Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Concerto for Violin & Orchestra / Schumann: Concerto for Piano & Orchestra

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A splendid performance by concertmaster Erich Gruenberg and maestro Horenstein in audiophile sonics! Gruenberg is the concertmaster of several leading British orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic and the London Symphony. This performance came about through an aborted performance by a solist who could not finish the recording, so it was decided to let the concertmaster perform the concerto. Gruenberg has a very warm sweet tone, in the Oistrakh and Francescatti mode. Horenstein's accompaniment is sensitive and supportive, filled with stength and tenderness. The Schumann doesn't sound as bright as the Beethoven, in terms of sonics. Frager's touch is soft and firm, filled with drive and emotion. People may find Helene Grimaud version more exciting, but it's hard to beat Frager and Horenstein for warmth.

Jascha Horenstein made so few recordings in good sound with good orchetras, most of them toward the end of his life, that Chesky's audiophile reissues always attract attention. These recordings come from a major Reader's Digest project to offer classical music to the masses; to my knowledge the orchestral works were almost entirely done by the Royal Phil. Frankly, I don't find either performance that strong. Horenstein could be an inspired Schumann conductor, and his take on the piano concerto is lean, spontaneous, and fairly fast. Malcolm Frager is too mild-mannered, howeer, and although I enjoyed his refined poetics, I kept wanting more fire.

As for the Beethoven violin concerto, there's much more for the conductor to do, but Horenstein seems content to offer a straightforward, unpretentious accompaniment. With the scheduled violinist bowing out at the last moment, concertmaster Erich Gruenberg pinch-hits admirably, but his reading doesn't sound like a finished, much less profound, interpretation. I imagine the trying circumstances prevented anyone from doing more than get the assignment done on time. Even so, Horenstein whips up some interest in the first movement, and the orchestra--adequate but nothing special--pays attention. As for the audiophile quality of the original LPs in the early Sixties, the sound is clear and open but nothing to write home about.