#78 The Smell of Unconcern

The clarinet is like an unconcerned man sitting on a park bench. He's looking around but is not really interested in anything. And if something–anything–happens, he can successfully pretend he's not there.

Nothing jazzy in Goodman's tone; tempo is slower than I would expected. Some phrasing is maybe not typical but that can be only my imagination.

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Work: Clarinet Concerto, III. Rondo: Allegro
Recording: Benny Goodman, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch

#77 The Smell of Storm

These are dark, stormy times. Rainy sabbatical night. Hell. The music is dramatic and mischievous. Evil is rising. Farewell, Francesca.

Munch generates suspension, he's wild and unforgiving. Even in the middle calm section, he's the dark master.

Composer: Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Work: Francesca da Rimini
Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch

#76 The Smell of Hunt

Listen carefully: The pianist has no time to breathe in this scherzo. There's always note after note, no respite, just gasping. Don't stop! They'll catch you, kill you, eat you.

The orchestra sounds at ease. The players know the pianist cannot run forever. They dance around him, slowing down a bit just because they know they can go faster if they want. And then, they're getting tired of the hide and seek. It is time: They kill him with one chord.

Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Work: Piano Concerto No 2, II. Scherzo: Vivace
Recording: John Browning, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf

#75 The Smell of Puppet Theater

This is the very first BSO recording ever, from October 1917. The sound is so cute, it's like looking through tilt-shift lens. Miniaturized players with their Lego instruments and animated movements.

Muck's drive is almost removed, there's little drama (some of it at 2'25'' or 2'53''). The real drama happened in the real life: Swiss citizen Muck was arrested as a German alien. Without any trial or charge, Muck was deported at the end of the war. The issued discs had his name removed from the label, and BSO went for French conductors (Henri Rabaud and Pierre Monteux).

Composer: Hector Berlioz
Work: The Damnation of Faust, Rákóczy March
Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Karl Muck

#74 The Smell of Macaron

This music is tender like a macaron. One is scared it will be smashed, eaten, annihilated. It starts from nowhere and submerges to nowhere again, but its path goes heavenly high.

Young Ozawa puts a soft, glittering shell around the movement. Boston Symphony excels in tenderness and tonal color.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Symphony No 1, III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa

#73 The Smell of Separation

This is like four orchestras playing in sync. The sound is so separated you can follow just strings, or woodwinds, or brasswinds, or timpani. I wonder how that really sounded in 1946. Did Boston Symphony Hall shatter?

Koussevitzky delivers stormed, roaring performance. BSO is sound and clear. This is not Mravinsky's predacity, the means are different. The ends, however, are very similar.

Composer: Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Work: Symphony No 6, III. Allegro molto vivace
Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Serge Koussevitzky

#72 The Smell of Class

This is classy composition and classy 1960 recording. There's drive and dignity and thrill and sadness and victory. The stress of first chords is literal, the intensity does not drop.

Munch goes for clarity, it's a very classical approach, no fruitless romantism. BSO keeps beautiful, balanced sound.

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Work: Prometheus Overture
Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch