John Marks recently pointed out to me a recording of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, Krips conducting the Vienna Symphony in the Musikvereinsaal with Wunderlich and Fischer-Dieskau as sol0ists - circa 1964. Apparently the concert was recorded and broadcast on Austrian radio, but the tapes were thought lost until a copy turned up in the Krips archives - he had been given a copy, and DG issued a recording a few years ago. Somehow, I missed that and was unaware of this until John pointed it out to me.
I am still absorbing the performance, but I surprised by a couple of comments in the brochure. First, Krips had a long history of conducting Mahler, something that I didn't know. I had him pegged as more of a conductor of traditional Viennese works, Mozart to Brahms. Certainly it appears that this recording is the sole recorded example of his Mahler.
Secondly, it appears that F-D wrote Krips a letter to state that this performance was the greatest DLVDE he had ever participated in. Quite a statement, seeing how he recorded it with both Kletzki and Bernstein.
I wonder if maybe Krips was a better conductor that we give him credit for. I saw him once conduct the SF Symphony, the year after he was unceremoniously given the boot for Ozawa, in a program that included Haydn's Surprise Symphony and the Firebird Suite - there probably was a 3rd work, but that was in February, 1971.....
Anyway, I enjoy very much his Mozart symphony recordings, and I have his famous Schubert Great C-Major, but not much else. Never heard his Beethoven set, for example.
I wonder if his modern day fame would have been greater had he found a way to record some Mahler in the 50s and 60s - that was not very well trod ground in those days. And, it is a shame that he is the only music director of the SF Symphony who, between the appointment of Monteux and the modern day who did not record with the orchestra.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Topic - Josef Krips - TGR 16:15:40 11/06/15 (15)
- However, there were some VERY well recorded Krips albums - Chris from Lafayette 14:42:35 11/08/15 (2)
- Ah, yes, the Stravinsky/Strauss - TGR 08:10:27 11/09/15 (1)
- Oops! (I've been in similar situations myself!) [nt] ;-) - Chris from Lafayette 12:22:37 11/09/15 (0)
- I always find it gratifying when people take my advice - John Marks 10:09:17 11/07/15 (0)
- The Excellent Josef Krips - Newey 21:59:14 11/06/15 (3)
- RE: The Excellent Josef Krips - garrod 08:04:55 11/10/15 (2)
- His Schubert 9: one of the few SXLs I've found in Cali. (Would have preferred an Ansermet.) - jdaniel@jps.net 10:32:19 11/10/15 (1)
- That one is excellent. nt - rbolaw 20:10:13 11/10/15 (0)
- RE: Josef Krips - learsfool 21:56:24 11/06/15 (4)
- Oops - sorry! I meant to respond separately to your post here. . . - Chris from Lafayette 14:46:52 11/08/15 (2)
- Yes, I can think of at least two famous Krips series from the golden age - rbolaw 10:52:19 11/09/15 (1)
- RE: Yes, I can think of at least two famous Krips series from the golden age - pbarach 14:30:01 11/09/15 (0)
- RE: Josef Krips - rbolaw 05:45:27 11/07/15 (0)
- RE: Josef Krips - pbarach 18:16:11 11/06/15 (1)
- For me, what makes this recording treasurable is Wunderlich's incandescent first movement - John Marks 10:07:39 11/07/15 (0)