Christopher Webber wrote:

>I know this record has always had a bad press.  It was I believe made on
>the spur of the moment, as an unscheduled replacement for some cancelled
>(opera recital?) sessions.
>
>I have always enjoyed the performance for Downes' clear-headed sense of
>direction, but find the RCA LP recording quality muddy and dull, certainly
>far from flattering to a somewhat deadbeat-sounding LSO.

Very interesting.  I always thought this sounded like a run-through or at
best underrehearsed.  But in listening to it yet again, I agree totally
that the sound is a real problem, as is some of the playing (particularly
the oboe).

>A good CD remastering would, I suspect, reveal a performance of the quality
>you - quite rightly - associate with Sir Edward.  Fat chance, I fear.

I must say, I've always ascribed "clueless" to this recording, particularly
the first movement, but as I've been told elsewhwere, Downes was trying
for lush introspection that the sound makes it hard for me to appreciate.
I'm not sure I'd ever totally buy into this recording, but cleaning up the
sound may release something interesting.  Alas, I fear your "fat chance"
is right.  Has that recording ever been reissued in any form? I've seen it
only in the original English RCA.  I don't think it ever made it to the
States--if so, I've never seen it.

Roger Hecht