REVIEW POTPOURRI: Franz Schubert; film: Iceman

by Peter Cates

Franz Schubert

Schubert: Lieder; Jessye Norman, soprano, with pianist Philip Moll. Philips 4126234, cassette, recorded 1984.

Franz Schubert

Before he died at the horribly young age of 31 in 1828, Franz Schubert composed a vast amount of music including nine Symphonies, 22 Piano Sonatas, numerous chamber pieces, choral works, a couple of operas, incidental music and upwards of 600 songs or lieder.

The late Jessye Norman selected a dozen, including the well-known Erlkonig, Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel and Death and the Maiden and sang with her own unique heartfelt conviction and blend of power and beauty.

Schubert Symphonies 5 and Unfinished — Otto Klemperer conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra. Angel S 36164, recorded very early 1960s, 12-inch LP.

Both of these masterpieces from the composer have received several fine recordings. Interestingly, they were paired on the same lp in the early 60s RCA recording by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony and in a mid-’70s record, also on Angel, conducted by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with the Philharmonia Orchestra as of 1964 renamed the New Philharmonia Orchestra before reverting back to its original name by 1984 when pianist/conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy became its music director.

Although I have been a huge fan of Fritz Reiner’s Chicago Symphony records for more than 50 years, I felt that his conducting of the two Schubert Symphonies was boring, it’s perhaps an example of a blind spot or bad day for that otherwise brilliant Maestro.

Fischer-Dieskau was better known as a baritone who recorded shelves of operas, choral music and above all lieder, especially of Schubert and Schumann. When he ventured on rare occasions into conducting, he achieved similar high quality results as he did with singing and could have been a world-renowned Maestro. This Schubert disc was one of sublime beauty in its songfulness and elegance.

The Klemperer disc had more dramatic grandeur particularly suitable in the sombre, at times moody and grim Unfinished but less so perhaps in the sweetly lyrical 5th Symphony from a few years earlier in the composer’s life when he was still under the influence of Mozart.

Yet, I did enjoy Klemperer’s approach to the 5th, having grown to appreciate his very committed business-like musicianship. (Klemperer was also manic-depressive, a story for another time.)

Three other highly recommended recordings of Otto Klemperer – Haydn’s Symphonies 100 (the Military) and 102 (Angel S 36364), Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony (Vox PL 6980, with side two’s Cello Sonata from the composer and played by the husband/wife team of cellist Nicolai and pianist Joanna Graudan, one of Mendelssohn’s loveliest chamber pieces), and the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique (Angel 36196).

His son, actor Werner Klemperer, was well-known in films and on TV, portraying evil Nazis in Judgment at Nuremberg and Operation Eichmann and the hilarious buffoon Colonel Klink on Hogan’s Heroes for several seasons.

Michael Shannon

Iceman

Iceman is a 2012 biographical thriller depicting the life of contract killer Richard Kuklinski and starring Michael Shannon in the title role with Wynona Ryder, the late Ray Liotta and Robert Davi. Highly recommended while also highly violent. The recreation of 1960s and ‘70s New Jersey was brilliantly authentic.

.