01. - 03. Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op.74 'Pathétique' [46'10]
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jascha Horenstein
EMI ASD2332 (recorded May 1967; LP issued 1967)
(LP-rip; 24bit/48kHz flacs, sleeve cover and back scans)
Recording venue: Kingsway Hall, London
Recording engineer: Christopher Parker; Producer: Christopher Bishop
There seems to have been a resurgence of interest recently in performances conducted by Jascha Horenstein. Although EMI reissued this excellent performance and recording a few times on their own LP labels - and licensed it for LP release on the Vanguard label in the USA - it has only appeared briefly on CD and then only on EMI's Dutch associate Disky's Royal Classics label in Europe. Some have suggested that the reason for its neglect, and for EMI's lack of interest in it, was due to the originally negative review in Gramophone magazine.
I'm not sure, but I believe this fine high-resolution transfer from LP originated from Tin Ear on his Music Parlour website before he took that private and for subscribers only.
Given the huge number of recordings of this symphony which have appeared over the years, it would be foolish to place this above many others but I enjoy it immensely. Horenstein treats the work seriously and it's certainly not an over-romantic view. Quite austere - and quite an experience.
It should be noted, as James Burnett's sleeve note details, Horenstein wanted to have only a very short break between the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth movements and the LP has two movements as a single track.