MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger


Availability

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G, Op.58 (1806-8) [33:37]
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5 in E flat, Op.73 ‘Emperor’ (1809) [39:29]
Jascha Spivakovsky (piano)
Victorian State Orchestra/Clive Douglas (4)
BBC Scottish Orchestra/Ian Whyte (5)
rec. live broadcasts, January 1961 (4), January 1953 (5)
Spivakovsky: Bach to Bloch - Volume 7
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC539 [73:09]

The Jascha Spivakovsky series from Pristine reaches volume seven with a rather problematic release, the appeal of which will be limited to specialists in a way that not even earlier editions could claim. The reason is the poor condition of the 1953 broadcast of the Emperor Concerto, about which more in a moment.

If the series had piqued curiosity about Spivakovsky there is the Fourth Concerto to consider. This pairs the pianist with Clive Douglas and the Victorian State Orchestra in an Australian broadcast of January 1961. The sound here is certainly decent enough. Douglas (1903-77) was himself Victoria-born, and became assistant conductor both in Sydney from 1947-53 and with the VSO from 1953-66. He also composed and recorded his own First and Second Symphonies and some other orchestral works for ABC. EMI also released one of his symphonic pieces in 1952. Apparently, he had missed some cues in the rehearsal to this performance – one given just six weeks after Spivakovsky had undergone surgery that according to Mark Ainley’s note had nearly killed him – so Spivakovsky had to undertake some remedial leading to ensure unanimity of entries.

Fortunately, the piano is well focused in the perspective even if the strings can sometimes be somewhat veiled. Wind tuning is not all it might be and there are a few ragged moments of ensemble, despite the rehearsal. That said, Spivakovsky’s passagework is full of clarity and the first movement cadenza is dispatched with tremendous brio. His unselfconscious playing in the second movement has great nobility and distinction. Its depth is well-weighted and balanced and prepares for the spirited finale which, with its rhythmic bravado, also goes well, even if the close of the concerto is just a touch melodramatic.

The Emperor was performed in front of an invited audience of 100 and broadcast on the BBC’s General Overseas Service. It was taken down via shortwave and the resultant sound is splintery, with a sharp treble, and instances, more than one alas, where the sound recedes quite significantly. The first movement is athletic, the Adagio unusually spacious, the finale good despite a sonically messy end, through the dynamics sound very odd – whether because of the transmission damping or the shortwave frequency, I can’t quite say. Not an easy aural ride.

If you have an interest in this series the G major should be your focus and treat what you can derive from the Emperor, probably more than I have implied since it’s the only surviving example of Spivakovsky playing this concerto, as something of a bonus.

Jonathan Woolf



Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing