Elgar Violin Concerto: Graffin/Handley
Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 17 November 2007
Herewith is a review I posted on Amazon earlier:
A friend has loaned me this new performance of the Elgar Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. I have over the years enjoyed the famous Menuhin set with the composer conducting the LSO in 1932, the later Menuhin recording with Boult, the Nigel Kennedy recording with Handley, and most recently the best of all in my view till now Albert Sammons and with the New Queen's Hall Orchestra under Henry Wood recorded by Columbia in 1929.
This new recording has the considerable advantage of having Handley leading the orchestra in a most attentive accompaniment. It is as fleet as Elgar's own performance, and completely avoids the bombast that is possible if the tempi are too slow, and the playing loudly caught in the recording. Handley knows how to propel Elgar's music without ever rushing it. So the soloist has his chance! And does he take it! Emphatically this is the most sympathetic reading I have come across. The concerto is both demanding technically and yet gentle in its ways. It is no good being strained by the challenges or it can come across as a sort virtuoso stunt.
The floating of the initial solo entry [in the first movement] gives the clue. From a wonderfully animated orchestral tutti emerges an enthralling thread of violinistic purity! But when the fireworks start and also in the Finale, there is no doubt of the technical quality of the playing, but this must be accompanied by a flexibility of phrase and tone that is quick-silver. Graffin so utter penetrates the heart of this music that it is hard to find criticism of it.
The heart of this concert resides in the slow movement though the Cadenza in the Finale is magical in a different way. The slow movement seems to me to represent the kind of blissful state of finding one's self laying down on one's back in the warm summer sunshine, with eh sun's rays playing on closed eyelids. This performance manages this warmth and relaxation and seeming transitory stasis. The orchestra sways gently into life at what is actually a quite quick basic pulse, though the pulse is indeed gently stated. There is a multitude of detail that is perfectly brought out, which only adds to the feeling of relaxed exultation.
The Finale starts with an imperious flourish in the solo part, which always strikes me as being difficult to bring off. Here it provides a sort energetic call to arms with Graffin! Nothing skimped or rushed, but certainly the tempo never flags. The sadness of nostalgia hinting at the essentially lovelorn themes of the First Movement and hints of the rest are so naturally captured that the Cadenza become what it should be in the concept - a true summation and emotional climax - and this is wonderfully rounded out in the Coda where Handley judgement of architecture and emotional clinch has prepared the ground for the perfectly judged tempo increase at the transition to the fleet music of the Coda. It rounds out utterly compellingly.
In my view Graffin is at least the equal of my two favourite soloists of the past, Alfredo Campoli and Albert Sammons, and has a similar ability to smile musically the young Menuhin found in his recording with Elgar. I am so pleased to find a really grand modern recording of this.
Unquote.
I hope you will forgive this burst of enthusiasm. I will not gloss it here, but post a link to the place. It is the first ever review I have written.
Link.
Good night from George
A friend has loaned me this new performance of the Elgar Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. I have over the years enjoyed the famous Menuhin set with the composer conducting the LSO in 1932, the later Menuhin recording with Boult, the Nigel Kennedy recording with Handley, and most recently the best of all in my view till now Albert Sammons and with the New Queen's Hall Orchestra under Henry Wood recorded by Columbia in 1929.
This new recording has the considerable advantage of having Handley leading the orchestra in a most attentive accompaniment. It is as fleet as Elgar's own performance, and completely avoids the bombast that is possible if the tempi are too slow, and the playing loudly caught in the recording. Handley knows how to propel Elgar's music without ever rushing it. So the soloist has his chance! And does he take it! Emphatically this is the most sympathetic reading I have come across. The concerto is both demanding technically and yet gentle in its ways. It is no good being strained by the challenges or it can come across as a sort virtuoso stunt.
The floating of the initial solo entry [in the first movement] gives the clue. From a wonderfully animated orchestral tutti emerges an enthralling thread of violinistic purity! But when the fireworks start and also in the Finale, there is no doubt of the technical quality of the playing, but this must be accompanied by a flexibility of phrase and tone that is quick-silver. Graffin so utter penetrates the heart of this music that it is hard to find criticism of it.
The heart of this concert resides in the slow movement though the Cadenza in the Finale is magical in a different way. The slow movement seems to me to represent the kind of blissful state of finding one's self laying down on one's back in the warm summer sunshine, with eh sun's rays playing on closed eyelids. This performance manages this warmth and relaxation and seeming transitory stasis. The orchestra sways gently into life at what is actually a quite quick basic pulse, though the pulse is indeed gently stated. There is a multitude of detail that is perfectly brought out, which only adds to the feeling of relaxed exultation.
The Finale starts with an imperious flourish in the solo part, which always strikes me as being difficult to bring off. Here it provides a sort energetic call to arms with Graffin! Nothing skimped or rushed, but certainly the tempo never flags. The sadness of nostalgia hinting at the essentially lovelorn themes of the First Movement and hints of the rest are so naturally captured that the Cadenza become what it should be in the concept - a true summation and emotional climax - and this is wonderfully rounded out in the Coda where Handley judgement of architecture and emotional clinch has prepared the ground for the perfectly judged tempo increase at the transition to the fleet music of the Coda. It rounds out utterly compellingly.
In my view Graffin is at least the equal of my two favourite soloists of the past, Alfredo Campoli and Albert Sammons, and has a similar ability to smile musically the young Menuhin found in his recording with Elgar. I am so pleased to find a really grand modern recording of this.
Unquote.
I hope you will forgive this burst of enthusiasm. I will not gloss it here, but post a link to the place. It is the first ever review I have written.
Link.
Good night from George