Search - Frank [1] Martin, Jorge Mester, Robert Whitney :: Frank Martin: Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto

Fine 'Historic' Performances of 2 Major Martin Pieces

Nicholas A. Deutsch | New York, NY USA | 05/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Swiss composer Frank Martin's Violin Concerto (1950) & Cello Concerto (1965) make a good pairing. They're similar in adopting a traditional 3-movement structure, very different in sound-world. The Violin Concerto is haunted by the spirit Ariel from Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest,' which preoccupied Martin for the 1st half of the 1950s; the 1st movement quotes from 2 of Martin's choral settings of texts from the play. The whole concerto has a wonderfully mysterious atmosphere, and the orchestral writing, tho on a large scale, is always subtle. The Cello Concerto, by contrast, has more of a chamber feel to much of the accompaniment, and in general is somewhat spikier in feel, particularly in the syncopations of the 3rd movement. The middle one, a minor-key saraband, is one of the most profound movements that Martin ever wrote.

These performances, dating from 1963 and 1973 respectively, hold an honorable place in the recording history of the works, even if - contrary to the claim on the box - the Violin Concerto was not a world premiere recording (violinist Wolfgang Schneiderhan & conductor Ernest Ansermet got there first, a classic mono version still available on London/Decca). In many ways, they are both very fine, but there's no getting around the fact that - in 1963 especially - the Louisville Orchestra doesn't always measure up technically. In particular, the horns have some noticeably dicey moments in the Violin Concerto. Yet overall, I find this one of the most satisfying versions of the piece - Schneiderhan's 2 recordings being 'hors concours' - with Paul Kling a fine soloist and conductor Robert Whitney displaying an excellent grasp of both the structural challenges and the poetic sensibility of the work. If you can listen past the 'bobbles,' I think you'll find it very satisfying.

Both orchestra & recording quality improve noticeably in the Cello Concerto, which benefits greatly from Jorge Mester's precise direction, a fine frame for an outstanding soloist, Stephen Kates.

Alternatives: for the Violin Concerto, historical, Schneiderhan under Ansermet (see above) & (in stereo) the composer (Jecklin, hard to find); modern, my top choice is an excellent new [2004] version with violinist Michael Erxleben & the Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur under Jac van Steen, with 2 other Martin pieces, on Dabringhaus und Grimm - fine CD, top-notch sound. For the Cello Concerto, the best version I know is a live 1970 performance by Jean DeCroos, Bernard Haitink & the Concertgebouw Orchestra, coupled with Martin's '4 Elements,' recently reissued on the Swiss label Doron, both performances - in very good sound - demonstrating what a world-class orchestra & conductor can achieve with the works of this underrated 20th century master."

Astounding Neglect

David Thierry | Chicago, IL United States | 03/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Szymonowski's or Prokofiev's violin concertos you'll easily embrace these gorgeous works by Frank Martin. Could music be more appealing or encourage repeated listening more than these two concertos? They're audience pleasers from the first note on to the last, very melodic with wonderful and piquant orchestrations. The more I hear of Frank Martin's music the more I am convinced that he is a composer of outstanding merit whom we would all benefit knowing better. He may take a back seat to Prokofiev and Bartok but he's in the same car."