Raul Koczalski Violin & Cello Concertos

[Mark Thomas]

... and now not just piano concertos:



Also announced is an upcoming recording of Koczalski's Cello & Violin Concertos.

[Alan Howe]

This is now available from MusicWeb:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/Acte_Prealable/Catalogue_Acte_Prealable_2013.htm   (item 1)

[Alan Howe]

There's confusion here with these works' key signatures: according to the cover the VC is in D minor and the CC in E major; however, the English booklet notes give A minor and B minor respectively and the Polish A major and B minor. Double Oops!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Having proof-read some of the booklet notes for Valentina Seferinova's Acte Prealable recordings, this sort of mess does not surprise me. I should say that I do so only because Valentina asks me to, not wanting her CD booklets to be too much of a mess. I don't get paid and, if I did not do it, Acte Prealable would be happy to publish, in some cases, quite a "horlicks"!

[JimL]

Anybody with a piano, or perfect pitch can determine the proper keys.

[Alan Howe]

Perhaps someone 'in the know' can help us...

[eschiss1]

Jim- that's not always true, even for composers less ornery/troublesome than Mahler (when it comes to such things). (Especially mode, but sometimes key too...)

Worldcat also lists a concertino for violin or oboe and strings, hrm.

[Alan Howe]

I've emailed the UK distributor...

[Mark Thomas]

Having been disappointed by the new CD of the Piano Concertos Nos.3 and 4, I was worried that these two string concertos would also prove to be a let down, and unfortunately the Violin Concerto certainly is. It's three movements are all taken at a moderate pace, lending a blandness to the whole work which I'm sure could be counteracted by less rhapsodising in the opening one, a more spirited approach to the finale and, in particular, notice being taken of the central slow movement's Lento sostenuto marking. This may all be the fault of the performers but, as it is, one is left throughout the work with the impression of Koczalski resorting to a lot of aimless "noodling". Luckily, the Cello Concerto is an altogether stronger work. It's also rhapsodic in atmosphere, but that suits this instrument much better, and Koczalski's material is much stronger. That, together with its performance being much tauter and more varied in both dynamics and tempi, makes it altogether the best of the four works on these two CDs.

[eschiss1]

so D minor and E major for these works as on the cover _should_ be D major and E minor (or such and so transposed eg A major and B minor, or C major and D minor, or, etc., ... .) is what you're saying, JL...

[Alan Howe]

I think the Polish has it right: the VC is in A major and the CC in B minor.

[Revilod]

Having listened to these concertos many times lately I've been much more impressed by the one for violin although I wouldn't say that either is essential listening. I don't think there is anything in the 'cello concerto to match the lovely second subject of the violin concerto's first movement and the slow movement is also lovely and less diffuse than usual. It's very much the disc's highlight I would say.

[JJ]

I'm sorry for my mistake. It has long been corrected and wherever I could, I replaced faulty polygraphy.