Our Summer BAL 10 - Lalo Symphonie Espagnole

[Barbirollians]

Listening to Ida Haendel's sizzling recording tonight - in full five movement form as an Enescu pupil anyone know why so many old violinists used to cut out the Intermezzo .

[teamsaint]

Listening to Ida Haendel's sizzling recording tonight - in full five movement form as an Enescu pupil anyone know why so many old violinists used to cut out the Intermezzo .

Some discussion here.

http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=9707

[Barbirollians]

How bizarre - I have never thought of it requiring an X certificate. One poster is plainly wrong Menuhin was the first or one of the first to record the complete work .

[Barbirollians]

Campoli's recording is splendid but I was interested to see that when he played it at the Proms with Sargent he did not play the Intermezzo and indeed on one occasion only played three movements . His last performance was with Boult and complete - Sir Adrian evidently did not blush at the contents of the Intermezzo .

[richardfinegold]

Campoli's recording is splendid but I was interested to see that when he played it at the Proms with Sargent he did not play the Intermezzo and indeed on one occasion only played three movements . His last performance was with Boult and complete - Sir Adrian evidently did not blush at the contents of the Intermezzo .

Why did the practice of omitting the Intermezzo ever begin? My first acquaintance with the piece was Perlman/Previn which contains it. I have acquired a few other other recordings as part of big CD collections and a few of them omit it and it sounds very incomplete

[Barbirollians]

Why did the practice of omitting the Intermezzo ever begin? My first acquaintance with the piece was Perlman/Previn which contains it. I have acquired a few other other recordings as part of big CD collections and a few of them omit it and it sounds very incomplete

According to the thread above on violinist.com. Leopold Auer he of the mutilated version of the Tchaikovsky Concerto - decided it was vulgar and others have even suggested that it is indecent like the music for a strip tease . It seems that Menuhin's 1934 recording was the first to restore the Intermezzo . AS far as I am concerned all four movement versions ought to be ruled out of court if there was to be a BAL.

[Stanfordian]

I seem somehow to have lots of recordings of this old warhorse - it does not seem to be done in concert much nowadays .

My favourites are KWC,the early two Menuhin recordings on EMI and Ida Haendel with Ancerl ( fiery stuff) .

Any others .

A work with no shortage of recordings around but badly out of fashion in the concert hall.

[Barbirollians]

A work with no shortage of recordings around but badly out of fashion in the concert hall.

Yes though the Halle did include it in Sheffield last year .

[Stanfordian]

Yes though the Halle did include it in Sheffield last year .

I didn't say it wasn't played! I know of those Halle performances. But I still believe the Symphonie Espagnole is unfashionable together with Lalo's music in general.

[Barbirollians]

We can always find exceptions! But I still believe the Symphonie Espagnole is unfashionable together with Lalo's music in general.

Oh I agree it makes rather rare appearances nowadays though didn't Joshua Bell play it at the Proms earlier this year ?

[Stanfordian]

Oh I agree it makes rather rare appearances nowadays though didn't Joshua Bell play it at the Proms earlier this year ?

I hope Symphonie Espagnole continues to receive performances. My first choice recording is Renaud Capucon with Orchestre de Paris under Paavo Jarvi on Erato.

It would be good to hear Lalo's other 3 violin concertos occasionally too.

[pastoralguy]

One of my very favourite recordings of this work is the Anne-Sophie Mutter disc on EMI with Ozawa. Absolutely phenomenal playing which almost Out Heifetz's Heifetz!

[pastoralguy]

I hope Symphonie Espagnole continues to receive more performances.

It would be good to hear his other 3 violin concertos occasionally too.

The first concerto is a gorgeous work which says what it has to say then stops. The Chung recording is absolutely outstanding.

[Barbirollians]

The first concerto is a gorgeous work which says what it has to say then stops. The Chung recording is absolutely outstanding.

Isn't that the Saint Saens No1 rather than the Lalo Concerto ?

[Barbirollians]

One of my very favourite recordings of this work is the Anne-Sophie Mutter disc on EMI with Ozawa. Absolutely phenomenal playing which almost Out Heifetz's Heifetz!

I have that on an old gatefold LP somewhere .