Étiquette : Golden Age
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Bruno Walter, a Conductor of Life: a conversation with Rémy Louis
To mark the 150th anniversary of Bruno Walter’s birth on September 15, 1876, Warner Classics is reissuing all of the conductor’s recordings for HMV and Graphophone between 1924 and 1939, beautifully restored by Christophe Hénault from Studio Art et Son. To look back at this major period—undoubtedly the most striking and foundational of Walter’s career—I…
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Furtwangler conducts Wagner
The original podcast (narration in French, English and German subtitles) When people talk about Furtwängler, a certain cliché springs to mind for far too many music lovers. Furtwängler is supposedly a ponderous, slow conductor, embodying the Germanic tradition and a sweeping, extreme expressiveness. He is thus often compared to Otto Klemperer and contrasted with Toscanini.…
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Interpretations of Mozart’s symphonies, from the Golden Age to period instruments
Mozart’s symphonies seem to be imbued with a certain idea of perfection, a quest for intelligibility. There’s no denying that these are works with a certain physical impact – and it’s no coincidence that Mozart’s harmonies even have beneficial effects on plants, and are even used in New Zealand to cradle the vines. So how…
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A few words about a historical approach to historic recordings
Emile Berliner with his recording gramophone. The sound identity is part of the record. Certain technical constraints, such as the medium and its limitations, microphone placement and the sound spectrum, shape and modulate this sonic identity. And the performer is obliged to adapt to them. But these conditions have changed considerably over the course of…