Prom 19: Alina Ibragimova plays Bach (31.07.15)

[David-G]

Do we have any "views from the RAH" in regard to this concert?

Yes. Stunning.

[Norrette]

Well, that was good, glad I recorded it. Looking forward to the next.

[Zucchini]

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

[wenotsoira]

A trerrible sound, poor bow control, dodgy intonation, musically dead. Just my opinion. Listen to really great players. Example, Milstein.

[Richard Tarleton]

That would be interesting to hear. I think I read that her recording was no vibrato, no gut; not sure about tuning.

Yes I wish Samira A could have asked her a bit about the violin she was playing, bows, pitch, strings, that sort of thing. All a bit gushing.

[Bryn]

A trerrible sound, poor bow control, dodgy intonation, musically dead. Just my opinion. Listen to really great players. Example, Milstein.

'New' name. Same old curmudgeon.

[wenotsoira]

'New' name. Same old curmudgeon.

But it's true! She plays like an old maid - or rather - a first year student who only just made it into college! But it is personal taste of course.

I heard her live in t'Wigmore 'all about 4 years ago in Beethoven sonatas, and you couldn't hear her at the back of the 'all. Good pianist though, some French geezer. He just got on with it and ignored her.

[Tony Halstead]

'New' name. Same old curmudgeon.

It's the same name but backwards and with the suffix 'new' ( also backwards) .... and - oh yes- the same 'anti HIPP' views!

[edashtav]

But it's true! She plays like an old maid - or rather - a first year student who only just made it into college! But it is personal taste of course.

I heard her live in t'Wigmore 'all about 4 years ago in Beethoven sonatas, and you couldn't hear her at the back of the 'all. Good pianist though, some French geezer. He just got on with it and ignored her.

Strange personal tastes folk have in your world, wenotsoira: like an old maid... well ... a first year student who only just made the grade.

I've heard Alina live ( in a concerto first performance) and frequently via R3. I think her playing is superb, wonderfully in-tune - a necessary quality if a player dispenses with vibrato, a great comand of and insight into "line" and with an electrifying presence. Already a fine player - I see her at the top of her profession in 10 years time.

[Zucchini]

Nicely expressed edashtav

[french frank]

Strange personal tastes folk have in your world, wenotsoira: like an old maid... well ... a first year student who only just made the grade.

I've heard Alina live ( in a concerto first performance) and frequently via R3. I think her playing is superb, wonderfully in-tune - a necessary quality if a player dispenses with vibrato, a great comand of and insight into "line" and with an electrifying presence. Already a fine player - I see her at the top of her profession in 10 years time.

I only have two versions of the complete work - a strong HIPP one by John Holloway and the superb Arthur Grumiaux. I was entranced by Ibragimova's performance which certainly said new things to me about the delicacy that the work could point to.

[ahinton]

Strange personal tastes folk have in your world, wenotsoira: like an old maid... well ... a first year student who only just made the grade.

I've heard Alina live ( in a concerto first performance) and frequently via R3. I think her playing is superb, wonderfully in-tune - a necessary quality if a player dispenses with vibrato, a great comand of and insight into "line" and with an electrifying presence. Already a fine player - I see her at the top of her profession in 10 years time.

Agreed. She's almost 30, looks almost 20 (so nothing like an "old maid") and plays with all the maturity and assurance of someone twice her age. She has a very varied repertoire, from Bach / baroque through Beethoven through Szymanowski and Ravel to Shostakovich and Roslavets and has been a commanding performer for some years already. I cannot for the life of me understand or even recognise wenotsoira's astonishingly negative viewpoint that sounds to me as though it's about someone else altogether, although the Wigmore and "French geezer" thing gives away that this isn't the case (as he's referring to Cédric Thiberghien, AI's regular recital partner).

[wenotsoira]

I realise that intonation may be a matter of taste and how you hear intervals but for me she is way off key. However, i did enjoy the interval at the Wig Hall, silence is golden, and then i left for home.

I wonder who at the Beeb decides on who is worth hearing?

Maybe we should campaign to bring back Roger Wright! At least he had Nigel playing Bach - and that was pretty (in fact VERY) good.

P S

I do think you are ALL very old fashioned in your tastes and views, more like 1715 than 2015!

But you guys and gals crease me up, I love it!

[ahinton]

I realise that intonation may be a matter of taste and how you hear intervals but for me she is way off key. However, i did enjoy the interval at the Wig Hall, silence is golden, and then i left for home.

I wonder who at the Beeb decides on who is worth hearing?

Maybe we should campaign to bring back Roger Wright! At least he had Nigel playing Bach - and that was pretty (in fact VERY) good.

P S

I do think you are ALL very old fashioned in your tastes and views, more like 1715 than 2015!

But you guys and gals crease me up, I love it!

Thank you for this; at leat it clarifies where you're coming from and casts aside any possible risk that anything that you write on the subject merits being taken seriously.

Alina Ibragimova's career is not in any case decided by "the Beeb".

I'm that glad you enjoyed the interval at the Wigmore Hall recital and hope that the gin and tonic, for which I trust you paid, was to your taste; however, what you now write inclines me to think that a "creased up" state (literally, that is) might well be the most fitting one for you, if you'll pardon my so saying.

I do find it difficult to figure out how tastes and views in respect, for example, of Alina Ibragimova's splendid playing of concertos by Szymanowski, Roslavets and Shostakovich could be "more like 1715 than 2015", but perhaps you will be kind enough to explain (although, on second thoughts, I and possibly others here would probably be better off without such "explanation").

I think it pretty unlikely that Alina Ibragimova peruses these pages but, were she to do so and happen to chance on your expressions about her playing, I hope that she'll be "creased up" (not literally)...

[french frank]

Maybe we should campaign to bring back Roger Wright!

Roger must have overseen this year's Proms - the programme has to be fixed years ahead.

Taste: this cannot be applied to matters of intonation or the professional level of competence.

However, if all the professional violinists in the entire world agreed on the imperfect professional standards of a performer, while a majority of non professional, non violinists were admirers, the professional violoinists have to take comfort in the fact that, though a minority, they do know better than your average joe.

But on taste - a work may admit of many interpretations, and performers will always seek to find something new to say. Some, if they know a work well, will prefer one, others another, but criticism should be based on more than personal preference.