BaL 14.01.12 - Elgar: Violin Concerto

[Petrushka]

I listened three or four times upon release and agree with the two previous comments. Nicola’s live Barbican performance was really exciting with BBCSO/Oramo without the same degree of accuracy as on disc.

There's nothing I've read so far that makes me think I need another version. The Perlman/Chicago SO/Barenboim is my touchstone in this (heard him perform it live twice) and while the violin is closely recorded, as usual with Perlman, it suits me fine. Nigel Kennedy with Handley or Rattle are next best.

[cloughie]

Initial thoughts after a couple of playings are that Ms Benedetti`s playing is excellent but the orchestral accompaniment is not a worthy partner. No sure whether it`s the conducting itself. The playing of the orchestral is excellent but there`s no emotional heft to it. I shall hang onto it and see how it settles in.

I have the CD and on first listen was not as impressed as I hoped -AR your analysis is good - a good Elgarian orchestra but could it be that Jurowski whose performances of many composers are excellent (Tchaikovsky is outstanding) is not attuned to Elgar!

[akiralx]

As I listen generally on headphones I had to turn off the Benedetti after a few minutes - the recording of the soloist is so close it made my ears cringe - she has been let down by the engineers.

Favourites for me are Kennedy I, Little and Shaham.

[mikealdren]

I was also disappointed with the Benedetti recording but my reservations also applied to her performance I heard last year with the English Symphony Orchestra so I don't blame the LPO. Somehow despite the very good playing, her performance didn't gel, I didn't feel there was an overarching feel to the piece. Many individual phrases were fine but I was too conscious of her technique and vibrato and there wasn't enough flow. It's a remarkably difficult piece to bring off.

[Barbirollians]

I was also disappointed with the Benedetti recording but my reservations also applied to her performance I heard last year with the English Symphony Orchestra so I don't blame the LPO. Somehow despite the very good playing, her performance didn't gel, I didn't feel there was an overarching feel to the piece. Many individual phrases were fine but I was too conscious of her technique and vibrato and there wasn't enough flow. It's a remarkably difficult piece to bring off.

A good point - Menuhin/Boult May show some frailty from the soloist but heavens they know exactly how it should go .

[BBMmk2]

I can’t see what’s wrong with Kennedy’s recording. Or Tasmin’s and Hugh Bean’s.

[gurnemanz]

Well, I really enjoyed Nicola Benedetti's performance which I have low listened to on Spotify and, reading around, so did the critics - Times five stars. I'm not a longstanding fan of the work. I have the famous Menuhin recording and Kyung Wha Chung/Solti as part of a box but have not listened to either of them so often. I only came to appreciate it properly when I heard it live for the first time with Nicola Benedetti and Bath Phil in 2017. I am grateful to her for her committed advocacy of the work. The recording will surely do much to bring it to a new audience.

[cloughie]

I have many recordings of the violin concerto and the only one that really disappoints is a BBC MM recording with James Ehnes which seems to lack sparkle, though I’ve not heard his Onyx recording with A Davis and the Philharmonia which may be better. I know we can only dream about it as they are more than one generation apart but Benedetti/Boult?

[LMcD]

Kennedy/Handley for us - recorded at around the time we saw him play it in Croydon, stepping in at short notice for the indisposed Salvatore Accardo.

[Barbirollians]

I have many recordings of the violin concerto and the only one that really disappoints is a BBC MM recording with James Ehnes which seems to lack sparkle, though I’ve not heard his Onyx recording with A Davis and the Philharmonia which may be better. I know we can only dream about it as they are more than one generation apart but Benedetti/Boult?

Dreaming wise I should have loved a Menuhin/Barbirolli account.

[Pulcinella]

I have many recordings of the violin concerto and the only one that really disappoints is a BBC MM recording with James Ehnes which seems to lack sparkle, though I’ve not heard his Onyx recording with A Davis and the Philharmonia which may be better. I know we can only dream about it as they are more than one generation apart but Benedetti/Boult?

You've got me intrigued now, cloughie, so I've dug this out for an airing.
It was recorded live on 5 February 2009 (Richard Hickox Memorial Concert): maybe the occasion got to him.

The Onyx recording seems generally well thought of: it was Presto's Recording of the week on 29 September 2008 (rather odd, as the Presto site gives its release date as 29 October 2007!), the Gramophone Editor's Choice in January 2008, and Winner of the Concerto category in the 2008 Gramophone Awards.
BBC MM was less enthusiastic, awarding it only 3 stars (though whether for performance or recording is not clear)!
But hey, what do critics know, eh?

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7960389--elgar-violin-concerto-serenade-for-strings#reviews

[Barbirollians]

You've got me intrigued now, cloughie, so I've dug this out for an airing.
It was recorded live on 5 February 2009 (Richard Hickox Memorial Concert): maybe the occasion got to him.

The Onyx recording seems generally well thought of: it was Presto's Recording of the week on 29 September 2008 (rather odd, as the Presto site gives its release date as 29 October 2007!), the Gramophone Editor's Choice in January 2008, and Winner of the Concerto category in the 2008 Gramophone Awards.
BBC MM was less enthusiastic, awarding it only 3 stars (though whether for performance or recording is not clear)!
But hey, what do critics know, eh?


https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...trings#reviews

I recall the Ehnes/Davis had a rave review on CD Review and in Gramophone - I didn’t like it much didn’t hold together lots of pretty episodes. Davis did a better job for Tasmin Little later.

[Barbirollians]

I don’t think I have listened to it for a good few years until today but it never pales the 1932 Menuhin/Elgar and in the Elgar Edition one is amazed that it was made so long ago.

I see I never replied to Nick’s post about the Screen Two film Lent I remember that vividly too and it led me to buy the HMV Treasury issue of the Menuhin/Elgar when I was at university.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I should give the Menuhin another listen. I'm most familiar with the Sammons recording, if we're talking about the early recordings.

[gradus]

Zukerman/Barenboim lavished love on the piece and Menuhin/Elgar aside which is irreplaceable, I'll stick with Pinchas.