Clement and Beethoven

[Hofrat]

For a fascinating story, please see CD notes of "THE VIOLIN CONCERTOS OF FRANZ CLEMENT AND LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN” by Clive Brown...

http://industry.rachelbartonpine.com...iner.php?id=14

[Peter]

Thanks for that Hofrat - very interesting article indeed. What's your opinion of the Clement concerto? I don't know it but certainly it seems of interest.

[Hofrat]

Sorry, Peter, but I have not bought the CD yet. I saw a posting about it on another forum and because of the Beethoven content I brought it to the attention of our forum.

[Peter]

OK Hofrat - if you do buy it, let us know - I may be tempted but would like more opinions first.

[Hofrat]

In another forum, several members have downloaded the Clement violin concerto and have left the following remarks:

1. The Clement is an absolutely splendid, serious, large-scale (40-minute), early-Romantic piece with clear pre-echoes of Beethoven's VC. What surprised me was the sheer ambition of the piece and the weight of its material. This is far from the run-of-the-mill early 19th century virtuoso volin concerto--more a sort of precursor of Joachim's concertos.

2. I downloaded Clement's concerto the moment it appeared on eMusic and was not at all disappointed. As with much music composed at that time (it predated LvB's vln. cto.) Beethoven isn't far away. It's a glorious late-Classical/early-Romantic concerto worth acquainting oneself with.

3. This is bigger than that. Any 40 minute violin concerto that predates the Beethoven can be easily said to have had a direct influence on the Beethoven. I think I'll pick up this CD when it becomes available from MDT or CD Universe.

4. The whole tenor and feel of the piece clearly lead to the conclusion that Beethoven was profoundly influenced by Clement's concerto. I can't think of any violin concerto of comparable stature from the period, apart from the Beethoven itself. It's a major re-discovery.

[Peter]

Thanks Hofrat for that - I'm convinced enough to buy it having heard a sample on emusic and reading all the positive reviews.

[Hofrat]

Peter;

And the rave reviews continue to roll in at the other forum. Not a single bad word said. It seems to be a hit.

[Hofrat]

Here is David Hurwitz's review at Classics Today:

<<Franz Clement's name has come down to us as the dedicatee of Beethoven's Violin Concerto, but a year previously, in 1805, he wrote his own Concerto in D, and it's a major find. This is no orchestrally challenged, formally dysfunctional, tasteless virtuoso vehicle, but rather is a full-blown classical concerto nearly as long (40-plus minutes) as the Beethoven. The melodic material is consistently attractive--and just as importantly, equally interesting harmonically. Deftly scored, and of course wonderfully written for the violin, its lyricism clearly anticipates Beethoven's own work of 1806. If it has one defect, it's that the phrasing turns a little bit square now and then in the outer movements. But let's face it--by the standards of your average early-Romantic concerto (think Spohr and his crowd) this is a masterpiece.

It goes without saying that Rachel Barton Pine plays the work with the style and elegance that it deserves. While attentive to the opportunities for fireworks (and she plays her own excellent cadenzas both here and in the Beethoven), what stays most in the mind is her beautiful singing tone. It's the sort of sound that Beethoven must have had in mind when he wrote--as he so often did--"cantabile", and it makes both slow movements particularly memorable. Both here and in the Beethoven, however, I can imagine a bit more muscle in the first movements, a touch more oomph from trumpets and drums, and more fire in the Beethoven finale (the Clement strikes me as just about perfect). José Serebrier is one with Pine in adopting her highly lyrical, somewhat dreamy approach, though it's to both artists' credit that the music never bogs down or turns self-indulgent.

As we heard in Pine's previous, superb coupling of Brahms and Joachim concertos, the sonics are ideally warm and natural, and Cedille offers this set at two discs for the price of one (85 minutes of music in all). I would dearly love to give this release a highest rating simply for the discovery of the Clement, which every violin lover should hear both for its historical and real musical interest; but competition in the Beethoven concerto is just too stiff. Then again, no other label or violinist offers such an attractive and innovative coupling. So buy for the Clement, and consider the Beethoven a very serious bonus.>>

[Peter]

Yes it's a pity that the recording is coupled with the Beethoven - I have so many different versions of Op.61 that another is hardly needed or desirable especially at the cd price! Pity they didn't put it with a Viotti concerto as he also influenced Beethoven's concerto.

[Hofrat]

All the reviews rave over the coupling.

[Peter]

All the reviews rave over the coupling.

They would as they're trying to make a point! From the perspective of already owning 10 versions it isn't such a great idea!

[Hofrat]

OK Hofrat - if you do buy it, let us know - I may be tempted but would like more opinions first.

I have ordered the CD set. It will take the set about a week to get to my corner of the world. I eagerly await.

[Hofrat]

I have received the 2-CD set and I have listened to the Clement violin concerto twice and the Beethoven once. I can only add my voice to those of the reviewers from the other forum, which I quoted earlier in this thread. The Clement violin concerto is a very well-writen work and a very unique one at that. It is not from the French school like Rode, Viotti, and Kreutzer. It is not from the German school like Spohr. And it is certainly not from the Italian school like Paganini. Clement wrote a deeply sublime work in a stand-alone style. One can easily see how Beethoven was influenced by Clement.

Rachel Barton Pine did an excellent rendition of Beethoven's violin concerto. She wrote her own candenzas for it which were a very refreshing change from the usual candenzas played.

My only complaint is that there is only 85 minutes of music in this 2-CD recording (40 for the Clement on the 1st CD and 45 for the Beethoven on the 2nd). Surely, they could have beefed up the content. Of course that might ruin the coupling of the 2 featured pieces.

[Rutradelusasa]

I have received the 2-CD set and I have listened to the Clement violin concerto twice and the Beethoven once. I can only add my voice to those of the reviewers from the other forum, which I quoted earlier in this thread. The Clement violin concerto is a very well-writen work and a very unique on at that. It is not from the French school like Rode, Viotti, and Kreutzer. It is not from the German school like Spohr. And it is certainly not from the Italian school like Paganini. Clement wrote a deeply sublime work in a stand-alone style. One can easily see how Beethoven was influenced by Clement.

Rachel Barton Pine did an excellent rendition of Beethoven's violin concerto. She wrote her own candenzas for it which were a very refreshing change from the usual candenzas played.

My only complaint is that there is only 85 minutes of music in this 2-CD recording (40 for the Clement on the 1st CD and 45 for the Beethoven on the 2nd). Surely, they could have beefed up the content. Of course that might ruin the coupling of the 2 featured pieces.

I completely agree how Clement influenced Beethoven, I think I've never heard it so clearly with, say, Mozart's or Haydn's influences (perhaps Mozart's C minor concerto).

Indeed, there is a quick passage for the violin (solo) that Beethoven writes almost note-for-note in his concerto. I don't remember the timing...

[Peter]

I have received the 2-CD set and I have listened to the Clement violin concerto twice and the Beethoven once. I can only add my voice to those of the reviewers from the other forum, which I quoted earlier in this thread. The Clement violin concerto is a very well-writen work and a very unique on at that. It is not from the French school like Rode, Viotti, and Kreutzer. It is not from the German school like Spohr. And it is certainly not from the Italian school like Paganini. Clement wrote a deeply sublime work in a stand-alone style. One can easily see how Beethoven was influenced by Clement.

Rachel Barton Pine did an excellent rendition of Beethoven's violin concerto. She wrote her own candenzas for it which were a very refreshing change from the usual candenzas played.

My only complaint is that there is only 85 minutes of music in this 2-CD recording (40 for the Clement on the 1st CD and 45 for the Beethoven on the 2nd). Surely, they could have beefed up the content. Of course that might ruin the coupling of the 2 featured pieces.

You've sold it to me Hofrat and I shall order it over the weekend.