Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)
Violin Concerto in C major, H. VIIa/1 [20:33]
Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major, Hob.I:105 [22:46]
Members of The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra: Ronald Leonhard (cello);
Barbara Winters (oboe); David Breidenthal (bassoon)
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra/Pinchas Zukerman (violin)
rec. 1977, American Legion Hall, Hollywood, USA
PENTATONE PTC5186224 SACD [43:24]
For me, Haydn is guaranteed to brighten up even the most
cheerless of days. Both these works radiate an affable disposition, and certainly
leave me feeling upbeat and elated.
The Violin Concerto in C major was composed in the 1760s for Luigi Tomasini,
a well-known violinist of the time, who became the concertmaster of
the Esterházy orchestra. It bears a personal dedication in the composer’s
handwriting ‘fatto per il Luigi’. The concerto provided the violinist
with an opportunity to show off his skills, with double-stops, fast runs and
daring arpeggios etched into the score. Zukerman injects energy and joie
de vivre, inspiring his players to give a reading of spontaneity and
freshness. His warm, burnished tone suits this music and his instinctive phrasing,
pristine intonation and technical command carries the day. The rhythmic energy
of the finale sets the seal on an intoxicating account.
The Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major dates from Haydn’s first visit
to London in 1791-92. His remarkable success had sparked some rivalry between
himself and his former pupil Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1831), whose concertante symphonies
had been extremely popular. Not one to be outdone, Haydn threw his hat into
the ring with this work for violin, oboe, cello, bassoon and orchestra. It
was an unmitigated success when it was premiered in March 1792.
Everything bodes well from the start with ebullience, youthful vitality, elegance
and charm. It’s a delightful work, and the sun shines throughout. The
soloists are members of the orchestra, presumably the principals of the relevant
sections. They are excellent in every way, allowing us to share in the joy
of their music-making, which they deliver with alacrity. The performance is
superbly engineered with an ideal balance struck between all concerned. The
recording focuses well on each individual soloist and the impression is of
an amiable and good-humoured conversation.
This is the latest release in Pentatone’s ‘Re-mastered Classics’
series and, as far as I am aware, these DG recordings from 1977 are making
their first outing on CD. Pentatone’s aim is to cherry-pick outstanding
performances of artistic merit from the back catalogue. The original multi-channel
tapes couldn’t reach their full potential at the time of recording,
due to the limitations in the playback systems of the day. Now, with the advances
in technology, these are re-mastered and issued as Super Audio CDs.
Many will welcome back these captivating accounts in top of the range sound,
and I thank Pentatone for their sterling efforts.
Stephen Greenbank
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