Don't Miss Rachel Barton Pine's New Scottish Fantasies CD

[Ralph]

Coming soon after Rachel Barton Pine's wonderful Cedille recording pairing the Brahms and Joachim violin concertos is a terrific release, a two-disc set entitled "Scottish Fantasies for Violin and Orchestra." With the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under Alexander Platt, this album is a true labor of love yielding wonderful playing by Ms. Pine in works tied to Scotland.

Leading the album, not surprisingly, is Bruch's Scottish Fantasy and the performance here is as good as any I've heard. Ms. Pine invests all her playing with insight and controlled passion and I loved the Bruch.

Sarasate's Airs ecossais, a seldom heard work follows. Just seven and a half minutes long it's a nice, engaging piece.

The more often heard Pibroch Suite of Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie brings the musical aura of Scotland to the fore. Again, a perfect performance.

Sir John Blackwood McEwen's Scottish Rhapsody "Prince Charlie" marries sprightly music with a whiff of history, the work more pleasant than the dangerous epoch it captures.

Finally Ms. Pine teams up with fiddler Alasdair Fraser for a Medley of Scots Tunes. Better than a draught of single malt in my view.

The album also features a video documentary, "The Making of Scottish Fantasies," which I haven't viewed yet. The program booklet is unusually rich in details and is very well-written.

Cedille is wise to keep engaging Ms. Pine, a premier violinist with the ability to write meaningfully about the music she enjoys performing. Not many top musicians write essays in depth about the works they record - this essay is outstanding.

Cedille CDR 90000 083.

[Peter Schenkman]

There is this guy out there called Jascha Heifetz who, in my opinion, owns the Scottish Fantasy and I have the feeling most professional violinists would agree

Peter Schenkman

[Scott Morrison]

There is this guy out there called Jascha Heifetz who, in my opinion, owns the Scottish Fantasy and I have the feeling most professional violinists would agree.

I'd be willing to put Michael Rabin's Scottish Fantasy right up there with Heifetz. (And David Oistrakh's not far behind.) But I'm not a professional violinist.

[Ralph]

There is this guy out there called Jascha Heifetz who, in my opinion, owns the Scottish Fantasy and I have the feeling most professional violinists would agree

Peter Schenkman

*****
Perhaps but, unfortunately, Mr. Heifetz can no longer perform the Bruch work.

I've always been leery of the idea that any musician or conductor "owns" a piece. The power of that belief acts as a barrier, I suspect, for many when it comes to appreciating new interpretations or just plain performances of an "owned" work.

[Peter Schenkman]

There is this guy out there called Jascha Heifetz who, in my opinion, owns the Scottish Fantasy and I have the feeling most professional violinists would agree.

I'd be willing to put Michael Rabin's Scottish Fantasy right up there with Heifetz. (And David Oistrakh's not far behind.) But I'm not a professional violinist.

Nor am I, Both violinists mentioned have more then the the measure of the Bruch but the Heifetz recording has, in my opinion, never been equaled.

Peter Schenkman

[Gurn Blanston]

Heifetz, Rabin, great fiddlers indeed. Both quite dead though.

I am more than willing to give Ms Barton-Pine a chance. She was great in the "Homage to Sarasate". I have no problem listening to a person who is still alive once in a while. Refreshing change from all those dead guys.

[Peter Schenkman]

There is this guy out there called Jascha Heifetz who, in my opinion, owns the Scottish Fantasy and I have the feeling most professional violinists would agree

Peter Schenkman

*****
Perhaps but, unfortunately, Mr. Heifetz can no longer perform the Bruch work.

I've always been leery of the idea that any musician or conductor "owns" a piece. The power of that belief acts as a barrier, I suspect, for many when it comes to appreciating new interpretations or just plain performances of an "owned" work.

His recording lives on and attests to my assessment. Try it, you just might realize what many generations of violinists already know and have practiced their a**es off for years trying to get close to.

Peter Schenkman

[Ralph]

There is this guy out there called Jascha Heifetz who, in my opinion, owns the Scottish Fantasy and I have the feeling most professional violinists would agree

Peter Schenkman

*****
Perhaps but, unfortunately, Mr. Heifetz can no longer perform the Bruch work.

I've always been leery of the idea that any musician or conductor "owns" a piece. The power of that belief acts as a barrier, I suspect, for many when it comes to appreciating new interpretations or just plain performances of an "owned" work.

*****

I have it and it's a great performance-don't misunderstand me. I just don't think ANY performance becomes so clearly definitive as to make unlikely a successor worthy of equal adulation. Perhaps you wil get a chance to hear Ms. Pine's recording-I'd very much like to know your opinion of that.

His recording lives on and attests to my assessment. Try it, you just might realize what many generations of violinists already know and have practiced their a**es off for years trying to get close to.

Peter Schenkman

[Peter Schenkman]

I have indeed heard the Pine's recording and it's just not in the same ball park to my ears, Mr. Heifetz is light years ahead. You hear it your way and I'll go with my own concept of what a performance or recording is.

Peter Schenkman

[pizza]

I have never subscribed to the idea that there's only one way or a best way to play a piece. Most artists with whom I've discussed the question agree. Even those recordings that I return to most often can become boring without hearing someone else's ideas in contrast, and if it's a great work, it actually requires some variety of approach to probe its depths. No artist, regardless of how supreme he may be in his mastery of a work has all the answers, or indeed, all the questions either.

[rach]

Heifetz, Rabin, great fiddlers indeed. Both quite dead though.

I am more than willing to give Ms Barton-Pine a chance. She was great in the "Homage to Sarasate". I have no problem listening to a person who is still alive once in a while. Refreshing change from all those dead guys.

I think Chung's version is very good too. The radio played Pine's version (first mvt) the other day, yes I am willing to give this a try

[Ralph]

I have indeed heard the Pine's recording and it's just not in the same ball park to my ears, Mr. Heifetz is light years ahead. You hear it your way and I'll go with my own concept of what a performance or recording is.

Peter Schenkman

*****

Thanks much.

[Coriolan]

Thanks Ralph, after hearing the Brahms I have ordered both the Brahms and the Scottish Fantasy cd's. Based on the Brahms alone I am purchasing the Scottish disc. This violinist is top notch IMO.

[Ralph]

Thanks Ralph, after hearing the Brahms I have ordered both the Brahms and the Scottish Fantasy cd's. Based on the Brahms alone I am purchasing the Scottish disc. This violinist is top notch IMO.

*****

And be sure to read (enjoy) the booklet. Let me (us) know how you like the set, please.

[oisfetz]

Alfredo Campoli had a very fine version of the Scotish. But Heifetz's is the best. In fact, violin repertorie experts thinks that the Heifetz version is one of the best recordings he ever made.

[Scott Morrison]

Just this week I heard a reissue on hybrid SACD of Arthur Grumiaux's Scottish Fantasy (as well as the Tchaik VC and Sérénade mélancolique) on Pentatone. These were initially released on quadraphonic LPs in the 1970s but of course quad really didn't do justice to the sound (and besides who ever invested in quadraphonic equipment anyhow?). In SACD the sound is simply spectacular and the readings by Grumiaux (and the New Philharmonia) are aristocratic, elegant and yet with plenty of ardor. My full review is here: http://snipurl.com/fzi8

[MaestroDJS]

There is this guy out there called Jascha Heifetz who, in my opinion, owns the Scottish Fantasy and I have the feeling most professional violinists would agree

With all due respect, it's up to Max Bruch himself to decide who "owns" this piece, if anyone. Since he can't tell us, it's presumptuous to speak for him. I read that Sir Edward Elgar decided that Beatrice Harrison "owned" his Cello Concerto and insisted upon her whenever he conducted it.

I've always been leery of the idea that any musician or conductor "owns" a piece. The power of that belief acts as a barrier, I suspect, for many when it comes to appreciating new interpretations or just plain performances of an "owned" work.

Igor Stravinsky made superb recordings of his own music, but he was the first to admit that his are not the only valid interpretations. So even a composer cannot "own" his own music.

To cite Elgar again, he composed his Violin Concerto for Fritz Kreisler, and tried repeatedly to record it with him. Finally Elgar "settled for" (my term ) the 16-year-old Yehudi Menuhin, and their 1932 recording is one of the great musical documents of the 20th Century. It's hard to imagine Fritz Kreisler "owning" this work now.

In my own humble experience, when my concerto was in rehearsal, the soloist and I were in complete accord, but I did not exactly agree with the conductor's ideas. However as time went on, I began to see the logic of his interpretation, which was quite different from, but every bit as valid as, my original intentions. It was an experience which I'll treasure as long as I live.

So methinks nobody "owns" nuthin' in the realm of music.

Dave

David Stybr, Engineer and Composer: It's Left Brain vs. Right Brain: best 2 falls out of 3
http://members.SibeliusMusic.com/Stybr

Coordinator, Classical Music SIG (Special Interest Group) of American Mensa

Theme and Variations in G Minor for Contrabassoon and Orchestra
http://www.SibeliusMusic.com/cgi-bin/sh ... reid=47429
World Première: 25 & 26 Feb 2005
Susan Nigro, Contrabassoon; New Philharmonic Orchestra; Kirk Muspratt, Conductor

[Ralph]

Dave,

Why do I like your post?

[MaestroDJS]

Dave,
Why do I like your post?

Thanks, Ralph. Your posts are almost always interesting and informative. Naturally I don't always agree, but at least you help me re-examine my own views and learn a thing or two in the process.

Getting back to Bruch and his Scottish Fantasy, my vote is for Salvatore Accardo with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig conducted by Kurt Masur. I don't know how they stack up against the competition in the Scottish Fantasy sweepstakes; but I do know that they recorded Bruch's complete works for violin and orchestra and turned in fine performances all around. I wish for nothing else.

Of Bruch's lesser-known works, my favorites are his Serenade and Konzertstück, which contain truly sublime music. Both are late works from 1901 and 1911 respectively. Konzertstück in 2 movements might be an unintended self-portrait of Bruch: a fiery and energetic Allegro in F-Sharp Minor which eventually melts into a radiant and lyrical Adagio in G-Flat Major. Other heartfelt gems are the grave and noble “In Memorium” and the romanze-like Adagio movement of his almost unknown Violin Concerto No. 3 in D Minor. Kurt Masur and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig also recorded all 3 symphonies. The gorgeous Adagio movement of Symphony No. 3 in E Major, based on a rich chorale-like melody, is Bruch at his finest.

Dave

David Stybr
Personal Assistant and Der Webmeister to author Denise Swanson
http://www.DeniseSwanson.com
~ Scumble River Mysteries ~
Book 7: Murder of a Smart Cookie, July 2005
Penguin Putnam ~ Signet, New York, New York

David Stybr, Engineer and Composer: It's Left Brain vs. Right Brain: best 2 falls out of 3
http://members.SibeliusMusic.com/Stybr

Coordinator, Classical Music SIG (Special Interest Group) of American Mensa

[Peter Schenkman]

On July 3 a piece was posted on “Rachel Barton Fine’s recording of the Bruch Scottish Fantasy” praising it to the skies. I dissented pointing out the Heifetz recording(s), which almost all violinists that I know, or have known put at the very top echelon of all performances of the work. It was pointed out that Mr. Heifetz was no longer with us and maybe it was time to move on or something to that effect. Wanting to check my own memory, as the Scottish Fantasy is not something that I hear every day I went through my collection, discovering that for a piece that is not really of the first rank or popularity amongst concerted works for violin and orchestra that I had at least ten different performances which I have now re-visited, each and every one, my conclusions follow.

1….Heifetz still reigns supreme in both of his recordings.
1. Recorded in 1947 with William Steinberg leading the RCA Victor Orchestra, that performance can be found on Naxos (8110940). Disc mates are equally good performances of the Glazunov and Brahms “Double” (Feuermann) Concertos, highly recommended.

2. Recorded in 1961 and available on a two disc set titled Artists of the Century“Jascha Heifetz-Artist Supreme” (RCA/BMG 63470). Disc mates are the Bach Chaconne, Brahms and Tchaikovsky Concertos (Reiner/Chicago), Sibelius, Glazunov (Hendel/Chicago & RCA Orchestra) and the Three Gershwins Preludes, one of his many signature pieces! The set sells in the low $20.00 range and is reasonably indispensable.

2….Not far behind is the remarkable David Oistrakh who also left us two performances.
1. Recorded on Dec. 12, 1960 with Rozhdestvensky leading the USSR State Symphony Orchestra, and just released in North America as part of the ten disc Brilliant set (92609). The set, which set me back under $60.00 Canadian, is a gold mine as well as a steal, there is not a weak performance to be found and most are on the very top rung. The Dvorak Concerto on disc one I’ve never heard bettered and really only Milstein is his equal in the work.
2. Recorded in London circa 1962 with Jascha Horenstein leading the London Symphony Orchestra. There is little to choose from between the two recordings. Once Oistrakh had a piece down he tended to stay with that approach and when you consistently play at the level that he did who can argue. There are exceptions to this rather general rule and a good example is the Brahms Concerto recorded with Klemperer. Here it is the conductor who prevails and it’s to Oistrakh’s credit that he easily fits his own conception to match that of the older Klemperer. The London Scottish Fantasy is paired with the Hindemith Concerto; the performance being of much interest in so much as the composer is the conductor. Unlike many composers who attempt to conduct their own music with little knowledge of how to get an orchestra to start and stop together Hindemith really could conduct and there’s ample recorded evidence out there to prove it. Also on the two discs are the Mozart Sinfonia concertante where Oistrakh senior moves to viola and son Igor takes on the violin role. Rounding out the CD’s is the Mozart Duo K.423 with the same father/son pairing.

3….Sticking with those of the violin playing fraternity who are no longer with us, there quite a few who still sound remarkably good in the Scottish Fantasy, some have already been mentioned.
1. The tragic passing at a premature age robbed the violin world of one of its brightest lights; I refer of course to Michael Rabin (1936-1972). Michael who I knew well recorded the Bruch with Boult/Philharmonia in 1957 and that recordings still more then holds it’s own, unfortunately it seems to only be available as part of a six disc Capitol set dedicated to Rabin (CMS 7 641232).
2. Grumiaux, one of my favorite violinists recorded the Fantasy, available on Philips (5186117). All the typical Grumiaux trademarks are to be found, impeccable technique, wonderful sound and a suave approach to the score which is certainly one way of approaching it.
3. Alfredo Campoli almost forgotten in this era was a formidable player and his Fantasy can be found paired with the Beethoven Concerto. Boult who backed Rabin in his recording also does the honors here. Recorded in 1958 it can be found on the Beulah label (2PD10).
4….The living.
1. Perlman recorded the work with Lopez-Cobos/Philharmonia Orchestra. That recording can be found on EMI 62589). There are others that I prefer but back when this one was made Perlman was still concentrating on playing the violin and was one hell of a player.
2. Accardo is a taste that I never really acquired so I listened and found nothing to change my mind, of course the mans a good player but for me doesn’t work.
3. Rachel Barton Fine I have already expressed my view on so I move on to;
James Ehnes who of the younger violinists that I have knowledge of easily goes to the very top. There seems to be very little that he can’t do with the instrument and his grasp of a wide range of styles is equally impressive (as is his viola playing). His recording of the Bruch Fantasy can be found on CBC 5222 and is paired with that composer’s Second Concerto, a work deserving of more attention, highly recommended.

I avoid commenting on Vanessa-mae who has also recorded the work. For those interested it can be found on EMI 55395.

Peter Schenkman

[Ralph]

Terrific report, thanks so much!