Four Orchestras
In terms of recordings, my main introductions to orchestral music were through two artistic combinations: Berlin/Karajan and New York/Bernstein. When I was young, recorded music was primarily dispensed via the CD, although tapes and LPs were still part of the picture. Online distribution, via the mp3, was also in the mix. Much of my time was spent in record shops of various kinds; discs were generally grouped by composer. The Karajan and Bernstein recordings were everywhere, inescapable. Karajan mostly via the unmistakable DG yellow label, and Bernstein via the “Bernstein Century” series, which were reissues of Columbia/CBS LPs. Not long thereafter I became acquainted with many other orchestras, especially Chicago and Vienna. While I love the sounds of many ensembles, I would say these are still my four favorites today.
I have some general ideas about how these orchestras sound. Of course, sound is rather abstract; it is difficult to describe with language. Getting into the sound worlds of these groups is ideally done in the flesh, and while I have enjoyed all of these groups live, it is easier to use recordings to make comparisons. (How thrilling would it be to hear Berlin play Brahms 1 on the first half, followed by Brahms 2 by Vienna on the second half? Or even the same piece twice. But this isn’t done.) Here I have selected performances of Beethoven 7 from the same period to make some rough sonic affirmations.
Acknowledged limitations:
- All recordings are only artifacts; they are dead. They are simply representations.
- These are recordings and not live performances. In the old days, orchestras had recording sessions sans audience, either in a concert hall or an alternative venue that was better for sound capture; today this is rare as it is expensive and costs cannot be recouped since orchestral music is no longer popular. Most modern releases are simply recordings of live performances, or extracts from a set of live performances; there are exceptions. Pure recordings allow the ensemble to create a refined product, but they lack the spontaneity of a live performance.
- Each of these recordings was made in a different space, as noted below.
- Manipulation of the sound by audio engineers and producers is a part of the recording process. Recording labels themselves had distinctive sounds, and here we have a representative sample of Columbia, Decca, DG, and RCA.
BPO/Karajan
1962, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin
Deutsche Grammophon DG SLPM 138 806
Dark, grounded, and monumental: a sound of extraordinary weight and refinement, as if the music is anchored from below. It sings through density, control, and inevitability—grave, advanced, and totally determined.
CSO/Reiner
1955, Orchestra Hall, Chicago
RCA Victor Living Stereo LSC-2436
Brilliant, exacting, and athletic: a sound built on power, velocity, and superb instrumental discipline. The line sings, but through propulsion, clarity, and glide rather than warmth or introspection.
NYP/Bernstein
1958, Hotel St. George, Brooklyn
Columbia Masterworks MS 6112
Hard-edged, urbane, and declarative: a compact wall of orchestral authority, more concerned with attack and profile than song. It is the least refined of the four sounds, but also the most unmistakably urban.
VPO/Karajan
1959, Sofiensaal, Vienna
Recorded by Decca, RCA Victor LSC-2438
Glowing, transparent, and naturally vocal: the sound opens and flowers naturally, with winds, strings, and phrasing all speaking in a shared musical dialect. It is less monumental than Berlin, but more organic and aristocratic—folk-like in origin, regal in bloom.