BaL 25.01.25 - Brahms: Violin concerto

[pastoralguy]

I'll never forget the evening I went to the RFH to hear Salvatore Accardo play the Elgar concerto . He was taken ill at short notice and a young lad called Nigel Kennedy shuffled on in a ill-fitting suit and gave a historic performance. I hadn't heard of him , but was assured he had appeared with the Salford Symphony Orchestra (!). His EMI recording with Tod Handley followed this. Since then , I have to say, its been downhill all the way, but I treasure that memory.

I often heard Nige as a substitute soloist for the SNO when I was at school since the orchestra went through a phase of having violin soloists cancel on them. Nige was often called in at short notice and, even to my inexperienced ears, you could tell that there was something special about him. I did hear him play the Elgar concerto with Gibson and the SNO in, iirc, 1981 after his justly famous recording was released.

I have an Accardo story but it’ll need to wait for another time!

[Barbirollians]

Here is our thread on the concerto from 2018 -worth reading again.

https://www.for3.org/forums/forum/classical-forum/record-review/18705-brahms-violin-concerto

[Pulcinella]

Coincidentally got a WhatsApp message this morning from a friend in California (Sacramento) who had just been to a concert with the Brahms VC and Beethoven 7. The soloist was Augustin Hadelich. Part of his message amused me:

I had listened to an Itzhak Perlman version from 50 years ago and it was like he was strangling a cat.

[mikealdren]

I too heard Nige play the Elgar, the 2nd half of the concert was a Tchaikovsky symphony but I didn't stay, the Elgar was so good that I didn't want to spoil the evening.

[pastoralguy]

I too heard Nige play the Elgar, the 2nd half of the concert was a Tchaikovsky symphony but I didn't stay, the Elgar was so good that I didn't want to spoil the evening.

Iirc, the first half of Nige playing the Elgar concerto was Gibson conducting Falstaff. A big programme! My fiddle teacher who was a first violinist in the SNO, was impressed by Nigel’s playing and predicted he’d go from strength to strength which, I suppose, he did.

[DoctorT]

I saw NK play the Elgar with the Ulster Orchestra and Vernon Handley in the early 80s. In my top few favourite concert experiences. Also saw him play the Brahms: stamped his foot as he almost jumped into the third movement

[Barbirollians]

I saw him play the Britten (outstanding ) Tchaikovsky good but he was already beginning to dress up and speak fake Cockney by then.

[richardfinegold]

Coincidentally got a WhatsApp message this morning from a friend in California (Sacramento) who had just been to a concert with the Brahms VC and Beethoven 7. The soloist was Augustin Hadelich. Part of his message amused me:

I had listened to an Itzhak Perlman version from 50 years ago and it was like he was strangling a cat.

Amusing perhaps but if he is referring to the collaboration with Giulini, I would suggest he check his hearing aids for distortion

[Pulcinella]

Amusing perhaps but if he is referring to the collaboration with Giulini, I would suggest he check his hearing aids for distortion

I'll ask him.
Maybe distorted memory rather than distorting hearing aids.

[Barbirollians]

I'll ask him.
Maybe distorted memory rather than distorting hearing aids.

It’s a terrific recording if his tempi are slightly slow for modern tastes . Strangling a cat it isn’t nor is it lack lustre to my ears as DON said without playing an extract .

I have listed multiple omissions above but the one I still love above all is Menuhin/Kempe from 1959 . When it was reissued on HMV Concert Classics in the 1970s - RO paid him the compliment of handling the notes like Keats handled words .