Building Your Library: Stravinsky Violin Concerto in D

Stravinsky had two self-doubts that delayed the creation of his violin concerto. The first was his wariness of virtuosos in general; he was never sure whether their intentions were to genuinely become a champion of his music, or if they just wanted to use his name as a vehicle to propel their careers. The second was his uncertainty that he can compose something for the violin that is both brilliant and practical, having never played or understood the fundamental limitations of the instrument. However, Stravinsky should have known the latter would be a non-issue, for countless non-violinist composers (Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc.) have composed concertos that are the cornerstones of the solo violin repertoire. Famous violist Paul Hindemith even advised Stravinsky that he was better off approaching the instrument as a foreigner so that Stravinsky would not fall victim to hackneyed, clichéd figurations that violinistic composers use. Stravinsky was persuaded eventually and met Samuel Dushkin, the virtuoso violinist who Stravinsky would collaborate with to compose his violin concerto. From this meeting, a beautiful friendship was formed and Stravsinky would end up composing for Dushkin the Duo Concertante, Divertimento, and Suite Italienne.

Describing his collaboration with Stravinsky, Dushkin wrote that his "function was to advise Stravinsky how his ideas could be best be adapted to the exigencies of the violin as a concert display instrument." [1] Dushkin further recalled that during lunch one day in Paris, Stravinsky "took out a piece of paper and wrote down [a] chord and asked me if it could be played. I have never seen a chord with such an enormous stretch...and I said "No." Stravinsky said sadly, "Quel dommage." After I got home, I tried it, and, to my astonishment, I found that in that register, the [chord] was relatively easy to play, and the sound fascinated me. I telephoned Stravinsky at one to tell him that it could be done. When the concerto was finished, more than six months later, I understood his disappointment when I first said "No." This chord, in a different dress, begins each of the four movements. Stravsinky himself calls it his "passport" to the concerto." [2]

And that chord is this eye-popping looking thing.

It's no surprise why Dushkin's knee-jerk reaction was to tell Stravinsky it's impossible; with an eleventh stacked on a ninth, that chord is intimidating just to look at.

The solo violinist is more of a duet partner to the orchestra for most of the concerto. Even though the number of forces in the orchestral is large, the accompaniment sounds more like a large chamber orchestra. Furthermore, as much as the solo violin part relies on Dushkin's suggestions, the orchestral music is undeniably Stravinsky. The passport chord opens the piece in the march-like Toccata. The two inner movements, creatively titled Aria I and Aria II, serves as an intermezzo and slow movement of the concerto. Aria II, reminiscent of one of Bach's slow movements from his violin concertos, is particularly affecting and tenderly beautiful. The last movement, Capriccio, is full of wit and humor. He isolates members of the orchestras to duet with the soloist head on, including the bassoonist and trombonist. In a funnier episode, the concertmaster challenges the soloist to a match of dexterity and agility. The two end abruptly in unison, as if to say "Well played sir", and the soloist continues to finish the concerto.

In terms of recordings, you can't go wrong with Dushkin and Stravinsky's recording. What could be better than the composer and violinist whom the piece was composed for immortalize their interpretation for posterity? While the recording quality is quite poor, it is still fascinating to hear how Dushkin and Stravinsky conceived the overall architecture of the piece. Another recording with Stravinsky on the podium was one with Isaac Stern soloing. In both these recordings, the music sounds new; the orchestra seems to be struggling to play the off-metered rhythms correctly, which detracts a little from the musicality. Nonetheless, if you are learning this concerto, both recordings are indispensable.

While I'm usually not a fan of Anne-Sophie Mutter's playing, her reading here is extremely stylish. Her effusive vibrato, for once, is well-served in the giant chords, giving them character and rounding out the sound. Another recording I was surprised to find myself enjoying is that of Maxim Vengerov's. While his tempo choices are slower than most of his contemporaries, his tone is massive and his attacks carry incredible bite.

JEFF RECOMMENDS

Hilary Hahn's style of playing is perfectly suited for this neoclassical composition. Out of her generation of violinists, she is probably the one who plays with the most reserve, rarely willing to sacrifice a decrease in technique or cleanliness for emotional abandon. She is an absolute machine when the music becomes fast (e.g. 2nd movement of Shostakovich Violin Concerto, 3rd movement of Barber Violin Concerto) and her technique serves her well here. The lines are clean and the harmonic structure comes through the music easily. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, provide Hahn with incredible support; the trickier rhythms are pedestrian in their hands and the soloists in the orchestra are infectiously fun to listen to in the work's final movement. The acoustic quality is lively and robust, adding sparkle to the already effervescent work. Usually, I don't agree with who wins the Grammy's for classical music, but I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically agree with this album's Grammy win.

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[1][2] Samuel Dushkin, Working With Stravinsky, in Igor Stravinsky, ed. Edwin Corle (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1949).

Building Your Library: Vivaldi The Four Seasons

Yes, I'm really doing this. "Do we really need a recommendation for this hackneyed, oft-recorded equivalent of classical pop music?" you may ask. To which I reply laconically, yes. The music for this set of concerti can be extremely stimulating if one finds the right recording, completely different from the performances we often hear in commercials for real estate, hotels, and Chinese buffets. To help me weed out the 200+ recordings that are currently commercially available, let me set down some exclusion parameters in my considerations.

The first is I am only looking into recordings made after the year 2000. While there have been good historical albums made by violinist such as Arthur Grumiaux, Salvatore Accardo, and Isaac Stern, their performances tend to be to rather straight-laced, as if their playing against a metronome. The sound quality is also usually pretty dry, suffering from the dated acoustic engineering from the time. This also means I am not considering recordings made during 1985-2000. This 15 year span seems to be a renaissance/transition period of sorts for historically-informed performances (HIP), which redefined the tempi of Baroque pieces to be quicker overall and made the use of ornamentations more prevalent. As such, there sounds to be a lot of experimenting with what works and what does not and, unfortunately, none of the recordings made around these years stand out in my listening sessions. Lastly, I am not giving any consideration to recordings that transcribed the solo part for other instruments (e.g. recording, guitar, etc.) because the majority are tacky and none of the transcriptions are particularly successful.

To decide which recordings I like, I listen specifically for three thins, besides from how well the soloists plays. The first is the soloist's choice in tempo. The pace of the outer movements in older recordings are oftentimes border on moderato rather than a true allegro. The detraction in tempo leads to a loss of the music's kinetic feel, which is what makes these pieces so appealing. The second is the use of ornamentations. Especially in the slow movements, the changes in harmony are separated by long melodic lines, which makes the transitions less awkward. However, the soloist must be sure not to be overzealous in the improvisations; it should be classy (for the lack of a better word) and refrain from egregious and excessive flights of fancy. The last thing is the energy of the orchestra. Nothing is better in Baroque music than an orchestra playing with a ton of spunk and sounding like they're having fun.

The past 3 years have produced a number of new recordings of the Four Seasons. Of the ones that are not as successful include recordings by Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, and Lara St. John. While they are all well-recorded acoustically, something is lacking in their playing and fails to maintain my interest. It sounds as if they wish to play in a "Modern Baroque" style (Baroque tempi/improvisations/mannerism, but on modern instruments) but do not embrace the style fully enough to make a convincing or compelling recording.

On the other hand, relatively unknown  Amandine Beyer's 2008 recording is great. A HIP recording, her performance is focused more on clarity and sharp articulation. While the slow movement to Winter is a bit hard on the ear, this minor complaint is absolved by the finales, where the textures and details vividly pop off the music.

There have been outlandish recordings as well. Nigel Kennedy's 2004 recording comes to mind. His first recording that he made in 1989 was somewhat revolutionary (both in the positive and negative sense), where his brash style of playing focused more on creating the effects rather than making the music mellifluous. The newer recording is more of the same, where Kennedy takes liberty in adding unwritten crescendos, encourages the orchestra to dig in frequently, and plays with eccentric phrasing. Not totally my cup of tea, but if worth a hear if you can borrow a copy.

By far the oddest version I've heard is the recording by Terje Tønnesen. If Kennedy's readings were only mildly offensive, the unconventionality of Tønnesen's recording might insult listeners enough to drive them to murder. For example, in the last movement of Summer when the thunderstorm arrives, he starts the music with a timpani roll followed by the tamtam.

Now take a listen to what he does in the last movement of Autumn. In the music, hunters and hounds are chasing a wild animal during the annual hunt. Below is the portion where the animal is attempting to escape the hounds and dodge the bullets from the hunters.

While the results are novel, the authenticity of the music is no where near Vivaldi's intent. But again, another curious recording if you can get a hold of a copy.

JEFF RECOMMENDS

For a recording of the Four Seasons on modern instruments, there can be none better than Janine Jansen's 2004 reading with her friends and family accompanying. You can hear that there is a meaning behind everything she does. Her phrasing is thoughtful, illuminating the programmatic nature of the music through her bow rather than kitschy outside effects. Her tempi are perfect for the Modern Baroque approach, and her improvisations are organic without sounding indulgent. While some people dislike Jansen because her playing can be over-the-top at times, her style is perfectly suited for these pieces and will be one of the best available for some time to come.

For a HIP recording, Giuliano Carmignola's newer recording made in 2000 remains king. In true HIP fashion, his tempi are fast even compared to other Baroque recordings. But never does the music sound frantic or on the verge of spinning out of control. The production in tone and assurance in intonation is absolutely firm in Carmignola's hands. Not needing to worry about the performance crashing and burning, listeners can allow the kinetic fury to overtake them, making their eyes dilate in excitement. At a budget price, this recording is a must-have for any collector.

Building Your Library: Shostakovich String Quartet No.8

Composed July 12-14, 1960

Premiered by Beethoven Quartet

Lasting on average a little over twenty minutes and composed in the span of three days, this quartet was in all likelihood intended to be a requiem by Shostakovich for himself. It tells a tale of, what I would imagine, the mentality and inner turmoil one suffers while living under the Soviet regime. The year 1960 was a bad year for Shostakovich; shortly before the genesis of this quartet, he was diagnosed with myelitis (an inflammation of the spinal cord) and was forced to join the Communist Party. This quartet is a very personal statement by Shostakovich; the musical cryptogram of his own name, where Dmitri Shostakovich (DSCH) become D-E♭-C-B in musical annotation, serves as the melodic motif that each movement is derived from. It’s quite amazing how in intervals between each note in the DSCH motif can sound lugubrious and threatening at the same time. Officially, the dedication of the piece is for all “the victims of fascism and war”. However, Shostakovich’s son interprets this as for the victims of all totalitarianism while his daughter believed it to be a dedication to himself. Even Shostakovich, in his characteristic sarcasm, describes the piece as "an ideologically deficient quartet nobody needs... It is a pseudo-tragic quartet, so much so that while I was composing it I shed the same amount of tears as I would have to pee after half-a-dozen beers". [1] Given all this, it is easy to see why many believe that this quartet serves as an epitaph preceding suicide.

The piece begins with the DSCH motif in canon, starting from the lowest member of the quartet to the highest.

Austere, defeated. While Shostakovich usually uses DSCH in a more bombastic and defiant manner (e.g. Symphony No.10, Violin Concerto No.1), the emptiness and complete absence of texture is what speaks to the heart of the listener. The whole movement seems to be enveloped in a smoky haze. Even the most beautiful moment in the movement is marred by something ominous, a disturbance beneath the surface.

If the first movement represented the introspective resignation of life, the second movement represents the fury that led up to it. This movement, no more than 3 minutes, is a fist that refuses to unclench for the duration. It is the complete compression of kinetic energy and release of reckless abandon that makes it so effective next to the disturbed placidity of the first movement. Perhaps in remembrance to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, Shostakovich recalls in this movement the famous Jewish theme he used for his second piano trio.

Just as suddenly as it began, the music abruptly cuts off. A little introduction by the first violin bridges into the danse macabre of the third movement. Perverted and grotesque, Shostakovich envisioned himself dancing this waltz of death with the DSCH motif skittering above the waltz rhythm.

Schizophrenic paranoia pervades the movement. What’s most shocking in this sequence is the ending to the phrase. Just when the music seems to be fading away, a bloodcurdling scream erupts, as if someone has just been brutally stabbed.

The penultimate movement begins with knuckle-breaking knocks. What is it like to be a public servant in a totalitarian government and living in constant fear that small mistake would result in one disappearing into the night? This fear plagued Shostakovich his whole life, especially after the first denunciation in 1936 (after the fallout from Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District) and the second denunciation in 1948. It was during that time that Shostakovich "waited for his arrest at night out on the landing by the lift, so that at least his family wouldn't be disturbed". [2] How he must have dreamt nightmares of or imagined those knocks on the door, always unsure if the next time would be his turn. The last movement serves as an epilogue; wretched back to reality, the memories of before remain only as whispers within an empty room.

The ideal recording results from an ensemble that chooses effective tempi in the inner three movements (usually on the faster side) and a strong sense of musical continuity in the outer two.

While the Emerson SQ recording has been much praised, resulting from both their Grammy win as well as their reputation as a quartet, I find there are major issues with the balance. The microphones pick up the viola and cello easily enough but it makes the violins sound far away in comparison. The sound is also very dry and brittle in the violins and overly resonant in the lower voices.

For a great historical recording, the Borodin SQ really lets the music speak for itself. Their cellist, Valentin Berlinsky, once told of a story where his quartet went to Shostakovich's home and played this piece for the composer. After the last chord faded away, the composer sat there, deep in thought, staring at nothing. Shostakovich rose from his seat shakily, and left the room. The quartet packed up and left. The next day Berlinsky received a call from Shostakovich, whereupon the composer apologized for not speaking to them afterwards, for their performance transported him back to a dark place and time in his life. Needless to say, this recording if a must-have for fans of this piece.

One of the most stylish readings comes from the Fitzwilliam SQ. They employ some daring slides in the third movements that heighten the perversion of the waltz. The only complaint I may have (and it's not that big a complaint) is their tempi are too fast, especially in the second movement. The music should always have forward momentum, but not frenetically so.

The St. Lawrence SQ has also recorded a great recording of the work. Embodying the swashbuckling American-style of quartet playing, their collective tone carries rougher edge that makes the music pop. The downside is the individual tones from each member are too different, which effects moments in the slower movements when the music is more static.

JEFF RECOMMENDS

The Jerusalem SQ is a quartet with the Midas touch; every piece they record turns to gold. They are, in my opinion, the perfect quartet. The way they balance the heart and the head in their playing along with their homogeneity in sound is what makes them special. In this recording, the way they are able to maintain the melodic line without sacrificing the Largo tempo in the first and last movement is amazing. Their tempo choices are perfect and their intensity and high-octane reading serves them well in the inner movements. I am convinced there will never be a better recording than this one.

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[1] Shostakovich, ed. Glikman; pp.90-91
[2] Shostakovich: A Life Remembered, Elizabeth Wilson; p.183