BaL 12.10.13 - Walton's Violin Concerto

[gurnemanz]

I suppose nothing shows us more than BAL about how subjective record reviewing is . The 2002 winner Bell was dismissed without a note even being played !

Bell had also previously received the 1998 Gramophone Award for Best Concerto Recording and was top recommendation in the the last Penguin Guide I bought (2003/4)

[Nick Armstrong]

I suppose nothing shows us more than BAL about how subjective record reviewing is . The 2002 winner Bell was dismissed without a note even being played !

And justifiably too. I listened to it again after the programme and I heard none of the of spirit of the work in his dull efficient playing.

Bell had also previously received the 1998 Gramophone Award for Best Concerto Recording and was top recommendation in the the last Penguin Guide I bought (2003/4)

Interesting debate developing

I've always been happy with the Bell... Need to give it another spin.

[Nick Armstrong]

Can anyone comment on Thomas Bowes' playing with the Malmo SO? The reviewer seemed a bit fixed on this performance, but from what I heard neither the playing nor the violin sound was in the same league as that of say Nigel Kennedy or Ida Haendel.

The Bowes recording he raved about sounded cloudy to me and nothing to write home about at all

I was underwhelmed too. The first extract he played from that performance started with a passage that seemed to my ears to have some teeth-itching intonation issues. It got better, but I'm not at all convinced that it's the sort of violin playing I like. Surprising from the former leader of the impressive Magginis...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The first extract he played from that performance started with a passage that seemed to my ears to have some teeth-itching intonation issues.

Yes, it did - and rather "scrubby" bowing in that excerpt, too. The violin sounded as if it had been recorded in a different acoustic, too - although the kitchen radio isn't the best equipment to make such a judgement.

Surprising from the former leader of the impressive Magginis...

Yes, I was expecting to be wowed, too. Their NAXOS Walton String Quartet/Piano Quintet is very good.

[visualnickmos]

I am very pleased that Tamsin Little "won" - and deservedly so. However, there are clearly many great recordings of this understatedly brilliant work, and it was good to listen to a BaL that was so well-BaLanced. My only grouse is that I got the distinct impression that NK was not particularly favoured by the reviewer from the start, which was confirmed when he intimated that his recording is "without the usual antics" (whatever that means; I am guessing he means the fact that he doesn't perform dressed as an undertaker) and the comment about the "vulgarity" of his portamento (I think he said 'portamento') was the perfect excuse to ditch him completely. I like NK's recording - vulgar bit or not!

PS by well-balanced I refer to the extracts that WERE played; plenty were not played that should have been - Bell being a case in point.

[Barbirollians]

Having played the Chung/Previn recording in the car on the way to visit friends this evening his dismissal of it seems even more remarkable than before - her playing is dazzling and that horn solo does not sound a problem at all in context .

The criticism that it was grainy is just bizarre .

[Sir Velo]

Long time since I played the Chung but I remember it for its dazzling sense of Mediterranean warmth; one of the reasons why for many years I preferred this concerto to the one for viola.

I sometimes wonder what checks are done on a reviewer's system to ensure they are listening in the best possible sound. I don't know if anyone remembers a feature in Gramophone where listeners and some of the reviewers had their systems checked out by an audio specialist; it led to the revelation that several suffered from decidedly average equipment; probably one of the reasons why the series was hastily ditched! I have always taken pronouncements on sound quality with several spoonfuls of salt since then.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I recall William Mival commenting on the "grey" sound from the Vienna Philharmonic strings in Thielemann's Eine Alpensinfonie. WHere he got that idea from is beyond me.

[ardcarp]

I had always assumed reviewers knew a bit about the technical side of recording...and had decent kit to use. Does the Beeb provide it for them? Rob Cowan seems particularly knowledgeable in matters of recorded sound, re-masterings and the techniques of recoerding companies and their engineers.

[mikealdren]

Yes, I was expecting to be wowed, too. Their NAXOS Walton String Quartet/Piano Quintet is very good.

Without wishing to denegrate Tom's playing in any way, he left the Maggini long before they recorded the Walton. Without checking the CD, I suspect that their leader then was Laurence Jackson who now leads the CBSO.

It's very impressive how consistently good their recordings have been over a long period with a variety of different leaders.

Mike

[mikealdren]

I had always assumed reviewers knew a bit about the technical side of recording...and had decent kit to use. Does the Beeb provide it for them? Rob Cowan seems particularly knowledgeable in matters of recorded sound, re-masterings and the techniques of recording companies and their engineers.

Judging by other threads, I think there's more knowledge about recorded sound on this forum than at the BBC, even if our ears aren't what they used to be.

Mike

[Sir Velo]

My only grouse is that I got the distinct impression that NK was not particularly favoured by the reviewer from the start, which was confirmed when he intimated that his recording is "without the usual antics" (whatever that means; I am guessing he means the fact that he doesn't perform dressed as an undertaker) and the comment about the "vulgarity" of his portamento (I think he said 'portamento') was the perfect excuse to ditch him completely. I like NK's recording - vulgar bit or not!

IIRC, Kennedy's recording of the violin and viola concertos with Previn and the LSO were Gramophone award winners back in the day. Either tastes have changed or the performance has unaccountably deteriorated in the intervening years...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Without wishing to denegrate Tom's playing in any way, he left the Maggini long before they recorded the Walton.

Thanks for this, Mike.

It's very impressive how consistently good their recordings have been over a long period with a variety of different leaders.

[visualnickmos]

IIRC, Kennedy's recording of the violin and viola concertos with Previn and the LSO were Gramophone award winners back in the day....

Yes - I am pretty sure I remember the same.

....Either tastes have changed or the performance has unaccountably deteriorated in the intervening years...

Neither scenario is applicable. He just "don't get NK"

[amateur51]

Yes - I am pretty sure I remember the same.




Neither scenario is applicable. He just "don't get NK"

My thought too visuals