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Andromeda

The Art of Arthur Grumiaux

$18.99

Details

Composer
MOZART SCHUBERT MENDELSSOHN
Artist
Arthur Grumiaux
Format
CD
Label
Andromeda
Released
Feb 25, 2014
Catalog #
ANDRCD9116
UPC
3830257491163

About



THE ART OF ARTHUR GRUMIAUX • Arthur Grumiaux (vn); Frieder Weissmann 1 , Lorin Maazel 2 , Hans Müller-Kray 3 , Bernhard Paumgartner 4 , Carlo Maria Giulini 6 , Ernest Ansermet 8 , Ernest Bour 10 , cond; Riccardo Castagnone 5 , Hans Altmann 7 (pn); Hermann von Beckerath (vc); 9 RAI SO of Turin; 1 Cologne RSO; 2 South German RSO; 3 Mozarteum O; 4 Frankfurt RSO; 6 O de la Suisse Romande; 8 Bavarian RSO 10 • ANDROMEDA 9116, mono (4 CDs: 266:57) Live: Turin, Cologne, Mühlacker, Salzburg, Frankfurt, Munich 1951–62


MOZART 1 Violin Concerto No. 1 2 Violin Concerto No. 3. 3 Violin Concerto No. 4. 4 Violin Concerto No. 5. MENDELSSOHN 6 Violin Concerto in e. SCHUBERT 5 Violin Sonata in A. FRANCK 7 Violin Sonata in A. BRAHMS 8 Violin Concerto. CHAUSSON 1 Poème for Violin and Orchestra. RAVEL 9 Sonata for Violin and Cello. 1 Tzigane. STRAVINSKY 10 Violin Concerto. YSAŸE Sonata for Violin Solo, Ballade in d


Belgian violinist Arthur Grumiaux (1921–1986) was a fixture of the concert and recording scene when I was growing up. His playing was impeccably clean in style, utilizing a very narrow vibrato that gave his tone a lean yet shimmering sound, very little portamento, and enlivening inflections that provided a nice rhythmic “lift” to his performances. As this set clearly shows, his proclivities were, for the most part, towards Classical and Romantic composers, though he did play the Stravinsky and Berg concertos and Ravel sonata. According to Wikipedia, he made roughly 30 albums during his active career, mostly for the Dutch Philips label but also for EMI. He was, it seems, one of those violinists, like Nathan Milstein, who was admired as much if not more by his peers than by the general public, though of course he was always a top draw in concerts.


Since Grumiaux played most of these works so often (particularly the Mozart concertos, which he recorded complete for Philips with Colin Davis in 1961–62), there are several alternate performances of many of these pieces floating around; e.g., the Mozart No. 1 with Paumgartner and Nos. 3 and 4 with Moralt (the Concerto No. 5 with Paumgartner is on this set), the Mendelssohn Concerto with a very young Haitink, the Brahms with van Beinum, etc. The cover of this set announces that these live performances are all newly remastered in 24-bit/96 kHz sound.


I was particularly fascinated by his interpretation of the Schubert sonata: crisp, direct, and completely lacking in sentimentality, much like Toscanini’s performances of the Schubert symphonies. This is a performance that will thrill musically scrupulous listeners but not at all those who insist that their Schubert be full of Viennese schmaltz. Grumiaux’s version of the Mendelssohn Concerto is quite excellent as well, with surprisingly brisk conducting by Giulini; nothing is rushed, all the notes “sound” with perfect equipoise, yet there is tremendous élan in this reading (and sensitivity, too, relaxing the tempo here and there and playing an absolutely ethereal first-movement cadenza). Because he was Belgian, Grumiaux was sometimes compared to his great predecessor Ysaÿe, but to my ears his sweet, lean tone had much more in common with Sarasate than with Ysaÿe’s somewhat darker sound. As a matter of fact, I felt that Grumiaux’s lean sonority and objectivist approach didn’t work for me in the Franck Sonata or Brahms Concerto, the only performances on the set that I found too uninvolved. I was, however, fascinated by the way he played Ravel, which (as it turns out) was much like his Stravinsky: lean, angular contours, no sentimentality at all, and a way of bringing out the structure without unduly overstressing it. Indeed, the entire last CD was a gem from start to finish.


Your proclivity to acquire this set will probably have as much to do with your desire to own every note Grumiaux ever recorded if you already have most of the studio versions, especially since we are dealing here with monophonic radio sound of varying quality (rather dry in the Turin broadcasts, somewhat roomier and warmer in the German airchecks), particularly since this set is selling for the somewhat hefty price of $52 on Amazon. However, I can attest that Andromeda did a whale of a job cleaning up the sound so that everything sounds clear without the least bit of distortion, particularly in the sound of the string sections of each orchestra, and there is no question that Grumiaux is interesting to hear from start to finish.


FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley

Tracklist 37 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Allegro moderato 06:39
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    06:39
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Torino
    Conductor
    Frieder Weissmann
  3. 2 II. Adagio 06:50
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    06:50
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Torino
    Conductor
    Frieder Weissmann
  4. 3 III. Presto 05:41
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Presto
    Duration
    05:41
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Torino
    Conductor
    Frieder Weissmann
  5. 4 I. Allegro 08:21
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    08:21
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
    Conductor
    Lorin Maazel
  6. 5 II. Adagio 07:28
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    07:28
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
    Conductor
    Lorin Maazel
  7. 6 III. Rondeau: Allegro 05:20
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Rondeau: Allegro
    Duration
    05:20
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
    Conductor
    Lorin Maazel
  8. 7 I. Allegro 08:47
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    08:47
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Sinfonieorchester des Süddeutschen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Hans Müller-Kray
  9. 8 II. Andante cantabile 06:32
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Andante cantabile
    Duration
    06:32
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Sinfonieorchester des Süddeutschen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Hans Müller-Kray
  10. 9 III. Rondo: Andante grazioso 06:09
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Rondo: Andante grazioso
    Duration
    06:09
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Sinfonieorchester des Süddeutschen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Hans Müller-Kray
  11. Disc 2
  12. 1 I. Allegro aperto - Adagio - Allegro aperto 09:33
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro aperto - Adagio - Allegro aperto
    Duration
    09:33
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg
    Conductor
    Bernhard Paumgartner
  13. 2 II. Adagio 10:07
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    10:07
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg
    Conductor
    Bernhard Paumgartner
  14. 3 III. Tempo di menuetto 07:51
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Tempo di menuetto
    Duration
    07:51
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg
    Conductor
    Bernhard Paumgartner
  15. 4 I. Allegro moderato 06:07
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    06:07
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Riccardo Castagnone
  16. 5 II. Scherzo: Presto 03:40
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Scherzo: Presto
    Duration
    03:40
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Riccardo Castagnone
  17. 6 III. Andantino 04:00
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Andantino
    Duration
    04:00
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Riccardo Castagnone
  18. 7 IV. Allegro vivace 03:24
    Track
    7
    Title
    IV. Allegro vivace
    Duration
    03:24
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Riccardo Castagnone
  19. 8 I. Allegro molto appassionato 12:02
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Allegro molto appassionato
    Duration
    12:02
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt
    Conductor
    Carlo Maria Giulini
  20. 9 II. Andante 08:22
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    08:22
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt
    Conductor
    Carlo Maria Giulini
  21. 10 II. Allegretto non troppo - III. Allegro molto vivace 05:41
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Allegretto non troppo - III. Allegro molto vivace
    Duration
    05:41
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt
    Conductor
    Carlo Maria Giulini
  22. Disc 3
  23. 1 I. Allegretto ben moderato 05:40
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegretto ben moderato
    Duration
    05:40
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hans Altmann
  24. 2 II. Allegro 07:17
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegro
    Duration
    07:17
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hans Altmann
  25. 3 III. Recitativo - Fantasia: Ben moderato - Molto lento 06:46
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Recitativo - Fantasia: Ben moderato - Molto lento
    Duration
    06:46
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hans Altmann
  26. 4 IV. Allegretto poco mosso 05:55
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegretto poco mosso
    Duration
    05:55
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hans Altmann
  27. 5 I. Allegro non troppo 20:32
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro non troppo
    Duration
    20:32
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Ernest Ansermet
  28. 6 II. Adagio 08:40
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    08:40
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Ernest Ansermet
  29. 7 III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace 07:41
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace
    Duration
    07:41
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Conductor
    Ernest Ansermet
  30. 8 Poeme, Op. 25 15:20
    Track
    8
    Title
    Poeme, Op. 25
    Duration
    15:20
    Composer
    Ernest Chausson
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Torino
    Conductor
    Frieder Weissmann
  31. Disc 4
  32. 1 I. Allegro (Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy: No. 8) 04:36
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro (Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy: No. 8)
    Duration
    04:36
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hermann von Beckerath
  33. 2 II. Tres vif 03:29
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Tres vif
    Duration
    03:29
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hermann von Beckerath
  34. 3 III. Lent 06:22
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Lent
    Duration
    06:22
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hermann von Beckerath
  35. 4 IV. Vif, avec entrain 05:31
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Vif, avec entrain
    Duration
    05:31
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux, Hermann von Beckerath
  36. 5 Tzigane (version for violin and orchestra) 09:51
    Track
    5
    Title
    Tzigane (version for violin and orchestra)
    Duration
    09:51
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Torino
    Conductor
    Frieder Weissmann
  37. 6 I. Toccata 05:49
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Toccata
    Duration
    05:49
    Composer
    Igor Stravinsky
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Ernest Bour
  38. 7 II. Aria I 04:12
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Aria I
    Duration
    04:12
    Composer
    Igor Stravinsky
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Ernest Bour
  39. 8 III. Aria II 04:54
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Aria II
    Duration
    04:54
    Composer
    Igor Stravinsky
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Ernest Bour
  40. 9 IV. Capriccio 05:40
    Track
    9
    Title
    IV. Capriccio
    Duration
    05:40
    Composer
    Igor Stravinsky
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux
    Ensemble
    Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Ernest Bour
  41. 10 Sonata for Solo Violin in D Minor, Op. 27, No. 3, "Ballade" 05:41
    Track
    10
    Title
    Sonata for Solo Violin in D Minor, Op. 27, No. 3, "Ballade"
    Duration
    05:41
    Composer
    Eugène Ysaÿe
    Performer
    Arthur Grumiaux