Stanisław Skrowaczewski - 90th Birthday Collection: The Complete Oehmsclassics Recordings [28CD Special Edition Box Set] (2013)

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski is a Polish conductor who has been one of the underrated musicians who excels and always provides music-making of the highest order. He is also one of the conductors with the longest longevity still active. He is currently 92 years old and still going. Most of the recordings in the box were recorded when Skrowaczewski was in his 60's. These are performances which do not suggest any lack of vitality or any hint of feebleness. They are strong performances which are dynamic and crisp. The Saarbrucken orchestra plays brilliantly and the sound matches the brilliance of the orchestra.

Skrowaczewski shows himself to be a true Bruckner exponent. Those symphonies, with their generally extended length, use of very large orchestras, significant utilization of brass chorales, and string writing which, with the brass and winds, provide a sound akin to a concert organ, can be almost a religious experience. (Bruckner was a very religious man). Skrowaczewski's performances are as good as any in the catalog, including Jochum's Bohm's, and Karajan's.

The four Brahms symphonies are played with equal verve and professionalism, as are the Schumann. The Beethoven are good performances, though on a slighter lesser level than the others. However, they bear hearing and will satisfy almost all listeners. In addition to the symphonies, there are Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, and the same composer's Divertimento for String Orchestra, both in fine performances. Skrowaczewski recorded a set of Bartok performances with the Minnesota Orchestra for Vox when he was their Music Director back in the 1960's and those performances were well received. Also included in this box are the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique and some music from that composer's Romero and Juliet, both of which are well performed. The two Chopin Piano Concertos, with Ewa Kupiec as soloist, are especially well done. It may be remembered that Skrowaczewski accompanied Artur Rubinstein in a recording of Chopin's first concerto in which the orchestral part, which is considered to be rather undistinguished, sounded better than that of most conductors. The present orchestral accompaniment is as good, if not better, than the older version by Skrowaczewski. Finally, there are some of Skrowaczewski's own compositions which, while not on the level of Beethoven, Bruckner, Brahms or Schumann, are worth hearing.

All in all, this is a delightful compilation of performances which will grace anyone's music library and which will supply many hours of enjoyment.