Western Classical Music
- Thread starter Mohan
- Start date
Although I really love Hilary Hahn’s playing there is no mistaking the warmer sonority of Julia Fischer. Somehow I am less discerning about violin playing than I am about pianists. Maybe because the very good ones already play at such a high level of proficiency that it comes down to personal choice. For example give me Oistrakh over Menuhin any day in any repertoire.
Oh he is great no two ways about it. I also love his way with another Carmen Fantasy, the one written by Franz Waxman. Vengerov’s Teldec legacy is truly great especially his Prokofiev and Shostakovich violin concertos conducted by an inspired Rostropovich…
Thank god you didn't mention Heifitz.
True, Oistrakh is Oistrakh !
Make no mistake, Hahn’s playing is very good and does get better by the year but in my books Julia Fischer has reached another level. So similarly, Give me Fischer anytime of the day/year over Hahn. Have you seen Fischer’s concert where she plays the Saint Saens violin concerto and Grieg piano concerto in one concert back to back ?
You must hear Vengarov’s Sibelius viokin concerto then…..BTW thats my all time fav violin concerto, all have played it but so few can play it well.
I think the Sibelius lends itself to many interpretations…even a cooler interpreter like Accardo finds great affinity…this is recording with Colin Davis coupled with the Dvorak concerto which is fine if not Czech enough…let me rehear the Vengerov…somehow I do not remember it at all…
Lol…though there are few to match Heifetz in violin playing even though he was never a heart-on-sleeve musician. His Walton violin concerto has never had any peers and his Bach was always superlative…Early Heifetz is usually better just like early Toscanini is almost always better than his rigid later self. BTW I just bought the Heifetz mega box…still in transit. One of Heifetz’s great admirers is Itzhak Perlman, two completely different musicians…almost as different as chalk and cheese.
It is so “uncanny” that I expected you to mention Perlman.
Heifetz technique and command over his instrument was superlative to say the least. But for me it was too much of a good thing, where more often than not in the recordings that I have heard he seems to be in a tearing hurry to finish playing as soon as possible as if to catch a train or a flight
. Hence I find him somehow devoid of emotion which to me is of prime importance.Perlman on the other hand has patience required and the ability to draw you into the performance more often than not. E.g Mendelssohn, Beethoven violin concertos.
Accardo, I have his tchaikovsky concerto that I like a whole lot.
Exactly…I agree wholeheartedlyIt is so “uncanny” that I expected you to mention Perlman.
Heifetz technique and command over his instrument was superlative to say the least. But for me it was too much of a good thing, where more often than not in the recordings that I have heard he seems to be in a tearing hurry to finish playing as soon as possible as if to catch a train or a flight
Perlman on the other hand has patience required and the ability to draw you into the performance more often than not. E.g Mendelssohn, Beethoven violin concertos.
Vivaldi remained always my preferred classical composer being more lively in his composition
You can start exploring to see if it works depending on which organizer had made the album
Dont buy as yet, listen to streaming music.
Start out with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops collection. This music is for people who want to start out or listen to something light. Perfect place to start. Then there are the Johann Strauss waltzes(Vienna philharmonic new years concerts on video)and tchaikovsky’s ballets and Swan lake and Nutcracker on video and audio to be specific. Watch the ballet video also to know the storyline and choreography.
Enjoy.
For my taste Vengerov's interpretations are too "stylised" and ornamented. He could go easier on the vibratos. Just my opinion, of course.
shafic
Well-Known Member
Listening to two recordings back to back :
1) Rodrigo - Concerto De Aranjuez - John Williams(my fav guitarist) - Eugene Ormandy and Philadelphia Orchestra
2) Rodrigo - Concerto De Aranjuez - John Williams(yes him again) - Louis Fremaux and Philharmonia Orchestra
Both have been published under the “Great Performances” title apart from their individual releases.
Eugene Ormandy is usually a great accompanist and leaves the spotlight on the soloist. Good performance but a tad snoozy. Heard this for the first time.
The Louis Fremaux one to my mind is the definitive one and the one to beat. It seems to have gone very right for the soloist, conductor, orchestra and the recording engineers. A truly dynamic performance. The melodies are so beautifully played. This performance just draws me in.
Others mileage may vary.
Thoughts ?
Other recommendations for the same concerto ?
1) Rodrigo - Concerto De Aranjuez - John Williams(my fav guitarist) - Eugene Ormandy and Philadelphia Orchestra
2) Rodrigo - Concerto De Aranjuez - John Williams(yes him again) - Louis Fremaux and Philharmonia Orchestra
Both have been published under the “Great Performances” title apart from their individual releases.
Eugene Ormandy is usually a great accompanist and leaves the spotlight on the soloist. Good performance but a tad snoozy. Heard this for the first time.
The Louis Fremaux one to my mind is the definitive one and the one to beat. It seems to have gone very right for the soloist, conductor, orchestra and the recording engineers. A truly dynamic performance. The melodies are so beautifully played. This performance just draws me in.
Others mileage may vary.
Thoughts ?
Other recommendations for the same concerto ?
Hi,
There are the Romeros of course as well as Julian Bream. I do not recall if there was a Segovia recording but the accompanying orchestra is bound to sound dim. I love John Williams of course. His box set on Sony is a treasure house. The Concierto Andaluz for four guitars and orchestra is also superb especially the magical opening. It was my first introduction to Rodrigo courtesy All India Radio on their Medium Wave classical program Late Night Special…such memories…
Hi a very respected and widely shared opinion and one that I share outside his late Romantic repertoire. I would not really want to listen to Vengerov in Brahms or Beethoven or even Mendelssohn or Bruch. To pick a contemporary fiddler I much prefer Vadim Repin.
Oh yeah Andaluz is magical.
Hear the Fremaux and you will realize that the engineers have got the balance right and the orchestra sounds anything but dim and the guitar still has the spotlight and has center stage presence. This piece is particularly difficult for the conductor to find a balance for in a live concert setting for obvious reasons and many tend to drown out the poor guitar more often than not.
I have the Romero, Sollscher, eyc but have not heard Julian Bream. Tks for the pointer.
Then There a young french classical guitarist who is quite the cats whiskers(forget the name). Will post when i remember it.
Thibaut Garcia is the name…..quite a guitarist.
Pepe Romero with Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos.
Yes have that too. Tks.
Nagano is a fine conductor…I have some of his Bruckner which is surprisingly decent…He is quite eclectic in his repertoireKent Nagano, a conductor I havent heard much in the past and have started exploring his recordings and found his Saint-Saens Symphony No 3 with the Montreal Symphony live.
I really like what I am hearing.
A beautiful, well-constructed speaker with class-leading soundstage, imaging and bass that is fast, deep, and precise.
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