Back in the early 70's I bought a couple/three Bruno Walter lp's that I didn't notice were mono until I got them home and began listening. I was young, never had heard of him, and was just getting into classical music. At the time, I would not have bought them had I realized they weren't stereo, but was subsequently surprised to discover how great they sounded, and was glad that I'd failed to read the fine print more closely.

However, those records are now a distant memory because I sold them all in the early to mid eighties - and I had more than a thousand, predominantly rock. I think one of the Walter lp's was Smetana's "The Moldau." I don't recall the record label, but it may have been one of those "The Nice Price" deals. It may have been a Red Seal, just can't remember.

At any rate, there must be some Walter fans out there. Were his recordings artistically as good as I recall, or was it just the newness of the genre for me? What recommendations on 33 1/3 for this conductor?

I just picked up a few Walter records:

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 - Resurrection

Mahler's Symphony No.4

Both Columbia Odyssey recordings.

I got these because Walter was a friend of Mahler and I wanted to hear his interpretations. Some of my review books say they should be good. I will give them a spin and report.

I also have Walter doing Dvorak's "New World" Symphony which is one of my favorite recordings of this symphony. Also on Columbia Odyssey.

Judging from the amount of Bruno Walter albums I've scene at the thrifts, and the fact that he was on Columbia he had to be a giant of his times. They had to be very good. I have a few that I have cleaned but no gotten around to listening to. You have just motivated me.

bump

I grew up listening to his stuff, and yes, he was famous and respected, even if not a household name today. I've always liked Bruno Walter's interpretations and recordings. I didn't remember that he was a friend of Mahler, but have always associated him as conducting the "definitive" Mahler in particular. I can't say much right off about which specific labels, etc... to hunt for, as I've only got a couple since getting back into vinyl, and those recently, but in general, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a BW recording. They were made some time ago, but were usually (as far as I can recall) good, and his musicianship and emotional interpretation as a conductor is irreproachable, IMO.

In fact, it is the emotion, the interpretation, that I remember the most; with some conductors, I feel that they don't "get it" in the same way that I do; that because their souls or attitudes or personalities are different, they interpret the music differently than I would. {An irrelevant but analagous example: the Battle Hymn of the Republic sounds best as a slow dirge-like song, not as an upbeat toe-tapper. Walter would do it slowly and with dignity, to gently draw a tear from your eye.} With Walter, you get someone who feels, someone who has a soul and understands emotion in music, and gets the orchestra to express that emotion. At least that is how I remember feeling (and still feel, from the couple examples I have) about his work.

The only one I can recall at the moment is Beethoven's 9th, on columbia 6 eye mono...amazing interpretation, my second favorite. My favorite being the Van Karajan/Berlin Symphony Orch.

I didn't remember that he was a friend of Mahler, but have always associated him as conducting the "definitive" Mahler in particular.

Yup they were friends. From Wikipedia:

"In 1901 Walter accepted Mahler's invitation to be his assistant at the Court Opera in Vienna. Walter led Verdi's Aida at his debut. In the following years Walter's conducting reputation soared as he was invited to conduct across Europe – in Prague, in London where in 1910 he conducted Tristan und Isolde and Ethel Smyth's The Wreckers at Covent Garden, and in Rome. A few months after Mahler's death in 1911, Walter led the first performance of Das Lied von der Erde in Munich, as well as Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in Vienna the next year"


"Mahler's widow reported that his last word was "Mozartl" (a diminutive, corresponding to 'dear little Mozart'). He was buried, at his request, beside his daughter, in Grinzing Cemetery outside Vienna. In obedience to his last wishes, he was buried in silence, with the gravestone bearing only the name "Gustav Mahler." Mahler's good friend Bruno Walter describes the funeral: "On 18 May 1911, he died. Next evening we laid the coffin in the cemetery at Grinzing, a storm broke and such torrents of rain fell that it was almost impossible to proceed. An immense crowd, dead silent, followed the hearse. At the moment when the coffin was lowered, the sun broke through the clouds" (Walter 1957, 73)".

I´ve always enjoyed his interpretations, specially both Mahler´s "Das Lied von der Erde"´s (the first in Vienna before the Nazis came in, the second again in Vienna after the war with Ferrier), Mahler´s Ninth symphony again with the VPO and the first act of Die Walkure with Lotte Lehmann and Lauritz Melchior. In the US, I very much enjoyed many of his NYPO interpretations, like his classic Brahms´ symphonic cycle or Schubert´s unfinished symphony. His final years in LA (the Columbia SO was in fact the LAPO) were a bit more bland in general, due mainly to his age, but still very interesting (e.g. Brahms 3rd symphony, Bruckner´s 4th, Dvorak´s 8th and so on). As has been mentioned before, his Mahler is a top reference, perhaps the closest to the composer own style given that he was his protege´. Besides Mahler´s 2 and 4 with the NYPO, I´d like to mention the superb interpretations of the 5th and the 1st again with the NYPO. With the Columbia SO he recorded the 9th which is also a reference of the work. His other great love was Mozart, and he was a supreme exponent of the style that was dominant between the wars (and that today we associte with a more romantic interpretation). He recorded all last symphonies with the Columbia SO. Finally, his recording of Brahms´ German Requiem with the NYPO is again exemplary. As the LPs used to remark : " He´s the poet among contemporary conductors" .

To sum up, one of the true great conductors of the XXth century .

All the best

The Walter originals were Columbia blue labels and six-eyes, mono and later stereo. The mono originals are not properly respected in the marketplace, but there is some interest in the stereos. You can find them all if you go to enough thrift stores.

I have a WLP six-eye of the Beethoven Fifth in stereo, as well as several copies of the Sixth in various pressings. The Mahler is a little harder to find, but it's out there.

The only one I can recall at the moment is Beethoven's 9th, on columbia 6 eye mono...amazing interpretation, my second favorite. My favorite being the Van Karajan/Berlin Symphony Orch.

Have you heard the Fricsay on DG, or the Schmidt-Isserschedt on Decca? You might also want to check out the Stokowski on Decca Phase 4.

I´ve always enjoyed his interpretations, specially both Mahler´s "Das Lied von der Erde"´s (the first in Vienna before the Nazis came in, the second again in Vienna after the war with Ferrier)

I listened to that one yesterday (London/Ferrier) even though the death theme is quite wrong for Easter. I normally avoid classical with vocal soloists but it is a quite moving piece, unfortunately I do not know if that's because of Walter's conducting, Mahler's composing, or the performers. Sometimes it sucks to be classically uneducated.

I will always pick up an old Walter Columbia mono recording simply because I've never been disappointed with the sound quality or the performance. He's also one of the few conductors that get prominent face shots on the covers from that era, Toscanini seems to be the only other one routinely pictured. Makes it easy to find the old Walter's at the thrift.

Thanks for the replies, guys. I will be hitting the Thrifts, in search of Bruno. Scuzzer mentions that he also found the SQ pretty good on those Monos. Any other recommendations for classical Mono titles that sound particularly good (just so I don't overlook them in the piles while seeking Bruno)?

Check out Walter's reading of Beethoven's 6th Symphony with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Considered one of the best ever by many.

I listened to part of the Mahler's 2nd tonight with Walter - sounds good!

I listened to the Walter Mahler 4th last night, electronically rechanneled back to mono with a flip of the preamp switch.

His is a very genial Mahler, with lots of interesting instrumental colors.

There are many other good performances; I usually listen to the Horenstein, the Kubelik, or the Klemperer.

Check out Walter's reading of Beethoven's 6th Symphony with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Considered one of the best ever by many.

I agree with you!