Jesús López Cobos 1940-2018

[ritter]

R.I.P.

Surprisingly (or perhaps not), López Cobos had a warmer following abroad than in his native Spain. That I can remember, I experienced him live three times, in the pit of the Teatro Real: Verdi's Macbeth and  Don Carlo in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and Wagner's Tristan und Isolde (with Waltraud Meier) in 2008. They were all solid, if not particularly distinguished, performances (and we must allow for the fact that in those years the theatre's orchestra wasn't a very polished group, having improved dramatically some years later).

[Daverz]

My impression (I'm thinking mostly of the Respighi) was not of large dynamic range, so much as a poorly balanced recording. The brass seem inappropriately loud and direct compared with the strings, which seem recessed. I'm not sure whether to blame Telarc (whose recording technique depends on the acoustics of the hall to a greater degree than some other labels) or Lopez Cobos. I tend to blame Telarc, since I've enjoyed Lopoz Cobos conducting other orchestras.

I think you are right.  If I turn up the sound so I can hear the strings the brass are too loud.  Otherwise, I think this is a very good interpretation of No. 6.

[vandermolen]

Have just ordered his recording of Bruckner Symphony 6.

[Karl Henning]

Have just ordered his recording of Bruckner Symphony 6.

We shall await your report.  (Meanwhile, I should revisit it . . . .)

[vandermolen]

We shall await your report.  (Meanwhile, I should revisit it . . . .)

I really enjoyed it  Karl maybe partly because I hadn't listened to a Bruckner symphony for a while. What I really enjoyed was the modern recording, although Lopez Cobos's performance had me gripped throughout. Maybe the opening movement sounded a bit fast compared to other recordings I know (Klemperer) but it worked very well I thought in the overall conception. I have a soft spot for the Cincinnati SO as well as their wartime recording of the 1920 version of Vaughan Williams's 'A London Symphony' first alerted me to the greatness of the sections deleted from the 1936 version - a revelation to me. Also I had the privilege of seeing the Cincinnati SO live in London last summer giving a fine concert of music by Bernstein, Copland and Tchaikovsky (Symphony 5).

[starrynight]

I discovered the Arriaga symphony through his recording when I heard it in the early 90s.  It's a great performance, and for all I know may have been the only recording of it for years.

edit: I just discovered there's a later performance with him on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBmN4jA8Fug

Actually just checking it apparently wasn't the first recording, a Washington Post review (1977) says there were another two, but apparently inferior to the Cobos version. 

"The Symphony in D major surely owes its impetus to the model provided by Cherubini, but it is by no means a mere copy. Indeed, it is Arriaga who impresses more with his originality in shaping the respective movements, as well as with his. stronger themes and more imaginative orchestral coloring. The richness of his inventiveness and craftsmanship can be enjoyed more fully than ever in the new recording by the English Chamber Orchestra under another obviously gifted Spanish musician, Jesus Lopez Cobos, with the aforementioned Overture on the same disc (HNH 4001).

The second of Jesus Arambarri's two recordings of these two works has been circulating for a dozen years or so on MHS 578. His lackluster presentation of the Symphony, with a particularly lifeless finale, didn't keep the work from giving some pleasure as a novelty of passing interest; but Lopez Cobos's stunning realization shows it to be a good deal more than that. It is in fact no less a gem than the early symphonies of Schubert, and should be taken into the general repertory by now."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1977/07/17/juan-arriaga-the-spanish-mozart/f3f36c0e-5e08-4f57-9474-2ce2c9be718e/?utm_term=.10d4bed0a43e