Boston Symphony Chamber Players: The Deutsche Grammophon Recordings—9 CDs—Eloquence [2025]

The Boston Symphony Orchestra/RCA marketing during its Erich Leinsdorf years (1962-1969) was “The Aristocrat of Orchestras”. No doubt, with the refinement of playing and glorious sound heard in their famous home hall. Artistically, Leinsdorf’s reign was hindered by many of his well-played RCA recordings bearing the dreaded “Dynagroove” label. But one shining light was Leinsdorf’s creation of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players in 1964. They were formed to play at the Tanglewood Festival before the main BSO summer concerts.

Almost immediately, the group of BSO principals began to record repertoire for RCA. A review of the RCA box set Boston Symphony Chamber Players—The Complete RCA Album Collection 1964-1968 will follow in Audiophilia.

By 1970, the BSO had decamped for Deutsche Grammophon. Günter Hermanns and other DG engineers certainly had variable results within the great hall with the big band, but by and large, the smaller group of players enjoyed fine, natural-sounding recordings.

This very welcome box set (9 discs) released by Australia’s Eloquence is not cheap (CAD 140 from Amazon), (The CD is Back!) but each CD is chock a block with fascinating repertoire performed at a Rolls Royce level within a lovely, unfussy acoustic (a very beautiful sounding Symphony Hall for all performances).

I’ve owned several of my favourites on LP—they are wonderful. But these CDs are equally special and produced with the original covers.

You can dip into any recordings and be wowed by the superior, world-class playing and the group’s unassailable taste.

That said, I do have my favourites. Firstly, the seminal Debussy album features the Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, the Sonata for Cello and Piano, and the glorious Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. This disc highlights six of the magnificent players: concertmaster Joseph Silverstein, Jules Eskin, cello; Burton Fine, viola; Ann Hobson, harp; Michael Tilson Thomas, piano and flute legend Doriot Anthony Dwyer.

I grew up listening to Boston Symphony recordings, and my love affair with the players continued during my annual visits to Boston, where we would visit family and stay right in Harvard Yard, with daily trips to the famous Harvard Coop for records and books, and to Brighams for ice cream. Annual visits to Symphony Hall and Tanglewood also give many fond memories.

These visits were in the 1970s, the time of these recordings (except for Harold Wright’s famous Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets recording, a 1993 Philips release).

My flute journey began in 1970, and I would visit the famous Boston flute-making shops (at that time, the home of world-class flute making) and dream of getting my first Haynes or Powell. A decade later, during serious study, I was encouraged to audition for the Principal Flute of the Boston Symphony. Oh, the impetuosity of youth!

“Thank you for your enquiry, Mr. Kershaw, but you will not be required to audition at this time”.

Of course, like all great orchestras, they only invite the top, highly experienced pros. For this audition, they received over 600 applications! So, you can imagine the quality of players applying for every job in the BSO, let alone to become one of its famous principals.

Now, every great American and European orchestra has famous principals, great international artists in their own right. But the BSO had a knack for hiring the absolute best, no doubt improving the odds with the offer of Symphony Hall and the most endowed orchestra in the nation (approaching half a billion in 2026!).

My second album choice from the set would be the Stravinsky Chamber Music (CD 7) featuring the world’s greatest performance/recording of the Octet. The Octet is a well-nigh flawless example of Stravinsky’s neoclassical style featuring unique orchestration, jazzy harmonies and beautiful melodies. The BSCP play the hell out of it. All are superstars, but Armando Ghitalla’s trumpet playing will leave you speechless. And bassoon fans listen to the opening trills for high bassoon—a simple musical gesture played with such sparkling perfection by Sherman Walt and Matthew Ruggerio. There are other fine performances of the Octet (London Sinfonietta and the Melos Ensemble, among others), but none match the brilliance and virtuosity of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.

They bring virtuosity and tonal lustre to music of any style, so if you throw on CD 3 with the very different from Stravinsky Dvořák‘s String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, you’ll hear perfectly balanced and super passionate string playing in flawless Bohemian style. And you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re listening to one of the world’s great string quartets (with added string bass). I have this performance on a very special Speakers Corner reissue LP, and the CD sound is equally impressive.

And so it goes throughout the set. You’ll get an ear-opening start on CD 1 with the wonderful Elliot Carter Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harpsichord, played absolutely beautifully. You’ll also hear Hans Eissler’s wonderful arrangement of Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune for chamber ensemble, complete with antique cymbals, played by none other than timp legend Vic Firth.

Finally, we have splendid performances of the two famous clarinet quintets by the great Harold Wright.

My suggestion is to buy this before it goes out of print. Very highly recommended.

Release date: 12th Dec 2025

• Label: Eloquence

• Catalogue number: ELQ4847793
  

TRACK LISTING / ARTISTS

CD 1
CARTER Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harpsichord
IVES Largo for Violin, Clarinet and Piano
PORTER Quintet for Oboe and String Quartet

CD 2
DEBUSSY Violin Sonata; Cello Sonata
Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp
Syrinx for Solo Flute

CD 3
DVOŘÁK String Quintet No. 2

CD 4
SCHOENBERG Chamber Symphony No. 1
BERG Adagio
DEBUSSY Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune

CD 5
SCHOENBERG Suite, Op. 29
Phantasy for Violin and Piano, Op. 47

CD 6
STRAUSS II
Waltz Transcriptions by Schoenberg, Berg & Webern

CD 7
STRAVINSKY Octet; Pastorale
Ragtime; Septet; Concertino

CD 8
STRAVINSKY
L’Histoire du Soldat
John Gielgud · Tom Courtenay · Ron Moody

CD 9
BRAHMS · MOZART
Clarinet Quintets
Harold Wright