Record Review: non-BaL discs reviewed, etc.

[richardfinegold]

Really marvellous Walton viola concerto from James Ehnes with the BBCSO under Ed Gardner (record of the week, last 25 minutes of the 28.04.18 programme)

I didn’t know that Ehnes played the viola. How common is that to see violinists doubling on their neglected big brother?

[Richard Tarleton]

I didn’t know that Ehnes played the viola. How common is that to see violinists doubling on their neglected big brother?

OT, an interesting discussion on the ABRSM forum which your question led me to seek out....I remember seeing Pinchas Zuckerman play both in a duo recital with Perlman around 45 years ago....(and there's that Nupen Trout film...)

[Zucchini]

Once upon a time Vengerov recorded the Walton Viola C

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Once upon a time Vengerov recorded the Walton Viola C

Yes - the Walton Viola Concerto does seem to attract Violinists (Menuhin, Kennedy, as well) on recordings at least - not sure how many perform it in concert.

"Viola Player" was one of Hans Keller's mischievous "fake professions" - claiming that there's no greater difference in technique between violin and viola playing than between flute and piccolo playing.

[mathias broucek]

I have a 1985 privately-issued CD of "Winter Journey" as it's there titled: baritone Peter Allanson and pianist Kenneth Mobbs, translation by Leslie Minchin. It's a good while since I played it but I recall a decent performance if a touch undemonstrative from the singer. The website given in the sleeve notes, www.mobbsearlykeyboard.co.uk, appears no longer to exist.

What sort of piano does Mobbs use? He was quite focused on early pianos...

[Richard Tarleton]

Its on spotify.
Just listening, and I’d definitely buy it.

I've bought it and am greatly enjoying it, chiefly for Roderick Williams's ravishingly beautiful voice, and Christopher Glynn is excellent. I don't know German, and am used to following the literal translations of the texts (or, in the case of the DFD-Brendel DVD, following the on-screen translation), so there seeems to me to be a clear trade-off between the beauty of the German and comprehensibility. Some of them sound a bit doggerelly, the fault I daresay of the rhymes, but I have no idea how the German words sound to a German speaker - presumably they come across as great poetry, which the English translations don't - or do they?

[teamsaint]

I've bought it and am greatly enjoying it, chiefly for Roderick Williams's ravishingly beautiful voice, and Christopher Glynn is excellent. I don't know German, and am used to following the literal translations of the texts (or, in the case of the DFD-Brendel DVD, following the on-screen translation), so there seeems to me to be a clear trade-off between the beauty of the German and comprehensibility. Some of them sound a bit doggerelly, the fault I daresay of the rhymes, but I have no idea how the German words sound to a German speaker - presumably they come across as great poetry, which the English translations don't - or do they?

No they don’t come across as great poetry. But in my honest opinion, the art is in setting the words with great skill, not choosing great poetry.. So often song setting is about flow, ease, what sounds good, combined with that one great line of text that really hits home.

I really enjoy following German texts with an english translation to hand, but my german is limited to the teams in the Bundesliga, varieties of sausage, and Berlin S and U Bahn stations. It is a hard work process, worth the effort, but a chance to hear a good English rendition feels a combination of lazy, luxurious, and overdue.
These settings aren ‘t perfect, but we are two hundred years and half a continent away, and who can say if Schubert set everything to perfection ? Although I doubt that humans can do much better.


And, on a slightly different tack, we English speakers do bring to Lieder a set of expectations ( not least of exoticism)that german speakers might , naturally, not really recognise.

[Nick Armstrong]

I didn’t know that Ehnes played the viola. How common is that to see violinists doubling on their neglected big brother?

My reference for many years was the coupling of the violin and viola concertos wiv Nige as soloist in both, accompanied by the RPO under André Previn - and an excellent disc it remains.

[Bryn]

I am not in the market for it (I have most of the Sony Salonen recordings I would want from it) but the new big box is probably best ordered from amazon.de. It works out at a little under £100 including p&p to the U.K. if bought from them.

[Nick Armstrong]

I am not in the market for it (I have most of the Sony Salonen recordings I would want from it)

Same here. I've long loved the Haydn disc included in the box (and sampled this morning on RR). Go back to it often, absolutely wonderful I reckon.

[Tevot]

Hello there,

Really enjoyed today's Record Review particularly the Salonen retrospective. I still have Salonen's recording of Lutoslawski 3 / Les Espaces du Sommeil which was coupled with Messaien's Turangalila - one of the first CDs I bought.

I was quite impressed by the excerpt from Magnus Lindberg's "Fresco" too ...and the Haydn !

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Beef Oven!]

Hello there,

Really enjoyed today's Record Review particularly the Salonen retrospective. I still have Salonen's recording of Lutoslawski 3 / Les Espaces du Sommeil which was coupled with Messaien's Turangalila - one of the first CDs I bought.

I was quite impressed by the excerpt from Magnus Lindberg's "Fresco" too ...and the Haydn !

Best Wishes,

Tevot

Agreed.

Also, I liked John Adams' 'Absolute Jest'.

[Tevot]

Agreed.

Also, I liked John Adams' 'Absolute Jest'.

[Bryn]

Agreed.

Also, I liked John Adams' 'Absolute Jest'.

Available to stream or download from QOBUZ, though not in surround.

[Tevot]

Available to stream or download from QOBUZ, though not in surround.

Thank you Bryn !