The Struggle for Perfection Continued from Page 84

The Struggle for Perfection Continued from page 84

of La Traviata under the baton of Tullio Serafin flits by the microphone. Everything is solemn and (at one time given as a bonus with Capitol GCR everyone seems very much in earnest. Dealing with 7221 or SGCR 7221) seems tame. Apart from a those recitatives, whose contour Toscanini shaped so rather pointless argument at (rather than with) a skillfully, Karajan asks for contrast above all, es- luckless clarinetist, the disc is largely made up of pecially between the staccato notes and the plain uneventful Verdi accompaniments, over which Sera - ones: "Es muss ein grösserer Unterschied zwischen fin's falsetto solfège rapidly palls. The same opera, dem Staccato and dem anderen sein, die einen sind

however, can be heard as prepared by another, and zu verwaschen and die anderen viel zu kurz. . . . a master's, hand-that of Arturo Toscanini (avail- ( "There should be more of a distinction between the able through a contribution of $25 or more to Mu- staccato notes and the others; the former are too sicians Foundation, Inc., c/o Clyde Burrows, 131 colorless and the latter much too short...." ) Riverside Dr., New York, N.Y. 10024). Toscanini He asks too for a singing timbre, of dreamlike goes carefully through the familiar passages - quality. This kind of Teutonic abstraction usually "Seanpre libera" must be in tempo with lots of life, infuriates English and American players, who prefer and this it possesses in abundance, especially when to be told whether to play loud, soft, or mezzo - the Maestro himself sings. Soloists are present, but piano, but there is no doubt whatever about the the orchestra is not yet perfect, and he continues to splendid results of Karajan's frantically detailed sing when they reach "De miei bollenti spiriti," analysis of every note in a phrase. Of the great D adding afterwards that the orchestra must be "like major theme, every shade of meaning in its stepwise the best pianist." In the process of rehearsing the progression is discussed and tried out, first this way, duet for Germont and Violetta, Toscanini sings or then that: "aus dem D herauswachsen lassen, and hums both parts, and still finds fault with the or- dann wieder zurück die Verbindung von D nach E chestra. He probably knew the term Notenfresser, muss weicher sein; aber den Schwerpunkt schon auf for he tells the musicians (in Italian) that they das E legen." ( "Let the [tone] grow out of the D, gobble notes with the appetite of street musicians. and then back again: the connection between D and Invective was a necessary ingredient in Toscanini's E must be softer, but place the center of gravity rehearsal technique, just as quips and anecdotes were already on the E. ") When the return of the Adagio in Beecham's; and in their different ways the two is reached, great pains are taken with the balance conductors usually achieved the same polished result. of the divided violas and cellos, and the orchestra is constantly under fire for failing to observe the exact point at which a crescendo or decrescendo IN HIS WHITE -HOT preparation of Beethoven's begins. The entire rehearsal is an object lesson in Choral Symphony, Toscanini spends what seems to extreme and conscientious thoroughness, and the re- be an inordinate amount of time on the recitative ward is evident in a complete performance of the last

passages for cellos and double basses. Everything part of the finale ( from the Presto, meas. 208) . must sound magnificent, monumental, spontaneous; A Gallic view of the Choral Symphony comes and by dint of drilling his men, he eventually molds with the Monteux recording on the Westminster label that entire section of the finale into an unforgettable (XWN 2234 or WST 234), and though rumor has musical experience. In the main, Toscanini's attitude it that the conductor didn't know the rehearsal was is passionate rather than analytical. Quite the reverse being taped and felt somewhat unhappy about its is that of Herbert von Karajan, who can be heard release, the fact remains that his remarks are clearly rehearsing the same symphony in "Herbert von audible and make for enjoyable as well as instructive Kajaran bei der Probe belauscht" (a special disc at listening. He is particularly concerned with crisp- one time available as Deutsche Grammophon ness of rhythm in the Scherzo, taking the strings 004300). Unlike the Toscanini record, which in- over their individual entries time and time again cludes a running commentary by Marcia Davenport until perfection is achieved. The workout he gives in English, DGG's offering is in German from start to the first and third movements proves how sensi- to finish (and in a rapid, guttural, sotto -voce kind of tive the late maestro was to subtleties of balance and German which might tax the powers of compre- to the preservation of rhythmic strength. hension of even a native German), but admirers of Franz Liszt, talking of the art of conducting, Karajan's Beethoven cycle will probably find it once said, "We are pilots, not drillmasters." Yet well worth searching out. Certainly, much of the even Liszt would have admitted that the French nervous intensity of the conductor's personality word for rehearsal -répéter-expresses the basic emerges from his rehearsal procedure. need in the struggle for perfection which these con- Karajan talks a great deal, and the musicians ductors so well recognize. Sometimes, at least, the listen attentively, only rarely interrupting when some result is a great performance, whose myriad features necessary question has to be asked. There are no fuse into an indestructible musical alloy, unique jokes. Once, and once only, a spectral laugh or two and splendid.

90 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE