Forthcoming recordings of violin concertos

[peter_conole]

Hi all

A state of play posting. Alan, I think you in particular may be able to supply answers to a couple of things.

Previously news was filtering through about recordings of concertos by Frederick Cliffe, August Klughardt and Herzogenberg. Correct me if I am wrong Alan , but as I recall the latter has been recorded by CPO but not released yet.

The above works count as very desirable 'core' material for the romantic era, but I also understand concertos 17, 18 and 19 by the late classical master R.Kreutzer are about ready for release by Naxos. Any further news on that? A recording of numbers 9 and 13 has just been released on another label.   

regards
Peter

[Alan Howe]

OK, Peter, here goes:

1. The Herzogenberg VC (coupled with his Wagnerian/Lisztian Odysseus Symphony) has been recorded by cpo, but there is as yet no confirmed release date. The performers are Ulf Wallin and the Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra conducted by Frank Beermann.

2. The Klughardt VC (coupled with his 3rd Symphony) has also been recorded by cpo - but I imagine it will take a while to appear. The performers are Mirjam Tschopp with the Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau conducted by Golo Berg.

3. The Cliffe VC has not yet been recorded and probably won't be for a while. The issue is the coupling, but I'll pass on more news when I have it.

4. No sign of the Naxos/Kreutzer release, but it doesn't really interest me all that much. As I've said so many times before, I just can't see the point of recording this very marginal repertoire when so much more important stuff remains unrecorded. At least cpo balance their earlier 19thC recordings (Lipinski, etc.) with later, more interesting stuff, e.g. Reinecke, Herzogenberg, Klughardt.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Chris Fifield, who is to conduct the Frederic Cliffe VC for Sterling, has been considering the Holbrooke VC "The Grasshopper" as a possible coupling. Another possibility is the VC by Frederic d'Erlanger. I'll try to find out from Chris if any decision has been made yet.

[peter_conole]

Hi all

Thanks Alan, for the frank explication.

As you know, I am very much in tune with your point of view. The high romantic era (c1860-1890, with up to c1900 often within the same sound world) is still poorly represented re the recording of major concertos by composers who were composers in the broadest sense, not just virtuoso operators.

There is till plenty of room for the latter of course, Mr Kreutzer included, and it is fair to say that the work of late classical composers who produced a lot of fine compositions in the early 1800s has also been badly neglected.

But the key point is as discussed. Thanks for the reminder about the Cliffe possibilities, Gareth. May I also mention the Brull concerto? I suspect solid progress has been made in preparing an acceptable text revision to enable a full recording of the work.

Whatever, scores of works are still circling our music world waiting for an invite. I need only mention the great Reinhold Becker violin concerto...any whispers at all?

regards
Peter

[Alan Howe]

Sorry, Peter, I forgot to reply!

I'm afraid I have no info at all about the possibility of Becker's VC1 being recorded. Although I sent the score to a well-known violinist with the permission of the label associated with this particular person, I have unfortunately had no reply. Not a sausage.

[Peter1953]

Not a forthcoming recording I'm afraid, but how would Draeseke's VC in E minor WoO 15 sound, premiered in a version for violin and piano at the June 2009 Internationale Draeseke Gesellschaft Conference? See http://www.draeseke.org/essays/violinconcerto.htm

[Alan Howe]

Good question - I have the score (a photocopy of the manuscript of the piano/violin version from the SLUB Library in Dresden) and it looks intriguing.

The VC by Draeseke is unfortunately only extant in this form: the orchestral score seems to have been lost before or during World War 2 and has not yet been rediscovered.

Nevertheless, being a member of the Draeseke Society, I should have some news for you about the premiere in a week or two...

[Alan Howe]

I hear from cpo that the Herzogenberg CD should be out in late autumn.

The Klughardt VC has also definitely been recorded - but no release date yet.

[Alan Howe]

Having now heard a dub of the radio performance of the Klughardt VC which will form the basis for the cpo release, I can honestly say that I believe this to be a major addition to the late-19thC violin concerto repertoire.

The concerto is 42 minutes long, making it just a bit longer than the Brahms VC. It consists of a long, mainly serene first movement which is connected to the glorious slow movement by means of a dramatic declamatory section for both soloist and orchestra. The finale marries fanfare-like material with what sounds like folk-inspired themes. The overall mood is one of relaxed lyricism and contentment.

And the idiom? Well, the breadth is definitely Brahmsian and the idiom is conservative for the mid 1890s, but overall it is a most beautiful and memorable work. Certainly a missing gem.

[Mark Thomas]

This a mouthwatering in prospect, Alan. Do you know how cpo will couple their symphonies/violin concerto CDs? Presumably Nos.1&3 that we already know about,  another pair of symphonies and then the final symphony plus the Violin Concerto?

[Alan Howe]

I don't really know anything apart form what I've already posted. I don't even know whether there will actually be a Klughardt cycle - although I hope there will be.

If you want me to guess: I believe that Dutton will record the Cliffe VC with Philippe Graffin and the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by David Lloyd-Jones, although the English Music Festival programme which includes details of the performance on May 23rd at Dorchester Abbey doesn't give any hints that this is the case. As I said, just a guess...

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, I saw the Cliffe/Delius concert reviewed in The Times and it certainly had "Dutton" stamped all over it didn't it? Looks like Sterling might have missed out on that one...

[Peter1953]

I 'm very much looking forward to the release of the Klughardt VC. Alan and Mark, do you know Klughardt's Cello Concerto in A minor? Is it in the same Brahmsian style?

[Mark Thomas]

I wouldn't so much say Brahmsian as generic middle-period German romantic. A very attractive work, it is melodically rich and well worth investigating. The Sterling CD which features it, together with the Concert Overture,  Könzertstück for Oboe & Orchestra and the Auf der Wanderschaft Suite is a rewarding investment.

[eschiss1]

Wondering if anyone had any new news on this front. I do notice that there's a new recording (available rather than forthcoming, I think) of the early classical violin concertos of Touchemoulin, a composer who I know from his flute concerto sometimes broadcast over BBC.  And (again assuming I'm not the only one here interested, but not quite sure) a check at MDT reveals that a recording of Boris Tchaikovsky's violin concerto (or a reissue??) is listed as forthcoming. (Actually this CD may have come out in 2006 according to Worldcat. I'm not sure!)
(I forget, what was the consensus on Weingartner's violin concerto released a couple of months back? Was there any mention of Knipper's recently released, or of Jaques-Dalcroze's? Memory's not so good, seriously. Or of Ferdinand Ries', at that.)

MDT also shows Danacord's Danish violin concerto series continuing with Enna's and Lange-Muller's violin concertos in volume 3, among other works.  Anyhow, attempting to restart an old thread, possibly to little point (apologies) but it did seem worthwhile subjectively...
Eric