William Mengelberg & Concertgebouw Orchestra Live: The Radio Recordings 1936-1943 : Q Disc/Forte

- $93.31

Mengelberg: Maestro Appassionato (Box Set) : History

2008 release of the ten CD set of Maestrao Appasionato by Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg (1871-1951). Willem Mengelberg was the uncle of the musicologist and composer Rudolf Mengelberg and of the conductor, composer and critic Karel Mengelberg, who was himself the father of the prominent improvising pianist and composer Misha Mengelberg. Mengelberg is highly renowned for his work as the principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1895 to 1945. Mengelberg founded the long-standing Mahler tradition of Concertgebouw. In 1902 he met Gustav Mahler and became friends with him. Mengelberg was instrumental in introducing most of Mahler's work to The Netherlands, and Mahler regularly visited The Netherlands to introduce his work to Dutch audiences. - $26.95

Beethoven: Symphonies 5 & 6 "Pastoral" / Mengelberg, Concertgebouw Orchestra : Elektra / Wea

Mengelberg's Beethoven, like virtually everything he conducted, bears his personal stamp. Idiosyncratic tempo changes, retouching of the orchestration, lots of portamentos that were dated even in 1937, and a host of other typical Mengelbergian devices either disfigure the scores or enhance their fascination, depending on your outlook. The Fifth is full of stops and starts, crossing the line between conducting personality and distortion. The Pastorale fares much better. It's a brisk account with a first movement that's a swift jog through the countryside, but the second movement's elongated phrase endings, pregnant pauses, and a statement of the main theme that's like the swelling of waves in the sea may annoy rather than beguile. Ted Kendall's transfers don't help; surface noise has been removed to the detriment of tone colors and dynamics, and the Fifth is plagued by tubby bass. Transfers of both of these symphonies are far better on Pearl's set of Mengelberg's Beethoven. --Dan Davis - $1.14

Transfiguration: Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony 5 / Beethoven: Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 (arr. string orchestra) / Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht / with historic excerpts : Deutsche Harmonia Mundi

- $16.99

Willem Mengelberg: Conductor, Concertgebouw Orchestra : Andante

This three-CD set highlights the inimitable artistry of Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg, who led Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra for an unprecedented 50 years (1895-1945). The repertoire features Romantic favorites and rarely heard pieces by early 20th-century Dutch composers; the highlights include a Beethoven "Eroica" Symphony from 1940 and an entire disc of Tchaikovsky in recordings ranging from 1928 to 1940. Through this set, music lovers can rediscover one of the legendary names from the Golden Age of interpretation, one whose performances were often idiosyncratic to the point of controversy but who always elicited spirited, state-of-the-art playing from the ensemble he virtually created, the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The vintage sources were painstakingly remastered at Art & Son Studios in Paris using the 24-bit CAP 440 technique.

The handsomely illustrated, 84-page booklet includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize–winner Tim Page, a thought-provoking essay by American writer Harry Haskell ("Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra: A Virtuoso and His Instrument") and detailed artist biographies from "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians." All texts appear in English, French and German. - $19.99

Dvorak: Symphony No9; Franck: Symphony in Dm : Elektra / Wea

Willem Mengelberg was the prototypical arch-Romantic conductor, taking freedoms more common to an earlier age. In part, that accounts for the enduring fascination of his interpretations, which, however odd-sounding to modern ears, can often result in compelling performances that make listeners hear familiar works anew. The Franck, with its own Romantic excesses, doesn't always respond well to an approach full of arbitrary tempo changes, but Mengelberg tempers the work's lushness with a hard-driving performance that generates excitement. The Dvorák is also driven hard, but there are luscious pauses to smell the flowers. Bryan Crimp's transfers of the mediocre original recordings from 1940-1941, are first-rate, helping to make this release attractive to Mengelberg's many fans and collectors of historical recordings. --Dan Davis - $10.19

The Art of Willem Mengelberg, Vol. 2 : Grammofono 2000

- $10.48

Mengelberg Conducts Beethoven - Symphonies no 1, 3-6 & 8 : Pearl

- $45.14

Willem Mengelberg and Concertgebouw Orchestra: Complete Columbias 2 : Pearl

- $155.00

Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Tod und Verklarung : Naxos

- $6.85