Romantic Violin Concerto No. 17

[FBerwald]

Hyperion has just announced Romantic Violin Concerto Vol. 17 even before the release of Vol. 16

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68050&vw=dc
Max Bruch - Violin Concerto No 3 & Scottish Fantasy

[Alan Howe]

The performances (or at least radio rehearsals) are being broadcast (BBC Radio 3) next week, on Monday (14th - VC3) and Thursday (SF). A singularly unadventurous release, although I'm a sucker for VC3.

[Mark Thomas]

So, Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series brings us concertos by Oswald and Napoleão, and the next Romantic Violin Concertos' issue will be Bruch? I too love the Bruch pieces, but I still don't understand why Hyperion are so unadventurous with the RVC series, when they have clearly established a profitable and sustainable market for the most obscure of unknowns with RPC? If it isn't money, what is it? Are violinists less adventurous than pianists?

[Alan Howe]

I don't think they have the violinists in the first place...

[chill319]

although I'm a sucker for VC3

... as am I. And it has been more than a generation since the Accardo/Masur recording I listen to. I'd be surprised if this one didn't take a different approach.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I must say, it is somewhat disappointing. Mike Spring did tell me once that he found violinists, by and large, not nearly so adventurous as pianists in tackling "unsung" repertoire. But I am sure there are plenty of good violinists out there who would have a go at the many unsungs, given a chance.

[giles.enders]

Indeed there are some first rate violinists who have never had the chance of recording a concerto but it is a risk when margins are so tight.  What the dreamers do not understand is that in order to take risks, record companies have to do 'core' repertoire and 'named' soloists to pay for it.  Does any one really believe that the public are going to buy Oswald without knowing it is part of a popular series or perhaps from the one chance of hearing it on the BBC.  Many on this forum have never heard of half the people I have posted about including Oswald so how would the public at large know. If every member of this forum bought the Oswald piano concerto CD the 'profit' made would not even pay for the orchestra.

[Mark Thomas]

I do takes your point, Giles, and I do understand the economics of recording classical music, as I have been involved in a modest way in the industry over the last few years.  Presumably Hyperion have built up enough of a core following for the RPC series that people will buy any issue, irrespective of whether they know the composers, because they trust Hyperion to deliver music which they'll like. Otherwise RPC would surely have withered on the vine years ago. So why haven't they been able to follow this model with RVC? If it isn't the artists then the only other reason which I can think of is that the market for violin concertos is much smaller that that for piano concertos.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I agree, Mark. As you know I'm one of the first to point out (like Giles) the brutal economics of the recording industry, and that we should be jolly grateful for what we've got (and are getting), but when you compare the repertoire covered in the RPC with that in the RVC series one is apt to ponder just a little.

[FBerwald]

FYI the Hyperion page says ".....first of three albums of music by Max Bruch" so I guess we'll see Concertos 1 & 2 in due course. Might not be so welcome news for many members here, but I don't mind

[Alan Howe]

If they're good, I don't mind either. But the competition's pretty fierce...

[minacciosa]

All of Bruch's music for violin and orchestra is worth recording again, even if it includes the still overplayed (and overrated) 1st Concerto. I've actually never performed the Violin Concerto No.1 in public with orchestra or piano; I just couldn't bring myself to do it, and have turned down opportunities to play it every time. I much prefer the 2nd Concerto, and I've played it publicly several times both ways.

[Richard Moss]

If this is going to be a 3-CD Bruch series, is it going to be the same repertoire as the delightful 'complete works' Accardo/Masur set I purchased from Philips some years ago or are there other violin 'concertante' works by Bruch waiting to be recorded.  If so, does anyone have any info on what they might be?

Best wishes

Richard

[eschiss1]

That only included two other concertante works, no (the Serenade and the Scottish Fantasy)? According to IMSLP there's also a Romance Op.42, an Adagio appassionato Op.57, an In Memoriam Op.65, Songs & Dances Op.79, Concertstück Op.84, and I expect others without opus number. (I doubt if any of these would be recording premieres (assuming Hyperion plans to record them at all.)- fairly sure not..., but I'll check...)

(Ah. The Concertstück and the Romance were on a Naxos CD a few years back. Ohhhh. I see. Salvatore Accardo has recorded most of the other works for Masur- coupled not with the violin concertos, on Philips, but with the symphonies. Op.79 is better known I think in another form (assuming (time to maybe ILL Fifield's bio...) that Op.79b, the Suite on Russian Folk Melodies, shares more than just the opus number, I mean) but seems to have dodged under the radar otherwise?
(Full title of Op.79 - "Lieder und Tänze nach Russischen und Schwedischen Volksmelodien, frei bearb. für Violine und Klavier" (or, I presume, also for orchestra as well). Published by Simrock (same Simrock, yes, Brahms/Dvorak/... fans), Berlin, 1903.) The suite Op.79b- which I  can now believe is a suite from the Op.79 set - has been recorded a few times. Not a violin/orchestra work though, I think.

[TerraEpon]

The full list for violin and orchestra that I know of is as follows:
Violin Concerto No. 1
Romanze in a
Violin Concerto No. 2
Scottish Fantasy
Adagio Appassionato
Violin Concerto No. 3
In Memoriam
Serenade in a
Konzertstuck in f#

There's also theoretically a version of Swedish Dances, Op. 63 for violin and orchestra, but I have my doubts that the composer made it (five versions total listed, I'm sure at least some were by others)