On this piece certainly. Also comparing Heifetz to later violinists. I always thought Heifetz diminished the music a bit with his fast playing, almost showboating.
In other cases though it’s the other way round. Take Isserlis Bach cello sonatas for example. noticeably quicker (and by far my favorite interpretation) than others (e.g. the vaunted and overrated Rostropovich). Or Carmignola, who ruins the four seasons with his speed, though he does a lovely job on the Bach sonatas and partitas.
Maybe, and setting tempo aside, we just prefer the interpretations that first introduced us to a piece? Those who grew up with Milstein and Oistrakh or even Heifetz prefer them. Those who are comparatively younger prefer Grumiaux, Podger, or even Ibragimova.
And those whose idea of a first rate single malt is Glenlivet, like Perlman
I think we have to be opened minded and open eared, and listen to as many different interpretations as possible such that one particular version does not come to dominate our choice. But, I guess, it all depends on how interested we are in hearing how many ways there are of playing a particular piece of music. Recently I heard someone report something Alfred Brendel said - when I look at a score I hear many more things than I am able to play. Which means, I guess, we need to hear many interpretations of a piece so as to know as much about its possibilities as we can. In an other musical form I follow a particular singer who is always reinterpreting his own songs, and I never cease to be amazed by how this can be done with freshness year upon year. This is the fascinating thing, there is no endpoint, no final definitive performance, just another chance to play or to hear a different one.
Maxim Rysanov with three of the Bach cello suites on viola. This is a delight, sample suite 5.
The download of this has been hiding in plain sight on one of my hard drives for several years. Tonight it came back to mind and I’m very happy to have relocated it. Excellent sound from BIS.
If we’re talking about the huge chord about 25 min into the Adagio of Bruckner 9, it’s an F# (dominant) 13th, so not a Tristan chord. It does have an augmented octave hiding in it (B# to C#), which is one of the reasons it’s so dissonant, especially for its time.
Interestingly, I find that if you listen to it in context it doesn’t sound dreadfully dissonant but if you play just the chord out of context, it’s grating. A good example of a master craftsman preparing the ground before breaking it!
That’s what Bruckner is about. You must listen to a full symphony to discover the magic which is often in the end. This is so opposite to these days of instant happyness.
Thanks for posting the analysis on the chord. I believe the very same chord is in Mahler 2 or Mahler 6. Can’t remember which one, but I did hear it over the last days when I was listening these symphonies.
Ebor: your comments about listening to the whole of a work are particularly relevant. So often these days we get “sound bites” or one movement of a work being played. Bruckner, of all composers, has to be listened to at length to allow the musical structure and arguments to unfold. Bruckner’s sound world is unique and often inspiring. The difficulty is finding one’s way through the various different versions being recorded.
True. One of the other good things about Bruckner’s sense of scale is that the logic and structure is so ‘right’ that a 15 or 20 minute movement often doesn’t feel that long.
Talking about Berlioz Requiem, I was doing a year long photographic project recording everything which happened in one year in Worcester Cathedral and we made a 90 minute audio visual presentation which was shown to the public.
One of the events was a performance of Berlioz Requiem in the Cathedral, I cannot now remember the orchestra, but we decided to photograph it from high in the building in the Clearstory, which is the highest level. So we were leaning over the edge (no parapet - it wouldn’t be allowed today) taking photographs and all the while the immense sound of the Berlioz Requiem came up to us.
Quite an experience which I have never forgotten.
There was a stunning performance of Mahler’s 9th at the Barbican in London last night with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Adám Fischer. He conducted the entire work without a score and was incredibly energetic in extracting the tension and angst from the fantastic orchestra. The prolonged silence after the sublime end of the last movement was very emotional. It was an unforgettable performance.
Although slightly off topic, I wanted to share this with you. Yesterday’s Times newspaper carried a brief report that Danielle de Niese, the soprano, is to star in the ENO’s revival of Man of La Mancha at the Coliseum, in London, whilst also rehearsing for and then performing Massenet"s Cendrillon at Glyndebourne in Sussex. When asked what would be her greatest challenge in balancing the roles, she replied: “Southern Rail”!
There was a full and bright moon tonight, I sat with the moonlight streaming in as this CD played, Brahms clarinet works, Michel Portal, Mikhail Rudy, Boris Pergamenschikow.
A little magic by moonlight.
Based on Max comment, I have been listening a lot to Mahler 2 this week whilst I was creating some reports for a customer. The symphony was just finished - as well as my work and I was staring into void.
My manager started to chat with me and she said (based on Spotify being open on my pc): ‘I love when people listen to classical mustic, it is so relaxing’.
I was flabbergasted by that comment and did not know what to say.
Hi Ardbeg10y: these Haitink performances were all highly thought of in the 60s/70s, and Haitink was and still is a very correct conductor who can be relied upon to produce good performances. His work with the superb Concertgebouw Orchestra was one of the mainstays of the European classical music scene during his years as chief conductor there. I doubt you would go far wrong with this set, though the standard criticism voiced by some is that the performances are a little dull. I never find Haitink dull and often find he brings out detail and makes structure apparent to the benefit of the music. The recordings will be excellent as befitting the Philips label of that period.
Thanks for your reply, Chris. I don’t find Haitink dull either. I think many of the current recordings are less good from musical point of view. I have listened to many performances the last weeks and I seem to return to Haitink. It’s just that in key passages in the symphonies he keeps the tempo right and therefore the beauty is not spoiled nor exaggerated but there in all its grandeur.
Many nowadays heros like V Petrenko and Currentzis seem to forget this.
I, too, love those 60s/70’s Philips recordings…fantastic sound!!!
Haitink strikes me as a master of orchestral balance. He’s very good at “explaining” the overall architecture of a composition (Heinrich Schenker?) rather than focusing on individual phrases. He’s not my “go to” conductor for the compositions listed above, however, I’m glad to own many of his recordings…
