Josef Suk Concerto Recordings

[richardfinegold]

I have long been a devotee of Josef Suk recordings, but I just purchased and heard for the first time a disc ffrom Supraphon's "Karel Ancerl Gold" series that features Suk, Ancerl, and the Czech PO in the Mendelsohn/Bruch(1)/Berg concertos.
I really enjoy the performances of the first two, as Soloist and Conductor seem to probe the music more and eschew a lot of the virtuoso flash
that gets expended in those two works. I am still digesting the Berg, which I had just listened to for the first time in many years (Perlman/Ozawa) a few weeks ago.
I am realizing that most of my Suk recordings were Chamber music. I have listened to his recordings of the Beethoven, Dvorak, and Martinu Concertos so often through the years, along with the Chamber recordings of Brahms, Beethoven Mendelsohn and Dvorak, that I hadn't realized some of the other warhorse Concertos seem not tohave been a part of his repetoire. A check of his discography reveals no recordings of the
Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Prokofiev, Paganini, Saint Saens, or Shostakovich Concertos. I'm not sure that I saw any Mozart in there either.
I'm wondering if he played those works and they were not recorded, or if he eschewed them altogether.

[Barbirollians]

There is definitely a complete set of the Mozart concertos that were on RCA with the Prague Chamber Orchestra .

The Brahms is a startling omission considering what a string of great chamber recordings of Brahms he made . He also made a great record of the Brahms Double with Navarra and Ancerl.

[Pabmusic]

I have owned his recordings of the Dvorak and the Suk Fantasy (his great-gandfather and grandfather respectively, of course) since I was at university, and it's hard to imagine them better played. I love the Fantasy very much, by the way, and am disappointed that it doesn't appear in public more often.

[richardfinegold]

There is definitely a complete set of the Mozart concertos that were on RCA with the Prague Chamber Orchestra .

The Brahms is a startling omission considering what a string of great chamber recordings of Brahms he made . He also made a great record of the Brahms Double with Navarra and Ancerl.

Thanks for the info about the Mozart. I also thought that the Brahms was astartling omission, given that I have several discs of Suk playing Brahms chamber works and the same disc of the Double tha you mention.

[richardfinegold]

I have owned his recordings of the Dvorak and the Suk Fantasy (his great-gandfather and grandfather respectively, of course) since I was at university, and it's hard to imagine them better played. I love the Fantasy very much, by the way, and am disappointed that it doesn't appear in public more often.

Agreed, completely. I think the Fantasy is one 0f those lovely violin pieces that is to short for a program.
I also played the heck out of that Dvorak disc in my University days. IThe Fantasy became so associated in my head with the Concerto that it took me many years to stop expecting to hear it after the Concerto's last movement.

[cloughie]

Agreed, completely. I think the Fantasy is one 0f those lovely violin pieces that is to short for a program.
I also played the heck out of that Dvorak disc in my University days. IThe Fantasy became so associated in my head with the Concerto that it took me many years to stop expecting to hear it after the Concerto's last movement.

The coupling I had was on MFP and it was the Dvorak VC with the Romance Op11 and the two works I always want to hear together - Stern, Chung, Perlman and Frank have coupled them also.

[HighlandDougie]

Not to forget

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Violin-Concerto-D/dp/B00000DO1H/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1398849407&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=beethoven+voilin+concerto+josef+suk

which was the recording I had when I was a poor student and couldn't afford multiple copies of particular works. A fine performance which still sounds very good (and of which a copy is available in the usual place for the princely sum of 19p).

[Pulcinella]

Prompted by the Bargains thread, I have just ordered a second-hand early incarnation of the Martinu Violin concertos for £0.01 (plus P+P) from zoverstocks! Later coupling also has the viola rhapsody-concerto, but I imagine that the one I have ordered is a straight transfer to CD of the LP I used to own. Looking forward to hearing them again.

[amateur51]

There is a BBC Legends CD of live performances of the concertos by Beethoven & Dvorak, conducted by Sargent.

The Suk/Ancerl Berg concerto is a wonder

[Pulcinella]

The Berg was originally aptly coupled on LP with JSB Cantata 60, I think.

[richardfinegold]

Not to forget

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Violin-Concerto-D/dp/B00000DO1H/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1398849407&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=beethoven+voilin+concerto+josef+suk

which was the recording I had when I was a poor student and couldn't afford multiple copies of particular works. A fine performance which still sounds very good (and of which a copy is available in the usual place for the princely sum of 19p).

That is a wonderful recording. The cadenzas are unusual, if I recall.

[Barbirollians]

Did he ever make a bad record ? I certainly have never come across one.

[mikealdren]

Did he ever make a bad record ? I certainly have never come across one.

Unfortunately yes, avoid his CD with the Václav Hybš Orchestra, classical tracks with a dance band/pop accompaniment. Really not what you would expect from him.

Mike

[Pabmusic]

Unfortunately yes, avoid his CD with the Václav Hybš Orchestra, classical tracks with a dance band/pop accompaniment. Really not what you would expect from him.

Mike

Well, I guess it was all beautifully played.

[Bryn]

The Berg was originally aptly coupled on LP with JSB Cantata 60, I think.

Indeed it was, with Gerald English being a participant in the Bach.