Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphians

[Mirror Image]

First, I want to say that I've come around in a huge way to Ormandy over the past couple of days. The change of heart came from his recording of Holst's The Planets:



After hearing this recording, it made me get out all of my Ormandy recordings from my collection --- most of which are Japanese reissues. Stereo recordings of course. I put in several other orders for some recordings of his that I didn't have. I have looked over this mono set and decided that I didn't want it (mainly because I'm not too impressed with Columbia's classical mono recordings or, at least, some of the ones I've heard):



Anyway, I'm hoping we'll see a stereo box set in the pipeline at some point, but I'm not holding my breath. Are there any Ormandy fans here? I'm sure there are. Any favorite recordings? What composers do you think he does especially well in?

Looking forward to reading the responses.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I think Ormandy was a great conductor, and he had a great orchestra for a long period of time, and they made a lot of great recordings. He seems to have been somewhat taken for granted, as maybe he wasn't such a distinctive interpreter as Bernstein or Szell. But hey, so what.

Among other things he was a great conductor of American music. His recordings of Harris, Ives, Schuman and Piston are especially memorable.

Some of the late stuff he did for RCA - like the DSCH 15 and the Ives 2 - are top recommendations for me.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Respighi record after the Columbia below and before the Respighi RCA.


I think this was a previous, single-disc, version of the set you have.








 


His Gliere 3 is interesting, but it is a shortened version and criticized/scorned for that.

[Mirror Image]

I think Ormandy was a great conductor, and he had a great orchestra for a long period of time, and they made a lot of great recordings. He seems to have been somewhat taken for granted, as maybe he wasn't such a distinctive interpreter as Bernstein or Szell. But hey, so what.

Among other things he was a great conductor of American music. His recordings of Harris, Ives, Schuman and Piston are especially memorable.

Some of the late stuff he did for RCA - like the DSCH 15 and the Ives 2 - are top recommendations for me.

I look at Ormandy as playing the "straight man" when it comes to his interpretations, but he does this so incredibly well and the sound of the Philadelphians is unbelievably good. He doesn't come across as a severe disciplinarian, but it does sound like he knew what he wanted and he certainly got results. He can work the orchestra up into a frenzy if the music calls for it and he completely nails it, too. In one of his stereo recordings I listened to of Respighi's Feste romane, the orchestra sounded like they were about to burst at the seams, but it was held together by this incredible discipline and precision. It just sounded magnificent and this was another one of those instances where I thought this guy was at the top of the pantheon of great conductors.

It does feel like he's undervalued in some way or doesn't get the kind of attention he deserves. He was a part of the lives of many classical music listeners lives back in the 1960s for example. His recordings were quite popular, but now with the passage of time, we can look at why they were popular and I think this is pretty simple: he had an incredible orchestra at his disposal and he knew how to get the best out of them.

[Mirror Image]

I think this was a previous, single-disc, version of the set you have.








 


His Gliere 3 is interesting, but it is a shortened version and criticized/scorned for that.

I own all of these except for the Wagner. This looks like a good recording. I'll have to see if it's been reissued from Japan.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

It does feel like he's undervalued in some way or doesn't get the kind of attention he deserves.

I think its partially/largely because he later made many commercialized recordings, like N Jarvi today.

[Mirror Image]

I think its partially/largely because he later made many commercialized recordings, like N Jarvi today.

That's possible, but it could also be that aside from a Beethoven, Brahms and Rachmaninov symphony cycle, I don't think he's actually completed any complete cycles of symphonies or, to my knowledge, has had his hand in any operatic recordings. He seems like a conductor that was careful not to commit to a large-scale project. Probably the composer that comes closest to this for him would be Sibelius.

He did seem to have a fondness and affinity for the composer:

[LKB]

I obtained some of Ormandy's Columbia recordings during my first year or two as a musician. I wound up with a Sibelius LP from which l memorized the percussion parts for Finlandia, and thus was also introduced to Valse Trista, En Saga and The Swan of Tuonela.

Looking back, Ormandy seems a bit like the previous generation's Haitink. Not flashy, but with strong musical credentials and a long tenure leading a renowned ensemble.

[MusicTurner]

I tend to prefer his earlier, say pre-1965 recordings, very temperamental, such as his early mono Sacre and Pretroucka, and some early mono concerto recordings. Less so the 1930s stuff. But there's later, interesting things as well, for example the Shosty+Kabalevsky cello concertos with Ma, etc.

[Jo498]

Maybe it was different in former times and other regions but in 1980s Germany Ormandy was a name known but his recordings were neither well distributed nor especially highly regarded, I think. Partly because the repertoire was more "orchestral spectactular" than "Austro-German", partly because there was obviously a lot of competition even in this repertoire, partly because in my impression RCA and also CBS sucked in the early CD age with many of their older recordings: Mediocre transfers, ridiculous covers etc. And when Sony got around to present CBS Bernstein and Szell dominated over Ormandy among the 1960s recordings.
And of course in the early CD age/late 1980s the still living artists like Karajan, Bernstein, Solti etc. were agressively marketed and successfully so, this must have been a disadvantage for the then recently deceased like Ormandy and Böhm.

[aukhawk]

I would simply point to this classic coupling, which would still be my first choice for both works if I were really pushed.  Also its a wonderful cover image.  My older brother bought this when it was released, in the early '60s, so it was my introduction to Shostakovich as a young teenager.  The Cello Concerto recording was a western premiere.


Shostakovich: Symphony No.1, Cello Concerto (No.1): Ormandy / PO

[vandermolen]

His 'Planets Suite' which I had on LP (RCA Gold Seal) was one of the best. I rate him very highly and he introduced me to Shostakovich 4th and 10th symphonies (both fine recordings). He also recorded a very eloquent and poetic version of Miaskovsky's 21st Symphony. I like most of his Sibelius recordings (not Tapiola) and I have him conducting an excellent live version of Roy Harris's 3rd Symphony.

[Mirror Image]

His 'Planets Suite' which I had on LP (RCA Gold Seal) was one of the best. I rate him very highly and he introduced me to Shostakovich 4th and 10th symphonies (both fine recordings). He also recorded a very eloquent and poetic version of Miaskovsky's 21st Symphony. I like most of his Sibelius recordings (not Tapiola) and I have him conducting an excellent live version of Roy Harris's 3rd Symphony.

Oh yes, his Shostakovich is quite fine, indeed. In fact, this is the 3-CD set I own:

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Maybe it was different in former times and other regions but in 1980s Germany Ormandy was a name known but his recordings were neither well distributed nor especially highly regarded, I think. Partly because the repertoire was more "orchestral spectactular" than "Austro-German", partly because there was obviously a lot of competition even in this repertoire, partly because in my impression RCA and also CBS sucked in the early CD age with many of their older recordings: Mediocre transfers, ridiculous covers etc. And when Sony got around to present CBS Bernstein and Szell dominated over Ormandy among the 1960s recordings.
And of course in the early CD age/late 1980s the still living artists like Karajan, Bernstein, Solti etc. were agressively marketed and successfully so, this must have been a disadvantage for the then recently deceased like Ormandy and Böhm.

I get the impression he didn't have much of a European presence. I can't think of any commercial recordings by him with a European orchestra. He was really devoted to the Philly orchestra in a way more characteristic of a previous generation. This may have reduced his fame a bit.

He also wasn't a celebrity like Bernstein, who was on the TV a lot and jet-setting all over the world.

You're right about his repertoire, he wasn't really seen as a "core" Beethoven & Brahms guy, but someone who played "flashy" music.

[Spotted Horses]

I started listening to classical music in the vinyl era and the labels he recorded for, Columbia and RCA, manufactured LPs that were substandard, compared with European labels. He was not on my radar. The same was true of Reiner, Szell and Bernstein. Perhaps it is time for a re-appraisal, but I'm not feeling the enthusiasm yet.

[Mirror Image]

I started listening to classical music in the vinyl era and the labels he recorded for, Columbia and RCA, manufactured LPs that were substandard, compared with European labels. He was not on my radar. The same was true of Reiner, Szell and Bernstein. Perhaps it is time for a re-appraisal, but I'm not feeling the enthusiasm yet.

If you don't know Reiner, Szell, Bernstein or Ormandy recordings, then you're truly missing out. I'll leave it at that.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I read that Ormandy studied Philosophy in addition to music before coming to the USA..

One more.

[LKB]

If you don't know Reiner, Szell, Bernstein or Ormandy recordings, then you're truly missing out. I'll leave it at that.

+1

[Spotted Horses]

If you don't know Reiner, Szell, Bernstein or Ormandy recordings, then you're truly missing out. I'll leave it at that.

I said I didn't listen to Reiner, Szell or Bernstein on vinyl. That was more than 30 years ago.

[Mirror Image]

I said I didn't listen to Reiner, Szell or Bernstein on vinyl. That was more than 30 years ago.

I know you said that, but you also said:

Perhaps it is time for a re-appraisal, but I'm not feeling the enthusiasm yet.

Which my rebuttal is what the hell are you waiting for? Bernstein's discography alone is incredible.