Stojowski VC

[Alan Howe]

Me too. The AP is a travesty.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I'll get myself a rap over the knuckles from a moderator given that the issue isn't relevant to the thread, but it does occur to me that Acte Prealable, despite a good number of gems in its catalogue, also produces a disproportionate number of duds. The Stojowski Vn Concerto is one case in point - like others I found this disc so very disappointing.

Another case is the disc of Hans Huber's 2nd and 7th Vn Sonatas (Op. 42 and 119 composed in 1879 and 1903). From what I've read Huber's nine violin sonatas form an important part of his corpus, and since I was very impressed by the symphonies I was eager to get to know these sonatas - especially since both are 'big' works of 25-30 minutes duration. I never like to offer negative remarks about recorded performances of unsung repertory, but I found this disc rather hopeless. One gets the sense that both performers are struggling to do some justice to the two works but that how to perform them well simply eludes them. One sometimes finds considerable rewards in a 'good amateur' performance, but not here for, despite trying, the mind just simply packs up and you wriggle around in your chair with exasperation. I doubt if that is Huber's fault. And given the effort of trying (hard) to get to grips with the music I'm hopeful that it isn't my fault either. These are the kind of performances that, as it were, do the opposite of favours to the music. And that's a great pity since it surely reduces the chance of hearing Huber's violin sonatas in concert or future recordings of them becoming available.

Acte Prealable is also notorious for issuing discs of remarkably short playing times. I never play that tiresome game of proclaiming 'I've paid full price for the disc and therefore I want up to 80 minutes of music on it'. Nonetheless it is not unreasonable to begrudge a disc where only approximately half the possible playing time is taken up by works recorded on it. I'm thinking here of the Acte Prealable disc of the Rozycki violin concerto. In my view that it is wonderful work. However in this performance it has a duration of 24 minutes, and the whole disc is then bumped up to a total of a mere 48 minutes by adding some pretty negligible trifles. That kind of programming doesn't provide any incentive at all for anyone to buy the disc, and again the issue of the disc does Rozycki the opposite of any favour. Sales (I guess) must have been rather dismal....and then the company accountant pronounces that Rozycki is a figure in which the company shouldn't invest. Such a huge pity since the relatively small number of Rozycki recordings indicate, not a major figure, but certainly a rewarding and significant one.

[Alan Howe]

I think you're right, Peter. I've also come to distrust AP discs and, unless I've heard of the artist(s) concerned or can audition the CD beforehand at, say, jpc, I won't be buying any more of them.

[Mark Thomas]

I was half way through replying when Alan pipped me to the post, so I'll just say "I agree, as well".

[Gareth Vaughan]

The Hyperion sound bite sounds really, really good.

[FBerwald]

Sound-clips of all the tracks are available on itunes. They all sound very good!

[semloh]

Off-topic a bit but, Gareth said The ignorance of BBC RADIO 3 announcers these days is limitless.  It reminded me of a couple of errors I tape-recorded from Radio 3 about 35 years ago: in one case - quickly corrected - we had a work by Taylor-Coleridge instead of Coleridge-Taylor, and in another case Haydn was pronounced as Hay-dun. 

Agree wholeheartedly about the AP discs.

A good recording of the Stojowski VC is, of course, a welcome arrival.

[Martin Eastick]

I accept that perhaps some of Acte Prealable's releases have disappointed some here, with the Stojowski VC seeming to be the main culprit (I am also rather critical of the overall performance in volume one of the Pachulski piano works!), BUT I feel that we ought to be most grateful for what this most enterprising label has managed to achieve. We now have a most comprehensive coverage of unsung repertoire from Poland from the 19th century (as well as other periods for those interested), which we could only have dreamed of in the past. The recordings of chamber and instrumental music of Noskowski, Zelenski, Dobrzynski, Maliszewski and others are, IMHO, certainly far more than "just acceptable", and I have absolutely no hesitation in continuing to acquire further new releases of such repertoire!

My sincerest thanks must therefore go to Mr Jarnicki for his continued efforts on behalf of Polish unsungs, and I am more than happy to forgive the occasional release which doesn't "make the grade"!

[Alan Howe]

Oh, I agree. However, the odd poor disc does make one rather hesitant to jump in without trying first...

[Alan Howe]

Some lovely stuff to look forward to. Try the video here:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Hyperion/CDA68102

[ken]

Stojowski Violin Concerto & Romanze / Wieniawski - Fantaisie brillante sur des motifs de Faust is now available for preorder.  Release date is July 29, 2016.

For details see:  http://www.mdt.co.uk/stojowski-violin-concerto-bartlomiej-niziol-hyperion-romantic-violin-concerto-20.html

[Ilja]

This might sound terribly naïve, but who would ever order anything on pre-order, particularly without any sound fragments, without some sort of financial incentive? It's not as thought the thing will be sold out immediately. As far as I can see, the price is identical to other CDs.

[Sharkkb8]

who would ever order anything on pre-order...........without some sort of financial incentive?

Well, when I do it, it's usually because (1) I'm 100% sure that I want it, and (2) it's a download that will then appear automatically in my digital collection at the moment of release, or a mail order which will then get to me at the earliest date possible.  If I wait, I will likey not get it quite as soon, and I also might forget about it altogether for a while.  It's quick, convenient, at least equally-priced (occasionally cheaper), and somewhat idiot-proof for those of us who have been known to experience a forgetful "senior moment" from time to time.   

I have pre-ordered the Moszkowski RPC recording, so it will automatically download into my collection the first day of release (tomorrow!); I won't have to wait an additional week for delivery.  I like that.

Now, in this particular Stojowski case, I haven't pre-ordered, only because I already have that "other" recording (yes, I've read the comments!), and just haven't yet decided.  (Convince me!  Thus getting the conversation back to Stojowski.... )

[Alan Howe]

I usually pre-order if I'm sure I want the CD(s) involved. Audio samples are usually available somewhere - jpc is a good source.

Otherwise I just like an occasional leap in the dark...

[Ilja]

There are good reasons to pre-order, I'm sure (even if don't do it), my point was that – unlike JPC – MDT offers neither audio samples nor a lower price. If I'm listening to samples on the Hyperion web site or on iTunes, I'm sure to order it there. Looked odd, that's all.