Violin concertos

[Kernos]

Concertos and chamber music are what I listen to most these days. I thought perhaps we could discuss what we like and introduce each other to unfamiliar works.

Violin concertos are at the top of my list of enjoyment. I started exploring these in the mid '70s and studied the 'biggies' - The Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Tschaikowsky. These are all eminently listen-able and all great works. I know them well and have several performances of each. I found the Brahms the most difficult to 'like', I had to work on it before it made any sense to me, but Brahms is often like that for me.

Recently I have been exploring other violin concertos and have found some treasures.

I am now working on the Sibelius and the Goldmark, both introduced to me by Josh Bell. I hope to obtain the Dvořák, Paganini's and Prokofiev's, but money is tight. I wish Rachmaninov had done a Violin Concerto, but he was sort of stuck on the piano as was Liszt

What Violin Concertos are your favorites - what would you recommend I try? Specific performances and CDs would be welcome. I tend to like modern studio recordings, as I find snap, crackles and pops, as well as all that coughing annoying in old or live recordings.

[Lily]

Bach's double concerto is one of my favorites... There is a great CD of Isaac Stern's 60th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall, featuring the double concerto in d minor.

The a-minor by Bach, I played that one too. check it out:
http://www.amazon.de/24-96-Violin-Conce ... B00005OCH0
(first three pieces)

Oh the Haydn G major is also pretty.

[Lizzy]

I also like the Bach double concerto.

Furthermore I love Mozart's violin concerto No 3 in G major and I've got the Dvorak: Violin Concerto In A Minor, Opus 53, which is one of my favorites, the end is spectaculair, though it might take a bit getting used to. My friends think Dvorak is an acquired taste, they don't like it at all, except my best friend.

When I was in Prague, we went by the graveyard where he is buried, very serene place.

You can get it reasonably priced at Amazon if you give it some time, that's how I got mine.  :)

[Kernos]

I am not a great fan of Bach, unless it is played with a lot of rubato (schmaltz?) , but I do have the double violin concerto with David Oistrach (one of my favorites) playing. I love the slow movement.

I did not know you played the violin. I have been playing with a violin and find it so much more difficult than piano which was my instrument.

As for Baroque music, I think my favorite has to be Vivaldi's Four Season's which is actually a violin concerto (or 4 of 'em). How can one not like The Four Seasons? My favorite recording is by Nigel Pinnock.

Pinchas is wonderful. I love he and Itzhak doing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, another double concerto and certainly a favorite of mine.

Bach's double concerto is one of my favorites... There is a great CD of Isaac Stern's 60th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall, featuring the double concerto in d minor.

The a-minor by Bach, I played that one too. check it out:
http://www.amazon.de/24-96-Violin-Conce ... B00005OCH0
(first three pieces)

Oh the Haydn G major is also pretty.

[Kernos]

I tend to listen to music from Beethoven on. Mozart is a condundrum for me. At his best he is sublime, but I find much of his music simple sounding

I have a number of his piano concertos (and The clarinet concerto, my other instrument), but none of the violin concertos, except for a few movements I have Lime-wired. I have been working on Mozart's string quartets and quintets, but am only beginning them.

I really like what Dvorak, I have heard. I am not familiar with his violin concertos. I do have his Bm Cello concerto with Jacqueline du Pré which is wonderful. It has a very Classical structure, but is quite romantic. His chamber music is on my list to experience and du Pré does it grandly. I 1st heard of it in the Witches of Eastwick

Furthermore I love Mozart's violin concerto No 3 in G major and I've got the Dvorak: Violin Concerto In A Minor, Opus 53, which is one of my favorites, the end is spectaculair, though it might take a bit getting used to. My friends think

is an acquired taste, they don't like it at all, except my best friend.

When I was in Prague, we went by the graveyard where he is buried, very serene place.

You can get it reasonably priced at Amazon if you give it some time, that's how I got mine.  :)

[pobble]

In terms of "romantic" violin concertos, you could try the Elgar, or the Bruch violin concertos, which are both quite often played, or the one by Samuel Barber if you want a very late romantic feel.  If you want a slightly more unusual one, I actually like the Berg violin concerto, although you need to have ears for its strange juxtaposition of sweetness and dissonance.  I generally like Anne Sophie Mutter as a soloist - although I wonder if that is because she tends to forgo the schmultz factor a little  so she might not be the best performer for your taste.

And although I don't know Dvorak's violin concerto I do like symphony number 8 (and also number 9, although it is a bit overplayed).  Never quite got to grips with either his cello concerto or symphony no. 7.  I've also heard versions of his earlier symphonies which aren't played so often and quite liked them, many years ago.

[Lily]

Oh my dear Kernos, I started at 9. I am afraid to tell you I think it is difficult to (sadly) impossible to start as an adult because neuronal learning becomes very, very difficult. My mom started the cello at 36 and it has been hard - with the piano she could have gone to conservatory.

I fell in love with the slow movement of the double concerto when watching "Children of a lesser God". It drove me to tears.
I am afraid Baroque should be played as pure as possible with restraint on the vibrato, that's the original/modern way to play it and I love the purity of baroque.
The Carnegie Hall recording is very pure.
http://www.amazon.com/Isaac-Stern-60th- ... B0000025J9
(first 3 pieces)

I also like the four seasons if they are played well, sadly they are overplayed to elevator music status, but I have a recording with Anne Sophie Mutter and a very small ensemble (perhaps 10 instruments) - a very delicate affair.

for something different - try Telemann's Viola concerto, it is very, very beautiful.
http://www.amazon.com/Telemann-Concerto ... F8&s=music
(St.Martin in the Fields / Mariner) - excellent - Viola is closest to the human voice.... (I used to play, also this piece, but don't own one....)

Du Pre's recording of the Dvorak concerto is pure sex to me. Just wow.

[Kernos]

Du Pre's recording of the Dvorak concerto is pure sex to me. Just wow.

Agreed - and too the Elgar (which it literally was the 1st time I heard it  :D )

I wish I could find someone to equal du Pré, someone relatively young who I could hear mature.

Pobble, I have never heard the Elgar violin concerto! - It shall be my next purchase - can you recommend a recording?

Bill

[pobble]

Well, I don't have a recording to rival Jacqueline du Pre's interpretation of the cello concerto, I'm afraid.  I'm just listening again to the one I have, but to be honest I don't think it is a brilliant recording so I don't particularly recommend it (it's a Naxos one, with Dong-Suk Kang as the soloist and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra).  Sorry I can't be more helpful on this.   I have a vague memory that Nigel Kennedy's recording of the Elgar concerto was praised highly at the time, so you might like to go for that one - but I can't really recommend it as I haven't heard it except perhaps on the radio a long time ago now.

[Kernos]

Serendipity!!

I was going thru my CDs and found I did have a copy of the Elgar Violin Concerto - also on Naxos by Dong Suk Kung.

Love it! Thanks for the suggestion.

And also the Dvořák. I had forgotten I got the Oistrakh concerto collection some years ago. It will take some study.

Kernos
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[Celtic Knight]

One of my favourite violin concertos is the one by Philip Glass.

Personally, I think this is his greatest work.

It might not be your cup of tea, as it is in the 'minimalist' style but, to me, its subtly changing repetition is insidious and just slowly gets under my skin.

[Kernos]

One of my favourite violin concertos is the one by Philip Glass.

Personally, I think this is his greatest work.

ArchivMusic lists 2 violinists who have done CDs of this work:

Anthony, Adele (1)
Kremer, Gidon (2)
McDuffie, Robert (1)

Which s the best?

[Celtic Knight]

Personally, I would recommend the Gidon Kremer recording, which is the one I've got.

The details are here.

Here are some brief excerpts of the concerto (the first from the 1st movement by Gidon Kremer and the second from the 2nd movement by Robert McDuffie).

1st Movement.

2nd Movement.

[Kernos]

Here are some brief excerpts of the concerto (the first from the 1st movement by Gidon Kremer and the second from the 2nd movement by Robert McDuffie).

I finally remembered to listen to these, CN. I am impressed. He has certainly matured since Koyaanisqatsi which was the 1st I saw/heard and a bit obvious and cliché, IMO.

I will add these to my collection. Thank you.

K

[Kernos]

I heard a part of a violin concerto on the radio which I liked a lot. I thought the DJ said it was VC #2 by ~Louie Spoor. On searching I could find a Ludwig Spohr (April 5, 1784 – October 22, 1859) who has written a lot of violin music including 15 violin concertos.

Is anyone familiar with his music? Are Ludwigs ever called Louie? ;-)

[Celtic Knight]

Are Ludwigs ever called Louie? ;-)

It appears there was a Louis Spohr with a famous 8th Violin Concerto. Louis Spohr.

[Kernos]

I searched for Ludwig Spohr on Wikipedia and got the following:

Louis Spohr (April 5, 1784 – October 22, 1859) was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Born Ludwig Spohr, he is usually known by the French form of his name outside Germany.

So one and the same.

[Lily]

One of my favourite violin concertos is the one by Philip Glass.

2nd movement is immense... Boyfriend listening to it prefers it over Koyaanisqatsi

[pobble]

Sounds good to me.  I think I was intending to get a recording a few years back and never got around to it, so maybe now's the time!

[Lorraine]

I bought the cheapo version with Adele Anthony as the soloist as an impulse buy.  I haven't heard the other versions but I liked it tremendously.  It includes a tiny bit of Akhenaten and Company - I particularly liked the latter, which was a bonus as I hadn't bought the CD for that at all.  Company has a 'darker' feel to it I think.

Lorraine