Evgeny Mravinsky was an obvious choice for inclusion in EMI’s Great Conductors of the 20th Century series, but it’s not until we get to the final two-thirds of the second disc that we understand why. Disc 1 opens with a fierce–and fiercely recorded–Don Giovanni Overture and continues with the Bruckner Seventh Symphony in the conductor’s own edition of the 1883 version. Mravinsky was a distinguished Brucknerian and there’s much to admire in this live 1967 performance–above all, the tonal depth and warmth of the Leningrad strings, the beautifully molded phrasing of the opening, and the somber colors Mravinsky draws from his players throughout the Adagio. If the entire performance were on this level, it would be among the better available versions of the symphony. But shrill brass, sloppy winds, and rushed climaxes drag it far from hailing distance of the better-recorded Sevenths, and an overall impression of heartlessness sends it hurtling even lower.
From the near-smile on Mravinsky’s face on the cover photo you may expect a more genial Haydn Symphony No. 88 at the beginning of the second CD; but the dour, vaguely threatening portrait on the inside of the jewel box is a better guide to a charmless performance. In general, it lacks wit and boasts a martial Minuet and a frantic final movement. Once we move into the Russian repertoire we are in vastly different territory. In Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini, with its grim opening, a wild depiction of Hell’s torments (which apparently include the Leningrad trumpets), a hair-raising orchestral whirlwind, an emotionally laden tragic central section that displays the superb Leningrad strings, and a visceral finale cap one of the better versions of the work on disc. It’s even more impressive when you realize that Mravinsky was 80 at the time of this live performance, and that he maintains such a firm line that ties together an often diffuse-sounding work.
The Glazunov Fifth Symphony is another highlight, the conductor conjuring a magically atmospheric performance. The first movement is taken at a spacious tempo but never loses tension; the Scherzo is full of Mendelssohnian grace; the Andante, paced as an Adagio, is suffused with tenderness; and the finale is a delectably danceable delight. Mravinsky injects plenty of drama too. While the faster, louder passages sometimes verge on overstatement, that’s a minimal complaint alongside the impact of the whole.
Everything here derives from concert performances by the orchestra in its own Great Hall in Leningrad. All but the 1983 Tchaikovsky were made in 1967 and 1968. Sound is variable, ranging from acceptable to overly coarse. Mravinsky’s many admirers won’t mind (they’ve heard far worse), but Disc 2 should suffice for the rest of us.
