Search - Karl Bohm in Rehearsal and Performance: Schubert Symphony in C Major, D. 944 "The Great" on DVD

The Rehearsal's the Thing

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 08/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There are two DVDs with Karl Böhm conducting a Viennese orchestra in Schubert's 'Great' C Major Symphony. The first of these is a performance with the Vienna Philharmonic from 1976 and in color; it also includes a performance of Schubert's Mass No. 6 in E Flat. I reviewed that DVD and praised it highly. Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D 944/Mass No. 6 in E Flat Major, D950 [Region 2] The second DVD, the present one, is entirely different in that the orchestra is Vienna's second orchestra, the Vienna Symphony -- interestingly, an orchestra that Böhm, a long-time resident in Vienna, had conducted only rarely whereas he was the all-but-resident conductor of the VPO for many years. The other difference is that the present DVD includes a long rehearsal segment (conducted, of course, in German but with excellent subtitles in English and French) in which one has the opportunity to watch Böhm work. He has often been described as a martinet in the rehearsal room but this segment, at least, shows him to be all business, yes, but generally polite and friendly. And it is clear that his instructions make a huge difference in the way the orchestra plays, always for the better. The rehearsal portion is then followed by a concert performance of the Great C Major Symphony.

Sound has somewhat restricted range, not too surprising given the date of this film, 1966, and the video is in merely acceptable black & white. The main reason anyone would want this DVD is for its glimpse into the rehearsal style of Böhm, one of the era's great conductors. There are, however, other rehearsal films featuring Böhm, e.g. Karl Böhm in Rehearsal and Performance [DVD Video], Karl Bohm in Rehearsal & Performance - Beethoven: Symphony No. 7; Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World". These and the present DVD were recorded and broadcast by Austrian television.

Running time: 120 mins; Format: 4:3 NTSC; Sound: PCM stereo; Languages: English, German, French; Region code: 0 (worldwide)

Scott Morrison"