Christian Ferras

[Barbirollians]

I was aware of the tragic life of Ferras and that his playing had been a favourite of HVK but only knew his Bach double with Menuhin until discovering his Tchaikovsky with Silvestri on that Classic CD magazine cover disc which I thought was terrific .

In my vain quest to own almost as many Beethoven violin concerto recordings as PG I found his recording with Karajan in a charity shop last week for a pound . Good heavens it is slow the opening of the first movement in particular but Ferras is absolutely magnificent the Kreisler cadenza I cannot recall ever hearing better played and there is such emotion ,personality and warmth in his gloriously accurate playing .

I have now ordered very cheap second hand copies of his Brahms and Sibelius recordings from the river people but what other recordings do forumites recommend ?

[umslopogaas]

All on LP, I have concertos by Mozart (no. 3), Elizalde, Beethoven, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Bruch (no. 1). Elizalde is a bit of a curiosity, I have never otherwise come across him and he isnt in my 2010 Penguin Guide. He was born in Manila in 1908 and conducted the Manila Little Symphony Orchestra, according to the sleeve note. I'm not knowledgeable enough about violinists to comment on how good the performances are, I'm afraid.

[HighlandDougie]

Maybe not to everyone's taste but I do really like his playing in:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Franck-Sonate-Lekeu-Chausson-Po%C3%A8me/dp/B0050QLIRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460026274&sr=8-1&keywords=christian+ferras+cesar+franck

The Lekeu, if one doesn't know it, is a very fine work, well worth hearing.

[CallMePaul]

[QUOTE=umslopogaas;551844]Elizalde is a bit of a curiosity, I have never otherwise come across him and he isnt in my 2010 Penguin Guide. He was born in Manila in 1908 and conducted the Manila Little Symphony Orchestra, according to the sleeve note./QUOTE]

Googling 'Elizalde' gives either a Mexican pop singer or a Filipino politician (1937-97). Is he related to the latter?

[Barbirollians]

Elizalde was a Spanish bandleader it seems who worked in the Uk .

Leading aside some of the minor works Ferras recorded - which are on Testament it seems - I see he was well known for his account of the Berg ?

The lekeu is a terrific work . There is a sensational recording by Y and H Menuhin from the 1930s .

[umslopogaas]

Looks like he isnt on Google's radar. According to the sleeve notes on my ten inch Decca LP (LX 3116), Federico Elizalde was born in the Philippines in 1908 and made his name with his Savoy Hotel Band. He then changed his tune, and entered a sinfonia concertante for the International Society for Contemporary Music in Barcelona. He now (1953)divides his time between France and the Philippines. He was brought up in California and had academic training at Stanford and Cambridge (presumably Cambridge, Mass.). His style is eclectic, the violin concerto seems to owe much to Bloch

[Ferretfancy]

There is an excellent 4 CD Ferras set on Brilliant Classics 93791

Ferras plays the Franck and Lekeu Sonatas, the three Brahms Sonatas,. the Schumann Sonatas and a selection of encores by Kreisler, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Dvorak and Dinicu. The pianists are Pierre Barbizet and Jean -Claude Ambrosini (in the encores.)

If the budget runs to it, the Brahms Concerto with the VPO and Schuricht is available in the Decca Mono Years box, along with the Elizalde concerto and Rodrigo's Concierto de estio conducted by Enescu.

[visualnickmos]

There is an excellent 4 CD Ferras set on Brilliant Classics 93791

Yes - I 'found' this a while back at a knockdown price - couldn't stop myself! But a great selection of works, as you indicate.

Another - perhaps lesser-known(?) of Ferras's recordings is that of Beethoven's violin concerto with Sargent and the RPO (EMI)

Must have another listen, to refamiliarise myself with it.

[AmpH]

A wonderful set of the Beethoven violin sonatas which I return to often is played by Christian Ferras and Pierre Barbizet on EMI France. They seemed to form such a natural and sympathetic partnership.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Another - perhaps lesser-known(?) of Ferras's recordings is that of Beethoven's violin concerto with Sargent and the RPO (EMI)

Yes - and it's interesting that, whilst the recording with Karajan is the longest, all three of Ferras' recordings of the work take the First Movement at a leisurely pace: with Böhm the timings are 25:07; 11:06; 10:46 - with Sargent 24:55; 9:55; 9:45 - with Karajan 25:54; 10:47; 9:45.

I love those Ferras/Karajan Concerto recordings - my favourite of the Sibelius.

[Barbirollians]

That has just arrived and I look forward to listening to it in the morning.

[akiralx]

I love those Ferras/Karajan Concerto recordings - my favourite of the Sibelius.

That is good, as is the Brahms (reticent timpani notwithstanding) - but I would stay clear of their schmaltzy account of the Tchaikovsky.

[Barbirollians]

That is good, as is the Brahms (reticent timpani notwithstanding) - but I would stay clear of their schmaltzy account of the Tchaikovsky.

Not so sure about the Sibelius - Ferras sounds almost as if he is playing somewhere else odd sounding acoustic and here the slow tempi are verging a touch on the sluggish . That is not to say that there aren't lots of lovely moments .

Not really a match for Ida Haendel , Camilla Wicks or Ginette Neveu in my book.

[visualnickmos]

That is good, as is the Brahms (reticent timpani notwithstanding) - but I would stay clear of their schmaltzy account of the Tchaikovsky.

I would think that perhaps any leaning towards 'schmaltzyness' is perhpas more Karajan's doing than Mr Ferras.....?

But what about his recording with the Philharmonia and Silvestri on EMI?

[Barbirollians]

That account with Silvestri is wonderful