It's official: I really, really do not like Heinrich Ernst's variations on "Last Rose of Summer". I listened to the piece again played (impeccably) by Ning Feng. The first few minutes are quite fun, but after that it goes on and on and the pyrotechnics begin to sound just ridiculous. After four minutes, I've had enough. Nor did Mr Feng impress me greatly, outside this piece. He played La Ronde des Lutins as if it were nothing more than a qualifying event at the Olympic Games. Few violinists seem able to bring much fun or enjoyment to the goblins' merry dance, and I recently greatly disliked Chloë Hanslip's super-fast version. Mr Feng's rendition of Tchaikovsky's Méditation sounded carefully studied, bar by bar, and we were a long way from the sorrowful outpourings of a Kogan or an Oistrakh.
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4 comments:
Well, another sample of your dislike for the Russian school and their better players. I can't understand how do you like Heifetz.
I didn't know Feng Ning was a Russian; from his name I'd assumed he was Chinese. Kogan, however, was very Russian.
Oddly, "live" Feng Ning is the better talent. ChuanYun Li is worse in concert. But you seem to think otherwise on CD. Strange how what you hear in the concert hall differs from CD. I heard both of these fellas live and also on CD. My impressions are formed from the concert.
How's James Ehnes' La Ronde des lutins?
Always better to hear people in concert. And my impressions are always very dependent on my mood when I listen to a particular CD. I always make snap judgments, but often regret them. Feng Ning struck me as a superb robot violinist, but playing by rote rather than from the heart.
As for Ehnes and Les Lutins: no one (yet) has sent me the CD !
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