BaL 30.10.21 - Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor

[Maclintick]

As to performers yet to record it, in addition to Vidle Frang, I think it would suit Lisa Batiashvili and, particularly, Janine Jansen very well, Of course it would be fascinating to see what Pat Kop could make of it too!

... Yikes -- I suspect "fascinating" might not describe my reaction should that come to pass, but I'll keep an open mind. I'd love to hear Batiashvili, Jansen, or for that matter Isabelle Faust, Julia Fischer, Arabella Steinbacher inter alia, though none of these are likely to channel Olivier or Gielgud, methinks.

One surprising lacuna among conductors in Alpie's list is the absence of any extant recordings with JB at the helm. Perhaps Barbs could enlighten us as to whether he ever recorded it ?

[Barbirollians]

... Yikes -- I suspect "fascinating" might not describe my reaction should that come to pass, but I'll keep an open mind. I'd love to hear Batiashvili, Jansen, or for that matter Isabelle Faust, Julia Fischer, Arabella Steinbacher inter alia, though one of these are likely to channel Olivier or Gielgud, methinks.

One surprising lacuna among conductors in Alpie's list is the absence of any extant recordings with JB at the helm. Perhaps Barbs could enlighten us as to whether he ever recorded it ?

No he did not . In the Beulah release of the Campoli the note mentions him playing it with Campoli but refusing to record it with anyone but Kreisler. This strikes me as odd as of course Gaisberg said FK refused to record it hence he went for Menuhin . I suppose FK might have offered to record it with Barbirolli rather than the composer but I have never seen any suggestion that was the case.

[Dave2002]

I almost forgot - I heard Menuhin play this live years ago in the RAH - with Boult conducting. It was one of the most memorable concerts I ever heard. In the first half Yehudi fumbled his way through Mendelssohn's concerto slowly - very disappointing. The second half was just sublime.

[Barbirollians]

As I think this was also discussed on the 2012 BAL thread - it would also not explain if he was angry with HMV why he did not record it with Pye.

[Barbirollians]

As I think this was also discussed on the 2012 BAL thread - it would also not explain if he was angry with HMV why he did not record it with Pye.

The 2012 BAL is still available as a podcast I note. Martin Cotton played extracts from Menuhin/Elgar, Little/Davis, Kennedy/Handley, Kennedy/Rattle, Campoli/Boult , Znaider/Davis, Zehetnair/Elder, Menuhin/Boult , Chung/Solti , Zukerman/Barenboim , Ehnes/Davis and as much as I disagree with him about the second Menuhin recording it is a vastly preferable BAL to yesterday’s ramblings.

Perlman/Barenboim,Hahn/Davis , Sammons/Wood are also discussed but not played.

Shows just how much more thorough a reviewer could be without the interruptions of A McGregor. Let alone without the flights of fancy of DON.

[Alison]

How I’d love a release of the Ida Haendel Proms account with the late Sir Bernard.

[Petrushka]

How I’d love a release of the Ida Haendel Proms account with the late Sir Bernard.

There was a live 1982 Concertgebouw/Haitink concert on the Netherlands Radio 4 site with Kyung-Wha Chung as soloist in the Elgar Violin Concerto. If it's not still there it might appear again in the future.

[Barbirollians]

How I’d love a release of the Ida Haendel Proms account with the late Sir Bernard.

Forumite Lauriewatt said there was definitely a tape but despite his best efforts no record company was interested.

Ida H’s live account from the Proms with Rattle is very fine - intermittently available on Testament.

[visualnickmos]

Forumite Lauriewatt said there was definitely a tape but despite his best efforts no record company was interested.

Ida H’s live account from the Proms with Rattle is very fine - intermittently available on Testament.

Is it as plodding as her recording with Boult?

[LHC]

Is it as plodding as her recording with Boult?

According to Keraulophone in post #59 in this thread, no:

“Boult / Haendel 19’52 + 13’49 + 21’39
Rattle / Haendel 17’03 + 11’23 +18’00”

[pastoralguy]

I read Nathan Milstein’s autobiography and he absolutely loathed the Elgar concerto! Actually, re. Pat Kop. I asked her if she had any plans to play it to which she replied in her ‘mad as a box of frogs’ way. ‘Ok, Ok - I’ll learn it just for you!’

[Lordgeous]

Well, after all that I've no idea which, if any, current version to add to my library. I have the first Kennedy and the Hahn (as I'm such a fan of hers, but agree with DON). Anybody help? Sound must be good too. Enjoyed lots of the excerpts but they don't give me a sense of the the whole performance by any given performer. Nevertheless I always enjoy DON's broadcasts and learnt much I didn't know.

[pastoralguy]

Iirc, Tasman Little’s has a track that has the cadenza arranged by Elgar for violin and harp. I believe it was recorded thus by Marie Hall in the very abridged version in the very early days of recorded sound.

[pastoralguy]

Nevertheless I always enjoy DON's broadcasts and learnt much I didn't know.

Absolutely!

[Barbirollians]

I read Nathan Milstein’s autobiography and he absolutely loathed the Elgar concerto! Actually, re. Pat Kop. I asked her if she had any plans to play it to which she replied in her ‘mad as a box of frogs’ way. ‘Ok, Ok - I’ll learn it just for you!’

Milstein had the technique for it but not the depth of musicality . I have always found his accounts of the Beethoven and Brahms superficial.