Music for violin by Elisabeth Kuyper (1877-1953)

[Alan Howe]

Looks like a missed opportunity:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/Aug14/Kuyper_violin_CD1401.htm
Dare one buy the CD, I wonder?

[Wheesht]

Perhaps, after reading this review:
http://classicalcandor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/kuyper-violin-concerto-in-b-minor-cd.html

[eschiss1]

There's a score of the work at IMSLP, downloaded from the Dutch Radio Archives, I think.

Edit: piano arrangement, not full score. Recital Publications has recently repub. this reduction, though I don't know who has the full score/parts, fwiw (the original publisher, Simrock, maybe.) (Other works mentioned in Worldcat have intriguing titles- a "Festkantate für Frauenchor, Soli, Deklamation und Orchester : [1912]"; one sees also a violin sonata, a serenade, etc. IMSLP only otherwise at present has some material for her Ballade for cello.)

[Alan Howe]

Excerpts are available here - the violin playing's pretty awful. Oh dear....
http://www.feminaerecords.com/releases/kuyper-rediscovering-a-dutch-master/

[Alan Howe]

Well, I decided to take the risk...
...and my impressions from the audio excerpts are, largely, confirmed.

First the good points: Kuyper's VC (I haven't dared play the Violin Sonata yet) is extremely attractive, with a rich fund of melody of almost Bruchian quality. The Czech orchestra (Brno Philharmonic) are well up to the task, contributing a lively accompaniment under conductor Mikel Toms.

However: the violin playing is of no better than decent amateur standard. Poor intonation, smudged runs, wiry tone and pedestrian phrasing completely vitiate the performance. It's without doubt the worst recorded solo violin performance I've ever heard. All it's really good for is to demonstrate that the Kuyper VC is a nice piece, well worthy of preservation on CD.

An opportunity (sadly) missed...

[Mark Thomas]

What a shame but, yes, the violin playing in the excerpts is pretty dire.

[vicharris]

It sounded OK to me, but I'm a dummy who just is excited that a neglected woman composer finally gets her violin concerto heard.

[Alan Howe]

I was excited too...

[Richard Moss]

This sort of release (which I freely admit I have not yet heard) is a bit like a two-sided coin.  On the one is the welcome news that an 'completely unknown, never mind unsung, has been brought to a performing stage - even more so than the recently renovated Reinecke cello concerto.

On the other hand, regardless of her violin performing talents, undoubtedly the lady concerned is entitled to her '15 minutes of fame' for finding and resurrecting this and even if her performance may be lacking, this work is now there for others to improve on and, even if they don't, having something is surely better than nothing!.

I had exactly the same reaction many years ago when I bought the Danacord box-set of Danish VCs by Kau Laursen.  Some of the performances were really enjoyable and others sounded most dire!  However, as they were then all that was available, back to the phrase "beggars..."

I think criticism should reflect (i) an objectivity about that which is being critiqued (i.e. NOT just criticised), (ii) be constructive - by analogy, simply criticising an actress for not being attractive enough is both unfair and something usually she can't do anything about!) and (iii) help the prospective customer in the choice whether (or not) to buy/listen/attend something.  Sometimes it's how it is said, not the saying of it 'per se'.

A bit like newspaper editors - I wonder how they would like to receive the treatment they dish out to others!

My two penn'orth for the day!

Richard

[vicharris]

The Kuyper disc was played on Concertzender in the program Nieuw Verschenen played in the 0700-1000 block on August 22 and can be heard on demand.
http://www.concertzender.nl/programmagids/?month=0&date=2014-08-22

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks for the Concertzender link, Vic. I've given both the Concerto and the Sonata a couple of hearings now. Focussing first on the music, rather than the performance, I was agreeably surprised by the Violin Concerto. Of course it was a very conservative work for 1908, and one can quite see why Bruch thought so highly of it, but if you forget about when it was written and focus on how it was written, it comes over as a strong, attractive piece. Like her teacher Bruch, Kuyper employs plenty of (good) melody as the bedrock of her composition, but don't assume that results in it being some meandering, rhapsodic indulgence. It's tautly constructed and the opening movement in particular has real personality. The Sonata is not a bad work either, but I didn't think it had as much individuality as the Concerto, it's two rather inconsequential middle movements making it more of a Suite than a full-blown Violin Sonata.

Now, turning to the performance, I think it must fairly be said that Ms. Maslovaric doesn't yet have the technique or the artistic imagination to show these works at their best. Richard is characteristically kind, but I do expect any commercial recording to have at least as good a quality of performance as I could routinely hear in a provincial concert hall, not a school hall. In particular, unsung works unfortunately do need "special pleading" to some degree, to persuade the sceptic to give them a chance. At the very least, even if the artist isn't good enough to present the work in the best light possible, their performance shouldn't prevent the work being heard for what it is. Here, unfortunately, Ms. Maslovaric gets in the way of the music, and particularly so I suspect in the concerto. There is the odd questionable intonation, but my main gripe is that her phrasing often takes no account of Kuyper's long lyrical lines, which get chopped up shockingly. I assume that her limitations also resulted in the Concerto's finale being taken, again I suspect, way too slow.  Things are better in the Sonata, although the start of the third movement is a bad moment. The orchestra and pianist do sterling supporting work, it must be said.

To be honest, though, the second time around I did find myself being able to "listen through" these shortcomings to hear a pair of worthwhile works which do deserve both more exposure, and better performances.

[Toni]

The Violin Concerto in B minor op 10 by Elisabeth Kuyper should simply not be forgotten. That is why I have created a listening guide that might encourage people to listen to and appreciate the concerto despite its lack of interpretation. I join the above wishes that a new additional recording of this violin concerto is urgently needed soon.

Here is the link to the listening guide:
https://unbekannte-violinkonzerte.jimdofree.com/--3/kuyper-elisabeth/

[Alan Howe]

We certainly need a replacement recording.