This is the third volume in Doremi’s Francescatti marque
and it has a Bostonian feel, both concerto performances
being recorded with that orchestra under its conductor
Charles Munch.
The Tchaikovsky dates
from 1958. Collectors will doubtless know the commercial
Mitropoulos and Schippers recordings and possibly the live
Rodzinski; others will almost certainly be around. Francescatti
was an elegant, never over emotive Tchaikovsky player and
his typically elegant, but not over-refined style works
well on its own terms; it always did. His sophisticated
tonal qualities, subtle use of portamento and rubato, endow
this performance with pellucid charm and aristocracy of
utterance. The first movement cadenza is especially finely
dispatched and there is some warmly textured phrasing after
it. Since the violin is very slightly under recorded – a
marginal matter – it means that Francescatti’s raptly withdrawn
and hushed playing in the Canzonetta hovers on the brink
of audibility. His dynamics are exceptionally astute though
and his lyrical, tightly controlled phrasing is a pleasure
to hear. The Boston winds are also in typically elegant
form – Francescatti must have enjoyed his forays to this
most French of American orchestras - and whilst there are
a few tape blips toward the end nothing spoils the command
of both soloist and orchestra.
As for the performance with Samuel Mayes, the orchestra’s
long time cello principal, of the Brahms Double Concerto
I’m not sure whether this isn’t the same as appeared recently
on West Hill Radio Archives WHRA6017 (see
review). Doremi
cites 14 April whilst West Hill claims 13 April. Not having
the
WHRA to
hand I can’t be certain; were there two consecutive performances
and were both recorded? Leaving that question aside this
is a useful ancillary purchase for those who have the Francescatti-Fournier-Bruno
Walter 1959 commercial performance. The sound in this Boston
performance is rather brusque and terse. Mayes’s throaty
tone is heard to advantage though his intonation occasionally
wanders. The contrast in tones between the two players
though is very noticeable and the ensemble is not always
the most tonally congruent. The slow movement moves well,
with a good sense of unflagging direction and the finale
is gruffly controlled. The performance is back announced.
Announcements also inform the Bell Telephone trio with
Voorhees. There’s the finale of the Bruch in G minor – some
succulently sweet portamenti here – and a brace of Kreisler
pieces. Londonderry Air is his arrangement and it’s a bit
glutinously done here, but no real harm done. Schön Rosmarin
is silkily spun.
Jonathan Woolf
Zino Francescatti
(violin); Samuel Mayes (cello) 
