I am not a Solti s "fan", and this are my reasons!!

I'm staying out of this hornet's nest, but just re:parla "if you're 44 you aren't young": 44 WAS young at the time for a conductor to take the biggest and most expensive recording project of all time on his shoulders. Decca took a huge risk by employing him and not going for one of the big old Wagner names. Like someone said here already, it was mostly Culshaw's preference for Solti that signed the deal (back in that time, producers were prepared - and allowed - to take big risks... an attitude sorely lacking in the recording inductry nowadays.)
So I wasn't talking about his absolute age, but of his age compared to the reputed Wagner conductors of his time.

Also, someone mentioned his "agressive" style, his ability to charge every piece he encountered with tremendous energy. Something that works very well with the early 20th century masters I already mentioned. Once could add Strauss too: his Salome and Elektra are still classics, and probably the most satisfying renditions on record. But both operas traditionally benefit from a conductor who emphasizes the energy, turmoil and violence which are inherent to the pieces.

I'm sure you will disagree with me, but the fact that he was hugely succesful in the repertoire that fitted his approach like a glove but sometimes failed when it didn't match his style makes him - in my opinion - a "one trick pony" conductor. Not that he isn't in good company in that respect. A conductor like Celibidache may be the stellar opposite of Solti, but his style was equally one-sided. Or even Klemperer and Walter, though I generally value their recordings much higher than Solti's and Celi's.

EDIT: I see I still managed to stick my head into the hornets' nest anyway. Ah well... ;)

Adrian, in your fervor to defend Solti you apparently failed to notice that at least two-thirds of my messages consist of pure praise.
I do own a lot of his recordings, and I do enjoy them frequently, but I wisely confine my listening to the genres in which he excelled. And to me, that's his opera records and recordings of early 20th century music, not his Bruckner, Mahler or Beethoven.

Too bad you chose to call people who don't agree with you "ignorant" and accuse them of carping or mudslinging. I'd love to have a decent discussion about great musicians like Solti - but it's frustrating and tiresome if people who fail to speak exclusively in superlatives about said musicians are automatically targeted and silenced by the unconditionally loyal fans.

In the Klemperer thread, parla said he didn't like his records. So be it. It wouldn't occur to me to call him ignorant or otherwise scold him for sullying old Otto's reputation. It's mostly a matter of taste anyway.

Yes you are correct Parla in saying that Solti was a household name. I do feel that since his passing his reputation has suffered somewhat.The "screaming skull"image did him no favours.I have not personally warmed to his recordings,save one,I thought his rendition of The Rite of Spring was exiting and well suited to his style.
Whether he is up there with the greats, I will leave others to judge. I do agree with Oscar that Solti's legacy at Chicago does not compare with Reiner,there is no shame in that. What an act to follow.

As a pastime I sell classical LP records mainly to the Far East.I have for a long time given up trying to sell Solti records there is no market for them.Ansermet on the other hand.....they fly out of the door! Of course I am not claiming this as a survey of any great relevance,but it is a fact.

I'm not a great Solti fan but I hope, Adrian, that my possession of quite a few Solti CDs and past attendance at many of his concert and opera performances will let me off the "ignorant brigade" hook.

Anyway there will always be differences of opinion on the greatness of different musicians but one thing I think is a fact and a remarkable one. That is, that the combination of the combined team of Solti and Culshaw led to recordings that were greater than the sum of those two constituent parts. Solti's willingness to work in the studio for something uniquely different from a concert performance fitted hand-in-glove with what Culshaw was aiming for at the time, and the synergy of their partnership contributed in no small measure to the success of Decca at that time and led to a series of recordings (not all conducted by Solti, nor produced by Culshaw) which remains the golden age of recording for many of us. I can't think of many more obvious candidates for SACD re-issue.

My only regret is that because of Culshaw's enthusiasm for Solti, Decca soon lost any further interest in recording other great (some would argue greater) conductors in their roster: Knappertsbusch, Böhm, Schuricht.

Chris

I never had the opportunity to see Solti conduct unlike other posters but I have several recordings which I enjoy: Die Frau Ohne Schatten, the Ring cycle, Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, Schubert ninth symphony, Siegfried Idyll, Mahler symphonies, etc. I don't find his style hard-driven or aggressive. He just had bags of energy and enthusiasm.

I agree with Adrian in that it is too easy to jump on the band wagon and pigeon-hole conductors in this way. When you do that, you lose sight of the actual music and its composer and become too pre-occupied with classifying interpretations.

By the way, the man behind oscar.olavarria, I love your current spoof character. You aren't really Alan Partridge are you?!

Graham J

Dear Oscar, no disrespect intended. I enjoy reading your well-informed and entertaining posts! This thread has made me listen again to some Solti recordings, some of which were the first CD's I bought. The exciting performances and first class recordings helped me discover Bartok and Mahler in particular.

Impressive, Adrian3. No Solti's "Ring" for your first stay in the "Desert Island"? Anyway, I detest...deserts and, while I adore islands, I have no time to visit them but only for occasional short leisure visits. So, no time for selecting discs for that purpose.

Just for the record, I fully agree that these 8 discs selected for the "purpose" are truly wonderful recordings and performances.

Parla