Pierre RODE (1774 – 1830)
24 Caprices for Solo Violin [77:03]
Axel Strauss (violin)
rec. St John Chrysostom Church, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, 17 – 20 January
2008
NAXOS 8.570958 [77:03]
Another disc in the tried and tested successful series by Naxos documenting
the byways of 19th century violinist/composer repertoire. The featured
composer here is the early 19th century French composer Pierre
Rode. Yes he was born in 1774 but his music and its impact is that of the
succeeding century. Although some of his other works for violin are now being
revived his name and fame really rests on the cycle of 24 Caprices for
Solo Violin recorded here. This is because they remain a staple of most
budding violinists’ training regime, more complex than the comparable Kreutzer
Etudes yet less forbidding than the famous Paganini Caprices. But
because they have always been considered as pedagogical works they have been
neglected by the wider musical world either in concert or recording.
The violinist here is Axel Strauss, another winner of an international violin
competition that Naxos seems to be able to produce by the score. He is an
excellent player and these studies – for they are really studies – present
him with not one moment’s difficulty. As mentioned above, these contain a
fraction of the complexity and technical intricacy of the Paganini works but
that being said to be able to play them with the total assurance and poise
that Strauss has is extremely hard. However, as a listening experience, I
did not find this to be as rewarding as other discs in this series have proved
to be. The problem lies with the repertoire. Rode succeeds in fusing technique
with musicality but each Caprice is designed to focus on one aspect of the
violinist’s art. This is further reflected in the fact that Rode follows a
strict cycle of the 24 major and minor keys. So we start in C major, follow
it by its relative minor (A) and then move around the cycle of fifths – G
major/E minor and so on. The sense of it is that Rode, in 1815, was seeking
to reinforce what any self-respecting violinist ought to be able to
do. Paganini, just five years later in 1820 (the date of publication of his
24 Caprices not their probable composition) sought to break the bounds
of what it was thought a violin could do. That is why these later pieces hold
a fascination for both players and listeners – it is music on the edge. Paradoxically
Strauss’s total command underlines this sense of relative musical sobriety.
Don’t think for a moment that this is easy music to play – I blanch at the
memory of struggling with the double trill exercise of Caprice No.23 in
F major – Strauss’s nonchalance here is fantastic: even-ness of tone and
absolute equality of the running thirds the key. I’m struggling with why this
disc did not quite delight me as it might. Part of it is that Strauss chooses
tempi in the main that are absolutely ‘correct’ as far as the use of this
music as study material is concerned. He presents the music immaculately but
with relatively little ‘intervention’. The other available recording that
has been made of these works is by that most masterly of violinists Oscar
Shumsky. From memory I seem to remember it was originally released on a very
specialist label but I know it is still currently available on EBS. I’m not
the most objective of critics here because I did work for Oscar Shumsky when
he returned to the concert platform in the UK in the mid-1980s and ever since
he has been one of my musical Gods. On timings alone Shumsky is usually faster,
sometimes by just a few seconds but often by considerably more. But that is
not the key. Try the Caprice No.19 in E flat major. I choose that one
because you can hear Shumsky playing it on the following link on YouTube:
Shumsky plays Rode Caprices 19-20. Strauss is beautifully poised, almost Classical
and technically beyond reproach. Shumsky is immediately far more interventionist,
rubato generously applied, little portamenti slides into notes, a far more
resinous tone produced by his famous Stradivarius violin. This is romantic
playing. You will know in an instant which of these equally valid approaches
you prefer. On the Shumsky disc you are listening to a masterful player -
although one that late in his career is not as technically flawless as Strauss
who is interpreting the music. Strauss on the other hand is presenting it.
The acid test for me has been that in listening to the Naxos disc in a single
sitting my attention has wandered, on EBS I am riveted. As you might have
guessed by now I strongly lean towards the older recording. It was the world
premiere recording of the complete caprices and was a project driven by Shumsky’s
passion for the music. That is what I hear and love in his performance – I
would urge collectors to seek it out.
But please do not take this as a criticism of the new well-filled disc. Naxos
is to be praised for the consistent quality of this strand of their recording
programme. The St. John Chrysostom Church has become their chamber music venue
of choice in North America. The production team of Norbert Kraft and Bonnie
Silver now know the technical set-up there to produce recordings there that
combine excellent detail set in a warmly resonant acoustic. Certainly Strauss’s
1845 Pressenda violin sounds superb. I hope that Naxos return to him to play
other ultimately more substantial music. Bruce Schueneman’s liner-notes are
interesting and informative although I would disagree with him that the Kreutzer
Etudes do not merit similar treatment – Shumsky recorded them too and
again his performance was revelatory. My only real – and rather trivial –
gripe is that I dislike the use of poor conjectural portrait paintings of
the composers on this series’ covers, they look cheap and undistinguished
and do the discs no service. For those studying these caprices this is an
excellent reference disc and at the price valuable for all those interested
in this strand of repertoire. For something all together more revelatory albeit
at a significantly higher price seek out Shumsky.
Nick Barnard