The young American Lorin Maazel, who first conducted an orchestra at the age of 12, was something of a whizz-kid and intellectual. He spoke four languages fluently. His memory was famous, not just for musical detail but for bar numbers and tempo indications, and he learned scores quickly.

At certain times in his career, mostly later, this led to accusations of conducting by rote. He was often regarded as meticulous but cold and disengaged. There were two major exceptions to this during his recording career: The first covered his early recordings (for DG and Philips) in Berlin; the second was his Decca period in the 1970s, after he inherited Georg Szell’s crack Cleveland Orchestra.

Lorin Maazel. Photo © Decca/Elfriede Hanak

The earliest mono recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic and French National Radio Orchestra for DG were issued in a box set in 2004. Now, we get the rest: 14 stereo CDs recorded between 1958 and 1967 with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. Maazel’s precision is here touched with youthful brio to produce performances both disciplined and vivid.

At this time, each recording was still an event for him, and you can tell. Listen to how he paces the dance rhythm at the opening of the suite from The Three-Cornered Hat by Falla: it makes you stamp your foot, flamenco-style! Maazel also brings plenty of atmosphere to César Franck’s Symphony: the slow movement radiates a film noir atmosphere. It is hands down a more compelling and alive performance than his slicker Cleveland recording of 20 years later. The Mozart Symphonies Nos. 38 to 41 also display a young man’s energy and excitement.

Much of this set contains repertoire we don’t associate with Maazel. There is a lot of Bach: the six Brandenburg Concertos, the four Orchestral Suites, the Easter Oratorio, and the Mass in B minor. The instrumental works are ”big band Bach” of the type never heard today. A lot of it feels overinflated – Brandenburg No. 6 is an overloaded juggernaut! – but in fast movements Maazel does not lag and the ensemble is tight. Soloists include big names of the era, such as flautist Michel Debost in Brandenburg No. 4, and trumpeter Maurice André in Orchestral Suite No. 4 and Brandenburg No. 2.

The same description applies to the choral works: a thick but disciplined orchestra and chorus, with well-known soloists at their peak including Ernst Haefliger, Helen Donath, John Shirley-Quirk and Martti Talvela. We also get Evelyn Lear and Christa Ludwig in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, a terrific Song of the Nightingale by Stravinsky – a composer that always suited Maazel – and a decent New World Symphony.

Class all the way with the stars of Boston

The Boston Chamber Players was (and still is) a group of first-desk musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In their recordings for several labels they brought the same level of musicianship, polish, and beautiful tone for which the orchestra was famous. Formed in the 1960s, they recorded for DG during the 70s. Their classy performances of that era are collected in this 9 CD set, playing a wide and sometimes obscure repertoire.

The mainstay of the group at that time was first violinist Joseph Silverstein, who later turned to conducting. In one of their best-known discs, included here, he plays Debussy’s Violin Sonata, with Michael Tilson Thomas on the piano. It is still my favourite performance of that elusive, late work. Debussy’s other two late sonatas are on the same disc: the Cello Sonata with Jules Eskin, and the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, with violist Burton Fine, harpist Ann Hobson, and the great flautist Doriot Anthony Dwyer. We also get Hanns Eisler’s chamber reduction of Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, where Dwyer not unexpectedly shines.

The breadth of the program, which includes much 20th century repertoire, is indicated by the names of the composers: Mozart, Brahms, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Ives, Elliott Carter, Quincy Porter and Johann Strauss II. The Schoenberg selections include Webern’s reduction of the Chamber Symphony No. 1 for five instruments, the Fantasy for Violin and Piano, again with Silverstein and pianist Gilbert Kalish, and the Suite for strings, three clarinets and piano.

We have had plenty of Schoenberg’s chamber music from Eloquence lately, such as a wonderful collection by the London Sinfonietta, but the Boston players’ approach is quite unlike the Sinfonietta’s cool, mellow accuracy. Boston’s Suite is so full of character, at times it could be Schoenberg channelling Poulenc. They give us one of the best recordings of Stravinsky’s Octet for winds, Septet, and Concertino for 12 Instruments – sharp edged and poised all the way.

Finally, a complete performance of Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale in English (translation co-written by Michael Flanders, of Flanders and Swann fame), featuring Tom Courtenay as the Soldier, Ron Moody as the Devil, and John Gielgud narrating.

A later Philips recording is an added bonus: lovingly lyrical performances of the Brahms and Mozart Clarinet Quintets, with Harold Wright. This set is one of the most attractive Eloquence releases I know, with not a dud to be found, and beautifully recorded sound into the bargain.

Lorin Maazel: The Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Recordings
Music by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Franck, Stravinsy, Falla
Soloists, Berlin RSO/Lorin Maazel
Decca Eloquence 4844904 (14CD)
**** 1/2

Boston Chamber Players: The Deutsche Grammophon Recordings
Music by Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Strauss, Brahms, Carter
Boston Chamber Players
DG Eloquence 4847793 (9CD)
*****