This
issue in Supraphon’s continuing Karel
Ančerl collection contains some
particularly interesting concerto performances
from the 1960s.
The highlight is André
Gertler in the Hartmann Concerto
funèbre, a dark and eloquent
piece that has come up well in this
latest remastering. If the recording
has a fault, it is one it shares with
the two performances by the great Ida
Haendel from 1964: the solo violin is
placed forward in the sound perspective.
In the Hartmann Concerto
Gertler passes the severe scrutiny this
places upon his quality of tone but
at some points, such as in the third
of the four movements (e.g. 9: 1.30)
the instrument has a larger than life
quality which seems unnatural and disturbs
the musical balance. The more fully
scored passages fare best, and these
show the splendid collaboration that
existed between soloist and conductor,
as well as the opulent playing of the
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
Of course the strongly
projected title of this music requires
a performance of eloquent commitment,
and that is what it gets here, not least
in the final movement, an eloquent and
deeply felt funeral oration (10.00)
which these artists deliver with telling
commitment.
Hartmann is a composer
of powerfully eloquent vision and he
does not flinch from darkly projected
drama. His Concerto funèbre was
composed during the early days of the
Second World War, which he spent in
Switzerland, and it is his testament
to the senselessness of conflict between
nations. Supraphon do a great service
in bringing this fine performance before
an international public.
The two French pieces
have entirely different outlooks, their
priority lying in the direction of entertaining
the audience by means of astonishing
them through the virtuosity of the violinist.
The themes are both Spanish. Ravel orchestrated
his single–movement Tzigane soon
after he had completed the violin-and-piano
original. The piece begins with a cadenza,
and while Ida Haendel is held in close
focus by the microphone she passes this
test of her accuracy and tone quality
(1: 2.15). When the orchestra appears
there are some odd balances, though
the overall effect is not unpleasing.
Given the vintage of the recording,
made nearly forty years ago, the sound
is very good.
Lalo’s Symphonie
espagnole is in fact a violin concerto,
pure and simple: the title was intended
to concentrate the listener’s mind on
the Spanish nature of the music. The
bold and close recording imposes this
flavour immediately (2: 0.00), although
there is surely more subtlety in the
balancing of textures than this; not
that the results are less than acceptable.
By the time the Spanish rhythms and
themes have made their influence tell,
Haendel has delivered some commanding
virtuoso playing.
Perhaps it is in the
lighter sections of the middle movements
(Nos. 2, 3 and 4 of 5) that the performance
comes off best. Here the subtleties
are experienced and the clarity of the
re-mastered sound is at its most effective.
For all that this repertoire
makes an unlikely combination, the playing
from both soloists has real style and
panache and the disc will give much
satisfaction. Karel Ančerl
was a skilful orchestral accompanist,
among his abundant other talents.
Terry Barfoot
Ida Haendel (violin; Ravel and Lalo) 
