The Romantic Violin Concerto, Vol. 13 – Schumann

[JimL]

I seem to recall Gareth mentioning that Mike Spring told him that it was easier to find pianists willing to learn unsung repertoire than violinists.

[FBerwald]

What about all the Violinists recording for CPO, Naxos, etc? I'm sorry but that reasoning seems very flawed!

[Alan Howe]

It all depends on which label a violinist is committed to, I suppose. Perhaps Hyperion just don't have access to enough adventurous violinists...

[Mark Thomas]

I'm not surprised if that's what Mike Spring did say. When Sterling recorded  the Raff Violin Concertos CD the most difficult job was finding a violinist with adequate technique who was actually prepared to commit to the CD. Luckily Tobias Ringborg did a wonderful job.

[giles.enders]

Just to pile on the agony for those who do not want the Schumann violin concerto, this is to be followed the following month by the Schumann piano concerto.  I shall buy both even though I am not a fan of Angela Hewitt.  Hyperion are not just in the business of supplying the collector of the 'rare and unrecorded'  they are also in the business of making enough money to venture in to this and the way to do it is record some mainstream just like the big labels used to do.  Some of the 'great and treasured' recordings of the past are frankly diabolical.

Mike Spring is absolutly right when he says it is much harder to get violinists to learn rare repetory than pianists.  I speak first hand and it is my impression that 'the string audience' are more conservative then 'the piano audience'  No Idea why though.

[Alan Howe]

Just to pile on the agony for those who do not want the Schumann violin concerto, this is to be followed the following month by the Schumann piano concerto. 

The agony's already been piled on, Giles - see Jeremy's post, above.

[eschiss1]

Not to mention string players, though we're a far cry from the days when an ensemble would reject a piece because of one unresolved/improperly-resolved chord- or, I think, recognize it when they heard it. (Schoenberg's Verklaerte Nacht.)