Although just newly released, this studio recording dates back to
2008 when Ida Haendel was just several months short of her eightieth
birthday. In the booklet notes, the dispute surrounding the actual year of
her birth is rectified, it is 1928, not 1923. She elaborates. In 1937 Harold
Holt, who was her agent, wanted to present her as a prodigy in a Sunday
afternoon concert at Covent Garden (London). The conductor on this occasion
was to be Thomas Beecham. Unfortunately, the rules stipulated that no child
under fourteen could appear. Holt, together with her father, hatched a plan
to get around this by altering her birth date to 1923. This date has
erroneously been attributed to her subsequently by some.
She was born in Chelm, Poland, and took up the violin at the age of
three, inspired by her father who was an amateur fiddle player. She later
studied with Carl Flesch, whose list of other famous pupils includes Henryk
Szeryng, Ginette Neveu, Josef Hassid, Szymon Goldberg and Ivry Gitlis.
Later, she had the good fortune to be mentored by George Enescu, whose name
is closely associated with Yehudi Menuhin.
The centre of gravity and focus of this recital is the Chaconne by
Bach. Haendel’s performance is technically secure and granite-like in
its delivery. Aside from a few intonation problems and minor finger slips
this is a deeply expressive performance, monumental in its conception. I
have always rated Haendel’s Bach very highly, and her survey of the
complete Sonatas and Partitas recorded on the Testament Label (SBT 2090) is
among the traversals I cherish the most. She certainly lives up to my
expectations here. The other work for solo violin is her own arrangement of
the Intermezzo from Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, given with great
improvisatory flair.
The Mozart Sonata on offer is the B flat KV378/317d, played with
finesse, grace and charm. Perhaps the performance is not as fluent as that
from Montreal in 1968, but here it is in much better sound, not suffering
the live broadcast’s sonic flaws (Doremi DHR7726). The Saint-Saens,
another substantial work, is a little on the cautious side with regard to
tempo. Whilst the staccato runs at 3:09 are no longer as cleanly incisive as
they once were, the treacherous spiccato passage at 9:06 is well negotiated
and crisply articulated.
Listening to the Sarasate , I forgot for one moment that I was
hearing an eighty year old lady.
Zigeunerweisen is exquisite, with a
beautifully phrased and expressive slow section and a fast section
showcasing a still remarkable technique. I did feel, however, that the
Wieniawski Polonaise did tax her to the limit, and I detected some strain in
some of the double-stop passages. Be that as it may, the work I really
enjoyed and confess to keep listening to is the Brahms Hungarian Dance. It
is a perfect gem, capturing all its nuance and swagger. I could not imagine
it given a finer outing.
It is an established fact that a violinist’s longevity is
shorter than that of the pianist, by the very nature of the instrument and
the way the sound is produced. To maintain a technique on the violin at the
age of eighty is nothing short of miraculous. Nathan Milstein similarly
sustained a career well into his eighties. Yet, to put it in perspective,
Haendel’s playing here in no way attains the level reached in her
prime. Nevertheless, many of the attributes that distinguished her earlier
playing are evident. There is the beautiful, rich tone, and the level of
musicianship, especially in such a work as the Bach Chaconne. Also present
is the myriad spectrum of colour, which has always been an outstanding
feature of her playing.
This is a superb achievement, and collectors and followers of
Haendel’s career will want these recordings. The two pianists offer
sensitive support. The studio technicians have done a first-class job in
achieving a remarkably good balance between violin and piano. Colin
Anderson’s notes are informative, and I can only reiterate their
sentiments “Great Lady, Great Violinist’.
Stephen Greenbank
