SIBELIUS VIOLIN CONCERTO: Lisa Batiashvili, the Georgian violinist has a longer association with this wonderful Violin Concerto by a fellow violinist than has Daniel Barenboim. The BBC fm broadcast acceptedthat the soloist was the main protagonist will the orchestra reduced to a backing group. When the orchestra was carrying the burden of the argument. I wondered whether Barenboim was born to be a Sibelian for I found his interpretation to be pointillist and fussy - adding superfluous detail. Yet, I did admire to the confident, secure warmth of the Berlin strings. By golly, have I used warmth in the context of Sibelius, the master of Finnish noir? Yes, and I found moments of near Richard Strauss late-romanticism in conductor' approach. I did enjoy the spotlight on the soloist's violin for Lisa was in stunning form- strong, rugged, on top of her brief. I've heard many performances live, on CD, and through broadcasts and I can't recollect a better characterised and projected solo line. She use vibrati and portamenti with discrimination and to good effect. Overall, both she and Barenboim brought out the romantic elements in the score and the ghost of Tchaikovsky smiled on the slow movement that, at times, swayed like two lovers dancing cheek to cheek. However one responded to the performance, there was no question that the thorough, careful preparation that had gone into it- no smudges or sketchiness, and all players were on top of their parts. Wonderful stuff from a splendid orchestra under a discerning conductor and from a soloist at the height of her considerable powers. Well done.(P.S.Thanks for your concerns expressed last night for my mother's health Aged 94, only her pride rather than her bones were broken- excellent work from 999 paramedics restored her to her feet and thence to bed, avoiding another visit to hospital and its demanding Occupational Terrorists.)
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PROM 2. SIBELIUS VIOLIN CONCERTO. Batiashvili/Berlin Staatskapelle/Barenboim.
Radio 3 Concert Sound (Flac, Firefox). Fine, well balanced webcast.
At first one might gasp at Batiashvili’s soaring powerful tone (rendered very dramatically via the spacious scale of the lossless Concert Sound feed), rising high into the RAH Spaces. Barenboim followed with slow-paced, very Romantic, moulded phrasing and wide fluctuations of tempo from that warm rich string-dominated Staatskapelle sound. Massive brass interjections in the same dark, heavy vein (Thor, Hammers, etc.)…. but as the first movement progressed, tempi and phrase became ponderous, with a lack of flow or momentum; the volatile, wild, wilful soloist’s approach began to seem ill-matched…
The movement ended heavily, undynamic in every sense. Not much bite or drama.
And so it went on, with those heavy, drenching strings through the adagio, both soloist and orchestra very deliberate in the shaping of the line, as if inspecting the notes rather than expressing much with them…
A lack of incision when loud, a lack of tension when soft: orchestrally, the finale made little impact on me (despite those massive, rhetorical strings).
I can see how some will like this for its almost Brucknerian sonority and power, the extravagantly gifted soloist projecting that big, dark del Gesusian sound across the wide arena.
Yes, it’s far from my own personal Sibelian taste (which is for a leaner sharper melodic & rhythmic profile, quicker pace, icier sonorities - those brief surges of power in the adagio are then so much more telling). But I’m afraid that for me, this didn’t succeed well even on its own Romantic terms….Comment
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That's good to hear, Eadashtv!
The interpretation of the Violin Concerto, I quite concur, with the above post. I never thought of Barenboim being a Sibelius interpreter but on this hearing, a very fine one indeed! A very fine reading of the Elgar so far. I have the 2nd but I will definitely be getting the First!Don’t cry for me
I go where music was born
J S Bach 1685-1750Comment
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This Elgar 1 is quite marvellous I enjoyed the recording but this seems on a different level .Originally posted by Brassbandmaestro View PostComment
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We're only on day two and we've had a superb Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3, Sibelius Violin Concerto and Elgar 1. What a start.
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Just had a serial cougher in the left channel.
I'm not qualified to comment on the performance, but the FLAC stream is outstanding.SteveComment
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OMG! Those HORNS!! ;);)Comment
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Listening to the Radio 3 FLAC stream the sumptuousness of the Berlin stings really came across. An excellent performance but how I wish those touches of Elgarian genius that are the cadential chords played by muted brass with timps at the end of the slow movt had not been accompanied by a coughing fit in the hall . Yes it really is concert sound ....Comment
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I listened to it this afternoon, bbm. It's terrific although not quite as 'going forth' as tonite!Originally posted by Brassbandmaestro View PostComment
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Good to hear P and C No 1 as an encore without the added words. - great fizzing performanceLast edited by Barbirollians; 15-07-17, 21:48.Comment
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I don't think people were expecting that final encore. Is it the last night already? Taken at a cracking pace.SteveComment
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I heard the serial cougher particularly towards the end as well (I assume that this whom you meant). Listening through laptop, the sound quality is great, at least to my non-audiophile ear.Originally posted by Stunsworth View Post
Very fine Elgar 1 indeed; maybe some slight stretching out of passages in the slow movement, but no harm done. I assume that DB tried to segue relatively quickly into the finale to forestall the 'happy clappers'.
DB did make the audience work for the two encores, didn't he? Especially with a taste of the Last Night on the Second Night
. Nice quick thinking on DB's part to re-start Valse Triste after the "audience malfunction".
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Was this encore the BBC 's way of balancing last night's anti - Brexit encore ? How fitting that the Berliners should deliver it. Seriously though haven't 2 months slipped by quickly.....?Comment
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Almost spiralling out of control it was so quick,applause before the end?,it's not the last night for goodness sake.Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post
Fantastic Elgar 1,didn't catch the SibeliusComment
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Not at all, IMHO. Every touring musician / ensemble, in any genre, always has encores up his / her / their sleeve, if the audience seems to demand it. Clearly the audience did, tonight, and the Staatsakapelle Berlin were ready. For people in the hall with a view of the stage and the bull run, any motion of musicians suddenly walking onto the platform who didn't just play in the last work is a surefire sign of an encore.Originally posted by Heldenleben View Post
In fact, it's easy to read their encore of P & C 1 the other way, as the Berliners saying to you guys: "We love you. We want you around. PLEASE DON'T DO IT!"Comment
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