BaL 9.04.11 - Beethoven: Violin Concerto

[mikealdren]

With 30 recordings, selecting a favourite is no longer possible. Much as I love Oistrakh (and I have 6 recordings of his Beethoven) the 1950s soviet recordings catch his playing at its best but in awful sound. I feel the Cluytens recording never quite works.

Similarly, I find Perlman's Giuilini performance doesn't quite touch me in the way others do.

Top recordings for me include Schneiderhan and Kulenkampff and the 'cooler' performers: Hilary Hahn and Grumiaux, his slow movement with Galliera is wonderful, his sound throughout with Davis is peerless.

There are lots of good recent performances too I have Mullova Jansen, Tetzlaff but have yet to try the highly praised Faust or Repin.

Finally, like others, Campoli/Pritchard was my first and much loved LP, a bit fast for a general recommendation though not as fast as Heifetz, a special category on his own.

At the other extreme, no one seems to have mentioned Josef Suk.

Mike

[Barbirollians]

With 30 recordings, selecting a favourite is no longer possible. Much as I love Oistrakh (and I have 6 recordings of his Beethoven) the 1950s soviet recordings catch his playing at its best but in awful sound. I feel the Cluytens recording never quite works.

Similarly, I find Perlman's Giuilini performance doesn't quite touch me in the way others do.

Top recordings for me include Schneiderhan and Kulenkampff and the 'cooler' performers: Hilary Hahn and Grumiaux, his slow movement with Galliera is wonderful, his sound throughout with Davis is peerless.

There are lots of good recent performances too I have Mullova Jansen, Tetzlaff but have yet to try the highly praised Faust or Repin.

Finally, like others, Campoli/Pritchard was my first and much loved LP, a bit fast for a general recommendation though not as fast as Heifetz, a special category on his own.

At the other extreme, no one seems to have mentioned Josef Suk.

Mike

The Suk/Boult is mentioned above . The repeated references to the Campoli/Pritchard ( the Campoli/Krips is good but the sound very dated ) suggest that is long overdue a reissue . EMI misseda trick and Warner should look at a series like Australian Eloquence where great forgotten recordings are reissued rather than the endless regurgitation of classics like the GROCS that became the Masters etc .

I am sure we could all suggest a few EMI recordings from the 1950s and 1960s that are nla on CD or never made it .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've always thought of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra as the Aussie flagbearer for "period instruments" and the ACO as playing on "modern" ones. I wonder if you know, Carol, when they made the switch?

Looking at their website, it seems that there hasn't been a "switch" as such - they use "Period" instruments for Baroque and Classical repertoire and "modern" ones for more recent Music (including their new commissions, which may well involve new Music for Period instruments). I suspect that this will become the pattern for orchestras in the future - like Les Siecles at the Proms this year.

http://www.aco.com.au/about/aco

My thanks to c_f, by the way, for bringing their recording of the Beethoven to my attention

[mikealdren]

Just listened to Oistrakh/Cluytens again, lovely playing but it doesn't flow enough (and there are lots of extraneous noises in the slow movement!).

I also listened to Hilary Hahn again, I'd forgotten just how good it is, orchestra and recording too - try it.

Mike

[Barbirollians]

Yes I agree that Hilary Hahn's recording is one of her best records . There is a refreshing lack of self-consciousness about it . It doesn't sound like anyone else and is very touching .

Her Bernstein serenade is excellent too .

I suppose it is that to whom does one turn first - sometimes I want to hear Menuhin play it or Hahn or Oistrakh. When I want to hear the Beethoven Violin Concerto it is to Perlman I tend to turn.

[LaurieWatt]

When I first got to know this work in the early 70s (my first recording was the above-mentioned Schneiderhahn) I was puzzled why it seemed to start with 2 slow movements

I'm still looking for a wonderful-all-through performance with a truly allegro 1st mov't (though of course non troppo). So far, Milstein (EMI) comes closest.

I was brought up on Milstein and the Pittsburgh SO and although I have several of those mentioned, I always come back to Milstein. Timeless.

[visualnickmos]

Leonid Kogan with Constantin Silvestri conducting the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire on the 2-CD EMI 'artist profile' series is wonderful.

Also;

Zukerman/CSO/Barenboim (DG)

Szeryng/Concertgebouw/Haitink

Stern/NYPO/Bernstein

to name a few of my 'favs' of this work. But to choose one - ask me today I'll say Oistrakh; tomorrow I'll say....... ?

[richardfinegold]

Just listened to Oistrakh/Cluytens again, lovely playing but it doesn't flow enough (and there are lots of extraneous noises in the slow movement!).

I also listened to Hilary Hahn again, I'd forgotten just how good it is, orchestra and recording too - try it.

Mike

I second your recommendation of Suk/Boult, but could not disagree more strongly with you about the Oistrakh/Cluytens

[gradus]

Menuhin/Furtwangler is the one for me.

[silvestrione]

Menuhin/Furtwangler is the one for me.

Was hoping someone would say that: just picked it up in local Oxfam shop! My first ever version: somehow have never got on with this work. Time to try again.

[Roehre]

My absolute favourites, both mentioned already:
Krebbers/Haitink/CGO (a really much underrated recording IMO, mid 1970s)
Schneiderhan/Jochum/BPO, with for me as an extra that Schneiderhan/Beethoven cadenza.

for the cadenzas, Ricci made a recording with some of them as extras, with the possibillity to program them into the right place (as he did also with the Brahms concerto)

[mikealdren]

but could not disagree more strongly with you about the Oistrakh/Cluytens

That's what makes music so fascinating. I love Oistrakh above all other violinists and have almost all of his recordings but somehow this one doesn't strike a chord, lovely playing though.

Mike

[Barbirollians]

Menuhin/Furtwangler is the one for me.

As discussed above which one ! The 1947 Lucerne on an EMI References LP was the first I bought after the Perlman/Giulini and I was thrilled with how different it was . I have to agree with I think Tully Potter who suggested that few have ever really penetrated to the heart of the Larghetto like Menuhin . No pretty interlude with him .

[gradus]

HMV ALP1100 - Philharmonia/Menuhin/Furtwangler. I entirely agree with Tully Potter, it must be one of Menuhin's greatest recordings.

[Beef Oven!]

Beethoven's violin concerto and limiting it to just one? I've often asked myself this fascinating question and the answer I come up with is Anne-Sophie Mutter, BPO Karajan on Deutsche Grammophon. As it turns out, it's the one I've actually limited myself to in the last 30 odd years.