London’s Walthamstow Town Hall was the venue for many Beecham recordings, including these Mozart symphonies, taped in 1950 (K. 551) and 1954 (K. 385 and K. 550). Beecham recorded the “Jupiter” symphony on several occasions, the finest being the one contained in EMI’s collection of London Philharmonic performances from 1934-40. This Sony version, previously on the Theorema label, has some impressive qualities, not least the admirable lightness and taut ensemble of the strings, plus much distinctive solo work from the winds. Beecham’s account of the Andante is nicely judged, but the transfer makes trumpets and horns blare whenever they play above mezzo-forte. This is a particular concern in the finale, where the closing fugal section becomes sonically congested in loud tuttis. The earlier LPO recording differs little in terms of overall interpretation, but the finale is marginally quicker and the recording more even, if a little less bright overall.
Sony’s transfer of the G minor symphony K. 550 is somewhat better, though the clarinets in the finale seem shrill, with generally thin-sounding upper strings. In the Minuet Beecham conducts with heavily accented up-beats and a kind of rhythmic doggedness that’s too over-emphatic, though the finale has fire and urgency in spite of its relatively slow tempo. The “Haffner” Symphony is well done, though, with a bracing finale that shows some ensemble flaws among the strings. Dutton Labs provides a cleaner-sounding but less exhilarating account of K. 385, again with the Royal Philharmonic, recorded five years or so before this one, but this Sony version (from the English Columbia archives) stands out for its more exciting playing.
