This
is now Volume 18 of the much-awaited
Ančerl edition of reissues from
Supraphon’s back catalogue. It teams
him with two distinguished soloists,
the visiting David Oistrakh, always
sure of a hero’s welcome in Prague,
something of a second home for him in
the fifties and sixties, and native
son Karel Bidlo. The latter was appointed
to the Czech Philharmonic by Talich
in 1930, joining such famous names as
leader Stanislav Novák, flautist
Nesporého, French horn player
Seligera, oboist Dĕdu, clarinettist
Holase and the other elite members of
the orchestra.
Oistrakh left behind
a number of recordings of the Mozart
Concertos and live recordings also exist
to expand the bounty. Recorded in the
Rudolfinum in April 1954 this was the
earliest of his recordings of the Third
Concerto and joins those conducted by
Barshai (1959) and self conducted by
Oistrakh (Philharmonia 1958, and Berlin
over a decade later). Other performances,
notably those conducted by Kondrashin,
are known to survive and have indeed
been released on smaller labels. One
is constantly drawn to Ančerl’s
lively shaping of phrases and sturdy
accents – the first fiddle accents in
the opening movement are very emphatic.
Oistrakh’s little comma points here
are quirky and humorous and more than
offset his elsewhere muscular humanity.
The winds, as one would expect
of this orchestra, are supremely characterful
and act as apt foils for Oistrakh’s
masculine approach. The conductor gives
the Adagio a splendid lift – there’s
plenty of verticality in this kind of
approach – and one listens transfixed
to the trademark and pellucid Oistrakh
trill and to the exquisitely maintained
romantic cantilena [track 2; 1.15].
The finale later tended to be a bit
heavier with a greater weight of bow
pressure and vibrato but back in 1954
there is some delightfully incisive
bowing and a humorous and attractive
patina to the performance. This is a
first class traversal in the romantic
manner.
Bidlo joins his colleagues
for an equally authoritative Bassoon
Concerto. Born in 1904, and four years
older than Oistrakh, he lived to a grand
age, dying in 1992. He began his career
in Southern Bohemia – in the theatre
band in České
Budĕjovice – before moving to Prague
and joining the famed Wind Quintet there.
He was a member of the Czech Philharmonic
for thirty-seven years (I think he took
over from Karel Vacek) and achieved
the kind of eminence in Czech musical
life that, say, Archie Camden
did in Britain’s – an exemplary bassoon
player and colleague. He recorded the
classics as well as more local fare
(Pauer and Spisak) and this Mozart Concerto
recording shows his many and varied
strengths. There’s splendid tonguing
in the opening movement and a perkily
judicious tempo for the Rondo [track
6; 0.45] whilst the Andante ma adagio
is songful and lyrically infused. He
is tonally rich, technically adroit
and very characterful.
The pleasures of this
disc are only increased by the inclusion
of the Voříšek Symphony. Incredibly
this wasn’t published until 1957- and
this recording predates publication
by seven years. Listening to its urgent
Beethovenianisms makes its neglect all
the more baffling because this is a
work that scents the future and
has the technical sophistication to
sustain its length. The opening Allegro
con spirito is fine enough, if somewhat
too breezy, but the second movement
Andante packs a much more impressive
punch. Stern and tragic it reaches an
almost operatic apotheosis in Ančerl’s
hands [track 8; 4.10] that lends it
an exceptionally intense profile. A
kinetic and brusque Scherzo, with a
superbly judged trio section, prepares
the ground for the Finale. This splendidly
virile movement is full of powerful
perkily wind flecked motifs and
string accenting and leads to a sweepingly
triumphant climax. The performance draws
out the power and the lyricism of the
Symphony and does so with penetrating
insight.
The booklet notes are
authoritative and the programme judiciously
chosen. If Voříšek
shows himself less in thrall to Mozart
than to Beethoven then that only adds
spice to the selection. Sound quality
has been excellently enhanced, only
adding to the desirability of the disc.
Jonathan Woolf
see also review
by Don Satz
David Oistrakh (violin) 