George Szell 1968 interview with John Culshaw

Recorded by the BBC in London, September 1968, and ripped from the Szell Centennial Edition. John Culshaw was a producer of classical music recordings for Decca (including the Solti Ring cycle) and subsequently head of music at the BBC.

[@johnschlesinger2009]

Thanks for this. Szell was a great conductor, but, unlike some, was not interested in promoting himself. This video shows him as he was: a musician of integrity.

[@vincentsartain3061]

@@dylanmoffitt7098 So modern classical musicians and maestros have succumbed to the urge to feed their egos, too? Not that I'm too surprised, especially when I see so much of that sort of thing among American politicians, pro athletes, movie stars, and the rest of the flock of useless celebs. But still, it's kinda sad when cultured and educated professionals in the classical music world fall by the wayside and let fame and crassness infect them as it has those other classes of public figures I mentioned above.

[@SergejRazinkov]

Es ist sehr nett. Danke.

[@MrKlemps]

Despite the heavy accent, GS's sytnax was complex and impeccable. One can imagine, from the work this had to have required, his command of the music he conducted.

[@delmaengde]

Thanks for this. Amazing to hear Szell.

[@karldelavigne8134]

I could listen for hours to Szell reminiscing. I wonder if he ever heard Mahler conduct.

[@SergejRazinkov]

Danke für so interessanter Beitrag von sehr großen Dirigent. Besonders zu empfehlen das zu hören für jeden Dirigent.

[@muhchung]

I have always loved the story that he turned down the volume to whip up Szell's fury and deliver *that* Tchaikovsky #4.

[@ilirllukaci5345]

Just what I might have imagined from Culshaw.

[@Twentythousandlps]

Culshaw stated smugly that the Cleveland Orchestra before Szell was "not first-class". But the records they made under Leinsdorf and Rodzinski show it was an excellent ensemble. And Szell was able to build on that.

[@jamesforrest5318]

Exactly so!

[@paullewis2413]

Maybe so but it was Szell and put the orchestra on the World Stage. Interesting his comment about taking decades to build a great orchestra and months to destroy it but I´ll leave my observation about that to the imagination

[@ilirllukaci5345]

You do mean prior to Szell! And I think I prefer what Rodzinski I've heard with Cleveland to those with NY or the Royal.

[@Gorboduc]

If you listen to the few recordings they made with Sokoloff, they were top notch even then.

[@woomichen1378]

This is so fascinating.

[@topangaone]

thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@ilirllukaci5345]

This is really amazing. Are there recordings of such conversations between Culshaw and Karajan? I know he considered Karajan, along with Britten, his most intelligent studio artists. In Culshaw's interview of Solti, Solti seems awkward and intimidated. I think Szell was probably a more complicated personality than he was given credit for, but it was no fluke that he achieved the pinnacle of his success in 1960's America, where I think he was most comfortable.

[@DavidNursal2012]

Very interesting. It's striking how much more opinionated Culshaw is than Szell.

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

Very good impersonation of a plummy English accent at the end “Just a whim...”

[@mishoren]

Can you hear the tension in Szell's voice?

[@balbiluiscotterlemus365]

Exelent conductor!!

[@srothbardt]

Where does come from? THANK YOU very much!!!

[@szellandclevelandorchestra9753]

It was recorded by the BBC in London. I ripped it from the Szell Centennial Edition issued by Cleveland in 1997. The CDs are now unobtainable but the recordings are on RUclips (on a channel called Music Lover I think it is).

[@benjaminhorwitz1172]

In today's world of classical music, Szell would never make it. He couldn't fire principal chairs at his whim. Or anyone else in the orchestra like he used to do in Cleveland.

[@johnsimon8438]

His outstanding talent is not in dispute. It was his dismissive, disparaging remarks about Bruckner, as man and composer, that were so off-putting.

[@DavidNursal2012]

I'm surprised by this. His electrifying performance of the 8th symphony is what introduced me to Bruckner

[@johnsimon8438]

An arrogant man!

[@MrKlemps]

He had much to be arrogant about.

[@ric55]

Maybe. But an arrogant man who could play the works he conducted on the piano from memory. That, Sir, is real musical talent.

[@HassoBenSoba]

Szell's brilliance and superb talent far outshines any arrogance that you, in your pettiness, feel necessary to point out. LR

[@detectivehome3318]

Atleast he has a reason to be arrogant

[@michaelstearnesstearnes1498]

@@HassoBenSoba Anyone today who displays any degree of intelligence and taste is condidered arrogant. The result of a dumbed down society.