Performances which make an effect or which aid understanding?

[Hector]

I recently listened to a recording of Balakirev's Symphony No 1 by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra & Igor Golovschin on Naxos. I listened to it because I was not happy with my USSR Symphony Orchestra & Evgeni Svetlanov recording on Regis.

I then listened to my Svetlanov version again and found it made much more sense. I think what has happened is that the Golovschin version is played slower and performed with less pronounced accents so it was like having the symphony explained to me slowly and simply, so when I went back to the faster and more dramatic account by Svetlanov it made far more sense. The effect was most noticeable in the first movement which has an unusual quasi sonata structure. I actually prefer the Svetlanov now.

I am writing this not because I think Balakirev is Unsung, he is perhaps under-sung, but because I am wondering if anyone else has come across this effect? The effect being that of a very different performance enlightening a performance that at first had seemed unsatisfactory? (hope that's within the remit of the site!)

[MartinH]

Many times. The most shocking involves the Furtwangler second symphony. I owned the composer's recordings, the Marco Polo and still the symphony just wouldn't make an impression other than being seriously over-long, dull, and uninteresting. Then came Barenboim with Chicago SO on Teldec. Wow! What a difference, what a great performance - now the work made a much better impression. It was even exciting at times! I still don't think it's a masterpiece, but Barenboim sure made a good case for it.

Franz Schmidt's 2nd symphony was another that was opened up to me by Chicago - this time with Neeme Jarvi. The first recording I owned was a miserable recording from ORF that was poorly played, badly recorded and pressed with the most horrible vinyl they could find. The Opus recording with Rajter was so much better, but still I was missing something. Then came Chandos with its recording and it was a revelation. I find it very frustrating that there are very, very few recordings of his works with world-class orchestras and a great conductor. But there aren't many of them around any more, are there?

Unfortunately, a lot of good music has been ignored by the major orchestras and conductors (and record labels) and hasn't had the opportunity to make a first-class impression on people. A lot of fine music has been relegated to performance by amateur orchestras - like the Kalinnikov symphonies and the Borodin 2nd.

This upcoming symphony season in the USA is just depressing - Beethoven, Beethoven, Beethoven. When this 250th anniversary is over, wouldn't it be nice to have a season with some of the forgotten, neglected, obscure repertoire? I've resigned myself that I'll be under the ground without ever having heard a symphony of Balakirev, Rubinstein or Bax performed live. Well, at least I've heard Raff, Reinecke, Parry, Schmidt, Gal, and some other oddities.

BTW - I love the Balakirev 1st. Too bad you didn't start with Beecham on EMI. If anyone understood that beautiful work, it was he.

[Alan Howe]

I find it very frustrating that there are very, very few recordings of his works with world-class orchestras and a great conductor.

I thoroughly agree with regard to Schmidt - and this applies to other unsung composers, of course.

Too bad you didn't start with Beecham on EMI (re. Balakirev 1)

Or with Karajan, who recorded it before Beecham.

[Hector]

Sometimes you can hear there is an exciting piece of music fighting to get out of an inadequate performance...and then comes along the performers to set the music free.

But I was actually referring to one performance illuminating another to the extent that the first then actually makes better sense  than the subsequent. Maybe that's a bit obscure.

Totally agree about predictable concert programming, but what can be done to attract people to unfamiliar repertoire?

[eschiss1]

Well, it's probably not sufficient -just- to have an excellent performer play really good music and promote it really well (or rather, that may bring people to the music, but time after time I've heard on leaving the auditorium, mutterings (from others- after hearing what I anyway thought was a stunning, memorable performance) along the lines of "pity that Mr. Hamelin wastes his time on works like that Alkan symphony")

[Gareth Vaughan]

Unfortunately, some concert-goers have rather closed minds. Though I had thought that was getting better lately.