Beulah is back and this is one
of the first of their revivified catalogue to hit the racks.
It’s an old friend – the Elgar and Mendelssohn concertos familiar
from Beulah IPD10 of old; or, rather, it isn’t. The Elgar
remains the same but that earlier release transferred Campoli’s
1958 recording of the Mendelssohn conducted by Boult. Here
we have the 78 set from 1949 with van Beinum. Collectors will
note that this has also been transferred by Dutton on an all-Campoli
disc, and that the Elgar is out on Decca Eloquence from Australia
coupled with the Bliss Theme and Cadenza (and the Introduction
and Allegro) from 1956.
In the Elgar, whilst the sound
can be a little papery in places nothing can dim the masterly
exposition of the orchestral introduction by Boult, a far
more eloquent traversal than those he was able to offer the
disappointing Menuhin, in his second recording, or the impossibly
sluggish Ida Haendel. He is especially successful at bringing
out the wind writing, superbly weighted and proportionate
to the orchestral canvas, and each sectional incident is blazingly
well realised. Campoli’s entrance is reflective but not over
lingering in the modern manner and which can be so disruptive
to the syntax of the musical argument. He employs some judicious
expressive devices to heighten his playing. At 6’00 the orchestral
counter theme to his solo line is movingly audible even at
Campoli’s slowing tempo – compare and contrast with such as
Nigel Kennedy where the necessary backbone is entirely missing
and nonsense is made of Elgar’s orchestration. Campoli makes
the most elegant and apposite of slides– quick, lyrical, with
just the right weight and speed. Boult’s control of orchestral
dynamics from 14’30 – readying for the subsequent orchestral
outburst – is but one example of his elevated level of conducting.
Campoli’s passagework comes under a little strain, sometimes
a little forced and impeding to the flow toward the summit
of the movement. He just doesn’t sweep forward enough. But
it is an internally consistent view of the movement and one
that commands respect.
The slow movement is deeply expressive
and fluent; it tends to show up performances (such as, say,
Heifetz’s), which fail to maintain a proper balance between
momentum and expressivity. Campoli’s tone is ardent without
over-emoting. The finale is of a piece with the other movements;
Boult’s conducting is alert and sympathetic and Campoli’s
surmounting of the fiendish technical demands - which is not,
in truth, absolute - is still outstandingly good. It’s only
when one compares Campoli with Sammons, Heifetz or Perlman
that the breathtaking control of the latter trio makes Campoli
seem just a little staid. There is again not the onward rush
and sweep of the Sammons performance; there is not the sense
of an unstoppable momentum, the big tone leading a galvanized
orchestra to the final triumphant chords. Nevertheless this
is a most distinguished recording; his tonal beauty, his awareness
of structure and the dictates of architectural compromise,
are of the highest quality and this performance is testament
to his stature as a great violinist.
His Mendelssohn needs rather less
explication. As we know from his later recording with Boult
the watchwords of Campoli’s Mendelssohn are purity and sweetness
of tone and intonation and a selfless and unhurried generosity
of music making. Campoli takes care over precise articulation
and bowing, and his lyric sweetness is accompanied by a warm-hearted
purity. There’s no undue pressure in the finale but equally
no sense that this is undernourished or lacking bravura, when
called upon. Van Beinum brings some fine architectural support
– especially good with the lower strings in the tuttis.
Now for the transfers. In the
Elgar the Decca Eloquence is mellower and smoother, less abrasive.
This Beulah has a rather raw, direct, rather papery sound;
brittle in a word. That said the orchestral pizzicati really
ping out in the first movement as do the wind solos and the
rather thin LPO string sound is honestly caught. And with
the rawness of sound comes clarity of detail so if you’re
used to the upholstery of the Decca the bucket seat of the
Beulah will come as a bracing alternative. As for the Mendelssohn
the Dutton has, like the Elgar Philips, a more veiled sound
– very congenial but with a slight loss of treble in suppressing
the Decca hiss. Beulah is more vibrant and up-front, and has
more air around it.
Whichever you choose you will
be assured of some splendid musicianship. Neither could possibly
be a first recommendation, for obvious reasons, but as ancillary
library choices they have withstood the ravages of time, technological
advance and successive critical judgements with lasting assurance.
Jonathan Woolf
Alfredo Campoli (violin)
