Derek Barker wrote:

>Have you heard the Salzburg (?) Mitropoulos on Sony? Admittedly the
>recording is mono (1959 or 60 IIRC), but the performance strikes me as
>a very powerful one.

I would agree strongly that this recording makes the most persuasive case
for the Schmidt.  It has an ominous, "end of the world" quality, which was
no doubt on Schmidt's mind as he faced the portent of WWII, but may not be
automatic as read from the printed page.  Certainly when the recording was
made (I couldn't find the disc, but I do believe it's '59 rather than '60)
Mitropoulous was nearing the end of HIS world, and from the intensity of
this reading you get a sense that he knew it.  There is also a live
recording of "Seven Seals", made in the 70s and issued on the Orfeo label.
Ignore it, as everything about it is second rate compared to the
Mitropolous.

Uncle Dave Lewis
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