BaL 5.06.21 - Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D

[Rolmill]

I guess the next step is to weed out the more bland versions, this is one concerto that has to be spine tingling. A violinist friend automatically discounts anyone who doesn't start quietly enough.....

Of my mere 13 recordings, Gitlis/Horenstein provides the quietest (and most spine-tinging) start. The intensity of his vibrato (and occasional roughness of tone and intonation) make the overall performance an acquired taste, probably not a library choice but certainly not bland and I'm very glad to have it.

[mikealdren]

Of my mere 13 recordings, Gitlis/Horenstein provides the quietest (and most spine-tinging) start. The intensity of his vibrato (and occasional roughness of tone and intonation) make the overall performance an acquired taste, probably not a library choice but certainly not bland and I'm very glad to have it.

I am too, as so often, Gitlis certainly gets under the skin of the work.

[Barbirollians]

The Vox set - the Art of Ivry Gitlis is a treasure trove for anyone interested in more of Ivry.

[Barbirollians]

Been listening to Batiashvili/Barenboim this afternoon. It is very good - Barenbpim's accompaniment seems to have the measure of the work - but he seems not to have recorded any other Sibelius as far as I know.

[Bryn]

Been listening to Batiashvili/Barenboim this afternoon. It is very good - Barenbpim's accompaniment seems to have the measure of the work - but he seems not to have recorded any other Sibelius as far as I know.

Indeed, and that he has recorded twice, originally with Vengerov.

[cloughie]

Indeed, and that he has recorded twice, originally with Vengerov.

Three times - Zukerman

Oh, and he did record Valse Triste with the Divan Orchestra!

[Barbirollians]

I was interested to read in a review on Amazon that apparently the Camilla Wicks /Ehrling recording of the Sibelius was the top choice in BBC Music Magazine’s version of BAL a few years ago . It does not seem to be available any more . I was lucky enough to find a cheap copy of an EMI Japanese import a few years back.

It is apparently available for free to stream on Amazon Prime music if you have that.

[Stanfordian]

Been listening to Batiashvili/Barenboim this afternoon. It is very good - Barenbpim's accompaniment seems to have the measure of the work - but he seems not to have recorded any other Sibelius as far as I know.

Barbirollians,

Yes, I agree. The Batiashvili Sibelius is a very fine recording. I think the CD coupling the Tchaikovsky concerto is even better.

[Bryn]

I was interested to read in a review on Amazon that apparently the Camilla Wicks /Ehrling recording of the Sibelius was the top choice in BBC Music Magazine’s version of BAL a few years ago . It does not seem to be available any more . I was lucky enough to find a cheap copy of an EMI Japanese import a few years back.

It is apparently available for free to stream on Amazon Prime music if you have that.

The Wicks/Barnett recording of the final movement, in its Music and Arts Programs of America transfer, can be found on QOBUZ in lossless CD quality.

[Barbirollians]

The Wicks/Barnett recording of the final movement, in its Music and Arts Programs of America transfer, can be found on QOBUZ in lossless CD quality.

I missed the Gramophone obituary but sad to see Camilla Wicks died in November at the age of 92.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Rather amazed how little discussion of this work compared to the ghastly Orff.

It should liven up after the programme.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I wonder how much of today’s discussion will focus on the conductor? I remember Andre Previn describing the work as one of the most difficult to conduct in the entire repertoire. I don’t know the score well enough (or indeed enough about the mechanics of conducting ) but presumably the difficulties are around constantly changing pulse , tempi and giving the soloist the freedom they need in this above all concerti?

[gurnemanz]

Actually Bryn intolerance and grumpiness is probably a forum feature. Hopefully most of the time it stops short of offensiveness, but it does reflect the age and stage of the lives of many contributors. A dull world it would be if we all agreed on too many things. As for the works in question ghastly is not a word I would use to describe Carmina Burana and if I needed a musical lift would be more likely to provide it than the rather stark Sibelius work. Not a bad work i haveva number of recordings of it - I like the Chung/Previn and Spivakovsky/Hannikainen but I would not place it in my top 20 favourite Sibelius works or Violin Concertos.

For quite a few years of my classical music listening the Sibelius Concerto was not high on my listening priority list. I had no LP and my only CD version was Vengerov/Barenboim/Chicago. I think I really appreciated it properly the first time we heard it live about ten years ago in the excellent accoustic of Anvil Basingstoke, Vadim Repin with Ashkenazy and Philharmonia. I have acquired several other good versions via box sets:

Kavakos/Vänskä/Lahti SO on BIS
Oistrakh/Rozhdestvensky (1965)
The classic Hefetz/Hendl/Chicago
Josefowicz/Marriner/ASMF

I shall now sleep well at night in the knowledge that my "not disliking" of Carmina Burana is a view that other users on here who find it ghastly are generous enough to be able to tolerate.

[Goon525]

Leah Broad seems to be doing just fine. Plenty of knowledge well expressed, and loads of enthusiasm for the work and many of its interpreters. And we seem to be getting more than the now customary six or seven versions included.

[Wolfram]

Oh no! She's just made the polar bears dancing remark. I vowed that I'd turn it off immediately if they said that.