I just read an interesting article at "Strings Magazine" about the Mendelssohn Violin concerto being played too fast by most violinists. See article here.. http://www.stringsmagazine.com/article/147/147,3978,MasterClass-1.asp (http://www.stringsmagazine.com/article/147/147,3978,MasterClass-1.asp).
Do you guys agree?
Since Skowronski did not recommend any recording that's close to the tempi he's talking about, maybe you guys could. Any suggestions?
???
Try Kreisler or Oistrakh.
Quote from: jjfan on January 26, 2008, 01:15:23 AM
I just read an interesting article at "Strings Magazine" about the Mendelssohn Violin concerto being played too fast by most violinists. See article here.. http://www.stringsmagazine.com/article/147/147,3978,MasterClass-1.asp (http://www.stringsmagazine.com/article/147/147,3978,MasterClass-1.asp).
Do you guys agree?
Since Skowronski did not recommend any recording that's close to the tempi he's talking about, maybe you guys could. Any suggestions?
???
I too prefer this concerto played at slower tempi. My favorites are:
Mutter/Karajan 13:55 9:28 7:05
Salerno-Sonnenberg/Schwarz 14:24 9:34 6:48
Sarge
I like them fast and furious. The older I get, the faster I will have it....
Quote from: Harry on January 26, 2008, 06:29:16 AM
I like them fast and furious. The older I get, the faster I will have it....
I'm with you Harry.
Hilary plays the finale extremely fast and its clean as a whistle. That recording is what first converted me to "Team Hahn".
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 26, 2008, 06:20:06 AM
I too prefer this concerto played at slower tempi. My favorites are:
Mutter/Karajan 13:55 9:28 7:05
Salerno-Sonnenberg/Schwarz 14:24 9:34 6:48
Sarge
Have the Mutter. Excellent. I really love this piece, my favorite by Mendelssohn overall.
I absolutely agree with Mr. Skowronski, and considering that the tempi markings that has been bestowed upon us are so clearly stated (Not the actual metronome speed, but the "ratio" on which how fast each section should be in, although we will never know whether it was an editor or Mendelssohn himself), i think this recording comes quite close to the original intentions of the composer. Being exciting definitely doesnt hurt!
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/fa/c2/76fc729fd7a0540d0b9de010.L.jpg)
Howard
I like it fast and neat. I read somewhere Mendelssohn prefered it in fast way. Cannot find the article right now.
Jascha Heifetz with the Boston Symphony under Munch on RCA (now available in SACD).
Whatever speed HE adopts is the right speed.
No other violinist comes anywhere near matching the marvels of that performance.
Quote from: Iago on January 26, 2008, 11:00:17 PM
Jascha Heifetz with the Boston Symphony under Munch on RCA (now available in SACD).
Whatever speed HE adopts is the right speed. No other violinist comes anywhere near matching the marvels of that performance.
I have this performance but also love the Campoli/LPO/Boult version (on the Beulah label) very much too. His (Campoli) timings are:- 12:24, 8:25 and 6:25.
Whilst we are on the subject of this concerto, this is a MP3 download of de Vito's LPO/Sir
Malcolm Sargent version on this site (it is up on the site till next Friday):-
http://homepages.ipact.nl/~otterhouse/
Talking about performance I am extremely satisfied with Perlman, Barenboim, Chicago SO.
Marcel - Campoli/Boult knocks the socks off the Perlman/CSO version. The Perlman also happened to be my lecturer's favourite version on the Classic CD compilation but Campoli/Boult is still my top version. There is a Campoli/van Beinum but I do not recommend over this other version.
Has everyone read Skowronski's article? ::)
Howard
Quote from: Iago on January 26, 2008, 11:00:17 PM
Jascha Heifetz with the Boston Symphony under Munch on RCA (now available in SACD).
Whatever speed HE adopts is the right speed.
No other violinist comes anywhere near matching the marvels of that performance.
Agreed. One of the best recorded performances ever. Most violinists shouldn't attempt to imitate him.
On the other hand, there are certainly a lot of nice recordings done at a slower tempos, of necessity--since most can't play as fast as Heifetz could, but whether they would meet Skowronski's standards I neither know nor care.
Quote from: Xenophanes on January 27, 2008, 05:18:17 PM
Agreed. One of the best recorded performances ever. Most violinists shouldn't attempt to imitate him.#
Thank god.
Quote from: Xenophanes on January 27, 2008, 05:18:17 PM
On the other hand, there are certainly a lot of nice recordings done at a slower tempos, of necessity--since most can't play as fast as Heifetz could
Oh bull...many can; they just don't want to. You can debate all you want about contemporary fiddlers, but what is undeniable is their technical prowess. Heifetz is no longer unique. But that's beside the musical point: Since when is
speed the be all and end all of musical performance? Heifetz may be fast but he's also soulless. His way of performing Mendelssohn is most efinitely
not the way I want to hear this "Romantic" music.
Sarge
Heifetz soulless?. Sergeant, this is plain insubordination.
You won 15 days of solitary confinement, and degradation to private. Now,get out of here.
I like Heifetz quite a bit in this concerto and certainly don't find him soulless (either here or in general). But then I also like Pollini, so I guess I'm just an unfeeling speed freak :(
Quote from: hornteacher on January 26, 2008, 04:01:50 PM
Hilary plays the finale extremely fast and its clean as a whistle. That recording is what first converted me to "Team Hahn".
I like this recording.She rips through the finale in under 6 minutes but every note is articulated perfectly.
If you e-mail me on GMG message, I will e-mail you the last movement of the Mendelssohn VC - played the way I imagine Mendelssohn would have liked!
Please indicate MP3 or AAC format.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 28, 2008, 12:25:43 PM
Heifetz is no longer unique. But that's beside the musical point: Since when is speed the be all and end all of musical performance? Heifetz may be fast but he's also soulless. His way of performing Mendelssohn is most definitely not the way I want to hear this "Romantic" music.
In a way do understand
Sarge's point. I agree that faster doesn't mean necessarily better.
I dont think Heifetz was "soulles". His style was always
unsentimental, and IMO that is a good thing - also in Mendelssohn. But I find several of the recordings from Heifetz' later years without much
charm, relentless even, and charm is something a piece like the Mendelssohn can't do without. I like Heifetz' early recording with Beecham (1949) much better, though generally the Mendelssohn concerto suited Milstein (or Szigeti, Kulenkampff, Kreisler) rather better.
Q
Quote from: carlos on January 28, 2008, 01:03:57 PM
Heifetz soulless?. Sergeant, this is plain insubordination.
You won 15 days of solitary confinement, and degradation to private. Now,get out of here.
;D :D ;D
Okay, I admit to indulging in a bit of hyperbole. It was just my way of saying I've never been a huge fan of Mr. Heifetz. And I really do believe that any number of teen and twentysomething fiddlers today can match him technically...and most are
way cuter too ;D
Private Rock
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 31, 2008, 06:31:51 AM
Okay, I admit to indulging in a bit of hyperbole. It was just my way of saying I've never been a huge fan of Mr. Heifetz. And I really do believe that any number of teen and twentysomething fiddlers today can match him technically...and most are way cuter too ;D
AMEN!!!!! PREACH IT SARGE!!!!!