Monday 4 January 2010

Unlike pretty well all the critics (and Lee), I actively enjoyed Sarah Chang's new recording of the Brahms violin concerto. This concerto has become a highly macho affair over the years (viz the performances by people such as Heifetz, Kogan and Ginette Neveu). So it is interesting to hear Chang's more feminine, more lyrical, more romantic approach. A pity recording wasn't around 20 or so years earlier so we could have heard how Joachim handled the piece. Chang's gorgeously romantic performance reminds me of Gioconda de Vito's 1941 Berlin recording with Paul van Kempen. Brahms does not have always to be attacked by heroes, as the recent lyrical performance of the double concerto by the Capuçon brothers aptly demonstrated.

I recently praised a CD from Hyperion featuring Alina Ibragimova playing Szymanowski for its avoidance of all "violin babe" pictures and blurb. No such praise to EMI for the Sarah Chang CD, however. The disc, covers and notes are covered in glamour photos of Miss Chang (with not one photo of Brahms or Bruch). One gets the visual impression that Sarah wrote the music and conducted the orchestra, as well as playing the violin. Johannes Brahms, Max Bruch, Kurt Masur and the Dresden orchestra get about the same publicity space as "hairstyle by.." in a Hollywood mega-film -- "with thanks to Johannes, Max and Kurt for their help in this recording".

Fairly symptomatic of much of the modern classical recording industry's lack of understanding of its markets. Very few young teenage males are going to buy a violin CD of Brahms' Op 77 and Bruch's Op 26. Many critics and older buyers are going to become somewhat sniffy at the sight of all the glamour photos. A highly talented violinist such as Lara St. John tainted her image with her very first CD and has never quite recovered. An excellent violinist such as Linda Brava was never taken seriously as a musician after her Playboy escapade. One would have thought that professional music industry marketeers would know their trade by now and would realise that peddling flesh is, at the best, futile and, at the worst, counter-productive.

8 comments:

Lee said...

It felt slow and without drama - it was a big yawn for me. Repin & Chailly was better. I think you have a copy of the Repin, right?

Lee said...

That is why the marketeers set Sarah Chang up with that nice hair style, beautiful designer gown, etc - to make it a classy act - visually on CD.

Harry Collier said...

Understood. But who on earth were they trying to attract to buy Brahms and Bruch?

Lee said...

Clean old men like you and me?

Lee said...

Gramophone (Dec) stated their similar thoughts on the Repin vis-a-vis the Sarah Chang version. Have you heard Repin's?

Harry Collier said...

Yes, I have Repin in the Brahms off-air (2001 and 2003). Excellent performances, as one would expect. But they will not replace Heifetz or de Vito in my affections. Nowadays, I listen to the Brahms concerto for the violin playing, not for the interpretation. Which is one reason why I like Chang.

Lee said...

I thought I sent you a copy of the DG Repin?

Harry Collier said...

DG Repin? Not that I know of. I told you I was skipping buying it since I already have two recordings of him playing it, and I really like the Capuçon brothers in the Brahms double that is also on the Repin CD.