Tír Na HiFi

Jared wrote:

I must admit, I am finding these works rather exhilerating...

The more I hear these two disks, the more I come to feel that these are benchmark recordings of standard repertoire, which quite simply should be in everyone's collection, who professes to listen to CM. Theses can't be easy pieces to perform and the playing here is simply jaw-droppingly awesome (in the pre-American teen sense) and my admiration for Grumiaux as an artist grows ever greater.

I do very much realise that I have posted these covers a few times of late, but I think you'll all agree that when approaching such works, time devoted to a familiarisation is the key... they are very dense structurally, and time spent in such a manner, brings its rewards...

Those are very, very fine if "difficult" works and well done with persevering with them Jared. You appear to have been ultimately rewarded for your efforts!

fergus wrote:Those are very, very fine if "difficult" works and well done with persevering with them Jared. You appear to have been ultimately rewarded for your efforts!

thank you Fergus. I will be honest, they have been some of the very few examples of works I have wanted to get involved with earlier, but deliberately put off for a while, in the hope that I'd appreciate them more.

I'm ever mindful of the 'Monteverdi Madgrigals' episode, where I quite simply listened to them too early on and didn't understand or appreciate them.

Juxtaposition and intermingling of Vivaldi and Piazzolla's 4 seasons.
An interesting contrast on this live album.
The playing style is lively, harsh and dynamic which may not suit some but which I bet was very effective at the performance.
The track order is confusing with the Piazzolla "spring" coming right at the end of the album. I can only guess why.

Jared wrote:

Jared wrote:

I must admit, I am finding these works rather exhilerating...

The more I hear these two disks, the more I come to feel that these are benchmark recordings of standard repertoire, which quite simply should be in everyone's collection, who professes to listen to CM. Theses can't be easy pieces to perform and the playing here is simply jaw-droppingly awesome (in the pre-American teen sense) and my admiration for Grumiaux as an artist grows ever greater.

Sublime.... probably the only work that I sit four-square with other more dedicated CM listeners here on. I own four versions.... and enjoy the subtle, and not so subtle, differences between them greatly!

My own understanding is that they are not merely difficult, but impossible, to play, as written, on a violin, so each interpretation is based on technical as well as aesthetic choices reflecting each performers strengths and weaknesses... nb I have no ability to reference this so it could be poppycock, gleaned from some less reputable website than this....

ps my current favourite is Viktoria Mullova on Onyx

jaybee wrote:

Jared wrote:

Jared wrote:

I must admit, I am finding these works rather exhilerating...

The more I hear these two disks, the more I come to feel that these are benchmark recordings of standard repertoire, which quite simply should be in everyone's collection, who professes to listen to CM. Theses can't be easy pieces to perform and the playing here is simply jaw-droppingly awesome (in the pre-American teen sense) and my admiration for Grumiaux as an artist grows ever greater.

Sublime.... probably the only work that I sit four-square with other more dedicated CM listeners here on. I own four versions.... and enjoy the subtle, and not so subtle, differences between them greatly!

My own understanding is that they are not merely difficult, but impossible, to play, as written, on a violin, so each interpretation is based on technical as well as aesthetic choices reflecting each performers strengths and weaknesses... nb I have no ability to reference this so it could be poppycock, gleaned from some less reputable website than this....

ps my current favourite is Viktoria Mullova on Onyx

Mullova is great, she worked her performances with her personal Bach guru Ottavio Dantone, with whom she also recorded the violin/cembalo sonatas. I also like very much the second Sigiswald Kuijken recording in DHM and the recent Amandine Beyer version. A great pity that Fabio Biondi has not recorded them, I heard him play the cycle in Paris about 10 years ago and he was quite simply sovereign in this music.

On vinyl....