Walter H. Capps

When this performance was first released (on Bruno Walter Society LP No. BWS-742 in 1980) critic Mortimer H. Frank wrote in the USA journal Fanfare: I have always felt that Bruno Walter was at the height of his powers during the years 1941-54. This is well illustrated in this released Beethoven Ninth, recorded in concert on November 13, 1947. Those who never heard Walter in his prime may be shocked by this London performance in which the first movement has a fiery, tough tension at times suggestive of Toscanini. With stabbing, powerful accents, crashing fortes, and uncommon vigor, Walter insistently presses forward in a reading of thrilling drama and power The Scherzo (with neither of its repeats observed) dances with demoniac fervor, although its "trio" would have been more effective at a slightly faster trempo… this Beethoven Ninth reveals a conductor of trenchant kinetic urgency. Those who have doubted Walter's greatness may well change their view after hearing it.

Walter Gieseking was a German pianist known for his sensitivity and control of tone, color, and dynamics. His recordings of Debussy and Ravel remain an important legacy. He was born in Lyon, France in 1895, and his father was a respected doctor and entomologist. Gieseking started playing the piano when he was four years old and made remarkable progress, especially considering that he was largely self-taught.