April Surprise Work of the Month

[rojo]

Now, on to J. S. Bach.

There were many, many fine works to choose from, but I decided to go with this one. Words do not give it justice. So here it is.

+ YouTube Video

The tempo is on the fast side, but I find it works. Can anyone identify it?

[Krummhorn]

Re: Locatelli performances

Gee, what a great contrast between those two performances in intrepretation and the energy levels, not withstanding the differences of at least a minute longer/shorter performance. Wondering what the composer intended as the original tempo.

Both had their good points ... I liked the way Oistrakh ended ever so simply, as compared to the grander finish of Szeryng. It would be very interesting to know if Locatelli left tempo and the ending to the option of the performers.

So, if I am limited to opting for just one, I would go with Oistrakh. The orchestral accompaniment seemed to lend alot more 'color' to the performance. Would have been interesting to hear Szeryng with an orchestra at that quicker tempo, though.

[Ouled Nails]

Bach's St. John Passion. Very lovely performance.

[LovesBachandGershwin]

That was a really really nice piece. I thought it really showed the instrument well and had beautiful progressions. I think I like the first video better. It felt like a more enjoyable, noble performance. I still thought the second video showed an extremely talented performance, but I enjoyed the fully orchestrated version, and I think the first perform captured more of the subtleties of the bouncing bow if it was written that way.

Thanks for the piece Rojo, I had never heard it before, or even listened to that composer

The St John's Passion was really good. It was fast, but I thought it worked well, and I think fast is better than slow. The orchestra and choir were really strong though. I can't ever decide whether I like the opening to St John's or St Matthew's better. They are both fantastic

[rojo]

Thanks for your comments guys; great to read them. Makes it all worthwhile.

Ouled Nails is correct; this one is from the St. John Passion. It`s titled 'Herr, unser Herrscher'. Apparently the Purcell-Choir and Orfeo-Orchestra, directed by György Vashegyi at the Music Academy, Budapest, Hungary, 2004.

And I agree with you, LBaG; I love the opening of the St. Matthew Passion as well! It has that great pedal tone.

Re the Locatelli, the piece was new to me as well. I really like both performances. But I think I lean slightly towards the Szeryng. It seemed to have more clarity. Might have been just the acoustics or recording though. Interesting how much difference the accompaniment makes for everyone.

[rojo]

Just to add, the Locatelli work is a wonderful showpiece for the violinist. It`s fun to hear; lots of sawing away, and it`s a very nice piece, but not really a major work. It`s a Caprice. Here`s a bit more info about Locatelli from wikipedia-

'Locatelli's works are mainly for the violin, an instrument on which he was a virtuoso. His most significant publication is probably the Arte del violino, opus 3, a collection of twelve concertos for the instrument which incorporate twenty four technically demanding capriccios (or caprices) - these could function as extended cadenzas, but are now usually extracted and played in isolation from the concertos.
Locatelli also wrote violin sonatas, a cello sonata, trio sonatas, concerti grossi and a set of flute sonatas (his opus 2). His early works show the influence of Arcangelo Corelli, while later pieces are closer to Antonio Vivaldi in style.'

An early Paganini, perhaps?