Rosand: Carmen Fantasy + Tchaikovsky, etc. - Vox STPL 511600 (early French pr.)

$

50

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ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This wonderful LP, a fine collector's copy, from Vox (STPL 511600, French pressing, purple/silver label – ED1, stereo, glossy laminated flipback jacket) features the great Aaron Rosand in music for violin and orchestra by Sarasate, Tchaikovsky, and Sibelius – a dazzling LP set down in 1959 and still packing quite a punch a half century on. This is exalted violin playing by any measure, brought off with a panache and poetry that is just breathtaking – stunning. Rosand is accompanied throughout by conductor Tibor Szoke and the Südwestfunkorchester (Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra).

The exact contents are as follows:

Pablo de Sarasate:

Zigeunerweisen for Violin and Orchestra Op. 20

Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra Op. 25

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky:

            Sérénade mélancolique Op. 26

Jean Sibelius:

                    2 Humoresques for Violin and Orchestra Op. 87

                    4 Humoresques for Violin and Orchestra Op. 89

Wrote the critic R.F. in his review for the April 1960 issue of The Gramophone:

"This record is just about as far from the beaten track as you can get, and great fun it is. Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen is almost a caricature of a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody, the first half terribly soulful and sad (the "Lassan"), the second bursting with energy (the "Friska"). Aaron Rosand gives a fabulous performance of this difficult music, and the orchestra at times finds some difficulty in keeping up with him. The same composer's Fantasia on Themes from Carmen struck me as very funny, and I defy you to listen to these grotesque variations on the Seguidillas without grinning. The sleeve-notes says the work is "rich in curiosities for the violin", and I cannot improve on that. The Fantasia is not continuous; it consists in fact of five separate arrangements of five different sections of the opera: the Aragonaise, the Habanera, Carmen's A minor Canzonet in Act 2, the Seguidillas and the Gypsy Duet at the beginning of Act 2. The only ingenuity is a desperate attempt to make the Habanera go into canon at one bar's interval. I wish Sarasate had had a go at the Toreador's Song, but I'm not complaining; I haven't enjoyed a piece of musical nonsense so much for years.

"The Tchaikovsky piece is relatively wellknown, having been recorded by both Heifetz and Ricci. It contains some beautiful music, and this fact makes one start thinking about such things as balance (an irrelevance in the Sarasate works). Mr. Rosand is really much too close to the microphone. In the six Sibelius pieces the balance is almost more worrying, for these too are seriously intentioned and by a great composer, however little known they may be. It was sad to find orchestral details getting lost behind the too-dominating violin tone. In the fifth Humoresque for instance ( a real winner of a tune), the recapitulation of the theme on the flutes cannot be heard at all behind the violin figuration; indeed you could listen to these pieces without knowing that there were any woodwind parts in them. Still, they were very well worth digging up, and they make quite a satisfactory whole, centred as they are round the key of G minor. Aaron Rosand plays them with great brilliancy.

"But don't let any of this deter you from getting this fascinating record; it is well recorded (apart from the balance), splendidly played, and it has real novelty value including at least one good laugh. For one reason or another, every piece on it is likely to give you pleasure."

Incidentally, the beautiful cover art reproduces Jean Lurçat's "Le jardin du Poète" ("The Poet's Gardin"). There are superb liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket are by Christiane de Lisle, printed in English only.

CONDITION:

The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The condition of the jacket is EXCELLENT. There is minor bumping/wear at corners, as well as slight edgewear in general and mild discoloration to the rear panel, but that is all. There are no seamsplits, bends, owners' markings, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, and highly attractive in appearance – overall, this is an excellent collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT. Though there is light surface noise throughout, in general the playback remains quite fine. However, those wanting a flawless or near-MINT copy are kindly advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this rates as an excellent collector's copy.