Hamilton Harty - Volume 2
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Orchestral Suite No.2 BWV 1067 (c.1717-23) [15:37]
Edouard LALO (1823-1892)
Symphonie espagnole Op.23 (1873) [22:01]
Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Le Carnaval romain Overture Op.9 (1844) [8:56]
George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Water Music Suite HWV348-50 (c.1715-17 rev 1736) arr. Hamilton Harty (1923)
[12:49]
Leo Strockoff (violin)
Unnamed orchestra (Bach, Lalo) Hallé Orchestra (Berlioz, Handel)/Hamilton
Harty
rec. 1922-24
HISTORIC RECORDINGS HRCD00074 [60:01]
Some of Hamilton Harty’s recordings are elusive. One such is included
in this selection of his late acoustic discs from the period 1922-24, and
that’s his accompaniment to violinist Leo Strockoff in the Symphonie
espagnole.
I’ve always wondered whether that old business about Leopold Stokowski
going by the name ‘Stokes’ had something to do with Leo Strockoff,
who went by, and recorded under, the name ‘Strock’ as well as
his own real name. Stokowski and Strockoff were both active in London at the
same time, so who knows? In any case this means that violin collectors have
to keep their wits about them, and one should never neglect a Strock lest
it should turn out to be a Strockoff. About this fiddler, there’s not
much written, but apart from Anglicising his name he recorded exclusively
for English Columbia and spent his adult years in Britain. The Lalo was his
single major recording - the others were smaller pieces - and it’s something
of an irony that it was never released in his adopted country, only in North
America. Columbia did inexplicable things like that, and at the same time
they also shipped Arthur Catterall and William Murdoch’s excellent set
of the Franck sonata to Canada and the USA, and refused to issue it in Britain.
This was unfortunate for Strockoff, as it was the first ever recording of
the Lalo, excepting isolated, generally piano-accompanied movements. Complete,
that is, except for the omission of the Intermezzo, something that
happened often with Russian players who had been taught to omit it by Leopold
Auer. I am aware that Nathan Milstein related that Strockoff, who ambled in
Eugène Ysaÿe’s ambit in the 1920s, claimed to have recorded
the work complete but I’m not aware there’s any evidence that
he did. The matrix numbers certainly don’t support the assertion.
Naturally there were, in July 1924, brass reinforcements for the string basses,
but they’re not especially galumphing. The solo violin, clarinet, especially
in counter-themes, and percussion all come through with considerable clarity
given the essentially primitive set-up. Orchestral pizzicatos register well.
Strockoff makes a variable impression, frequently fluent, if at times a bit
glib, sometimes evincing erratic intensity, especially in the Andante.
I grew to like the performance however, and his suave legato in the finale
is pleasing, albeit it’s not a performance to rank alongside the authentically
Gallic one of Henry Merckel, recorded in 1932. After years of searching and
bidding I finally managed to secure my own album set of this recording, inevitably
from an American dealer, having given up on anyone transferring it. I like
the transfer, though the cost of minimising surface noise is a slight loss
of treble and room ambience.
The remainder of this hour long disc gives us Harty with another distinguished
player, the flautist Robert Murchie, in Bach’s Second Orchestral Suite,
recorded a few months earlier than the Lalo. The balance between strings and
brass basses is a touch uneasy in the early stages - the Overture in
particular - but there’s a fine level of expressive intent in the performance
and Murchie plays exceptionally well, as a listen to the clarity of his articulation
will testify. Harty wasn’t really known for his Bach, more for Handel.
Here is his first attempt on disc at his own arrangement of the Water Music.
He was to re-record it electrically, but this sonically compromised 1922 performance
is ingeniously presented and warmly moulded, albeit quite severely cut to
fit four 78 sides. The remaining item is another Harty speciality, Berlioz.
The Roman Carnival overture takes a while to warm up, and its lack
of string heft is all too audible, but it’s a valuable souvenir of his
way with the composer’s music.
There are no notes from this company as usual - just a simple inlay card with
track-listings. No matrix or catalogue details though, which is a shame. Still,
I’d commend this disc, not least for the first ever - I believe - restoration
of the Lalo.
Jonathan Woolf
I’d commend this disc not least for the first ever restoration of the
Lalo.