Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 9 Op 47

[Todd A]

Christian Ferras and Pierre Barbizet. From new school French chamber music-making to old school French chamber music-making. Ferras opens with more vibrato and a richer sound. Barbizet jumps right in offers perfectly judged support. One hears less tidiness than with Capuçon and Braley, and some others, but the music-making élan cannot be faulted. What can be faulted is the exclusion of the repeat. Boo! Somehow, and I'm not sure how, the duo up their game in the Andante, which retains a light touch from both almost throughout. In the faster music, Ferras displays a springy style and sound, and Barbizet plinks along with him. They opt not to let the slower music get bogged down, and the whole fifteen minutes glides by. The Presto has ample energy and boogie, and a certain cohesiveness and classical-meets-romantic, serious-meets-light approach that just captivates. The mono sound fully satisfies. Still one of the greats.

 

[Todd A]

Tedi Papavrami and FFG. Papavrami starts off with robust playing in the Adagio sostenuto, as does FFG, and then things just get more robust in the Presto. Papavrami belts it out, his double stops sounding like triple stops. FFG plays with more energy than normal, and some repeated chords have a speedy, intense-but-not-too-intense vibe. The musicians generate an almost giddy sense of energy together. It is not subtle. It blazes. So does the Andante. Well, the fast music does at any rate. Papavrami does generate more of that big, rich sound in the slower music, but even the slower music sounds fairly taut, but the duo go for maximum contrast and excitement when revving up the fast music. The only downside is that the fourth variation sounds comparatively indelicate, though in context of the recording, it works spectacularly well. Predictably, the concluding Presto blazes as the opening movement Presto did, the musicians scampering and ripping through the music, with a focus on thrills and fun more than depth. Fortunately, it works. This was foreordained. FFG exists to make world class chamber music recordings. (And solo recordings.)

 

[Todd A]

And finally, Zino Francescatti and Robert Casadesus. No need to beat around the bush here, this is the greatest of the greats, always has been, and always will be. Francescatti uses healthy dollops of vibrato, and perhaps not the most secure intonation in recorded history, but that matters not a whit, especially when Casadesus enters to back him up, laying down a perfectly judged and layered foundation. Tempo choices are perfect. Dynamics, though constricted by the age of the recording, sound spot-on, and energy level remains nearly as high as Papavrami/FFG, with greater degree of refinement. The only mark against the duo is the exclusion of the repeat. Francescatti and Casadesus offer an unsurpassed master class in how to deliver an Andante and variations movement that is both quick - too quick? Nope - and yet perfectly poised, offering a classical approach and a perfect amount of variation in style, touch, sound, everything. As Francescatti plays up and down, Casadesus shadows him with such synchronicity that one can tell they had performed the work together for decades before recording it. The concluding Presto, too, sounds well nigh perfect in almost every regard, with Casadesus launching with potent chords, and then a collective backing off before a collective revving back up, with basically perfect everything all the way to the end. As great as it ever was.

 

[Todd A]

Time to tier 'em up:

Top Tier
Francescatti/Casadesus
Cerovsek/Jumppanen
Perlman/Ashkenazy
Dusinberre/Korevaar
Kopatchinskaja/Say
Papavrami/FFG
Repin/Argerich
Ferras/Barbizet
Grumiaux/Haskil
Kulenkampff/Kempff

Second Tier
Capuçon/Braley
Cortot/Thibaud
Fouchenneret/Descharmes
Szeryng/Rubinstein
Keulen/Minnaar
Irnberger/Korstick
Faust/Melnikov
Dego/Leonardi
Shoji/Cascioli
Kremer/Argerich

Third Tier
Kavakos/Pace
Dumay/Pires
Kashimoto/Lifschitz
Schneiderhan/Kempff
Suk/Panenka
Zukerman/Barenboim
Zukerman/Neikrug
Kuls/Danczowska
Frank/Frank
Mutter/Orkis
Hanslip/Driver

Fourth Tier
Oistrakh/Oborin (mono)
Bartók/Szigeti
Boskovsky/Kraus
Heifetz/Smith
Kulenkampff/Solti
Kapustin/Koekkoek
Baráti/Würtz
Oistrakh/Oborin (stereo)
Nishizaki/Jandó
Taschner/Gieseking

Seventh Tier
Schröder/Immerseel

 

[cnocmoy10]

Jascha Heifetz and Brooks Smith. Heifetz rips into the Adagio, and Smith plays his part nicely, though as second fiddle. With no repeat and a Heifetz tempo - fast - the duo zip through the opening movement with zest in the fast passages and indulgent vibrato and portamento from Heifetz in the slower passages. Of course it's well played, especially the violin part, but it verges on the breathless at times. The Andante is likewise taken very fast, and here the result is no bueno. It just sounds rushed and devoid of much musical merit, as if it was a warm-up for a recital with an approach designed to garner applause for the speed, and the recording has Heifetz overwhelm the pianist. The Presto is similarly focused on speed and execution and surface excitement. In those areas, it excels. As a fully satisfying musical experience, not so much.

Pish,pash tosh!
Heifetz rules!