Romantic Violin Concerto, Vol. 21 - Bruch

[Mark Thomas]

Welcome to UC, Jack,  but what a shame that your first post is a snarky one.

[eschiss1]

Given that he's (clearly) the violinist on the recording in question, Alan, maybe he's justified? (And he's right, snarky or no. Or maybe what I mean is- since I too would rather he'd have chosen different repertoire for his Hyperion debut - while I imagine it will be interesting to find out what he has to say about the main material, the concerto, that existing recordings by Perlman, Rosand, Turban, Heifetz, Ehnes, Mordkovitch, Fedotov, Accardo, and Weithaas among others have not told us about the work - it does not make it a priority hearing for me either - death by competition... whereas if he'd chosen a great work with _less_ competition...

(Or even a work with less competition- which feeds into the thread mentioned in the earlier comments. If no one's started or restarted that, maybe I should... just remember, no recommendations without at least some sort of reason...)

[Gareth Vaughan]

I have your recording, Jack, and enjoy it very much. It doesn't matter to me that the repertoire has been recorded before. But would you be up for looking at some less well-known Romantic Violin Concertos: by e.g. Litolff, Philip Scharwenka, Sinigaglia, Bazzini, Becker, Emanuel Moor, et al?

[Alan Howe]

The yawn's not to do with the potential quality of the CD; I'm sure it'll be a fine disc and I have ordered a copy. The yawn's to do with the repertoire chosen, which is unadventurous to say the least, especially with a number of fine VCs still 'out there' unrecorded - the Lassen being a classic example.

Our argument is that Hyperion have been much more adventurous in their Romantic Piano Concerto series than in the violin equivalent - to the neglect of some very fine works such as those Gareth has mentioned.

[FBerwald]

Welcome to UC Jack. Despite the somewhat negative comment, that reflects [as I'm sure you can see from the subsequent comments] on the repertoire and not your quality of playing, I hope you check out the other threads and become an active member. We have for a number of years talked about the relative blandness of Hyperion's Romantic Violin Concerto Series, considering some of the gems recorded by other companies - CPO or Dutton for example.

[eschiss1]

We've even had a brief thread or two about this, e.g. this one.  There are some there I wish I'd pushed harder for and which are now more fully (not just violin/piano, but full score and parts, though not for free) available in a published form (at least somewheres- e.g. Musikproduktion Höflich.)

Another example - one that can also be seen (first edition score  @ MPH Munchen) _and_ heard (@ YouTube) but which does not look set to be recorded commercially in the near future, unlike, I think, the Lassen... (unless I've missed something!?)- is Hans Huber's 2nd concerto.

(Many of these less-known works are, it's true, already available in manuscript scores and parts in e.g. the Fleisher Collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia- but maybe, I realize, making something readable from that may be extra time, effort, money, and discovering sometimes that it wasn't possible after all. Hence "published", there.)

[violinconcerto]

(Many of these less-known works are, it's true, already available in manuscript scores and parts in e.g. the Fleisher Collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia- but maybe, I realize, making something readable from that may be extra time, effort, money, and discovering sometimes that it wasn't possible after all. Hence "published", there.)

What about the violin concertos by Albert Siklos (1899) or the one by Ernest Schuyten (although composed in 1932 a complete romantic concerto)? Both scores are available for free download from my site, I could create parts very easily for no money, and both are still unrecorded and unperformed for at least half a century. Just go there -> click here

[Alan Howe]

We'd have to know more about them. Toskey lists them, but provides no description. On the other hand, there are plenty listed in his encyclopedia of which he does give details...

[minacciosa]

Hyperion can call me; I just played Ignaz Waghalter in NYC. It would be perfect for the series.

[Alan Howe]

I'm 100% certain they won't even consider it because Naxos have already done it. It also appears that they have a roster of house soloists.

Nevertheless, someone should record you in the Waghalter. Question is: who?

[minacciosa]

Your point is well taken. But doesn't Naxos also already have Bruch? They really need to look farther afield for both soloists and repertoire.

[Alan Howe]

Well, Naxos aim to record anything and everything. So presumably they'll record Waghalter if they're paid enough and Bruch because they want people to buy in numbers what they've heard on ClassicFM. 

No: unless one is extremely lucky (as we were with Naxos/Waghalter), it's going to take a smaller label. And probably some finance...

[FBerwald]

Has anyone else sampled this recording yet? I for one was pleasantly surprised. The whole approach is very unlike the hundred saccharine versions out there, almost clinical, very akin to Accardo. On the whole I'd say a very rewarding experience.

[Alan Howe]

It's a very fine CD indeed. It seems to me to point up the strength of the music as much as its obvious beauty. I'm certainly glad I bought it, but I just wish some of the phalanx of unrecorded VCs so often mentioned on this site could finally be committed to disc.

[FBerwald]

In any case all of Bruch's VC's have been recorded, let's hope Vol. 22 is more adventurous.