# Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61



## catherinethegreat21

*Absolutely Stunning...saw this(played by a female violinist at the local University)for my birthday*


----------



## DiesIraeCX

That's great to hear, I believe my hometown (Houston) will be performing it this year, or maybe it already passed (I hope not!). I'm glad you enjoyed it. 

The only recording I have is Perlman and Barenboim.


----------



## Weston

Have you heard Beethoven's version he transformed into a piano concerto? I like to think of it as his piano concerto no. 4 and half. Either way the melodies are unforgettable and always welcome ear worms.


----------



## Triplets

Weston said:


> Have you heard Beethoven's version he transformed into a piano concerto? I like to think of it as his piano concerto no. 4 and half. Either way the melodies are unforgettable and always welcome ear worms.


Don't care for the Piano Transcription.
My favorite recordings are Oistrakh/Cluytens with the cadenzas by Fritz Kreisler, and Suk/Boult, using cadenzas by God knows whom.


----------



## DiesIraeCX

I'm interested in a period performance of the Violin Concerto. Anyone have any suggestions?


----------



## DavidA

Triplets said:


> Don't care for the Piano Transcription.
> My favorite recordings are Oistrakh/Cluytens with the cadenzas by Fritz Kreisler, and Suk/Boult, using cadenzas by God knows whom.


Afraid Suk misread the Allegro ma non troppo of the first movement as Andante.


----------



## hapiper

This is one of my favorite works by Beethoven and I have several of them, but my favorite is the one with my favorite violinist performing along with my favorite conductor, it is on DG being performed by Anne-Sophie Mutter and conducted by Karajan. I listen to that one a lot. My second favorite is almost a given considering the violinist, and that is the performance by Heifetz, conducted by Munch. It doesn't hurt that it is on SACD either and sounds tremendous.


----------



## GreenMamba

DiesIraeCX said:


> I'm interested in a period performance of the Violin Concerto. Anyone have any suggestions?


Zehetmair/Brueggen. Would be one of the best choices even without the period qualification.


----------



## senza sordino

I have four versions:
Gidon Kremer, a fine performance but the cadenza is out of place with the addition of the piano and a prominent tympani.

Heifetz, technically brilliant, but perhaps too mechanical.

Isabelle Faust, a recent recording. Lovely and warm. Nice orchestra sound too. 

Zino Francescatti, possibly my favourite of the four, warm and full of character with the best cadenza, Kreisler's cadenza.


----------



## KenOC

Not period, but Janine Jansen's is my favorite "standard" performance. Patricia Kopatchinskaja has a great performance with a lot of improvisation. She uses the cadenza from Beethoven's piano transcription of the concerto, the one with the tympani, transcribed back for the violin and (mercifully) abridged a bit. Hey, it's fun!

Nice to hear the tympani in the cadenza, and more than a little unusual. The tympani plays a major role throughout the first movement and even opens the movement with a short solo. I don't know of any other classical period concerto where that happens.


----------



## starthrower

I like the first minute of this piece. After that it's tedious. YMMV.


----------



## KenOC

Factoid: Beethoven's Violin Concerto was not a success at its premiere in late 1806 and there is no record of subsequent performances in Beethoven's lifetime.

Mendelssohn resurrected it many years later in 1844 with the 12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim and the orchestra of the London Philharmonic Society, and it stuck in the repertoire ever since.

Top-three violin concertos per a poll on another forum:

1 - Beethoven
2 - Brahms
3 - Shostakovich: #1 A-minor

It was a struggle between Beethoven and Brahms.


----------



## shadowdancer

We do have a TC ranking as well: Top Recommended String Concerti

1. Brahms - Violin Concerto
2. Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto
3. Dvořák - Cello Concerto
4. Bach - Double Violin Concerto
5. Sibelius - Violin Concerto
6. Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1
7. Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
8. Beethoven - Violin Concerto
9. Berg - Violin Concerto
10. Elgar - Cello Concerto


----------



## Ukko

I am pleased to have the opportunity to point out to _some guy_ that the Beethoven Violin concerto is The Greatest; so far.


----------



## DavidA

it is important to realise that Beethoven marks the first movement Allegro ma non troppo - i.e. quick but not too quick. Some recordings (e.g. Suk) take it far too slowly. This is misplaced reverence, imo, which robs the concerto of its drama.

Of recordings I have:

Heifetz sets the standard - the performance with Toscanini is breathtaking. However the recording is awful but Naxos have produced a remastering which is better on the ear.
Heifetz / Munch - I got to know the concerto from this disc. The playing is incredible. Interesting that many criticised Heifetz for being too fast or 'superficial' but we now see that Beethoven would have expected faster speeds.
Isabel Faust is simply superb as well. Great modern recording.
Kremer / Harnoncourt is fantastically well played but he ruins it by putting in a bastardised cadenza with piano which is awful.
Schniederhan / Jochum is really good but not up to Heifezt or Faust.
Kennedy / Tennstedt is slow but some marvellous playing. Can't stand the man and his pseudo working class accent but he is a great violinist.
Repin / Muti is also marvellously played but a little too relaxed. But great as a nightcap!


----------



## DavidA

shadowdancer said:


> We do have a TC ranking as well: Top Recommended String Concerti
> 
> 1. Brahms - Violin Concerto
> 2. Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto
> 3. Dvořák - Cello Concerto
> 4. Bach - Double Violin Concerto
> 5. Sibelius - Violin Concerto
> 6. Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1
> 7. Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
> 8. Beethoven - Violin Concerto
> 9. Berg - Violin Concerto
> 10. Elgar - Cello Concerto


No question in my mind that Beethoven is no 1. The greatest ever work for violin and orchestra.


----------



## Musicophile

+1 on Faust. Love that version. Plus you get an excellent Berg on the same album.


----------



## Guest

DiesIraeCX said:


> I'm interested in a period performance of the Violin Concerto. Anyone have any suggestions?


I'm sorry nobody has replied to you before, DiesIrae. *Monica Huggett* has a good HIP reputation:


----------



## DiesIraeCX

TalkingHead said:


> I'm sorry nobody has replied to you before, DiesIrae. *Monica Huggett* has a good HIP reputation:


Thank you for the recommendation, TalkingHead. I'll give it a listen soon!

GreenMamba on the first page recommended Zehetmair and Frans Brüggen, but the more the merrier when it comes to the old Ludwig van.


----------



## Guest

And here's another LvB violin concerto (Tafelmusik / HIP) for you, DiesIrae:


----------



## Guest

And one more, this time with Zehetmair, Brüggen and the Orchestra of the 18th Century:


----------



## Guest

_Voilà_, that should be enough to be going on with for the moment!


----------



## SixFootScowl

How about this? For under $10 you get Isaac Stern on violin with Bernstein conducting and besides the violin concerto, you get all nine symphonies and five overtures!


----------



## sdtom

I'm surprised in your violin concerto list there was no Tchaikovsky. I think that it is very good work.


----------



## sdtom

Florestan said:


> How about this? For under $10 you get Isaac Stern on violin with Bernstein conducting and besides the violin concerto, you get all nine symphonies and five overtures!


I'm not surprised at the price on that one. I know your going to see more and more deals. Some people are dying and the relatives don't want them or people are just getting rid of them for the new technology. I predict Naxos will be all download in 5 years. I should talk because I still have 78's! I've got Cd's priced at $.49 in my thrift store and they don't sell so I have a limit now of 300 in stock, the rest I throw away along with the 8 tracks, cassettes, and vhs tapes. 30 years from now they'll all be gone. My space is limited and clothes and furniture are the #1 sellers. A few of the younger generation want turntables and old vinyl but most of them are itunes people. As far as media is concerned the most sought after is bluray dvd's.

My daughter has already told me she doesn't want my 6000 CD collection so I suppose it will go out in the dumpster. I once thought I might sell them and a person was interested but at a cost of $1.00 each plus shipping plus $1500.00 came to $7500, too much for him.


----------



## SixFootScowl

sdtom said:


> I'm not surprised at the price on that one. I know your going to see more and more deals. Some people are dying and the relatives don't want them or people are just getting rid of them for the new technology. I predict Naxos will be all download in 5 years. I should talk because I still have 78's! I've got Cd's priced at $.49 in my thrift store and they don't sell so I have a limit now of 300 in stock, the rest I throw away along with the 8 tracks, cassettes, and vhs tapes. 30 years from now they'll all be gone. My space is limited and clothes and furniture are the #1 sellers. A few of the younger generation want turntables and old vinyl but most of them are itunes people. As far as media is concerned the most sought after is bluray dvd's.
> 
> My daughter has already told me she doesn't want my 6000 CD collection so I suppose it will go out in the dumpster. I once thought I might sell them and a person was interested but at a cost of $1.00 each plus shipping plus $1500.00 came to $7500, too much for him.


These are fine sets in hinged boxes just like the old LP sets were, and with the CDs in cardboard sleeves. I also have Szell Beethoven symphonies in this series. They have no booklets just the info on the back of each sleeve.

Don't trash your CD collection. Surely there is a music store in Minneapolis St. Paul that would take them for some nominal fee. There are many who would love to have those CD sets available for purchase.


----------



## sdtom

Don't worry I'm not going to. I was just trying to make a point about the value and the direction of the market. In 1984 when I first started buying cd's I believe I was paying $20.00 each for them. Fast forward to today and I bought at the beginning of the year a terrabyte hard drive for $49.00 and it already has 100's of hours of music in it. Times have changed.


----------



## SixFootScowl

sdtom said:


> Don't worry I'm not going to. I was just trying to make a point about the value and the direction of the market. In 1984 when I first started buying cd's I believe I was paying $20.00 each for them. Fast forward to today and I bought at the beginning of the year a terrabyte hard drive for $49.00 and it already has 100's of hours of music in it. Times have changed.


Yep, times have sure changed. I do appreciate the CD and DVD age, but have no desire for digital downloads that do not have a physical disc, nor streaming. I realize the practicality of digital only as my CD collection is stored in boxes with no space to shelve them properly for fast reference, but there is something about having the physical product that gives one a good feeling. Since the latest generation has grown up on cell phones, tablets, and digital downloads, they have no experience with the old stuff and probably look at CDs as a nuissance. They will drive the market of the future.


----------



## sdtom

A little food for thought. My last move from Ca. to Mpls cost me $1200 to move the CD's. My daughter who is in her early 30's doesn't have a CD and you can imagine what my grandaughters think. I own and read books on a Kindle now.


----------



## Skilmarilion

DiesIraeCX said:


> I'm interested in a period performance of the Violin Concerto. Anyone have any suggestions?


I'm a fan of this one:


----------



## Xaltotun

No one likes Menuhin / Furtwängler? I wasn't much of a fan of the piece until I heard this one, it made it all click. I remember having moist eyes, hearing it for the first time.


----------



## SONNET CLV

Just heard this concerto in concert today at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh with the PSO and Manfred Honeck, conductor.
Christian Tetzlaff was the violinist. According to the program notes for the concert, Tetzlaff made his concert debut at age 14 playing the Beethoven concerto, so he's been at this piece for some time now. He is 49 years old.

Tetzlaff's approach was lyrical and the sound softer than I expected at times, but never inappropriate. In fact, it was a great performance that matched well with the orchestra. The violinist's first movement cadenza featured a duet with the timpani player, a nice touch in this concerto which early critics dubbed a concerto for kettledrums due to the opening of the concerto. I heard the cadenza as a kind of "joke" on this critical comment. (See Peter Marks's review of a previous Tetzlaff performance of the Beethoven Concerto. I posted a bit of it below.)

I don't currently have Tetzlaff's Beethoven in my collection, but I will soon pick up a copy of his Concerto disc. (The last one available at the concert selling table was scooped up by a lady in front of me in the line, so I didn't have opportunity to get a copy and have it signed by the performer. Tetzlaff was autographing at intermission. Alas ....)

By the way, I found the following review of Tetzlaff's performance of the Beethoven Concerto in October 2013 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as written by Peter Marks and find the description of the performance closely matched that which occurred in Pittsburgh this afternoon, so I need say no more about the concert. The following review is from http://bachtrack.com/review-cbso-tetzlaff-beethoven-violin-concerto-oct-2013 .

Tetzlaff's opening arpeggio emerged with a perfectly judged gradation from ethereal softness to a commanding fullness of tone. This tone was incredibly sweet in the high register, where much time is spent in this work, yet gutsy when required. The first movement is one of Beethoven's longest. That it didn't feel such was testament to Tetzlaff and a real meeting of minds between him, the orchestra and conductor, Olari Elts. We were drawn into a magical development section, cast in a shadowy minor key. As in his other concertos, Beethoven makes prominent use of woodwind soloists. Principal bassoonist, Gretha Tuls, shone here and in the other movements too. Tetzlaff dropped down to an almost inaudible pianissimo as he worked his way back to the recapitulation, rejoined by the orchestra triumphantly marking out the four note motif in unison.

Tetzlaff's attack in the cadenza, Beethoven's own version written for his piano transcription of the concerto, was startling. In this version, the timpanist joins in rather playfully and, given its prominence at the opening of the piece, appropriately. Tetzlaff's double-stopping here was faultless. In the hushed opening to the second movement, the orchestra were all legato long lines in contrast to the period performance manners they had shown previously. Tetzlaff's playing sang with great emotion, bordering on the melancholy.

The rondo finale stole in with no gap and there was clear relief in the hall as the tension from the previous movement was broken with a good old romp. Tetzlaff playfully introduced mini-cadenzas into the two fermatas and I am told that he transcribed these himself once again from Beethoven's own.


----------



## KenOC

SONNET CLV said:


> ...The violinist's first movement cadenza featured a duet with the timpani player, a nice touch in this concerto which early critics dubbed a concerto for kettledrums due to the opening of the concerto. I heard the cadenza as a kind of "joke" on this critical comment.


Sonnet, that cadenza is a backwards transcription of the one Beethoven wrote for his arrangement of the Violin Concerto as a piano concerto.


----------



## nightscape

Fan of Tetzlaff/Zinman


----------



## SONNET CLV

Yesterday I posted the following from Pittsburgh shortly after attending the PSO BeethovenFest concert featuring the Beethoven Violin Concerto performed by Christian Tetzlaff:



SONNET CLV said:


> Just heard this concerto in concert today at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh with the PSO and Manfred Honeck, conductor.
> Christian Tetzlaff was the violinist.
> 
> I don't currently have Tetzlaff's Beethoven in my collection, but I will soon pick up a copy of his Concerto disc.
> 
> View attachment 70854


I found out today, when I'm back at the farm, that I do indeed have a Tetzlaff Beethoven Concerto performance on disc -- the Michael Gielen and SWR Symphony Ochestra Baden-Baden recording, which has appeared over the years (it was recorded in 1993) in various guises on CD, including that depicted above.

I happen to have found it in one of the Complete Beethoven Collections ....









This is the one on the CASCADE MEDIEN GMBH label that features on the very first disc of the 87 disc collection a Symphony No. 1 that is missing the opening bar of music. Still, returning to the Tetzlaff Violin Concerto performance by way of the disc in this box I was quite impressed by the astounding sound of the disc as my rig played it. Having heard Tetzlaff in concert just yesterday and then today listening to a recording made over 20 years ago, I must admit that I was not disappointed by the recorded sound. And I had choice seats for the Heinz Hall concert!

I did place an order today for the Tetzlaff recording featuring the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich with David Zinman on the Arte Nova Classics label. Apparently both of the available Tetzlaff recordings feature the same interesting cadenza (devised by Tetzlaff himself from Beethoven sketches and featuring a duet with the timpanist) that I heard yesterday at the concert in Pittsburgh. I could say that is alone worth the cost of the recording, but I'm sure that any lover of Beethoven's Violin Concerto will find much more to admire in the Tetzlaff recordings, whichever one is chosen, the 1993 recording with Gielen conducting, or the 2006 recording with Zinman. I would hope that Tetzlaff records with Honeck and the PSO. The concerto as I heard it yesterday is a winner. I'm sure even Beethoven himself would have been pleased.


----------



## PeterF

Just checked and discovered that I have ten versions of the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Six of them are part of box sets by an artist. In the case of Oistrakh there are two versions by him in his EMI Box. I also have two versions by Stern from 2 different Box sets. Other versions in my collection are by Milstein, Heifetz, Ferras, Schneiderhan, Mutter, and Francescatti.

Impossible to pick one favorite without doing a careful comparative listening test. I can enjoy them all depending on what mood I am in at the time. I will say that the Mutter, Ferras and Heifetz are problably not in the running to be my favorite version.


----------



## DavidA

Xaltotun said:


> No one likes Menuhin / Furtwängler? I wasn't much of a fan of the piece until I heard this one, it made it all click. I remember having moist eyes, hearing it for the first time.


That is a great performance which is in my collection also


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

starthrower said:


> I like the first minute of this piece. After that it's tedious. YMMV.


Agree completely, even when played by Oistrakh, Grumiaux, Heifetz, etc.


----------



## Heck148

Love the LvB Violin Cto....have played it many times...probably most memorable with Ani Kafavian...

Last June I heard Chicago play it with Julia Fischer, soloist...very fine, indeed.

My three favorite recordings -

Heifetz/Rodzinski/NYPO '45
Francescatti/Walter/ColSO '61
Szigeti/Walter/NYPO '48


----------



## Pugg

Herman Krebbers made also a very good recording of this piece.


----------



## pcnog11

Florestan said:


> These are fine sets in hinged boxes just like the old LP sets were, and with the CDs in cardboard sleeves. I also have Szell Beethoven symphonies in this series. They have no booklets just the info on the back of each sleeve.
> 
> Don't trash your CD collection. Surely there is a music store in Minneapolis St. Paul that would take them for some nominal fee. There are many who would love to have those CD sets available for purchase.


If you want to sell part of your collection, we can discuss.


----------



## pcnog11

sdtom said:


> I'm not surprised at the price on that one. I know your going to see more and more deals. Some people are dying and the relatives don't want them or people are just getting rid of them for the new technology. I predict Naxos will be all download in 5 years. I should talk because I still have 78's! I've got Cd's priced at $.49 in my thrift store and they don't sell so I have a limit now of 300 in stock, the rest I throw away along with the 8 tracks, cassettes, and vhs tapes. 30 years from now they'll all be gone. My space is limited and clothes and furniture are the #1 sellers. A few of the younger generation want turntables and old vinyl but most of them are itunes people. As far as media is concerned the most sought after is bluray dvd's.
> 
> My daughter has already told me she doesn't want my 6000 CD collection so I suppose it will go out in the dumpster. I once thought I might sell them and a person was interested but at a cost of $1.00 each plus shipping plus $1500.00 came to $7500, too much for him.


If you want to sell part of your collection, we can discuss.


----------



## pcnog11

Not much was mentioned about the 2 violin Romances by Beethoven. I think these are two beautiful pieces and sometime overlooked. I would prefer they play by female violinist such as Mutter. In both pieces there is undertone about 'crying of the soul' and I think women express it better than men. 

My 2 cents.


----------



## Vaneyes

ASM/BPO/HvK (DG), then Grumiaux/ACO/C. Davis (Philips). Sidenote: I saw/heard ASM do it in concert the week HvK died. Riveting performance.


----------



## DavidA

My first recording of this work was by Heifetz which tended to put me in mind that the first movement is marked 'Allegro ma non troppo' - i.e. quick but not too quick. Unfortunately it became the custom (perhaps out of misplaced reverence for the piece) to take the first movement at Andante. Mutter with HvK is one culprit and so is Vengerov with a leaden Rostropovich. Hence I tend to look for those who get a move on in the first movement. Of course, playing can be so beautiful it beguiles the ear but it's obviously not quite what LvB intended.


----------



## Bettina

Heck148 said:


> Love the LvB Violin Cto....have played it many times...probably most memorable with Ani Kafavian..


Do you mean that you've actually performed it? Were you in the orchestra or were you the soloist? Either way, that would be so exciting! :tiphat:

As a pianist, I'll never be able to have that experience (unless I accompany a violinist by playing the piano reduction, but that's just not the same.)


----------



## hpowders

Bettina said:


> Do you mean that you've actually performed it? Were you in the orchestra or were you the soloist? Either way, that would be so exciting! :tiphat:
> 
> As a pianist, I'll never be able to have that experience (unless I accompany a violinist by playing the piano reduction, but that's just not the same.)


I believe he means "played" as on a CD "player".


----------



## Bettina

hpowders said:


> I believe he means "played" as on a CD "player".


Oh...haha, I guess I totally misread his post. I got carried away with excitement about the thought of performing Beethoven's violin concerto.


----------



## hpowders

Bettina said:


> Oh...haha, I guess I totally misread his post. I got carried away with excitement about the thought of performing Beethoven's violin concerto.


Yeah....Ha! Ha! And 45+65=100. Another common excitement mistake.


----------



## hpowders

The piano transcription is unworthy of the music. Only the violin can make it soar.

So many great performances of this music. Heifetz/Munch and Francescatti/Walter are 2 of my favorite performances.


----------



## Pugg

Salvatore Accardo (violin) La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini very fine recording.


----------



## Pat Fairlea

hpowders said:


> The piano transcription is unworthy of the music. Only the violin can make it soar.
> 
> So many great performances of this music. Heifetz/Munch and Francescatti/Walter are 2 of my favorite performances.


True, so many great recorded performances of a wonderful piece. But for me it has to be Oistrakh.


----------



## 89Koechel

Heck148 - Thanks! for those, three recommendations - Heifetz/Rodzinski (had never heard of it, before), plus Zino F with Walter, from 1961 ... and, of course, Szigeti/the master, with Walter, in 1948. Well, I've dubbed an old EMI LP, with Szigeti/Walter, from 1932, and this might be the GREATEST performance/recording, of all.


----------



## JTS

hpowders said:


> I believe he means "played" as on a CD "player".


I have certainly played it countless times myself this way with many distinguish violinists!


----------



## Kreisler jr

I think heck148 means he played bassoon in the orchestra, not just a disc.


----------



## Heck148

Bettina said:


> Do you mean that you've actually performed it? Were you in the orchestra or were you the soloist? Either way, that would be so exciting! :tiphat:


I've played it as an orchestra member many times...the Bassoon I part is very rewarding, with wonderful solos. Each movement has important work for the bassoon.


----------



## RobertJTh

senza sordino said:


> I have four versions:
> Gidon Kremer, a fine performance but the cadenza is out of place with the addition of the piano and a prominent tympani.
> 
> Heifetz, technically brilliant, but perhaps too mechanical.
> 
> Isabelle Faust, a recent recording. Lovely and warm. Nice orchestra sound too.
> 
> Zino Francescatti, possibly my favourite of the four, warm and full of character with the best cadenza, Kreisler's cadenza.


I heard about performances that use Beethoven's cadenza from the piano/orchestra version, transcribed for violin (and the essential timpani!), but why would anyone include the piano as well?

Also seconding Francescatti/Walter, one of the glories of Walter's Indian summer, with Francescatti being a congenial soloist.


----------



## Kreisler jr

Heck148 said:


> I've played it as an orchestra member many times...the Bassoon I part is very rewarding, with wonderful solos. Each movement has important work for the bassoon.


What I think of as the "bassoon episode" is my favorite part of the final rondo.


----------



## Heck148

Kreisler jr said:


> What I think of as the "bassoon episode" is my favorite part of the final rondo.


Yes, that's a neat solo, very fun to play...essentially violin and bassoon duet....he may have been inspired by Haydn, who loved the combination of strings/woodwinds, high/low...
He often paired the oboe with cello, violin and bassoon....

in the Beethoven concerto, the 2nd mvt solo is really lovely, also....1st mvt contains quite a few good bassoon parts also.


----------



## Brahmsianhorn

IMO the second greatest violin concerto to the Brahms.

My favorite recordings, in order:

Fritz Kreisler/Leo Blech
Bronislaw Huberman/George Szell
Adolf Busch/Friz Busch (live)
Jascha Heifetz/Arturo Toscanini
Ginette Neveu/Hans Rosbaud
Adolf Busch/Friz Busch (studio)
Joseph Szigeti/Bruno Walter
Erich Röhn/Wilhelm Furtwängler
Yehudi Menuhin/Wilhelm Furtwängler (1947 live)
Yehudi Menuhin/Wilhelm Furtwängler (1954)
Georg Kulenkampff/Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Itzhak Perlman/Carlo Maria Giulini
​Camilla Wicks/Bruno Walter
Leonid Kogan/Constantin Silvestri
Gioconda De Vito/Eugen Jochum
Wolfgang Schneiderman/Eugen Jochum
Leonid Kogan/Rudolf Kempe
​Johanna Martzy/Otmar Nussio
​Herman Krebbers/Bernard Haitink
​David Oistrakh/Herbert Albert
​Nathan Milstein/William Steinberg
​​Erica Morini/Vladimir Golschmann
Henryk Szeryng/Otto Klemperer


.


----------



## 89Koechel

OH, a very fine list, Brahmsianhorn, although I could hardly rate the Brahms Concerto as "better" than the profundity of Ludwig's ... but it's any man's (or woman's) opinion, about the latter. As for Szigeti, there are TWO great recordings - the first from 1932, with Walter ... and then one from 1947, with the same principals. Of course, there was an even later recording, on Mercury, with Dorati. I haven't listened to it, and maybe, by that time, his bow arm was somewhat unsteady. In any case, the Szigeti approach is singular and probably equal to Kreisler, Huberman and Adolf Busch ... but again, it's anyone's opinion. Thanks!


----------



## JTS

Unfortunately the finest version at the moment by appears to be unavailable on CD. It's fetching atronomical prices second hand.

But here it is on YouTube. Patricia Kopatchinskaja Plays with the same mischievousness Clement might have played in the premiere. Fabulous!


----------



## Malx

JTS said:


> Unfortunately the finest version at the moment by appears to be unavailable on CD. It's fetching atronomical prices second hand.
> 
> But here it is on YouTube. Patricia Kopatchinskaja Plays with the same mischievousness Clement might have played in the premiere. Fabulous!


Super recording - just checked amazon uk £18.67 lowest price, not cheap but not as bad as some oop recordings I've seen.
As I have it on the shelf I am happy to be, on this occasion, not concerned.


----------



## JTS

Malx said:


> Super recording - just checked amazon uk £18.67 lowest price, not cheap but not as bad as some oop recordings I've seen.
> As I have it on the shelf I am happy to be, on this occasion, not concerned.


Thanks for the tip!


----------



## Brahmsianhorn

89Koechel said:


> OH, a very fine list, Brahmsianhorn, although I could hardly rate the Brahms Concerto as "better" than the profundity of Ludwig's ... but it's any man's (or woman's) opinion, about the latter. As for Szigeti, there are TWO great recordings - the first from 1932, with Walter ... and then one from 1947, with the same principals. Of course, there was an even later recording, on Mercury, with Dorati. I haven't listened to it, and maybe, by that time, his bow arm was somewhat unsteady. In any case, the Szigeti approach is singular and probably equal to Kreisler, Huberman and Adolf Busch ... but again, it's anyone's opinion. Thanks!


You know, I thought might be the case with Szigeti/Walter. Just to clarify I meant 1932.

Even though the sound is so opaque, there is a depth to Kreisler's interpretation I've not heard elsewhere. Huberman comes closest.


----------



## JTS

Just managed to get this thanks to a tip off on here. The finest modern performance IMO. Possibly the finest on disc. She appears to have Heifetz's technique with a very playful sense of humour.


----------



## Second Trombone

RobertJTh said:


> Also seconding Francescatti/Walter, one of the glories of Walter's Indian summer, with Francescatti being a congenial soloist.


I also love Francescatti/Walter. This was my first recording of the Beethoven concerto, on an old Odyssey LP, and I've never found one that I think surpasses it. Am delighted that I now have it on CD. Both soloist and conductor are outstanding, and perfectly in sync.


----------



## Kiki

Malx said:


> Super recording - just checked amazon uk £18.67 lowest price, not cheap but not as bad as some oop recordings I've seen.
> As I have it on the shelf I am happy to be, on this occasion, not concerned.


Fantastic performance. Everything bit as amazing as her Tchaikovsky VC. I didn't know there was a YT performance with the hr-Sinfonieorchester/Herreweghe. Thanks for the tip! Watching Kopatchinskaja's interaction with the players made me think this was an even more fantastic performance than the one that she has committed to record (Champs-Élysées/Herreweghe).


----------



## Malx

Kiki said:


> Fantastic performance. Everything bit as amazing as her Tchaikovsky VC. I didn't know there was a YT performance with the hr-Sinfonieorchester/Herreweghe. Thanks for the tip! Watching Kopatchinskaja's interaction with the players made me think this was an even more fantastic performance than the one that she has committed to record (Champs-Élysées/Herreweghe).


I think those thanks should be directed to JTS who first posted the concert.


----------



## Kiki

Malx said:


> I think those thanks should be directed to JTS who first posted the concert.


Absolutely. My thanks to JTS! Apologies I didn't read the posts carefully enough. I count myself one of the lucky ones who have got the Champs-Élysées/Herreweghe. Now I wish this performance with the hr-Sinfonieorchester would be available on disc too.


----------



## 89Koechel

Thanks, Brahmsianhorn, and the usual, delayed response (from here) - Yes, Szigeti/Walter from 1932 was exceptional, as was Szigeti/Walter from 1947. Well, if you think Kreisler has a DEPTH that might surpass Szigeti, then I should listen to my old CD/Kreisler interpretation. Certainly, also, the Huberman is very fine, also! ... Well, there've been mentions of the young lady - Kopachinskaja - and that's a modern performance, that many of us would like to KNOW.


----------



## JTS

89Koechel said:


> Thanks, Brahmsianhorn, and the usual, delayed response (from here) - Yes, Szigeti/Walter from 1932 was exceptional, as was Szigeti/Walter from 1947. Well, if you think Kreisler has a DEPTH that might surpass Szigeti, then I should listen to my old CD/Kreisler interpretation. Certainly, also, the Huberman is very fine, also! ... Well, there've been mentions of the young lady - Kopachinskaja - and that's a modern performance, that many of us would like to KNOW.


In case you missed it I'll post the link again. Kop actually studied Fritz Clements manuscripts and method of violin playing. May have been something like the first performance sounded like only probably better played as Clements played it at site


----------

