So what's new? May 18
My latest Cd is the new Hilary Hahn Brahms/ Stravinsky offering from Sony. Its my first Hilary Hahn Cd, though I had listened to her Beethoven concerto on Napster. So how's the new CD? I guess I will review it - the Brahms at least it is my fave violin concerto, and I will be totally subjective of course. (Something being subjective just means that you can't argue with me because it's my opinion). Well -Gramophone or BBC (one of those British music magazines.. I suppose I'll have to look again sometime) gave it quite a good review, and since I'm always looking for a good modern recording of the Brahms I thought I'd give it a try.
I think it's pretty good overall. I like the choice of tempos - I always have the infamous Heifetz/Reiner'55 recording in mind, and I think these artists who dare to play the first movement of this piece in 24 or more minutes are quite insane (compare that to Heifetz's 18'53!). I think the average modern recording first mvt goes around 22-23 minutes, and this one is about average, though it does not seem as agonizingly slow as Mutter/Mazur. I can stand it, in other words. The third movement whips along nicely, and Hahn is technically good enough to make it exciting but not w/out finesse. She has a nice sound, clear but rich - she is also an intelligent player, I think. The interp seems "traditional" at least in that there's no vibrato heavy melodrama like you get from Mutter, and not a lot of classic sliding or strange phrasing. Intelligent if not the most emotionally gripping performance.
My main problem with the recording is the orchestra. Since the balance puts Hahn forward, it's sometimes difficult to hear the accompaniment -esp the first movement (the first oboe line after Hahn's entrance is very soft - I honestly think 5'20-5'40 could be more exciting if the orchestral accompaniment were more punctuated, but apparently SNM thinks not ---and what lower string pizzicato walking bass?!). So at times this produces an amorphous, spacious, almost floating effect with just the solo violin to focus on. I like to hear what the orchestra is doing, damn it. (Of course I do - I play the orchestral accompaniment for my violinist roommate). Still, I don't think Brahms perfected his counterpoint so that could write a concerto wherein the orchestra can't be heard. And this can't be much of a concerto "against the violin" if you can't appreciate what is going on behind the violin . ( I have this same gripe with my Perlman/Barenboim recording of the Brahms violin sonatas - you can't hear the piano very well.) Also, Marriner's strings seem a little weak in some spots (4'54 in 3rd mvt). - BUT all these are minor reservations really - it's a good recording overall. |
