Tuesday 13 January 2004

Audition round-up (2)

Nicolaj Znaider's recital CD was fairly typical. Exemplary technique, lovely sound (followed by lovely sound, followed by lovely sound ... ) with slow tempi in slower places that borded on the ludicrous. Why did he not listen to Heifetz and Achron playing the Hebrew Melody before embarking on his adagio molto rendition? These marvellous salon pieces simply do not have the content or the stature to be dragged out endlessly.

Enjoyed Isabelle van Keulen playing the Elgar concerto (BBC, with Halle and Mark Elder). Following the unfortunate example of Menuhin with Elgar, she kept slamming on the brakes in the first movement, despite a promising allegro for the first movement overall. But the andante was andante, and the final allegro molto was allegro molto. An unfortunate passage in the finale, and an unfortunate chord in the same movement. But, taken altogether, the performance was full of energy. Good partnership with the Halle. She has come on as a violinist; I recall being unimpressed with her debut LP (Saint-Saens third concerto, plus Vieuxtemps 5th, back in 1986). But her Mozart in 1991 was better. And this Elgar was very fine; fully the equal of the impressive Hilary Hahn performance (2002, with Colin Davis).

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