Clement's Long-Lost Violin Concerto

[mn dave]

World Premiere!

Has anyone heard this yet? Comments? Thanks.



2CD-set priced as one CD

Beethoven's towering Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61, has always seemed an isolated phenomenon -- so different from the other violin concertos of its era -- until now . . .

On Beethoven & Clement Violin Concertos, American violinist Rachel Barton Pine ("a magnetically imaginative artist" --Gramophone), with José Serebrier and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, presents the world premiere recording of the exquisite 1805 Violin Concerto in D Major by Franz Clement -- the Viennese virtuoso for whom Beethoven wrote his own concerto a year later. Recently rescued from obscurity by enterprising British musicologist Clive Brown, this delightful work offers new insights into the Beethoven: according to Brown, "Individual figurations in Beethoven's Violin Concerto . . . appear to allude directly to passages in Clement's concerto."

Rachel Barton Pine is the ideal interpreter for these two late-Classical era gems. After a recent performance of the Beethoven concerto in New England, a newspaper critic raved, "Pine played Beethoven's music with profound regard for every brick of its architecture and every beat of its heart." She applies the same level of insight to the concerto by the violinist who inspired Beethoven's piece, superbly supported by London's renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and acclaimed Maestro José Serebrier.

[Gurn Blanston]

Haven't heard it yet, but I have her set of Brahms/Joachim concerti which follow the same premise, with Joachim being such a major influence on Brahms' violin music. The Joachim was revelatory, the Brahms was excellent. I consider that this duo will be similar, and I really look forward to hearing the Clement, no doubt of that!



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Listening to:
François Benda / Benda Musicians - Brahms Quintet in b for Clarinet & Strings Op 115 3rd mvmt

[karlhenning]

Mmm. The Brahms Clarinet Quintet, Gurn!  Good morning, laddie!

[mn dave]

I fixed the title of this thread. (from "Lost-Lost" D'oh!) I posted very late last night and I was drowsy. Then after I went to bed, there were some dogs outside somewhere barking for two hours straight--until we called the police at 1:30 AM. They stopped barking immediately thereafter, which makes me wonder if they were police dogs. You see, the cop station is right across the street from us.

[karlhenning]

I fixed the title of this thread. (from "Lost-Lost" D'oh!)

Thought it was an homage to Lang Lang . . . .

[Gurn Blanston]

Mmm. The Brahms Clarinet Quintet, Gurn!  Good morning, laddie!

A beautiful piece of work, Karl. You should consider the clarinet. I follow Mozart in ranking it among my favorites.



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Listening to:
Carulli Music for Flute & Guitar - Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra / Rolla  Jean-Pierre Rampal - Alexandre Lagoya - Op 337 Fantasy in G for Flute & Guitar on themes from Bellini's "The Pirate" - Largo assai - Pìu animato - Cantabile - Variazioni

[mn dave]

...and I really look forward to hearing the Clement, no doubt of that!

Yes, it would be interesting to compare them.

[Gurn Blanston]

Yes, it would be interesting to compare them.

Surprising to many people is that Beethoven's concerto is heavily influenced by the French School, which is why it seems to stand unique amongst Germanic repertory of the time. Of course, like everything Beethoven did, it far surpasses its models, but if you don't really have much French music from the turn of the century (like Viotti, Rode, Kreutzer, etc), it's hard to see the antecedents. Contemporary German works are limited primarily to Spohr's, which are quite nice, but are mainly vehicles for his virtuosity (how he made his living, after all). So to find a contemporary to listen to, and one who is intimately tied to Beethoven in Vienna at the time, is quite priceless.

So, yes, it will be quite interesting to compare them.



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Listening to:
Carulli Music for Flute & Guitar - Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra / Rolla  Jean-Pierre Rampal - Alexandre Lagoya - Op 190 Nocturne in A for Flute & Guitar - Introduzioni: Largo - Alla polacca - Largo - Tempo primo [Alla polacca]

[Anne]

I want to hear the recording mentioned at the start of this thread also.  Beethoven had such a beautiful way of writing music for the violin - his own violin concerto and the latter part of the Missa Solemnis (btw I wouldn't recommend Toscanini unless there are several different versions of Toscanini-conducted Missa Solemnis).  The recording I heard didn't let the listener hear that gorgeous violin solo in the second half of the MS. 

Bohm's MS allows that violin solo to be heard.

[mn dave]

I was at the local CD shop yesterday and they were out. I should just bloody order the thing and get it over with. 

[Gurn Blanston]

I was at the local CD shop yesterday and they were out. I should just bloody order the thing and get it over with. 

Amen, brother.



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Listening to: Royal Liverpool PO/MacKerras - Symphony #9 in d Op 125 4th mvmt - Presto - Allegro ma non troppo - Tempo 1 - Vivace

[mn dave]

William Zagorski of Fanfare has placed it on his 2008 Want List (this means it's one of his favorite recordings of the year). He likes her Clement and says about the Beethoven: "Her account[...]goes straight to the upper reaches of my short list of favorites."