I have been taken to task by two friends who admire Kertesz's recordings of the two Serenades (Decca Weekend), and who feel that my reviews have underestimated the performances. So I have listened to them yet again. Once more it strikes me that Kertesz conducts bright, straightforward interpretations which fail to encompass the music's varying moods. It's true that these are serenades and not symphonies, but with Brahms there's usually a nearby cloud threatening to move over the sun, and minor key intimations continually impinge on major key openness. Throughout both works Kertesz encourages few expressive inflexions, and seldom does he caress the music in a way that it needs. His version has the advantage of being at bargain-price.
This offers a very good, clearly defined recording, superb playing, especially in the wind sections, and warm, thoughtful and perceptive performances. Tempos are all well-chosen, rhythms are attractively fresh, and in slower movements Joeres conducts with great care and affection. In the First Serenade's long Adagio non troppo movement, for instance, where many conductors come to grief, Joeres is particularly skilful in keeping the music alive at quite a slow basic tempo through the most subtle use of phrase and pulse. He certainly captures the mixed feelings of both works in a way which eludes Kertesz.
Bertini on Orfeo offers sympathetic performances which are excellently judged, save in the movement referred to above, where the conductor evades interpretative problems by hurrying the music along. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra's playing is also not quite so good as that of the West German Sinfonia, and the disc is at full-price. On Forlane Leopold Hager conducts a highly competitive version of the First Serenade, but his disc contains only the Alto Rhapsody as a coupling, and is also at full-price. Pickwick's new issue is now the best buy, I feel.'