Beethoven violin concerto. Campoli, Pritchard and the RPO...

[Bryn]

As a matter of interest, why was the 2011 BaL 'the worst ever'? Unfortunately I missed it.

Judge for yourself Tony. 'tis Roy Goodman who is the reviewer, along with you know who:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01w7rf7

[Hmm. Strange. Though I followed a link claiming to be to a 2011 broadcast, this seems to be from 2014, so maybe not the same one. As you were. Looks like the 2014 date is when the podcast of the programme was uploaded by the Beeb.]

By the way, the recording Roy Goodman wanted to choose, but which he wrongly thought to be unavailable, was this one, which can be found in several guises on CD, as single discs or in the Sony Beethoven Masterpieces box:

[Barbirollians]

The reason I suggested the Icon is because I'd be buying the box solely for that disc having bought Campoli from the Beulah issues and unless I'm mistaken will likely be better masterings than the copyright free transfers from vinyl.

Since Warner took over EMI there have been only a handful of Icons and I regret that the chances of a Pritchard Icon are very slim .

Perhaps Tony could be directed to the BAL thread rather than to revisit that here .

[Barbirollians]

Time for me to digress have greatly enjoyed the second cD of the set . Bach Partita No 2 with forthright and dramatic playing . No overromanticised playing here .

Then an account of the Bruch 1 with a strange sounding outfit of the London New Symphony Orchestra with Royalton Kisch - an orchestra and conductor I have never heard of . No sugary stuff here either from Campoli yet his golden tone is quite perfect in this concerto . Splendid stuff and well accompanied of in rather distant mono sound .

[Bryn]

Time for me to digress have greatly enjoyed the second cD of the set . Bach Partita No 2 with forthright and dramatic playing . No overromanticised playing here .

Then an account of the Bruch 1 with a strange sounding outfit of the London New Symphony Orchestra with Royalton Kisch - an orchestra and conductor I have never heard of . No sugary stuff here either from Campoli yet his golden tone is quite perfect in this concerto . Splendid stuff and well accompanied of in rather distant mono sound .

Alastair Royalton-Kisch (20 January 1920 – 21 March 1995), mentor of another conductor of some note, Sir Edward Heath. As to the "London New Symphony Orchestra", presumably a pick-up band for recording purposes.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Alastair Royalton-Kisch (20 January 1920 – 21 March 1995), mentor of another conductor of some note, Sir Edward Heath.

The name (RK, not Heath) does sound like one of those fakes made up by obscure labels, and I'd never heard of him before Barb's post. Should anyone wish to investigate further, his entire recorded legacy - all from DECCA and many produced by Culshaw or Olof - is available on a two CD set:

https://crqeditions.bandcamp.com/album/crq033-034-homage-to-royalton-kisch

[Barbirollians]

The name (RK, not Heath) does sound like one of those fakes made up by obscure labels, and I'd never heard of him before Barb's post. Should anyone wish to investigate further, his entire recorded legacy - all from DECCA and many produced by Culshaw or Olof - is available on a two CD set:

https://crqeditions.bandcamp.com/alb...royalton-kisch

Yes his Wikipedia entry said he had to retire from conducting due to back problems in the 1960s .

[cloughie]

Yes his Wikipedia entry said he had to retire from conducting due to back problems in the 1960s .

I recall his name on the Eclipse fake stereo Bruch VC1 coupled with the Mendelssohn conducted by Van Beinum.

[PJPJ]

Alastair Royalton-Kisch (20 January 1920 – 21 March 1995), mentor of another conductor of some note, Sir Edward Heath. As to the "London New Symphony Orchestra", presumably a pick-up band for recording purposes.

The New Symphony Orchestra was an excellent collection of London's best players. Charles Gerhardt used them for some of the Reader's Digest series engineered by Wilkinson.

I met Alastair Kisch (who incidentally was a friend of Peter Katin) who told me he had to choose between being a successful Bond Street art dealer and being a conductor. A most charming and amusing man.

[Barbirollians]

The New Symphony Orchestra was an excellent collection of London's best players. Charles Gerhardt used them for some of the Reader's Digest series engineered by Wilkinson.

I met Alastair Kisch (who incidentally was a friend of Peter Katin) who told me he had to choose between being a successful Bond Street art dealer and being a conductor. A most charming and amusing man.

Returning to the Campoli box it might take me some time to get used to some rather non HIPP Handel sonatas but there is a gorgeous recording of the Lalo Symphonie Espagnole with van Beinum and the LPO and in the five movement version then played by few . I see an old Gramophone review suggests that the orchestral introduction to the Intermezzo is slightly cut but that aside it is an utterly charming account .

I note that Campoli's recording of the Saint Saens No 3 is missing from the box amongst his Decca concerto records .

[seabright]

Campoli is on You Tube in a 77-minute upload merely described as "Mendelssohn and more" ... Someone in the 'comments' section has helpfully said that after the Mendelssohn, with the LPO and van Beinum, we get the Paganini-Kreisler Violin Concerto No. 1 with the National SO under Olof, followed by a Tartini Violin Sonata, Corelli's 'La Folia' Variations and Bazzini's 'La Ronde de Lutins' with Eric Gritton at the piano ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeMs9j26-kE

The Beethoven Concerto with Krips and the LSO is from a French Decca pressing illustrated in the video and sounding very nice too ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI7TsAkpY48

And the Beethoven again with Pritchard and the RPO ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW7Nb7eNqOs

The Elgar VC with Boult and the LPO from 1954 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sBFa_S4gSM

There are lots more Campoli uploads but the most fascinating is a little 'Pathe Pictorial' film of "Alfredo Campoli and his Trio" from 1934 playing 'Gypsy Airs' ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEDcNHCxXDE

Oh, in answer to Barbirollians comment on the missing Saint-Saens VC3, that is on You Tube too ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKHOxXeAAPg

Just type "Campoli violin" in the YouTube 'search' field at the top and you get everything from Tchaikovsky and Bruch to Stephen Foster's "Old Folks at Home"! Quite an array of recordings that you never hear on Radio 3.

[Barbirollians]

The upload of the Saint Saens 3 sounded very ropey to my ears . I hope this does reappear on the Eloquence sets that are apparently due soon.

I have been enjoying Campoli's Desert Island Discs from 1953 on the BBC website .Like many violinists he chooses a Heifetz recording .

[Barbirollians]

The upload of the Saint Saens 3 sounded very ropey to my ears . I hope this does reappear on the Eloquence sets that are apparently due soon.

I have been enjoying Campoli's Desert Island Discs from 1953 on the BBC website .Like many violinists he chooses a Heifetz recording .

He scarcely lets Plomley get a word in edge ways and just introduces the music - like a band leader would !

[mikealdren]

The upload of the Saint Saens 3 sounded very ropey to my ears . I hope this does reappear on the Eloquence sets that are apparently due soon.

I have been enjoying Campoli's Desert Island Discs from 1953 on the BBC website .Like many violinists he chooses a Heifetz recording .

Brilliant thanks, I've looked for this before but it hasn't been available.

[PJPJ]

Brilliant thanks, I've looked for this before but it hasn't been available.

Campoli's S-S3 appeared in mono and only many years later in the UK in real stereo on the Decca Eclipse label.

https://www.discogs.com/Saint-Sa%C3%ABns-Sarasate-Wieniawski-Alfredo-Campoli-London-Philharmonic-Orchestra-The-Pierino-Gamba-Vio/release/4007683

[mikealdren]

Sorry - I mean't the Desert Island Disks!