Violet Gordon Woodhouse

[Guest]

Catherine Bott played the recording of Bach's Italian Concerto made in 1926 by Violet Gordon Woodhouse on a EMS of some years back. As the recording was minimally treated i.e. pretty scratchy and as I had the discs myself I offered to process the recording and sent her a CD of my attempt which she was kind enough to accept and thank me for. However I have never been that happy with the results from all those years ago and I recently finished a second attempt which I think is superior and which you can hear here together with the filler.

http://www.cliveheathmusic.co.uk/vinyl7.php

[Dave2002]

Never heard of her before, but this book suggests she had an interesting life - http://www.amazon.com/Violet-Life-Lo.../dp/1860463606

The Italian Concerto sounds rather good, and I liked the Musette. The opening of the Goldbergs does sound rather dodgy though.

I think your restoration is much better than some of the other recordings - such as this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw46td2Gncc - though different pieces.

[ardcarp]

Thanks for that, Clive. What a fascinating historical insight. I can't wait for those big clunky 'George Malcolm' type concert harpsichords to come back into fashion again! Violet let slip a few bum notes here and there, but so what? Her playing certainly showed a touch of stylistic rubato that even Richard Egarr might be proud of.

Whilst listening I read about her on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Gordon-Woodhouse

Talk about 50 Shades of Violet !

[antongould]

T

Thanks for that, Clive. What a fascinating historical insight. I can't wait for those big clunky 'George Malcolm' type concert harpsichords to come back into fashion again! Violet let slip a few bum notes here and there, but so what? Her playing certainly showed a touch of stylistic rubato that even Richard Egarr might be proud of.

Whilst listening I read about her on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Gordon-Woodhouse

Talk about 50 Shades of Violet !

Yes quite a life " The family finances improved after Gordon's sisters were murdered by the butler......."

[MickyD]

Does my memory serve me right in thinking that this lady was in some way instrumental in creating the original L'Oiseau Lyre editions?

[mercia]

L'Oiseau Lyre editions founded by Louise Hanson Dyer which may or may not be relevant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Hanson_Dyer

[clive heath]

There is a BBC interview with V G-W here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw46td2Gncc

which happens to contain Pearl's take on the Italian Concerto, maybe not the same recording as it is dated 1927 and is from the Small Queen's Hall.

The filler by the way is by another lady harpsichordist and was recorded in 1933. The slight hesitancy of the opening Aria is odd because, as the discs are automatically coupled, the closing re-statement of the Aria is on the opposite side of the same shellac disc and suffers no wavering. Maybe I should have cheated and used the latter in both cases! My suspicion is that the deficiency is in the recording. I hope this won't put you off hearing the Goldberg in its entirety when you can find time.

Note the connection Violet... Bott..?!

[MickyD]

L'Oiseau Lyre editions founded by Louise Hanson Dyer which may or may not be relevant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Hanson_Dyer

Oh yes, of course...thanks for that, I had a feeling I was mixing these ladies up!

[ardcarp]

Co-incidence that Louise is almost an anagram of L'Oiseau?

[MickyD]

Oh, yes, that's creepy, ardcarp!

[amateur51]

What a star you are, clive! - many thanks

VGW had an extraordinary life and the bio to which Dave2002 refers is well worth reading.

Do they make characters like her now?