New version of Op. 47 for download

[Chris]

Greetings all. I've been out with Internet troubles this past week. Anyway, in the authentic Op. 47 thread, Rod asked if I might share an mp3 of my favored recording.

So, here you go. The first movement of Op. 47. I'm not expecting Rod to be impressed, but some of you may enjoy it. This is from the complete set (modern instruments) of the Beethoven violin sonatas by Josef Suk with Jan Panenka as pianist. These two gentleman do the most justice to these works in my opinion.

http://www.gyrix.com/op47m1.mp3Download MP3</a>

[This message has been edited by Chris (edited 07-14-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

Chris,
Most enjoyable treat. Thanks. Even though I very much enjoy HIP, I find nothing at all objectionable in a modern performance that is nonetheless musically performed, and all I have and have heard from Suk has been just that.
I will look towards supplementing my stockpile of Kreutzers. Is this on Supraphon?

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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[Chris]

Is this on Supraphon?

Yes. I should have mentioned that originally - sorry about that.

[This message has been edited by Chris (edited 07-15-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

No problem, just a good guess, my other disks by him are too!


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Rod]

I managed to have a quick listen of this track. I found the adagio so laboured I felt the need to fast-forward it, the allegro was ok, nothing stupid in it, but much the same as many others I've heard so I'm wondering what makes this recording so special to you Chris? I would still say the Schroder/van Immerseel recording you confess you do not like is far more engaing on the ear by whatever criteria you chose.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Chris]

Everything just seems to come together and work perfectly for me in it. I suppose that when I first saw the music for this piece, I got an idea in my head of how I would play it (if I had the skill to do a proper job of it), and this recording is almost it exactly.

In my opinion, the Adagios of the two versions you have provided are much too fast. There's some beautiful stuff there that just gets blown through at those tempos. Furthermore, any recording that uses a solo period violin already has a lot going against it; that sound is worse than nails on a chalkboard to my ears.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chris:

In my opinion, the Adagios of the two versions you have provided are much too fast. There's some beautiful stuff there that just gets blown through at those tempos. Furthermore, any recording that uses a solo period violin already has a lot going against it; that sound is worse than nails on a chalkboard to my ears.

Well, as I have stated elsewhere, I agreed that the opening solo for the violin on the most recent mp3 I posted was rushed, but Schroder plays it perfectly as i would like. I remind you that up until the beginning of the 20th Century gut strings were regularly in use. I presume you think that only in relatively recent times has the violin sounded any good (apart from that apparent opt-out you have with Mozart's music..of course)? I remind you not to judge the violin by these mp3s, at my Handel site I have uploaded many a track where on the CD the strings are velvety smooth and gloriously free of vibrato, yet on the mp3 versions the sound is very warbly and sometimes quite harsh.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin



[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 07-18-2004).]

[Chris]

Originally posted by Rod:
I presume you think that only in relatively recent times has the violin sounded any good (apart from that apparent opt-out you have with Mozart's music..of course)

Yes, I really do find the sound of a period strings to be grating and horrible. But when there are multiple instruments to a part, as in an orchestral situation, they can achieve a wonderful sound. I find this sound to be exactly right in Mozart's works with orchestra. In Beethoven's however, a modern group works better to my ears. But even with Mozart, I still do not want to hear a solo string instrument, because it is simply awful sounding in itself. That is why if you look at my Mozart collection, you will find the piano concertos on period instruments, but the violin concertos on modern insruments. I also seem to like Mozart's operas better on modern instrumets.

What can I tell you? I know what I like.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chris:

What can I tell you? I know what I like.

Fair enough, I presume will have no need to sample my mp3 of the last violin sonata when we get to it..also by Schroder and van Immerseel?

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Chris]

Originally posted by Rod:
Fair enough, I presume will have no need to sample my mp3 of the last violin sonata when we get to it..also by Schroder and van Immerseel?

If you mean am I going to change my mind because of it, then no, I don't think there's much chance of that. I will give it a listen anyway for the sake of discussing the performance. After all, even though I don't care for the sound of the violin, I can still appreciate the performance. I perfered my Suk recording of Op. 47 to your authentic page offering, but there were still good things to appreciate, performance wise, in it.