Fritz Kreisler (violin)
The Complete Recordings - Volume 10
Carl Lamson (piano)
rec. New York and New Jersey, 1928-29
NAXOS 8.111411 [86:08]
The tenth volume in this invaluable series shows, once again, two salient things. The first is the exceptional latitude Kreisler’s recording companies allowed him when it came to repeated takes, and the second is his sheer consistency across session dates. Of the 27 sides here 21 remained unpublished on 78s, Kreisler going on to make successful attempts at other times and places, such as in his European discs. Thus, you will hear three different takes of the Larghetto from Dvořák’s Sonatina, for example. Takes five and six were recorded on 30 November 1928 and the final successful one (take nine) from the following month. There are also three takes of ‘Midnight Bells’ from Heuberger’s Der Opernball and numerous opportunities to hear two takes of a piece.
The 1928 Victor recordings were made in Camden, NJ and those made in December 1929 for RCA Victor in their 28 West 44th Street studio in New York. In between he had been touring and, given his schedule, American recordings were dependent on concentrated sessions. Between 16 December and Christmas Day 1929, for instance, he visited the studio on five separate days, including Christmas Eve.
This meticulous approach meant that when a successful take was made it had been achieved after repeated application. Sometimes – very often, in fact - one can’t detect why a take was rejected but it was by no means unknown for a series of Kreisler sessions of 50 takes to yield nothing that could be released. Tully Potter’s notes quote Michael Gray, the great discographer, who makes the point that Victor marked a number of these 1929 takes ‘hold’ in their files – which is to say, not rejected per se. RCA Victor was flirting with radios more than recordings at the time, and Kreisler repeated this batch of 13 pieces in Berlin. And yet one has to be grateful to those who didn’t rid the vaults of unpublished takes, allowing these beautiful examples of Kreisler’s art to have survived, complementing his published versions of the pieces.
For the New York and Camden discs he was accompanied by the efficient Carl Lamson. If I had to point to just one example of his art here, I’d direct you to Dvořák’s A flat major Slavonic Dance in Kreisler’s own arrangement, a performance winningly insouciant and deft, rhythmically alive, richly coloured and wittily phrased. But this is one jewel among so many. One encounters his elegant slides, beautiful double-stops, his inimitable tone and sheer loving elegance in take after take. Yes, you may well have his published takes but why not luxuriate in these unpublished ones?
Ward Marston’s restorations are first class, and the copies are in splendid estate. Hardly a blemish mars the passage of these superb examples of Kreisler’s art.
Jonathan Woolf
Contents
Felix Winternitz: Dance of the Marionette [1:52]
Dvořák: Violin Sonatina in G Major, Op. 100, B. 120
II. Larghetto [4:30]
II. Larghetto [4:24]
II. Larghetto [4:22]
Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole, M. 54 (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano)
III. Habanera [2:12]
III. Habanera [2:15]
Godowsky: Triakontameron, Vol. 1 Nocturnal Tangier (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [3:18]
Dvořák: Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 No.2 in E Minor, Dumka (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [3:23]
Dvořák: Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 No. 8 in A-Flat Major, Sousedská (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [4:41]
Kreisler: Rondino on a Theme of Beethoven [2:29]
Heuberger: Der Opernball, Op. 40 (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano)
Geh'n wir ins Chambre séparée "Midnight Bells" [3:29]
Geh'n wir ins Chambre séparée "Midnight Bells" [3:28]
Geh'n wir ins Chambre séparée "Midnight Bells" [3:24]
Dvořák: Gypsy Melodies (7), Op. 55 (B104) No. 4, Songs My Mother Taught Me (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [2:40]
Ravel: Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera, M. 51 (arr. G. Catherine for violin and piano) [2:51]
Ravel: Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera, M. 51 (arr. G. Catherine for violin and piano) [2:55]
Falla: 7 Canciones populares espańolas
No. 4, Jota (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [3:00]
No. 4, Jota (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [2:51]
Traditional: Londonderry Air (arr. Kreisler) [4:23]
Kreisler: Chanson Louis XIII et pavane in the Style of Couperin [3:35]
Kreisler: Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen;
No. 3, Schön Rosmarin [1:52]
No. 3, Schön Rosmarin [1:52]
Brandl: Der liebe Augustin: Du alter Stefansturm (arr. Kreisler) [3:03]
Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance of the Blessed Spirits (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [3:15]
Kreisler: Polichinelle, serenade [2:23]
Schubert: Rosamunde, D797 No. 9, Ballet (arr. Kreisler for violin and piano) [3:08]
Kreisler: La Précieuse (in the style of Louis Couperin) [3:22]
