An amazing thing about Celi is how he evolved from his BPO years to his
late time in the career. To just talk about the tempi, here they are
faster than what Celi may have used later; indeed, there are a lot of
other slower versions by different conductors. In this aspect Celi and
Bernstein are alike.
The other work on the disc is Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony" and
Celi's genius also shines here. The orchestra is not in the class of
the MPO but better than the RAI Orchestra with which Celi used to work.
The source for this recording is again Berkshire Record Outlet (
http://www.berkshirerecoutlet.com/ ). From what I understand ERMITAGE
is a defunct label - can somebody please confirm? - so Berkshire may be
your only source.
As usual, any other thoughts on this performance are welcome.
Regards,
George