Hall of Fame Conductors
Tue, Jan 24 2012, 3:56AM
I am shocked that Jascha Horenstein is not on the shortlist of Conductors. He was one of the finest conductors of the twentieth century and should by all means be on the list. I invite others to support his inclusion.
I don't have many recordings by Horenstein who may have suffered from, as far as I am aware, not having a major label recording contract or a long term principal conductor position. I do though like what I have heard in particular Brahms's first symphony (Chesky) and what a superb accompanist he was. I thought I'd heard enough of Rachmaninoff's concertos but recently obtained Earl Wild's and the orchestral contribution from Horenstein & the RPO is brilliant & exciting. Add in Britain's finest recording venue the Kingsway Hall, Kenneth Wilkinson's engineering and Charles Gerhardt's production (presumably originally an RCA/Reader's Digest issue like the Brahms) and with what is for me well nigh perfect recorded sound these versions must be at the very top of the tree and re-invigorated my appreciation of them. Not everything Wild did was great and he could sometimes sound a touch percussive but there's no doubt that with such superb orchestral contribution and immediate sound these are thrilling performances (Chandos). Anyone wanting the concertos & Paganini RHapsody need look no further. There are though some cuts (often made at the time) in the third concerto.