I wrote:

>>I occasionally sampled Ansermet's Beethoven, especially the Ninth, but
>>have to agree with John Culshaw, producer for Decca at the time, who
>>said that this was not Ansermet's or the Suisse Romande's strength,
>>though Decca liked him enough to let him record Beethoven and even Brahms.

John Symth replied:

>Yes, I'm probably transfixed by the amazing, unique sound of the L'OSR
>and the way it was captured, more so than Ansermet's interpretation.

Easy to do. It's not as if I don't have a load of Ansermet myself.

>There are some on the 'net that feel that Culshaw's statement was a
>little unfair.  Speaking of an affinity for French music, the playfulness
>of the Beethoven 7th strikes me as slightly Ravelian, if I may say so,
>and there is that tender little reprise of the opening woodwind theme
>towards the end of the 1st mov't that sound like something right out of
>Ravel's Mother Goose Ballet.  Maybe Beethoven *is* a great composer after
>all.:)

Could be.  I didn't listen to that much of his Beethoven, save for the
Ninth and one other disc I don't recall. I can see your point about the
Seventh.  Problem is, that's the Beethoven symphony I like the least.
(Hey, maybe A can make me a convert.)

>As for the Walter 6th, yes: the opening steals into the room...magical.
>I once rescued an early pressing from a tall stack of albums which had
>become a cat scratching post.  I almost didn't recognise the stack as
>records.

I've seen cats do in speakers, but gads!

Roger Hecht