Thank you. Looks like another hole in the Qobuz USA Sony Classical catalog 
That’s too bad… I am just now listening to Carmignola’s album on Qobuz. I had it saved in my library from Tidal. These holes in the streaming service’s catalogue are the proverbial pain in the a$$…
1 Like
You may try these recordings; I switched listening to the latter album with the complete Op.3 concerti including the 24 Caprice and it seems to me quite good…
Edit: I’ll amend my remark and say that Fanfoni’s playing is every bit as ‘virtuoso’ and stylish as can be expected, and the recording is excellent. A real tour de force of nearly 4 hours, through these 12 concertos…
2 Likes
Excellent. Thank you.
1 Like
Digging a little deeper, I have found another complete cycle by the Ucranian violinist Mela Tanenbaum on Essay. It has been released in four volumes, volumes 1+2 in one set, and two additional releases with volumes 3 and 4. It is available on Qobuz, or at least here at my place it is:
Edit: Well, this is a welcome surprise. Great playing by Tenenbaum, and certainly an urgent invitation to explore her discography… I see that these recordings from the mid 1990’s have been re-released on Brilliant Classics…
And then there is a recording by the Romanian violinist Mariana Sîrbu on Philips, which I can’t find on Qobuz nor Tidal.
2 Likes
Well, this morning I had other things in mind, but a timely digression from Locatelli and his Caprice to Luca Fanfoni and then to Mela Tenenbaum led me to this… if you haven’t heard it, possibly a big surprise and experience of interpretational excellence…
At the time (2005) when the recording was made in his living room, the pianist and director Richard Kapp was severely ill, diagnosed with a devastating form of cancer. It then may be considered his musical testament. He finally passed away one year later in June 2006. How often the forgotten and neglected recordings turn out to be the finest… The mastered balance favors somewhat unduly Mr Kapp’s piano part, but even so this is outstanding.
2 Likes
I am sorry because it is not my turn to post on this thread, but I just had to…
On further exploring Ms Tenenbaum’s recorded wonders I (of course) put on her take on Bach’s six solos for violin… and it’s as if I had glimpsed Nirvana… This at once moved up to the top of the list of my most loved recordings… of Bach or of anything. It’s a shame her name should not be much more well-known, but maybe it is and it’s only my very own ignorance which has kept this gem of an interpretation hidden from discovery for far too long…
Included is a third CD with her own comments and thoughts about Bach’s music, but this I still have not listened to… First I must give this another listen tonight, when all around me is still and quiet… I feel that this interpretation deserves to be approached with reverence…
3 Likes
I came across Mela Tenebaum a short while ago when looking for Tartini Devil’s Trill Sonata recordings. The album’s title, “The Devil Made Me Do It”, proved irresistible, despite a pan review in BBC Music. Also includes some Leclair, Locatelli and Paganini. A remarkable recording of Tenebaum on viola with Richard Kapp on piano. Delightful. Then with yesterday’s Locatelli explorations, I came across her name again in a Gramophone review of Igor Ruhadze’s Locatelli Capricci separated from their associated violin concerti. Like you, I further explored Locatelli and her performances came up. Tried to find any of her work reviewed in Gramophone to no avail and the Gramophone website has gone dark this morning. I noticed the Bach Sonatas & Partitas in her Roon/Qobuz discography, but thought do I really need to listen to another of these (how often have I missed treasures with this thought?)? Evidently yes, given your greatly informed and ringing endorsement. I will also listen attentively to the Brahms Violin Sonatas she recorded with Richard Kapp in the dying man’s living room.
Classics Today reviewers Jed Distler, David Vernier and David Hurwitz are wild about everything she’s recorded, including a Bach Sonatas for Violin & Piano she also performed with Richard Kapp. I see that Robert Maxham has compared her playing to Jascha Heifitz’s. In my world, it doesn’t get any better than that. She is definitely under-appreciated and appears to have gone quiet, unsurprising given horrific events in her home country, Ukraine.
It is always your turn (or anyone’s) to post. I would have responded closer to real time, given my keen Locatelli pursuit and your generous help, but was outside working until late in the evening. Your recommendations are again wonderful. Thank you.
2 Likes
Even though this album definitely proves that Ms Tenenbaum feels at home with a viola just as with her violin, I didn’t care too much for it when listening yesterday. But this is not so much due to her playing, but rather to the chosen instrument used with repertoire that in my mind requires the more aggressive sound of a violin. The attacks sound ever so much softer on a viola, and something gets lost… But there seems to exist an album with a similar title and cover, recorded nearly at the same time, but released before the viola album, playing the same or similar repertoire on the violin. Unfortunately, this is not available on streaming services.
However, there is a trilogy of chamber music albums which were inspired by Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin novels; these I find fascinating, very well-played, with interesting programming and very chamber-like, close-up and warm sound. Quite remarkable, indeed!
Yes, with so many recordings available of the Bach solo violin pieces, one definitely turns averse to yet another one… I’m happy I did listen… Today I’ll have a second session with Ms Tenenbaum’s Bach, but I already feel that this deserves a top spot or the very top spot of my preferred renderings. It has nothing HIP about it, it is rather very old-school, but wonderful all the same.
I appreciate this being a conversation as the thread title makes clear; it may sometimes be a dialogue, but should never become a monologue as has been the case with other forum threads, where some users pointlessly post album after album, without ever losing a word about the posted material. I am guilty of doing the same in the past, but reconsidered and now feel that it is thoroughly tiresome.
2 Likes
I’ve been looking for the Tenebaum/Kapp The Devil’s Thrill recording with her on violin rather than viola. I agree re: softness of attack/timbre on Viola, but still enjoyed it. Decided to re-listen to Andrew Manze’s (solo violin) and David Oistrakh’s piano-accompanied Devil’s Trill again to compare. Completely different styles in the latter two, but both phenomenal. David Oistrakh, in particular, astonishes me. Have to look past the recording quality a bit. But it doesn’t prevent appreciation of his performance.
Here’s the Manze performance of the piece
I love the way Mela Tenebaum demonstrates such relish and virtuosity, particularly in the Locatelli pieces.
2 Likes
I expect that some folks are just shy about voicing why they post a particular album and use posting the cover as a form of appreciation. More musical appreciation is always welcome. Folks should see that harsh or personal criticism of one’s views is not the way of things on this discussion/blog, but even without a fear of flaming, it can be challenging and time-consuming to put together one’s thoughts on a recorded performance beyond the fact that one really likes it. Not meaning to be critical of you, Andreas. Just welcoming classical music appreciation in its many forms.
I feel as though I’ve been drinking from a fire hydrant, particularly in baroque repertoire, since engaging with this Roon-sponsored Classical Music Conversations.
5 Likes
Yes, of course! But it’s so much more engaging when folks write a little about why they enjoy an artist, a recording, some kind of music, whatever…
BTW, have you listened to Philadelphia’s Tempesta Di Mare? They have a little series titled Comédie et tragédie which I find very enjoyable!! These are mostly orchestral suites from French Baroque operas by Lully, Marais, Charpentier, Leclair, Rameau, etc. Nicely played and quite entertaining…
2 Likes
Agree.
Had not heard of or listened to Tempesta Di Mare. Thank you. Comedy et tragédie recording sounds a treat. While searching for them, I somehow came upon, once again, Patricia Kopatchinskaja/Giovanni Antonini and Il Giardino Armonico’s What’s Next Vivaldi? An energetic, neocontemporary take on Vivaldi, time-travelled to contemporary music scene. Not to everyone’s taste, but I enjoy it.
3 Likes
I enjoy that album, too…
Yesterday I not only met Ms Tenenbaum for the first time, but also Luca Fanfoni… So I had a listen to his devilish side… Quite impressive, especially the last track, Paganini’s Preghiera sonata, played on Paganini’s own Il Cannone Guarneri del Gesù…
2 Likes
Re: Mela Tenenbaum. A review of her Bach Sonatas for Violin & Piano with Richard Kapp that I thought would resonate with you. I loved Steve Schwartz’s review of her Bach Sonatas & Partitas for solo violin and I am pleasantly surprised by her performance. On a par with fellow Russian Nathan Milstein, but distinctive in a wonderful way. Her interpretation of the chaconne is simply splendid.
What do you think of Sándor Végh’s recording of the Sonatas and Partitas? I’m still processing his recording on naïve. I love the Végh Quartet’s Bartók and Beethoven string quartets and thought I’d have a listen. Never mind, it is nearly unlistenable after the performers I’ve been recently listening to. Only a great respect for the artist kept me at it for Sonata and Partita No. 1.
Thank you for the Fanfoni/Ballerini recommendation, particularly of the Paganini Preghiera and information re: the devil’s own violin used.
Mela occasionally performed using a Stradivarius. Difficult to tell without the liner notes which recordings she used this for.
Cheers
2 Likes
Thank you. Yes, these reviews do her justice, and yes, she is an unfairly neglected artist, up there with the other giants of violin playing of old.
I must confess that only this week did I save his album into my Roon database, but must still listen.
Last night I once more listened to the three volumes of chamber music titled ‘Musical Evenings with the Captain’, all three back to back… these albums were released on Kapp’s Essay label, and Tenenbaum plays the violin part on most of it, together with her also violin-playing husband. On Vol.2 she plays the second Bach partita and last night, listening as I were with closed eyes, it seemed to me the most perfect rendition I have ever heard. I am not sure if it is a different recording from the complete Bach solo pieces, but I thought it was, and I thought the playing was even better still.
Edit: I just checked the time and place of the performance of the second Bach Partita, as well as its recorded length… I come to the conclusion that it in fact is the same performance on both albums. So it must have been my state of mind which last night made it appear to me as played by an angel… And I didn’t even have a drink…
2 Likes
Bringing together recent topics posted here, Antonini and his fabulous Il Giardino Armonico also have a Devil-themed release under their belt, and a very good one at that. The repertoire is extraordinary… amongst other little treasures (harpsichord concert by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, very much in Sturm und Drang manner), you’ll find a gorgeous version of Locatelli’s Concerto Grosso Op. 7/6, ‘Il pianto d’Arianna’…
4 Likes
Excellent. Thank you. I am so happy to have begun to appreciate Locatelli. A composer that appeals to my contemporary side.
Oh my. The Locatelli Concerto Grosso is indeed wonderful.
2 Likes
Superb… And love the cover. Thank you for bringing that back to my queue.
Wonderfull things posted so I can ask for more but without wanting to be annoying. I started to choose a work per week and listen to it every day of that week but looking also at different interpretations for it. In the last days I was set on Mendelssohn with his String Quartet No 6 in F minor, Op 80. So I kindly ask when you have 3 minutes to drop a line with your recommendation. Thank you
2 Likes
Some pretty interesting covers. That’s one thing I considered that might go the way of dinosaurs with streaming, cover art. Thought the same might happen with books, though, and it hasn’t.
Please share your impressions of the Mendelssohn String Quartet, since you are already engaged with it. It is certainly one of his most tragic compositions. Looking forward to what you find/have found.
2 Likes