla: El amor brujo, Chabrier, Ravel)
Original Philips Releases: 835 072 (Falla: Noches en los jardines de España); 802 783 (Falla: El amor brujo, Chabrier, Ravel)
CD 25 – CD 26
Recordings: Cinema Monumental, Madrid, Spain, October 1967
Original Philips Release: 802 716–7
‘Markevitch has the Lamoureux Orchestra playing both deftly in swiftly light passages and strongly in the big tuttis. And he is good at his Haydn, not only in getting this sort of playing but in responding to the composer’s subtleties.’ Gramophone, September 1968 (Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 103 & 104)
‘The LSO play for all they are worth, and Markevitch elicits a buoyant, dancing interpretation that suits the work to a T.’ Music and Musicians (Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3)
‘Can easily be placed right at the top of the list of current recordings.’ Records and Recording (Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4)
‘Easily the most completely recommendable version in the catalogue.’ Gramophone (Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5)
‘This whole fine achievement is backed up by a superb recording: this is one of the very best versions of the Pathétique.’ Audio and Record Review (Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6)
‘The new, uncut Manfred… is likely to remain at the top of the list for a long time.’ The Times (Tchaikovsky: Manfred)
‘One is always conscious of an underlying intellectuality and an unfailing grasp of musical structure. One is also aware of a vast knowledge of how the orchestra works: textures are clear and detailed, climaxes are always prepared and executed with absolute mastery. Even when Markevitch is most severe, however, his ballet experience is very much in evidence: the music is invariably paced and inflected in such a way that it breathes freely.’ High Fidelity, August 1968 (Tchaikovsky complete set)
‘A graceful performance … Mme. Haskil’s nimbleness and refinement of tone belie her considerable years, and Markevitch is an alert collaborator.’ Stereo Review, January 1961 (Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.3)
‘A most distinguished performance … orchestral playing of such beauty, even by LSO standards … Markevitch must get his share of praise for, apart from his actual interpretation (which is admirable), the orchestra could only play like this under the right sort of conductor.’ Gramophone, January 1964 (Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade)
‘This is a rather unexpected work in which to find Clara Haskil as the soloist, but she brings to it the refinement and sensitivity that made her one of the world’s leading Mozart interpreters.’ The Times, July 1961 (Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain)
‘I can’t imagine a better performance; certainly, I’ve never heard one. Markevitch supplies one of his very best accompaniments, and he is one of the very best accompanists I know.’ Stereo Review, November 1968 (Berg: Violin Concerto)
‘For anyone who is nervous of Stravinsky’s music I can’t imagine a better introduction to it than this admirably contrasted programme.’ Gramophone, January 1965 (Stravinsky, Apollo, Suites etc)
‘[The record’s] special quality, the reason for its Russian-ness, is its fervent intensity.’ Gramophone, September 1963 (Stravinsky and Mussorgsky)
‘Markevitch’s version of El amor brujo combines striking vitality with atmosphere, and the Spanish orchestra emphasises the local colour.’ Gramophone, August 1981
‘The Lamoureux orchestra is on excellent form … while Markevitch secures the most vivid and committed response throughout … The Philips recording is also superior and I enjoyed it in every way.’ Gramophone, August 1982 (Bizet: Carmen suites)