José Silvestre White Lafitte/Jose White (1836 - 1918)

[terry martyn]

I have just been bowled over by the F-sharp minor Violin Concerto by Jose White Lafitte ( apparently better known as Jose White).I purchased the box set of the Black Composers Series on amazon.de for a mere 25 euros,including shipping,covering 10 CDs, last week, and the money was worth it for this concerto alone. I see it is also still available to download from Presto.This is ,quite simply, the best violin concerto I have come across in the last thirty years, beautifully played by Aaron Rosand and the LSO under Paul Freeman. To my mind,this is up there with the Wieniawski First for sheer lyricism.   I never knew it existed and had never heard of this Latin American composer. Has anyone heard it in the concert hall?

[Revilod]

I know this concerto from Rachel Barton's 1997 recording....a disc called "Violin Concertos by Black Composers". It is the outstanding work there. White had a conservatoire training and was greatly respected as a violinist. One reviewer wrote: "His execution is better than Ole Bull's, he possesses more feeling than Wieniawski and the volume of his tone is greater than that of Vieuxtemps"! As you say, the concerto is attractively lyrical but what I think is particularly startling for a violinist-composer is the sophistication of the orchestral writing.
I've never heard it in the concert hall.

[Mark Thomas]

I too came across White's Violin Concerto on Rachel Barton's CD, and it is indeed a very attractive, inventive and satisfying work, which quite often figures on my playlist. I've never come across anything else he wrote, which is a shame.

[eschiss1]

There's another disc, "Capricho Latino", where Pine plays several works including 6 Etudes Op.13 by White.

[terry martyn]

The Barton CD is in the process of reissue,with a Florence Price violin concerto replacing one of the compositions on the CD. Our colleague Jonathan reviewed the reissue recently on Musicweb (I think as recently as 31st October).  To my ear, the playing of the White by Rosand is the version to have, simply because, not only is he on the very top of his form (and ,in 1975, at the height of his powers), but also Paul Freeman conducts the LSO in such a winning way.

[Revilod]

White's "greatest hit" is a piece called "La Bella Cubana"...."The Beautiful Cuban Woman".
It's not surprising to read that White was encouraged by Gottschalk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTCBHN-Ddu4

[Jonathan]

Our colleague Jonathan reviewed the reissue recently on MusicWeb

Hi Terry,
No, that wasn't me, it's a different Jonathan! I don't have enough time to write as many reviews as he does! 
Best regards
Jonathan

[terry martyn]

Apologies, Jonathan!

He describes the concerto as sub-Ernst.  I can only conclude that he has not heard  Rosand and the LSO's performance in all its glory ( he is disparaging about the orchestra in the recording he reviewed). I believe this to be one of the great Romantic violin concertos and it has sent shivers down my spine. I have nearly 200 nineteenth-century violin concertos in my collection,and this has gone into my top dozen favourites.

[Alan Howe]

I believe this to be one of the great Romantic violin concertos

I wouldn't put it that high on the list. It's certainly attractive, but has it real depth? Of the unsung VCs I'd put, say, the Dietrich and Raff No.1 (written 10 and 7 years respectively after White's VC) way ahead because they're by far superior composers.

But we all have our favourites, of course.

[Jonathan]

None needed Terry!

As for the concerto, I've not heard it but based on the comments here, I shall definitely have to investigate!