BaL 24.04.21 - Stravinsky: Violin concerto in D

[kuligin]

Very good programme. First an explanation was given why some recordings were excluded. Secondly recordings were not chosen which were bound to be excluded. Many reviewers would have given us Stern/ Stravinsky and then excluded it. There is no time to waste on non runners. Thirdly the examples were enlightening as to why a recording was worth including, the Hahn slow movements nearly persuaded me to forgettable excessive first movement.

Andrew did seem to say less but I still struggle to see why he is needed when the reviewer does not need nudging to move on.

[Bert]

Very good programme. First an explanation was given why some recordings were excluded.

Yes, clearly feedback has been listened to! Although I always kinda took it for granted that the reasons for exclusion (in a time of implausible numbers of recordings) would not be laziness or frivolous.

Secondly recordings were not chosen which were bound to be excluded. Many reviewers would have given us Stern/ Stravinsky and then excluded it. There is no time to waste on non runners. Thirdly the examples were enlightening as to why a recording was worth including, the Hahn slow movements nearly persuaded me to forgettable excessive first movement.

The Hahn blew me away! She is also incredible in the Schoenberg vc - even better than Faust, in my opinion.

Andrew did seem to say less but I still struggle to see why he is needed when the reviewer does not need nudging to move on.

I quite like the conversational presentation, and it is more in keeping with the present less didactic culture that we live in. We can count our blessings that we are not being invited to tweet and post our Facebook views in order to have them read out!

[Bert]

Many thanks for all your insights, Nigel, in the fascinating BaL you've just given us.
I wasn't sure that I could enjoy the piece even more than I already did, but now I do!

Well said, and seconded.

'Winner' added to my queue for listening to later.

Same here, but the Hahn is still resonating in my head!

[makropulos]

Many thanks for the very kind comments –I'm glad it came over okay. Really, with a piece like that it would (I hope) be hard to mess it up. As for the 'conversation' format, I know it divides opinion sharply but I think it can work well –from my experience, Andrew is a good person to chat with.

[Bert]

Many thanks for the very kind comments –I'm glad it came over okay. Really, with a piece like that it would (I hope) be hard to mess it up.

From where I sat, it was a bench-mark broadcast - thank you!

As for the 'conversation' format, I know it divides opinion sharply but I think it can work well –from my experience, Andrew is a good person to chat with.

Indeed, it came across like that. Perhaps we should just cease commenting, either way, on the format and spend the time talking about the music.

[Ein Heldenleben]

From where I sat, it was a bench-mark broadcast - thank you!





Indeed, it came across like that. Perhaps we should just cease commenting, either way, on the format and spend the time talking about the music.

Good idea - otherwise we’ll have to set up a I’m Glad BAL Is The Way It Is thread..

[Bert]

Good idea - otherwise we’ll have to set up a I’m Glad BAL Is The Way It Is thread..

[visualnickmos]

The Hahn blew me away! She is also incredible in the Schoenberg vc - even better than Faust, in my opinion.

Indeed; the extracts of Hahn were to my ears at least, superb - I really did love the contrast of the more 'manic' bits with the more mellowed parts.....
Please forgive my non-knowledge of correct musical terminologies!

[visualnickmos]

From where I sat, it was a bench-mark broadcast - thank you!

It was; many thanks to an expert reviewer, volumes of information, and presented with a completely engaging style. When a BaL leaves me enthused to find out even more about a piece, and sample more recordings... well - what more could one ask?

[mikealdren]

Hilary Hahn's first movement may be quick but, to me, it doesn't sound rushed. In fact it only really sounds fast if you play it after a slower performance. I like it as much as Mullova and Kopatchinskaja and I would find it hard to choose between them.

[richardfinegold]

Who “won”? I thought the winner was supposed to be highlighted in black on the original list after the broadcast but my iPad shows 3 different highlighted versions, none in black. And why do Forumites routinely refer to the victor as “the winner” and not mention the names of the Musicians? It is as if having won the palm, the recording acquired a status of divinity that precludes the mention of the name

[ardcarp]

Hilary Hahn's first movement may be quick but, to me, it doesn't sound rushed. In fact it only really sounds fast if you play it after a slower performance.

Exactly the same thought occurred to me.

The Hahn blew me away!

Me too. I mentioned her performance way upthread, and have no urge to buy another CD. As the review suggested Anne Sophie Mutter's performance is pretty flawless, but just a bit too 'polished' or 'polite' for this piece.

[vinteuil]

Who “won”? I thought the winner was supposed to be highlighted in black on the original list after the broadcast but my iPad shows 3 different highlighted versions, none in black. And why do Forumites routinely refer to the victor as “the winner” and not mention the names of the Musicians? It is as if having won the palm, the recording acquired a status of divinity that precludes the mention of the name

... I suppose it depends on which machine you're reading this from - on my chromebook the 'winner' [Mullova] is now printed in red and the 'also recommended' [Mutter, Schneiderhan] in orange

.

[Pulcinella]

Hilary Hahn's first movement may be quick but, to me, it doesn't sound rushed. In fact it only really sounds fast if you play it after a slower performance. I like it as much as Mullova and Kopatchinskaja and I would find it hard to choose between them.

I just think that so much of the exquisite detail in the accompaniment (if not in the solo part itself) gets lost at that speed: I feel the same about some other music (for example the Brandenburg concertos) taken at a similar breakneck pace.

[HighlandDougie]

I'm glad that my (re)discovery of - and enthusiasm for - the Schneiderhan was not misplaced. Anyway, a BaL as good as they get (which says a lot these days): articulate, cogent, knowledgeable, enthusiastic ... in short, a really enjoyable listen. Thanks, Nigel (and, in fairness, due also to A McG).