Grosse Fugue

On NPR while driving recently I heard Beethoven's Grosse Fugue as played by the Emerson String Quartet. I generally like the Emerson. I have several of their recordings - a Mozart disc that I like, for instance. I decidedly did not like this rendition.

Late Beethoven quartets don't catch my attention as much as the early ones especially opus 59, 74 and 95. Still, I like the Grosse Fugue. It moves me. Usually. With the Emerson recording, they sounded a bit like a 33 1/3 recording played at 45 speed. Not attractive. Everything was rushed. That's fine if there are no nuances in the piece but, well, you can figure out the rest. It sounded a bit like a parody, I thought. Can't recommend.

Beethoven Symphony #1

Listened to Sir Charles Mackerras leading the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 yesterday on the radio. A wonderful performance. Haven't looked up the record label yet, but it certainly sounded like it was worth getting. The tempos throughout were on the quick side and the middle two movements were most revealing, but that's just the thing, no? I mean if you can produce a revealing performance of one of the most widely recorded symphonies in the repertoire, then you've done something worthwhile. Trumpet calls in the last movement, for instance, were something I hadn't clearly heard before.

I guess I'm saying it's the best performance I've heard though I have several recordings including Von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic pounded away at it. Also, Josef Krips and Fritz Reiner conducting and quite possibly others.

Just searched out the disk. It's part of a set and a bit out of my price range for right now. Ah well, here is a link. Took me a little bit to find it, but there are samples, etc.

The Elgar Violin Concerto

I recently splurged on the Elgar Violin Concerto. It is in a handsome CD with Vaughn Williams' Lark Ascending as its companion. The virtuoso being tested is Hilary Hahn and, of course, the playing is first rate. This is for Deutsche Grammophon, a copmany that insists on putting out recordings of the highest caliber. Incorrigibles. In any event, there is a small problem with the CD, but it is a little hard to explain. It's not Hilary's fault, nor DG, nor even the fault of the LSO or Sir Colin Davis. Impeccable (without sin).

Sadly, the fault lies with Elgar. More accurately, with his concerto. I just don't like it. It doesn't sound good to me. Perhaps with time...?

I haven't listened to the Vaughn Williams yet - that's how pressed for time I've been.

Of course, I have also found that a while back I bought a couple of CDs and one of them was left unopened: Jascha Heifetz playing William Walton's Violin Concerto and the Elgar again. This is a Naxos disc. They also put out excellent work and you can't fault Heifetz. I'll have to give it a listen and, who knows, maybe I'll like it.

Sadly, though I think Naxos is the best thing to happen to classical music in a great long while, their space at my local Borders has shrunk dramatically. I asked about this a week ago and the clerk shrugged. It's not just Naxos - the entire classical section shrank. And, get this, Josh Groban singing Christmas carols took up most of the space. No joke. I checked the label in back of one of the Cds - 195 copies. Ah well.

The IPO Concert

Tuned in just in time for the opening of the Brahms Piano Concerto #1, Mehta conducting, Barenboim on the piano. I will probably be way off base with what I say, but I had the feeling at times that the playing a a little on the lethargic side. This may be because I'm used to recordings where the pace set by the soloist borders on the frenetic. I will say that I took notice of a neat little fugal interlude in the finale for the first time.

Generally, I tend not to appreciate Brahms' piano music as much as I do his symphonies, overtures and the violin concerto. A few of the solo pieces attract me, but not really the concertos. Not sure why. There seems to be a thumping quality to them that just doesn't do anything for me. Delicate passages get buried. It's a pity. Brahms is one of the finer composers. Barenboim's slightly slower pace has allowed me to appreciate this concerto a bit more. I suppose for that, I should thank him.

Anyone have his address?