Virtuoso Violinists at the BBC - 11.3.16

[ardcarp]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03lsw29

I was less enthralled by this programme than by Perfect Pianists last week. I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I guess the content was constrained by the artists' appearances at the BBC...but no Heiffetz???? And would Maxim Vengerov really want to be featured as a purveyor of Goblins?
Oistrakh came over as one of the great greats, IMO...but who was that conductor with such a weird and waggly stick technique?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03lsw29

I was less enthralled by this programme than by Perfect Pianists last week. I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I guess the content was constrained by the artists' appearances at the BBC...but no Heiffetz???? And would Maxim Vengerov really want to be featured as a purveyor of Goblins?
Oistrakh came over as one of the great greats, IMO...but who was that conductor with such a weird and waggly stick technique?

My response, too - I think a lot came down to my disappointment with Nicola Benedetti: I'd been expecting something like DON gave last week - some background into technical reasons how the performers produced the sounds & effects they achieved; and we got a tantalising glimpse of this when she illustrated the Paganini techniques. But for the rest, it was yer typical Saturday Classics gushing ("amazing" "blew me over") together with weasel vocabulary ("a silver sound" "makes you feel good in the heart"). Frankly, anybody could have presented this in this way.

And a lot more third-rate Music than was used to illustrate the pianists - the entire "Goblins" piece???!!! (AND an "encore" when Perlman was discussed!) I suppose this is inevitable if you've got a programme emphasizing "virtuoso violinists", but it does lead to a lot of boring pyrotechnics.) Two works by Kreisler - but Kreisler's own playing illustrated by a snippet from the Mendelssohn as background to a newsreel close-up of his face.

And no Heifitz - did he not record anything for the Beeb? - nor anything by anyone called Ida (who most certainly did)!

[oddoneout]

This was my reaction too. I was irritated by the lack of information as to the musicians other than the violinist - just putting the title and composer at the bottom of the screen. And yes who was the wagglestick chap - can't have been much fun for the players trying to sort out his beat.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

the wagglestick chap - can't have been much fun for the players trying to sort out his beat.

- I meant to comment on that: wasn't it extraordinary! I couldn't see how it was meant to help the players - but they responded astonishingly well, for all that.

[ardcarp]

I think a lot came down to my disappointment with Nicola Benedetti: I'd been expecting something like DON gave last week - some background into technical reasons how the performers produced the sounds & effects they achieved; and we got a tantalising glimpse of this when she illustrated the Paganini techniques. But for the rest, it was yer typical Saturday Classics gushing ("amazing" "blew me over") together with weasel vocabulary ("a silver sound" "makes you feel good in the heart"). Frankly, anybody could have presented this in this way.......And a lot more third-rate Music than was used to illustrate the pianists - the entire "Goblins" piece???!!! (AND an "encore" when Perlman was discussed!) I suppose this is inevitable if you've got a programme emphasizing "virtuoso violinists", but it does lead to a lot of boring pyrotechnics.).

Yes I think that was it.

nor anything by anyone called Ida

Yes, now you mention it, an extraordinary omission.

[french frank]

What's next in the series?

[Nick Armstrong]

What's next in the series?

Errr.... that's it. (Wot no 'Triffic Trombonists' ?? )


(Actually, next Friday there one of the 'individuals' programmes: "John Williams at the BBC"...)

[Barbirollians]

I enjoyed the extracts - though learning that Menuhin was superb in the Larghetto of the Beethoven was no surprise !

Sarah Chang appears to have fallen off the radar a bit recently it seems her last CD was 2009 and it was good to be reminded how fine a player she was. Heifetz may well not have played for the bBC but I agree Ida H an egregious omission .

Here she is , with sadly a very ill John Pritchard at the Last Night of the Proms in the late 1980s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJWnCn0GgG8

[Tony Halstead]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03lsw29

I was less enthralled by this programme than by Perfect Pianists last week. I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I guess the content was constrained by the artists' appearances at the BBC...but no Heiffetz???? And would Maxim Vengerov really want to be featured as a purveyor of Goblins?
Oistrakh came over as one of the great greats, IMO...but who was that conductor with such a weird and waggly stick technique?

RUDOLF SCHWARZ, one of the finest 'musician conductors' ( as opposed to 'showman conductors') I've ever been privileged to play for.
He was imprisoned by the Nazis for several years, in both Auschwitz and Belsen. While in one of those concentration camps he was seriously injured; I had always been led to believe that his arms were broken but Wiki says "While at Auschwitz, he suffered a broken shoulder-blade, which inhibited his gestures as a conductor in later life. The effects of this injury on his conducting style can be seen in a DVD of him conducting the finale of the Brahms Violin Concerto with David Oistrakh in May 1958."
He was at various times Principal conductor of the CBSO, Bournemouth S.O., BBC SO, and Northern Sinfonia.
In common with Sir Alex Gibson's 'sometimes mystifying' beat, it was something that you simply got used to!

[Nick Armstrong]

Tony - thanks, that is the sort of post that makes this Forum such an indispensable place to frequent !

[Richard Tarleton]

What's next in the series?

"John Williams at the BBC" - I'll start a thread!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Errr.... that's it. (Wot no 'Triffic Trombonists' ?? )


(Actually, next Friday there one of the 'individuals' programmes: "John Williams at the BBC"...)

So, not even "Gorgeous Guitarists"?

[ahinton]

So, not even "Gorgeous Guitarists"?

Surely "Vibrant Violists"? (and no, that's not supposed to be a viola joke)...

[Nick Armstrong]

Surely "Vibrant Violists"? (and no, that's not supposed to be a viola joke)...

"Vile violists"?

(NB that's a joke; the viola is my favourite string instrument !)

[ahinton]

"Vile violists"?

(NB that's a joke; the viola is my favourite string instrument !)

Vihuelists?