Klemperer in Los Angeles
ARC-114/15
There was nothing watered-down about Otto Klemperer. He was determined to communicate each score as intended by its composer untampered-with. At various times in his career, he came under considerable pressure to cut, embellish, sentamentalize, or otherwise alter some work he was conducting. His response was always in keeping with the dictum he learned early in his career, "It is sometimes best to say no." The power of the sound we associate with Klemperer owes much to this integrity.
Yet watering-down is exactly what Otto Klemperer's early recordings have been subjected to. Although Klemperer saw to it that nothing artifical was ever imposed upon a score, an unnatural element has been introduced into his recordings. Until now. Until Archiphon. It's standard practice when digitally remastering historical recordings to run them through filters. The purpose has been to filter out anything that might prove distracting to modern audiences, who are accustomed to a polished studio sound. Unfortunately, much of Klemperer has been filtered out as well. How fortunate that Archiphon has the courage to say "no."
The metal Gottschalk disks upon which the 1930s radio broadcasts of Klemperer's L.A. concerts were recorded have been lovingly hand-remastered into CD format with all the vividness and vitality intact. The resulting 2-CD set bears out the wisdom of Archiphon's approach. Powerful and electrifying, it conveys an eerie sense of "being there" - an effect enhanced by the inclusion of the original radio announcer's remarks. Yes, it retains a certain raw quality. But then, during this stage of his career, so did Klemperer himself. The combination of Klemperer's efforts and Archiphon's have earned Klemperer in Los Angeles a four-star rating. (See David Stearns' review.)
One final note - You've probably read the stories of how Los Angeleans, not noted in the '30s for classical inclinations, thronged to hear Klemperer conduct. One reporter wryly noted that the men were suddenly attending concerts, not because they were being dragged there by their wives, but because they wanted to. Klemperer in Los Angeles shows why.
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