Hyperion has just announced Romantic Violin Concerto Vol. 17 even before the release of Vol. 16
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68050&vw=dc (http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68050&vw=dc)
Max Bruch - Violin Concerto No 3 & Scottish Fantasy
The performances (or at least radio rehearsals) are being broadcast (BBC Radio 3) next week, on Monday (14th - VC3) and Thursday (SF). A singularly unadventurous release, although I'm a sucker for VC3.
So, Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series brings us concertos by Oswald and Napoleão, and the next Romantic Violin Concertos' issue will be Bruch? I too love the Bruch pieces, but I still don't understand why Hyperion are so unadventurous with the RVC series, when they have clearly established a profitable and sustainable market for the most obscure of unknowns with RPC? If it isn't money, what is it? Are violinists less adventurous than pianists?
I don't think they have the violinists in the first place...
Quotealthough I'm a sucker for VC3
... as am I. And it
has been more than a generation since the Accardo/Masur recording I listen to. I'd be surprised if this one didn't take a different approach.
I must say, it is somewhat disappointing. Mike Spring did tell me once that he found violinists, by and large, not nearly so adventurous as pianists in tackling "unsung" repertoire. But I am sure there are plenty of good violinists out there who would have a go at the many unsungs, given a chance.
Indeed there are some first rate violinists who have never had the chance of recording a concerto but it is a risk when margins are so tight. What the dreamers do not understand is that in order to take risks, record companies have to do 'core' repertoire and 'named' soloists to pay for it. Does any one really believe that the public are going to buy Oswald without knowing it is part of a popular series or perhaps from the one chance of hearing it on the BBC. Many on this forum have never heard of half the people I have posted about including Oswald so how would the public at large know. If every member of this forum bought the Oswald piano concerto CD the 'profit' made would not even pay for the orchestra.
I do takes your point, Giles, and I do understand the economics of recording classical music, as I have been involved in a modest way in the industry over the last few years. Presumably Hyperion have built up enough of a core following for the RPC series that people will buy any issue, irrespective of whether they know the composers, because they trust Hyperion to deliver music which they'll like. Otherwise RPC would surely have withered on the vine years ago. So why haven't they been able to follow this model with RVC? If it isn't the artists then the only other reason which I can think of is that the market for violin concertos is much smaller that that for piano concertos.
I agree, Mark. As you know I'm one of the first to point out (like Giles) the brutal economics of the recording industry, and that we should be jolly grateful for what we've got (and are getting), but when you compare the repertoire covered in the RPC with that in the RVC series one is apt to ponder just a little.
FYI the Hyperion page says ".....first of three albums of music by Max Bruch" so I guess we'll see Concertos 1 & 2 in due course. Might not be so welcome news for many members here, but I don't mind :D
If they're good, I don't mind either. But the competition's pretty fierce...
All of Bruch's music for violin and orchestra is worth recording again, even if it includes the still overplayed (and overrated) 1st Concerto. I've actually never performed the Violin Concerto No.1 in public with orchestra or piano; I just couldn't bring myself to do it, and have turned down opportunities to play it every time. I much prefer the 2nd Concerto, and I've played it publicly several times both ways.
If this is going to be a 3-CD Bruch series, is it going to be the same repertoire as the delightful 'complete works' Accardo/Masur set I purchased from Philips some years ago or are there other violin 'concertante' works by Bruch waiting to be recorded. If so, does anyone have any info on what they might be?
Best wishes
Richard
That only included two other concertante works, no (the Serenade and the Scottish Fantasy)? According to IMSLP there's also a Romance Op.42, an Adagio appassionato Op.57, an In Memoriam Op.65, Songs & Dances Op.79, Concertstück Op.84, and I expect others without opus number. (I doubt if any of these would be recording premieres (assuming Hyperion plans to record them at all.)- fairly sure not..., but I'll check...)
(Ah. The Concertstück and the Romance were on a Naxos CD a few years back. Ohhhh. I see. Salvatore Accardo has recorded most of the other works for Masur- coupled not with the violin concertos, on Philips, but with the symphonies. Op.79 is better known I think in another form (assuming (time to maybe ILL Fifield's bio...) that Op.79b, the Suite on Russian Folk Melodies, shares more than just the opus number, I mean) but seems to have dodged under the radar otherwise?
(Full title of Op.79 - "Lieder und Tänze nach Russischen und Schwedischen Volksmelodien, frei bearb. für Violine und Klavier" (or, I presume, also for orchestra as well). Published by Simrock (same Simrock, yes, Brahms/Dvorak/... fans), Berlin, 1903.) The suite Op.79b- which I can now believe is a suite from the Op.79 set - has been recorded a few times. Not a violin/orchestra work though, I think.
The full list for violin and orchestra that I know of is as follows:
Violin Concerto No. 1
Romanze in a
Violin Concerto No. 2
Scottish Fantasy
Adagio Appassionato
Violin Concerto No. 3
In Memoriam
Serenade in a
Konzertstuck in f#
There's also theoretically a version of Swedish Dances, Op. 63 for violin and orchestra, but I have my doubts that the composer made it (five versions total listed, I'm sure at least some were by others)
Years ago I read somewhere that there was believed to be a Second Scottish Fantasy but that was the last I ever heard of it. Pity. The first is one of my favorite works for violin and orchestra......
Jerry
Accardo/Masur did indeed record all of those on Phillips LPs. I'm not sure if they have all been re-released on CD however.
Guild GMCD 7338 from 2010 with the Orchestre Symphonique Bienne conducted by Thomas Rösner and with Alexandre da Costa as the soloist contains what it claims is the premiere recording of the Kol Nidrei, op. 47 for violin and orchestra in Bruch's own arrangement, recorded at Konzertsaal Solothurn, Switzerland 8-10 September 2009 (plus another world premiere, the overture to the opera 'Scherz, List und Rache', op. 1, orchestrated by Stefans Grové).
The Accardo was issued as a complete set on Philips LP way back in the day. Those recordings still hold strong, even if there are preferences for other versions in certain repertoire.
The Masur recordings were released on two sets of 2-fers, which also includes the symphonies on one of the sets.
I have a 3-CD set of the Accardo/Masur recordings for the violin and orchestra works (no symphonies) and the 2-Cd Masur set of the 3 symphonies (+Swedish Dances). I have noticed various repackagings of these works since then into 2-fers etc.
To my untutored ear, the Accardo CDs remain as enjoyable today as when I first bought them many years ago (which is not to speak against any subsequent versions, merely that, IMHO, 'age has not dimmed them').
Has anyone else heard the violin version of Kol Nidrei - is it just for us 'completists' or does it offer something more than the cello version?
Richard
Accardo is a magnificent violinist - of that there can be no doubt at all. His playing in these classic recordings is a model of taste, technical accomplishment and evinces romantic ardour while never going over the top. Where I think more modern recordings can show the set a clean pair of heels, though, is in the orchestral department. Bruch's orchestral writing comes out more fully in a performance such as that of VC3/Symphony 2 on MDG:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Max-Bruch-1838-1920-Symphonie-Nr-2-op-36/hnum/8861691 (https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Max-Bruch-1838-1920-Symphonie-Nr-2-op-36/hnum/8861691)
...and there are others just as good.
Another superb-sounding CD is this EBS recording of VCs1 & 3:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Max-Bruch-1838-1920-Violinkonzerte-Nr-1-3/hnum/9404014 (https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Max-Bruch-1838-1920-Violinkonzerte-Nr-1-3/hnum/9404014)
Take no notice of the fact that the violinist is relatively unknown - he is absolutely wonderful: beautiful tone, soaring lines, sensitive phrasing. And the Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne under (the now much better-known) Markus Stenz offers first-class, rich support of the sort that makes you think that VC3 in particular is one of the great VCs. All in all, a marvellous CD. The forthcoming Hyperion recording will have to be good to better this. I urge anyone who doesn't yet have Bruch's VC3 to buy this disc before it disappears...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruch-Violin-Concertos-1-3/dp/B0007RUT48/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407708527&sr=8-1&keywords=bruch+janicke (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruch-Violin-Concertos-1-3/dp/B0007RUT48/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407708527&sr=8-1&keywords=bruch+janicke)
Is that Torsten Janicke? I see his recording output (etc.) seems to be fairly diverse - lesser-known Bruch and a range of 20th/21st century composers also. More power to him (in the wholly unsarcastic sense) from my POV.
Janicke it is. He's wonderful. Perhaps Hyperion should engage him for the Gernsheim VCs...
One of the great things about UC is that reading new threads about composers not listened to in a long time-in my case at least- prompts us to revisit that composer and relisten to CDs of his works we have in our collections. Max Bruch is such a case for me. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed his music, especially his VC1 which, even if overplayed, I am very fond of. I always find the third movement quite thrilling, perhaps because I haven't listened to this VC over and over! I have since listened to sound bites of the Janicke/Gürzenich Orchester CD as recommended by Alan and have placed my order! I am eagerly looking forward to receiving it!
It's a wonderful CD, Dennis.
Have you tried the symphonies? Conlon's set is pretty marvellous:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruch-Symphonies-1-3-Concerto-pianos/dp/B001O8C5NC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408032465&sr=8-1&keywords=bruch+conlon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruch-Symphonies-1-3-Concerto-pianos/dp/B001O8C5NC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408032465&sr=8-1&keywords=bruch+conlon)
..and dirt cheap!
I second that recommendation!
What do people think of his 2nd string quintet, btw? I noticed a performance on YouTube, and there's one (so far one) CD recording (no doubt that's on YouTube too, but I meant there's a live performance on YT too, which I think I've listened to once so far.) Only very recently published (I think), one of his last works (1919).
(Hiller wrote (according to Mr. Fifield) of a string quintet being performed in the Bruch household during a visit there in 1852 which, if by Max Bruch and ever found, would poke the two known string quintets up to nos. 2 in A minor (1918 or 1919) and 3 in E-flat major (1919), I suppose... the piano quintet wasn't begun until 1881, again according to Mr. Fifield so is not one being confused with the other etc. etc. etc. ...)
QuoteI much prefer the 2nd Concerto
The second concerto is far more original than the first, to be sure. Personally, I find the blend achieved in the third concerto the most moving. That may, of course, be nothing more than the confession of an Apollonian regarding what is fundamentally a Dionysian genre. Nevertheless, put more concretely, I think the movements of the third concerto balance each other nicely, whereas in the second concerto the first movement is what I end up remembering.
You make good points.
A little late with this post but this is to say thank you to you Alan for your recommendations re- the Bruch VC's and symphonies. I had of course already bought the Janicke/Gürzenich Orchester VCs 1 and 3, which I have listened to a number of times already - hugely enjoyable!!! Following on from Alan's suggestion to purchase the Conlon double CD of the Bruch Symphonies, I listened to sound bites and also performances on Youtube. I was not sure whether to buy the Conlon set or the Masur set. At the time I decided to put the these works on hold for the time being. Then, after reading the separate, very positive thread On Bruch's Symphony no 2, I decided I had to purchase the CDs, opting for Conlon's superior sound according to the Amazon reviews. I am looking forward to receiving the CDs shortly - I am particularly looking forward to getting to know really well symphony no 2!
Your forthcoming thoughts on the Conlon set are keenly anticipated...
The new Hyperion CD makes a very strong case for VC3 - although no stronger than that made by the EBS CD with Torsten Janicke who has a somewhat richer tone than Jack Liebeck. A particular glory of the Hyperion performance is Martyn Brabbins' understanding of Bruch's writing for horns, which he brings out superbly. Indeed his conducting is of the highest order. I'd venture to suggest that all manner of detail, usually lost, is to be heard in this recording. Brabbins is clearly one of our brightest conducting stars.
Agreed re Brabbins (even moreso having a look at some concerts he's conducting next year, though not all are within the scope of this forum :) - definitely "unsung" classical-style music in a broader sense though, I do think though.)
A belated reply to my earlier posts in this thread. These days, I listen to so much music, frequently based on UC members recommendations!!!, that I find myself buying new CDs virtually every single week!!!! I then find myself with the pleasant dilemma of deciding what piece of music to listen to and always end up with a backlog of CDs to listen to and then report on as appropriate. In this instance, I purchased the Conlon Bruch symphonies some time ago and listened to them attentively. I had meant to post about them much earlier but, excuse the cliché, better late than never! My overall impressions of the Bruch symphonies are that they are all melodious works, very well orchestrated and should be heard more often. I was very pleased to have followed Alan's urging to purchase this set and know I will come back to them from time to time (especially if I stop buying CDs each week but that's not going to happen!!!). I did give symphony number 2 special attention because of comments made about it. This symphony is unusual in that there is no scherzo (something Bruch was criticised for!) but in spite of this omission, the symphony still works very well for me. As is my practise, when listening to a work that I intend posting about, I made some brief comments. Movement 1: dramatic, bold opening,somewhat sombre in feel, but quite arresting and moving, leading to an imposing conclusion. Movement 2: beautiful, lyrical, delicately scored, also intense and passionate, with a brooding quality to it. Movement 3: builds on movement no 2, becoming more intense and passionate, interspersed with a more light-hearted passage, before finishing in a triumphant, very satisfying conclusion: a wonderful symphony which should be much better known!
A very late posting but many thanks Alan for directing me to these symphonies.
It's good to hear your enthusiasm for the Conlon set, Dennis. Lovely music, beautifully done.
I think that you've hit the Bruch Second nail squarely on the head there, Dennis.