# Request: Mozart violin sonatas, on period instruments, with copious vibrato



## etipou (Dec 4, 2020)

I am not as rule too fond of fortepianos, but the Mozart sonatas seem to present a special problem. The violin is so often a supporting character to the keyboard, occasionally even a bass, and these passages never seem to blend very well on modern instruments. The sounds are too different, and besides I always feel the violin is longing to burst out into a glorious sustained melody which it is rarely allowed to achieve.

The tamer period violin, and the twang of the fortepiano, make a superbly improved ensemble. I find much to enjoy in the performances by Rivest and Breitman, for example. And these are not absolutely devoid of vibrato. But I cannot help wishing for much more. Does this strange hybrid exist?


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

etipou said:


> I am not as rule too fond of fortepianos, but the Mozart sonatas seem to present a special problem. The violin is so often a supporting character to the keyboard, occasionally even a bass, and these passages never seem to blend very well on modern instruments. The sounds are too different, and besides I always feel the violin is longing to burst out into a glorious sustained melody which it is rarely allowed to achieve.
> 
> The tamer period violin, and the twang of the fortepiano, make a superbly improved ensemble. I find much to enjoy in the performances by Rivest and Breitman, for example. And these are not absolutely devoid of vibrato. But I cannot help wishing for much more. Does this strange hybrid exist?


https://www.prestomusic.com/classical
Use their search tool and you will find out


----------



## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I agree with you about the better balance found between a fortepiano and a period violin, as much as I treasure my older modern violin & piano recordings by Arthur Grumiaux & Clara Haskil, Oleg Kagan & Sviatoslav Richter, Karl Süske & Walter Olbertz, David Oistrakh & Paul Badura-Skoda, Anne-Sophie Mutter & Lambert Orkis, etc.

But I don't think what you're asking for exists. All the period violinists that I've heard in Mozart use vibrato judiciously. It's a part of period performance theory and practice. Perhaps others here might be able to come up with an example to the contrary, but I've never heard a period violin played with an excessive amount of vibrato.

With that said, you might find an HIP performance on modern instruments that adopts more vibrato, especially where modern strings and a period bow are used. On such performances, the listener tends to get the best of both worlds--a more lush string sound & modern technique combined with a lightness of bow and crisper articulation. But I can't think of a single recording, off hand, sorry. I wonder if Viktoria Mullova has recorded these works? She often uses a period bow with modern strings. Or, on modern instruments, perhaps Frank Peter Zimmerman & Alexander Lonquich are more period informed than is the norm?

As for period performances, I'd steer you towards the Nonesuch recordings by Sergiu Luca and Malcolm Bilson (in two volumes, or it might be three?). They were made in the early days of the period movement, and Luca may use a bit more vibrato than what later became customary. However, I'm not certain of that, since I haven't revisited these recordings in a long time, so you'd better sample them first (unfortunately, I can't find them on You Tube).

Otherwise, period violinists Rachel Podger, Petra Mülljeans, and Andrew Manze don't use much vibrato at all, if memory serves; although my guess is that Manze (with Richard Egarr) may use slightly more vibrato, here and there, than Podger does (with Gary Cooper): https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Andre...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1523384076&sr=1-2. But I don't think Manze is what you're asking for.

EDIT: I've just now sampled Luca & Bilson, and yes, it does sound like Luca uses more vibrato than is customary today--so these are recordings that you'll definitely want to sample (plus, Bilson is exceptional in Mozart): https://mozaart.com/en/r/late-viennese-sonatas-malcolm-bilson-sergiu-luca-wolfgang-amadeus-mozart.


----------



## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I don't know if they've completed all of the sonatas, but *Isabelle Faust* and *Alexander Melnikov* use period instruments and perform them mighty fine to my ears.


----------



## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I just noticed that you also stipulated that you preferred "copious vibrato." Since that is not generally considered a HIP practice, it may be hard to find period instrument recordings that also feature a vibrato-rich performance style.


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

etipou said:


> I am not as rule too fond of fortepianos, but the Mozart sonatas seem to present a special problem. The violin is so often a supporting character to the keyboard, occasionally even a bass, and these passages never seem to blend very well on modern instruments. The sounds are too different, and besides I always feel the violin is longing to burst out into a glorious sustained melody which it is rarely allowed to achieve.
> 
> The tamer period violin, and the twang of the fortepiano, make a superbly improved ensemble. I find much to enjoy in the performances by Rivest and Breitman, for example. And these are not absolutely devoid of vibrato. But I cannot help wishing for much more. Does this strange hybrid exist?


Not in the recordings I have - Kuijken, Terakado, Podger.


----------



## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Also, *Kristian Bezuidenhout*, who's recorded all of the Mozart piano sonatas, has recorded one CD of the violin sonatas with *Petra Müllejans*. But again, not much vibrato - however, the playing is very good and the sound of the recording is excellent.


----------



## etipou (Dec 4, 2020)

Josquin13 said:


> x





SanAntone said:


> x


Thank you both for your suggestions. I should say that "copious" is slightly tongue-in-cheek, I am really looking for vibrato as a near-constant but tasteful presence as one would find in any good modern version.

Josquin, thank you especially for your recommendation of Luca & Bilson. I have not immediately managed to find a sample of these recordings, but I am listening to Luca play some Mendelssohn with fortepiano accompaniment as I write. I appreciate your other suggestion regarding period-style on modern instruments, but in my case I am interested in almost the opposite! I love modern playing, but I think this is a rare case where the modern instruments themselves fight against the music - and more the piano than the violin, at that. I wonder if instead a violinist on a modern instrument has performed with fortepiano accompaniment? There have been many recordings of Bach on modern instruments with harpsichord accompaniment, for example.

It may be a little out of the ordinary as a request, but we listeners hear so many unusual things - musicians _do_ so many unusual things - that it seemed within the bounds of the possible.


----------

