Our Summer BAL 43: Beethoven Spring Sonata in F Op 24

[verismissimo]

I first got to know this wonderful work around 1967 when it was fulsomely recommended by the recently departed Ted Greenfield (in the Guardian?) in the recording on MfP by Carlos Villa and Gwyneth Prior. Coupled, as so often, with the Kreutzer.

It still comes up fresh as paint nearly 50 years later.

Since that time, I've known and loved Menuhin with Kempff and Grumiaux with Haskin.

What do boarders enjoy in the Spring?

[verismissimo]

12/6 as I recall.

[richardfinegold]

I first heard this on a Westminster lp that featured a wild performance of the Kruetzer. I can't remember the names of the musicians who were otherwise pretty unknown.
My current favorite set of the Violin Sonatas is Josef Suk and Jan Panenka which features a fine Spring. I also have versions by Francescatti/Casadesus and Perlman/Azhkenazy. The former is quite sprightly but Francescatti's tone will sometimes become somewhat acidic. Perlman is beautiful but I like the better sense of ensemble between Suk and Panenka, who sound as if they played together for years, rather than laying down a recording in the studio after a couple of rehearsals.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I first heard this on a Westminster lp that featured a wild performance of the Kruetzer. I can't remember the names of the musicians who were otherwise pretty unknown.

http://www.popsike.com/Beethoven-Sonatas-Westminster-LP-Fournier-And-Doyen-WL-5247/310369440452.html

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

12/6 as I recall.

Indeed it was.

[Roehre]

Neither the most vigorous (that's op.47 Kreutzer") or the most lyrical (that's op.96), it is "suffering" from over-exposure IMO, partly due to the Title of the work.

I "learned" the Spring with the Grumiaux/Haskil and the Menuhin/Kempff recordings, at the moment my favourites are Kremer/Argerich (though not fully at the same wavelength interpretatively) and Perlman/Ashkenazy.
May I point out that the latter three mentioned recordings show perfectly why it is a near-impossibillity to beat Jewish violinists in this repertoire, temperamentally, technically and interpretatively

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Neither the most vigorous (that's op.47 Kreutzer") or the most lyrical (that's op.96), it is "suffering" from over-exposure IMO, partly due to the Title of the work.

But it is the most joyful - and I can never "over-expose" it: it seems to be indestructable - Is there a recording that doesn't communicate the sheer FUN of this work? Yes to Menuhin, Grumiaux (don't know the Kremer) and to Perlman (although I find his persistent and tight vibrato a little over-sweet: Vlad the impressive is superb, however) but Zuckerman, too: the Barenboim partnership certainly, and the often overlooked Neikrug recordings which is at the moment my favourite modern instruments set.

The Jos van Immerseel/Jap Schroder set is in my Amazon basket. Anybody know these?

[teamsaint]

Neither the most vigorous (that's op.47 Kreutzer") or the most lyrical (that's op.96), it is "suffering" from over-exposure IMO, partly due to the Title of the work.

I "learned" the Spring with the Grumiaux/Haskil and the Menuhin/Kempff recordings, at the moment my favourites are Kremer/Argerich (though not fully at the same wavelength interpretatively) and Perlman/Ashkenazy.
May I point out that the latter three mentioned recordings show perfectly why it is a near-impossibillity to beat Jewish violinists in this repertoire, temperamentally, technically and interpretatively

If No 10 had a name, it could get the over exposure it deserves.

We should choose one......

[richardfinegold]

Neither the most vigorous (that's op.47 Kreutzer") or the most lyrical (that's op.96), it is "suffering" from over-exposure IMO, partly due to the Title of the work.

I "learned" the Spring with the Grumiaux/Haskil and the Menuhin/Kempff recordings, at the moment my favourites are Kremer/Argerich (though not fully at the same wavelength interpretatively) and Perlman/Ashkenazy.
May I point out that the latter three mentioned recordings show perfectly why it is a near-impossibillity to beat Jewish violinists in this repertoire, temperamentally, technically and interpretatively

Reviewing my shelves, I see that I only have Panenka and Suk at present. I had burned the others to my hard drive but they seem to be lost in cyberspace, as they resisted all efforts to be pulled up on i tunes.
On the plus side, I discovered an Oistrakh Spring in a large box set that I will give a spin.
I had the Kremer/Argerich Op. 96, also presumably bobbing around in cyberspace somewhere. I remember the partnership as being somewhat less than ideal.
Kremer,btw, isn't Jewish, since his Father is Jewish but his Mother isn't, not that it matters.
Did Heifetz record the Spring? I remember his lopsided Kreutzer with Brooks Smith, which completely upset the notion of these works being for Piano and Violin.

[Roehre]

Reviewing my shelves, I see that I only have Panenka and Suk at present. I had burned the others to my hard drive but they seem to be lost in cyberspace, as they resisted all efforts to be pulled up on i tunes.
On the plus side, I discovered an Oistrakh Spring in a large box set that I will give a spin.
I had the Kremer/Argerich Op. 96, also presumably bobbing around in cyberspace somewhere. I remember the partnership as being somewhat less than ideal.
Kremer,btw, isn't Jewish, since his Father is Jewish but his Mother isn't, not that it matters.
Did Heifetz record the Spring? I remember his lopsided Kreutzer with Brooks Smith, which completely upset the notion of these works being for Piano and Violin.

My apologies, of course you are right.

[richardfinegold]

My apologies, of course you are right.

No harm, no foul

[verismissimo]

Kremer,btw, isn't Jewish, since his Father is Jewish but his Mother isn't, not that it matters.

Seems to me this is a convention which applies only a) if you're Jewish and b) if you decide to accept the convention. It has no basis in biology!

[richardfinegold]

Seems to me this is a convention which applies only a) if you're Jewish and b) if you decide to accept the convention. It has no basis in biology!

And we are going way OT here...but does any Religion have any basis in Biology?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Did Heifetz record the Spring? I remember his lopsided Kreutzer with Brooks Smith, which completely upset the notion of these works being for Piano and Violin.

Yup - with Emmanuel Bay. (Both Jewish.) It's available via youTube - a rather rushed performance, without the exposition repeats, and a little unremitting. The youTube transfer is from a rather well-worn LP:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mQeSMZZnRY

[visualnickmos]

Christian Ferras and Pierre Barbizet, from the complete LvB violin sonatas (EMI) is excellent - in mono, but very good mono, indeed, it has to be said. It certainly does NOT detract from the 'listening experience!"