Beethoven Violin Concerto

[jwinter]

I can't believe there's no thread for this, but I checked and was unable to find one.

I'm currently listening to (and greatly enjoying) a used CD that I picked up for $1.99 yesterday -- Arthur Grumiaux with Galliera/New Philharmonia -- after realizing that Grumiaux was one "big-name" violinists that I had never heard in this work. 

So, what are your personal favorites, and why?   

[rondos]

David Oistrakh.  He has recorded this work for at least 7 ot 8 times and I have most of them.  Just pick any one (probably except for the Gauk recording) and you won't be disappointed. 

[AnthonyAthletic]

I have around 40 different versions of the Beethoven, most are admirable and worthy of high praise, some of my strong favourites have always been the likes of Schneiderhan, Grumiaux (2), Szeryng, Heifetz (RCA), Chung, Oistrakh, Perlman/Giulini etc etc, here are just a few of 'perhaps, lesser known' performances which would grace anyones library.

Christian Ferras/Karajan/Berlin - beautiful tone from Ferras, a real delectable, lump in throat version.

Hermann Krebbers/Haitink/Royal Concertgebouw - one of those must hear LVB's as every bit as outstanding as his Brahms, marvellous playing from Krebbers, perfect Dutch partnership.

Oscar Shumsky/A. Davis/Philharmonia - sumptuous playing from Shumsky, not sure if this is still in the catalogue, super budget IIRC.

Yehudi Menuhin/Constantin Silvestri/VPO - this is my most enjoyable Menuhin, Silvestri and the VPO do exactly what the 'accompanyment' should do, powerful playing but not overwhelming.  Menuhin is sheer class in this recording, I would go so far as to say his finest recording, and one of my top tens.  Great ride, relentlessly beautiful.

Aaron Rosand/Derrick Inouye/Monte Carlo PO - Another one of those obscur-ish recordings with 'maybe' a lesser known conductor and not one of the big orchestras, but how do they play!  Rosand's tone, drive and power in the first movement is a masterclass, the second and third movements too are beyond reproach, a superb recording.

[Xenophanes]

I can't believe there's no thread for this, but I checked and was unable to find one.

I'm currently listening to (and greatly enjoying) a used CD that I picked up for $1.99 yesterday -- Arthur Grumiaux with Galliera/New Philharmonia -- after realizing that Grumiaux was one "big-name" violinists that I had never heard in this work. 

So, what are your personal favorites, and why?

Zino Francescatti with Bruno Walter conducting the Columbia Symphony.  It's very lyrical without a dull note from the violin solo.  It's the most interesting and beautiful of any of the recordings of this work I have heard.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Sibelius-Concertos-Ludwig-van/dp/B0000027OR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1262829862&sr=1-1#moreAboutThisProduct

I have an earlier Columbia CD reissue.  I believe I have the same Oistrakh/Ormandy recording of the Sibelius VC coupling and it's pretty good but not my favorite.

I have Grumiaux/Colin Davis on LP.  It's good and very well recorded.

[hornteacher]

Well duh?

But seriously, I love the beautiful tone, the cadenzas are marvelous, the tempos are just right for my taste, and the sound quality is outstanding.  Janine Jansen came out with a recording recently that I'd like to try as well.  Perlman would be my "old school" choice.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Mullova/Gardiner on Philips. OOP I believe, though.

[dirkronk]

Beethoven's violin concerto seems to be a rite of passage for many fiddlers, and as I have discovered more and more instrumentalists I like, I tend to seek their renditions out as a sort of vetting device. This means that, like AnthonyAthletic, I have a LOT of recordings, both studio and live, both historic and modern. The ones I consider essential:

Heifetz/Munch (RCA)
Oistrakh/Cluytens (EMI/Angel)
Krebbers/Haitink (Philips)
Schneiderhan/Jochum (DGG)
Francescatti/Walter (CBS)

These five are, to my ears, so strong and so distinctly different in tone and presentation (at least, one from another) that I would not willingly do without any of them. I first heard them in their analog vinyl form and I still own them all on LP (and have replicated most on CD as well). That said, I do have a lot of others that I love. Highlights include:

- Kreisler/Blech (ancient, yes, but still great).
- Szigeti/Walter with "unnamed" British orchestra from 1932 (their slightly later NY collaboration is interesting, too, but this one is better performed IMO and a truly a great recording).
- Hubermann/Szell
- Kulenkampff/Schmidt-Isserstedt from 1936
- Wolfsthal/Gurlitt/Berlin from 1929 (truly magnificent...if you can find it; it was in the 6-CD "historic" volume of the DGG Beethoven Edition)
- Rohn/Furtwangler (my very favorite with Furtwangler accompanying...classic and IMO way ahead of the Menuhin, though I do like Furt's rendition with Schneiderhan)
- Oistrakh/Sixten Ehrling
- Grumiaux/van Beinum
- Grumiaux/C.Davis (gorgeous ripe analog recording of the Concertgebouw, and the first two movements are utterly wonderful; the finale I'm less than totally convinced by).
- Milstein/Steinberg/Pittsburgh
- Kogan (late '50s)
- Stern/Bernstein (too powerful and intense not to be high on the list, but let down by recording a bit)
- Suk/Boult (this is one that, in its vinyl edition in the "old days." I felt was insufferably slow and stodgy and disappointing, since I usually love Suk's playing; a whim purchase of the CD transfer totally transformed my opinion...not top tier now but definitely a good and joyful listen).


Historic recordings that I think will become favored versions after I've lived with them a bit longer: Adolf Busch/F.Busch/NY, Bustabo/Mengelberg/COA. One I'm still evaluating: Neveu/Rosbaud. Ones so bad they're really, REALLY sad: Zimmermann/Mengelberg (made as the retirement swansong of that former concertmaster of the Concertgebouw) and Enescu/Kuypers (made when the intonation of that once fabulous violinist had utterly melted down). Avoid these, folks. Historic recordings I wish were available: ones by Martzy, Elman (there may be one but I haven't seen or heard it), Spalding in his prime, ditto Enescu, Morini, De Vito, Ossy Renardy, additional performances by Neveu.

In the realm of living and active violinists, I find myself most impressed by: Batiashvili/Vanska in a live performance from 2000; Joshua Bell/Norrington; Hillary Hahn (a truly fine one); Kremer/Harnoncourt (MUCH better than I'd expected...I'm not a great fan of Kremer's tone in older classical and romantic works, but this is impressive), and Tetzlaff/Zinman.

Modern ones I'm still waiting for: Cho-Liang Lin, Carmignola (hey...it could happen).

Ones even I'm kinda surprised that I've never warmed up to: Perlman/Giulini (I like this one, just don't love it), Ferras/Karajan, Mutter, Accardo, Zukerman. Go figure.

Enough already. Me, I want to hear the Menuhin/Silvestri and the Rosand that AA mentioned...


Dirk

[Lilas Pastia]

Grumiaux (Galliera or Davis), Szeryng (Haitink),  impart a lofty classical perfection to the work. Schneiderhan (3 versions, all with the BPO on DGG), Rosand, Tetzlaff (w. Gielen) offer a more volatile, sometimes unpredictable but still silvery voice to the work ('silvery' is the operative word, the quality that distinguishes the best beethovenian exponents): classical-era Schéhérazades. I'm not so enamoured of Oistrakh, a more bovine interpreter - yet capable of supreme refinements as a violinist. I see Youtube has an Oistrakh-Boult video on offer. More food for hearing - and thought!

Great partnership too from Francescatti/Walter and Ferras/Karajan, warmly effusive, incandescent yet noble versions. Every one of those (and there are more of course, like Heifetz and Munch) offer a combustible approach to Beethoven's magnum opus that makes one understand why he/she's always searching for the elusive perfection. Much less to my taste is the greasy fiddling of Perlman (emotionally, that is, not instrumentally). Conversely, I've always thought Krebber's vaunted interpretation slightly too lightweigth for the music he seeks to inhabit. Strangely, it's as if Beethoven's orchestra (Haitink's RCO) had grown to today's sizes effortlessly, but the fiddling had been unable to fit into today's expectations - it sounds too small emotionally, however beautiful and pure in tone. As if Krebbers' conception had been more appropriate to pre-Kreisler, even pre-Joachim days.

Another old-timer with many sterling qualities: Bronislaw Gimpel (w. Heinrich Hollreiser). I don't know if that's available right now, but it circulate around. Recommended if you stumble upon it.

[Sergeant Rock]

Having become satiated, even bored, by the concerto after thirty-five years listening to various performances, the Zehetmair/Brüggen CD was the blast of proverbial fresh air that renewed my enthusiasm for the work. Despite the merits of the classic performances mentioned in this thread, Zehetmair is now my desert island pick.

Sarge

[jwinter]

Thanks to all!  Lots of great info here, which will lead me to relisten to several already on my shelves, and add a few more to ye olde wishe liste.  Cheers!

[Todd]

My favorite here is definitely Christian Ferras paired with Karajan.  Ferras' tone is wonderful – even more so on LP than CD, which can make him sound just a bit wiry in comparison – and the big, mushy accompaniment fits well.  Hits the spot every time.

[MN Dave]

I can't believe there's no thread for this, but I checked and was unable to find one.

I'm currently listening to (and greatly enjoying) a used CD that I picked up for $1.99 yesterday -- Arthur Grumiaux with Galliera/New Philharmonia -- after realizing that Grumiaux was one "big-name" violinists that I had never heard in this work. 

So, what are your personal favorites, and why?

Favorite I do not know. But I own a Grumiaux and am happy with it.

[jwinter]

Rummaging through the collection, and decided to do a study in contrasts for tonight's listening:

[val]

My favorite version:   Grumiaux with van Beinum and the Concertgebow.

Then, Menuhin with Furtwängler and David Oistrakh with Cluytens.

[71 dB]

Favorite I do not know. But I own a Grumiaux and am happy with it.

I don't own ANY recording of this work! Josef Suk/Boult is what I have in my hands now (borrowed it from a friend). The Violin Concerto is Beethoven I can stand but I can't imagine owning more than one good performance of it. It's not the only music on Earth... ...there is another Violin Concerto Op. 61 I like much more... 

[Lilas Pastia]

I don't own ANY recording of this work! Josef Suk/Boult is what I have in my hands now (borrowed it from a friend). The Violin Concerto is Beethoven I can stand but I can't imagine owning more than one good performance of it. It's not the only music on Earth... ...there is another Violin Concerto Op. 61 I like much more... 

At least you have a good, solid version. Elgarian would be an appropriate epithet 

[Sorin Eushayson]

Having become satiated, even bored, by the concerto after thirty-five years listening to various performances, the Zehetmair/Brüggen CD was the blast of proverbial fresh air that renewed my enthusiasm for the work. Despite the merits of the classic performances mentioned in this thread, Zehetmair is now my desert island pick.

Sarge

HECK^^yeah!!!

I have to restrain myself from simply declaring that recording to be the best.  Even though it is.  Though I won't say so... Even though it is.   Which I won't say... Despite the statement's apparent and irrefutable truth... Which shall not be spoken of by me...

[dirkronk]

OK...so based on Sarge's comments and Sorin's reactions, Zehetmair is definitely going on my must-hear list.

Dirk

[Cristofori]

Christian Ferras/Karajan/Berlin - beautiful tone from Ferras, a real delectable, lump in throat version.

Yehudi Menuhin/Constantin Silvestri/VPO - this is my most enjoyable Menuhin, Silvestri and the VPO do exactly what the 'accompanyment' should do, powerful playing but not overwhelming.  Menuhin is sheer class in this recording, I would go so far as to say his finest recording, and one of my top tens.  Great ride, relentlessly beautiful.

Absolutely 100% agreed. These two are my favorites also, for now at least.

The tone and playing is beautiful on the Ferras/Karajan, especially in the 2nd movement. A truly underrated recording!

I also agree on the Menuhin/Silvestri. This was his finest reading, better than the famous recording with Furtwangler. It was also nice that they coupled it with the two Beethoven Violin Romances, rather than the more common Mendelssohn/Brahms Concertos, etc.

And all for only $6.99 on a budget EMI CD!  

[Que]

OK...so based on Sarge's comments and Sorin's reactions, Zehetmair is definitely going on my must-hear list.

Dirk

Just a reminder that this recording has recently been reissued at budget price:



Q