Customer Reviews

Joachim, Sarasate, Ysa˙e

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A difficult, but highly musically rewarding album. Acoustic lateral-cut recordings made before about 1907-08 are extremely difficult to listen to unless the auditor adjusts to the distinctive colors, limitations, and mechanical interferences (notably surface noise) of the process. It is also helpful to realize that the violin was one of the most problematic instruments to record by the acoustic process, due to the violin's largely non-directional method of sound emission; instruments with a pointable sound aperture (most wind instruments, for example) recorded better becuse you could direct the sound straight into the recording horn. Assuming these conceptual hurdles are cleared, we have a document of three distinctive nineteenth-century musicians playing in styles so divergent from "modern" practice as to require twenty-first century auditors to develop completely different standards of assessment in order to appreciate what they hear. Truly, these recordings are a sonic glimpse into another world. The most problematic, both for current listeners and for his own contemporaries, is Joachim. He is also the oldest violinist of the three at the time of his recordings (72), and critics had had questions about certain elements of his playing style for many years before--most notably, his intonation, which was odd enough to provoke a spirited defense of it by George Bernard Shaw, a man who rarely defended ANY musician he reviewed. Also, his almost complete lack of vibrato is decidedly unsettling unless you realize that vibrato was regarded as an expressive device rather than a necessity until 1900, and Joachim had been concertizing since the 1840s. One of Joachim's students, Howard Rattay, was concertmaster of the Victor Orchestra attached to the Victor Talking Machine Company, and Rattay's similarly vibratoless style can be heard supporting dozens of Caruso, McCormack, Farrar, and other Red Seal artists' performances into the late 1910s. Joachim's bow is also not the steadiest all the time; but what is astonishing is the broad style and committment to the brief extracts the Gramophone Company allowed him to record. The Bach extracts are fascinating in many ways, not only because of Joachim's distinctive (and surprisingly sober) performance, but also because they were about the only Bach pieces available on record ANYWHERE in 1903! Think about that the next time you see a store with umpteen record bins filled with more Bach than even God wants to hear! Sarasate's E major Preludio is the other Bach that came on the market in 1904, and it is the weirdest rendition on record--played so fast and uncomfortably it sounds like a cockeyed etude! (I also happen to like it very much--it brings Bach off his irritatingly exalted pedestal into the realm of humanity.) Other than that, Sarasate's style is much more accessible than Joachim's, with a constant vibrato and a flexibility of approach that verges on erratic. (Rubato WAS king.) Sarasate's intonation is occasionally imprecise, but the man had enormous style; the cadenzas in the first part of Zigeunerweisen are gossamer-like. The rest of his pieces are a mixed bag as far as musical "value", but all are at least fun and very idiomatic.I wish I could recommend the Ysaye transfers more highly, but the Sony collection of his complete solo recordings (plus several of his sides as conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony in the late Teens) beats these transfers hollow. However, Ysaye's musicianship and grace comes through even here, and this is a good "starter" set in that regard. His Mendelssohn concerto finale is lovely and dancelike, but he must have made the Columbia recording engineers very nervous--it fills a 12" 78 side as full as possible and then some, running a full minute over the usual 4-minute limit, even with two cuts. (You can hear Ysaye flub the second cut and then recover himself magnificently.)If you are looking for pristine, squeaky clean performances with current ideas of bowing, intonation, and interpretation, buy a recently-released disc of a modern violin superstar. If you want to enter another aural world and are willing to listen historically to performers who were regarded as highly idiosyncratic even in their own day, this is a wonderful CD. It does take work, but it's well worth it.

They key to appreciating the importance of this recording is to not try to listen to it through 21st century ears but through 19th century ears. This performance is remarkable in how it gives a key to the past AND guidance for the future of classical music. Really.

See Peter Gutmann's most-excellent review of Joachim's performance of Brahm's Hungarian Dance #2(...)

This is the most important recording ever! It is true that they are not perfect but even today with all the millions of cuts there are 2 or 3 notes on every recording that aren't good. Joachim plays Bach with a wisdom that is far beyond almost anybody playing today. Sarasate is now probably my favourite violinist. He has a style, grace, and elegance that is so personal that it captures the very essence of the 19th century. I say throw away your perfect intonation, your big sound, your wide vibrato. The most interesting thing about this style is the way that they don't "romanticize" the phrases nearly as much as today, giving the pieces a better overall conception. You don't remember something really special but rather the general impression. I have heard many violinists speak fondly of "the old guys" but never does it translate into the actual playing. Put on your 19th century ears. Let's throw out perfection for a more raw personal way of music making.

This is probably the most valuable recording ever made in history of the violin (unless there's a recording of Paganini out there, which I'm only fantasizing about). You really get to see how the playing styles changed from the early 1900s to now.

Joachim, to me, was the hardest to get used to. His own composition, Romance in C Major, and Hungarian Dances Nos. 1 and 2 were just amazing; beautifully played. However, his Bach was very different than what I had expected. His Bourree was alright; it was listen-able, but his Bach Sonata in G minor: I. Adagio was disappointing. I'm very lenient and at the same time picky on Bach. I know that people have their own interpretations of Bach, and I respect that, but I only give consent to Nathan Milstein and Henryk Szeryng's recording of Bach. Maybe Heifetz as an alternative. Joachim twisted around the rhythms and there was a thrust in the bow in the very first chord, unlike the type you can do in the Bach Chaconne. But when I listened to it many times, the Bach wasn't so bad. It was actually quite genius in the sense that back then, many people played Bach quite differently. What amazed me the most about Joachim was that both the Hungarian Dances were played with AMAZING speed and near perfection, and he was at the age of 72 when he recorded this.

Sarasate, the one I find most valuable in this album, recorded many of his own compositions and some other ones. From his Zigeunerweisen to Habanera and others, they were all played amazingly. Sarasate probably had arms of steel and extremely swift fingers at the tempo he was playing everything. Sarasate skips many of the introductions, such as the introductions in Introduction & Tarantelle and Caprice Basque (or Vasco). He also skips in the beginning of the Zapateado, but they were all perfectly fine. My favorite recording of Sarasate was his Habanera. I just loved the way he played it. Sarasate also had a very nice staccato. Finally, what amazed me the most was his Bach Prelude from Partita No. 3 in E Major. It was played INSANELY fast. I compared the speed with Michael Rabin's recording of Paganini's Moto Perpetuo, and they were almost the same speed, Sarasate's Bach just a tad slower. It was played almost perfectly, too. Sarasate recorded all this when he was 60 years old.

Ah, for the finale, Ysaye. Much different from Joachim and Sarasate, Ysaye had his own style which appealed to me very much. The excessive vibrato and portamento was absolutely NOT excessive. It was used a lot, but not overly used. You can really see his huge vibrato and portamento in the Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor, when the tempo changes from its theme. Ysaye played amazingly. I really liked his style, and he played like a maestro. It's sad that Ysaye didn't have a chance to record his six sonatas. I would pay hundreds of dollars to have a recording of Ysaye playing his six sonatas, and see his own interpretation of them. Ysaye recorded all this when he was 52 years old.

I highly encouragein getting this album. Just a warning, this album is very hard to listen to. The quality is bad, obviously, with a lot of background noise because it was recorded a hundred years ago. It's not too bad to listen to but some parts get inaudible but recover almost instantly. This is a gem of the history of violins to have a huge composer like Sarasate playing his own compositions. Get this album now!

It is very worthwhile to hear this recording at least once, especially if you are a violinist.

Would I play Sarasate like Sarasate? Beyond the fact that I can't, I probably wouldn't choose to. Does that make his interpretation wrong or inferior in any way? Not really. Not every pianist plays Rachmaninov like Rachmaninov, not every violinist plays Kreisler like Kreisler. In fact, if they did, the musical world would be a very boring place indeed.

I find Joachim's playing to be very interesting. The interpretation and range of portamentos is astounding. Yesaye's I find lush and beautiful.

Listening to Sarasate's recording of the third partita, I do have to confess I cringe. It is fast and sounds very pinched to me. It is, indeed, exACTLY as I expected from the composer of Zigunerweisen and the Carmen Fantasy. It does show some good technique; however. The tempo is insane, Sarasate must have had incredibly powerful arms at his age.

There are some unfortunate things that this recording brings to light. I would have very much liked for Joachim's recording of the Mendelssohn to be here, since he knew Mendelssohn personally, and his recording of the Brahms, since he had such an influiential part in it's composition. It also seems no recording of Wieniawsky or Vieuxtemps ever existed; or if they did they're not here, but this is just me wishing to hear these violinists play too, not a fault with the actual disk.

Are these three legendary violin "giants", the most prominent exponents of violin playing in the second half of the nineteenth century, really as good as the critics of their age depicted? Don't be over bullish about the answer. First, we must bear in mind that Joachim was already 72, Sarasate 60, and Ysaye 54 at the time of their recordings. Many violinists are still highly active at 60, but most violinists' performances suffer marked deterioration at 70, if they're still able to play at all. Second, they surely aren't accustomed to playing in a studio. Surprisingly and thankfully, if we listen through the surface noise, we'll find that their tone qualities have not been seriously undermined.

Judged objectively, Joachim's technical equipment is passable (except in Brahms's second Hungarian dance) irrespective of his ripe old age, which is fairly impressive. He can play multiple stoppings together (for example, Bach's Bouree), though they sound a bit laboured. His tone is broad and virile, and he has a sonorous G string, but the timbre is not much varied or vibrant, and the vibrato is barely perceptible. He does employ a bit of slides and position changes, probably influenced by Elman and Kreisler. His sense of phrasing is not much different from those of modern players, though he occasionally plays some notes faster than the present wont. The most notable uniqueness of his interpretation is his addition of some embellishments (e.g. grace notes) in Bach's solo music. In my view, the renditions do not sound anachronistic or archaic but for their generally lower pitch. Rather, if we didn't know it was the recording of Joachim, we would likely deem it the playing of an average violin student. Therefore I conclude that his musicianship is not at all superior or unique when appraised by current standards, yet we're still apt to hold these interpretations in high esteem just because they were Joachim's.

If any modern player plays Sarasate's pieces exactly like Sarasate--i.e. being completely true to the composer's intention--he or she will get the flak for 1) tackling these showpieces with inadequate technique and 2) playing these pieces with intolerable nonchalance. Sarasate's intonation was never spotless in any of his compositions, though some are better than others. Tarantelle is among the better ones; Zigeunerweisen is perhaps the messiest. He uses more vibrato than Joachim, and his tone is slightly sweeter and brighter. Pieces like Zigeunerweisen and Habanera are actually terrifically composed and have the potential to be musically rewarding--for instance, when they're respectively played, or elevated, by Shaham and Midori--but are no more than melodious technical exercises in the hands of their composer. Other rarely heard pieces such as Capricio Jota, Capricio Vasco, and Miramar certainly deserve to remain obscure, for they scarcely contain any intrinsic musical worth--unless Midori will perform some more miracles.

Sarasate also recorded Chopin's Nocturne in E flat and Bach's Prelude of the third partita. The nocturne is the only lyrical piece he recorded and I consider it, surprising or not, the most satisfying of his nine recordings. First, in this technically easy piece, his faulty intonation was finally not exposed. Second, he frequently used portamento, vibrato, and sometimes even rubato, therefore his rendition is akin to the twentieth century standard interpretation. I say it's the most satisfying of his recordings because it's not played entirely in the nineteenth century tradition--which is obviously much inferior to the present standard--but that doesn't mean it can be objectively evaluated as a good performance. Excellent for a 60-year-old nineteenth century player, perhaps, but only a "fair" rendition by modern gauge. Again, a good violin student today can easily outplay him.

Sarasate made a wrong decision in selecting Bach's prelude, for the playing can only be depicted as "catastrophic" even violinistically. After a fair start, his fingers and bow begin to lose coordination, and the latter part of this quasi-moto perpetuo piece falls all into a muddle. One can hardly know what's going on with the music, because the notes are all in a mess, utterly shambolic. This is doubtlessly his worst recording, and almost certainly the worst recording ever of this piece, for any twentieth century violinist who recorded anything near that would definitely have recorded again. It's mind-boggling that such ghastly and pathetic playing of a respectable piece would be reckoned acceptable by one of the nineteenth century's top performers. Maybe this was the typical performance on their off-nights, which might occur more frequently than "good nights" for a 60-year-old player of the last century.

The producer selected five of the better recordings made by Ysaye to fill in the blank. Ysaye's playing clearly sounds more modern and individual than the other two "masters", though his technique can never pass the present criteria. His tone, quite ductile and graced by copious use of portamento and vibrato, has the charm to mesmerize. His sometimes elastic tempo is probably decided by the whim of the moment, and may not always be persuasive (e.g. in Brahms's fifth Hungarian dance).

Apart from some inaccurate notes and an incompetent piano accompanist, his recording of the finale of Mendelssohn's E minor violin concerto is a good recording by any standard: buoyant, bouncy, animated, and slightly impish due to some alterations of the rhythm. Two mazurkas by Wieniawski (who taught him for a few lessons) and Brahms's fifth Hungarian dance are among his best recordings: spicy, expressive and enticing. Faure's Berceuse is played captivatingly, and the now forgotten Scherzo-Valse by Chabrier sounds as if it merits a revival.

To conclude, I'd say the accounts of these legendary players may have been true 100 years ago, but when they're plunged onto the modern stage, Sarasate and Joachim will undeniably be mediocre players. If Ysaye possessed the technique of today's average violinists, he might have been rather charismatic.

This disc has historical interest, but not too much musical value.

This CD's value comes mostly from its historical value, rather than the quality of the featured violinists' playing. If you are looking to enjoy the works featured on this disc, you would be better off listening to a modern day recording. If you want to listen to some interesting renditions of pieces played by the composer himself (Sarasate) and do not have a record player, this is a great CD to start with. His works, while not as great in musical triumph as works by Bach, Brahms, Mendelssohn, etc., do capture aspects of the Spanish culture very well. Joachim's rendition of his own transcription of Brahm's Hungarian Dance No.1 is perhaps the most soulful recording of the piece, the introduction reminiscent of Jan Kubelik's playing. Overall, I think we are better off with some record of these virtuoso's playing rather than none. These violinists helped to raise the standards for violin playing to what they are today.
Other noteworthy violinists of the past for which there are recordings are Leopold Auer, Jan Kubelik, and Fritz Kreisler (early recordings).

You are wasting your money if you buy this. I found a similar recordings on LPs in my university library. Compared to them, this CD has the worst sound you can possible hear. The static background noise is so loud that you don't get much out of the CD except the annoying hissing sound. The LPs have much clear sound and less static sound. They were made in the 70's. OPAL claims that this junk CD was remastered with the lasted technology. I wonder what that is.

It was impossible to ignore the background noise, but all the pieces were interesting. It is true that they were old when they recorded these pieces, but you can still get much information about their style. I think it's really stupid to compare them with modern violinists. We are talking about different schools and different eras.