Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 „Choral“ London Symphony Orchestra/Josef Krips, Conductor/BBC Chorus/Leslie Woodgate, Chorus Master Jennifer Vyvyan, Soprano Shirley Carter (Verrett), Mezzo-Soprano Rudolf Petrak, Tenor / Donaldson Bell, Bass 1 I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso 16:03 2 II. Molto vivace 09:44 3 III. Adagio molto e cantabile 15:01 4 IV. Presto – Allegro assai – Choral Finale 24:39 JOSEF KRIPS conducting the London “In the Ninth Symphony, Beethoven cre- tones ... “ In effect: away with the conflict, Symphony Orchestra ated his most masterful structure. His con- away with the memory of pain and of death – ception reveals its staggering grandeur from “Let us raise our voices in pleasing and more BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO.9 the very first, in the way he arrives at the joyful sounds!” Each time I conduct this WITH FINAL CHORUS ON SCHILLER’S opening theme – the fifth step of the scale, music I experience it anew as something that “ODE TO JOY,” Op.125 the first step, then down subdominant and is ineffably complete in itself. In the other so on, like open triads. These notes begin symphonies, Beethoven speaks of redemp- Soloists: JENNIFER VYVYAN • the struggle of life and death, and for the tion through freedom, through nature, SHIRLEY CARTER • RUDOLPH first two movements Beethoven is engaged through the conquest of fate, through divine PETRACK • DONALD BELL • BBC in mortal combat. When I conduct the sec- gaiety and the boundless energies of the CHORUS • Chorus Master: LESLIE ond movement, I cannot escape the sen- dance, but here the theme is man’s deliver- WOODGATE sation that death itself is staring over my ance through joy. shoulder. Even the Presto brings no relief; for all its sweetness it is only a spectre that Josef Krips flickers briefly across the scene. In the third movement Beethoven approaches his end. Death knocks at the door with trumpets, and Beethoven refuses, in the violins. His answer Following is an excerpt from is “no” until the very last movement. But Time Magazine of August 17, 1962: at the close of this movement he meets his inevitable death. For decades I have felt it in The conductor appeared transformed by just this way. For me the finale simply does the music. His body swayed on the podium; not take place here on earth. It is dangerous his moon face was pop-eyed with pleasure. to talk so specifically about one’s personal Occasionally, listeners close to the stage visions, but in my mind’s eye, I see quite could hear him snort with excitement. At clearly the instant in which Beethoven enters Manhattan’s Lewisohn Stadium, Conductor Heaven. The finale tells me of his arrival, and Josef Krips gave agile proof that he is how all of Heaven stands still at his presence. descended from a long line of conductors of Significantly enough, Beethoven no longer the Viennese school, a special breed that has found sufficient means within the orchestra all but disappeared from the world’s concert to tell us all he wanted to say in this music. halls, a line that once rang with such great He returned, instead, to the fountainhead names as Gustav Mahler, Felix Weingartner of all instruments, to the human voice – the (Krips’s teacher), Franz Schalk and Bruno voice of man, whom God created in His own Walter. What those artists had in common, image. Beethoven prepared us for the entry says Krips, was a sense of continuity, a con- of this voice in the course of an elaborate viction that music should be “one long legato and symbolic transition. The recitative for line.” Krips’s own legato line as he conducts contra-basses in the finale’s introduction is Beethoven and Brahms is as admired as any constantly interrupted by themes from ear- in the world, and at Lewisohn it has become lier movements. What does he mean by these the artistic high point of the summer concert interruptions? They are explained by the season. soloist’s first words: “Oh friends, not these The hallmark of a Krips performance, as Now one of the world’s most widely capacity crowds learned last week, is not only traveled conductors (120 concerts and continuity but clarity, momentum, and an 76,000 miles in a recent season); Krips unremitting sense of tension that lends new moves restlessly between an apartment in life to the weariest warhorses in the world of Buffalo, a chalet in Switzerland, and hotel music. Last week the programs included the suites around the world. At 60 he believes Beethoven Ninth symphony, and the Third that “human life is too short to know even “Leonore” Overture – and for each work, Krips one great work to perfection”; although provided fine readings that did full justice he has conducted Beethoven Symphonies to the music’s grand design while ignoring again and again (17 times this season), he none of its wondrous intricate detail. feels that he is a long way from mastering it. (“In five years my Beethoven will be entirely Krips’s belief that “we must apply the different.”) He recalls that 14 years ago technique of the singer to the instruments” he heard the late Bruno Walter lead a daz- stems from his own early training. Son of zling performance of Schubert’s “Unfinished” a physician, he sang for ten years in boys’ Symphony. Backstage, Conductor Walter choirs under Vienna’s leading conductors. responded to Krip’s congratulations with a Weingartner hired him as chorus master of look of surprise. “But, my dear,” said he, “you the Volksoper when he was only 18, and by must not forget that I am 71.” his mid-20s, when he was appointed music director of the Hoftheater in Karlsruhe, he Original Liner Notes was already building a reputation as one of Europe’s finest opera conductors. For three wartime years (1942-45), he labored in a pickle factory; at war’s end he virtually rebuilt the musical life of Vienna by pull- ing together the Staatsoper and the Vienna Philharmonic. Krips took over the Buffalo Symphony in 1954; and under him it has performed with a professional polish that would do credit to a city several times Buffalo’s size. Part of the trick in leading an orchestra, suggests Krips, is adroit use of psychology. For the first year, he asked the Buffalo musicians to pray before every concert: “I told them we are not playing Beethoven, we are privileged to play Beethoven; let us pray that we have the blessing to play it well.” Some notes on the history of Everest Below is a graphic representation of this new “wow and flutter” to an absolute minimum. recordings made anywhere in the world. By Records and the digital remastering material. What you see here, your ears will The film has another advantage in its great utilizing specially designed portable versions quickly verify when you listen to an EVER- tensile strength which effectively eliminates of EVEREST 35 mm equipment, EVEREST When Everest Records was founded by Harry EST recording. pitch changes due to “tape stretch”, a condi- engineers are able to make recordings and Belock in 1958 as a division of Belock Instru- tion heretofore almost impossible to control. maintain the rigid standards and excellence ment Corp., the aim was to produce a cata- Notice that now EVEREST engineers have of quality available in the Studios. logue of stereo recordings of the highest pos- over 3 times the normal space available Drawing on the extensive experience in the sible technical standard, with interesting and [than] on ¼” tape. This means distortion free, motion picture sound field BELOCK INSTRU- The advanced engineering and special equip- innovative classical repertoire played by some perfect sound. 35 mm magnetic film allows MENT (of which EVEREST is a division), ment, in addition to meticulous attention of the best artists and orchestras. EVEREST engineers to make recordings with requested Westrex Corporation to build spe- to detail, results in the EVEREST sound, a cial equipment to EVEREST’S exacting sound that has been acclaimed as superb by For the first Everest recording sessions in • No distortion from print through specifications in order to accomplish these critics and record enthusiasts throughout the 1958, an Ampex 300-3 half-inch three- • No distortion from lack of channel width advantages. This equipment includes the use world. channel recorder was used. Later on the label • Absolute minimum of “wow or flutter” of special recording heads which afford com- moved to use a Westrex 35 mm 3-track mag- • Highest possible signal to noise ratio plete wide band frequency response beyond netic film recorder, which had a wider possible • Greatest quality and dynamic range ever that normally specified in any present-day dynamic range, less print-through, less tape recorded motion picture recording. It is of interest to stretch and less ‘wow and flutter’, and which note, that when soundtracks of great motion was the basis for the highly acclaimed typical With 35 mm magnetic film, the base mate- pictures originally recorded on 35 mm mag- Executive Producer: Mark Jenkins for Countdown “Everest-sound”. rial on which the magnetic oxide is coated netic film are released as phonograph records, Media/Everest • Digital Transfers and Remastering: Lutz Rippe at Countdown Media using the original is five times thicker than conventional tape that normal technique is to re-record the master tapes • Artwork preparation: Eckhard Volk For the process of digital remastering of the and is similar to the film used for motion pic- sound from 35 mm magnetic film to conven- at Countdown Media • Digital Booklet: Dirk Böing, 35 mm master tapes an Albrecht MB 51 tures.