Karl Bohm. Late Recordings. Vienna. London. Dresden. Deutsche Grammophon. ★★★★
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Karl Bohm (1894-1981) may not have had the glamorous image of his contemporary Herbert von Karajan, but it's good to see him remembered with this slightly curious box set. These 23 CDs are drawn from some of the recordings Bohm made in the last decade of his life – the intention seems to have been to include only items not already featured in earlier compilations. It's uneven but at its best excellent and features the conductor in both expected and more unusual (for him) repertoire.
"Serious" is a word often applied to Bohm and his recordings of such pieces as the Mozart Requiem and Symphony No 40 certainly merit that description, aptly enough for these dramatic and dark-toned works. The Schubert "Unfinished" Symphony also works well in Bohm's hands, a broodingly intense performance. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony – Bohm's last recording – is disappointing, ponderous at times and not as good as the earlier version made as part of his complete cycle of the symphonies, but the other Beethoven pieces included here are better – overtures and the Missa Solemnis.
Bohm's Haydn is quite sober, sometimes lacking a little sparkle, but he does give Johann Strauss waltzes and other dances an attractive lilt. His performances of the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies and Dvorak's Ninth Symphony might not wring out all the emotion of them but are sensible and straightforward.
And there's more to explore – Bruckner, Schumann, Wagner – from an old-school conductor with old-fashioned virtues.
Ron Cerabona