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Music Lane It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes. |
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Music Lane It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes. |
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In Reply to: It's all relative... posted by C.B. on February 22, 2015 at 19:20:57:
I admit, I was trying to bait you into something more emotional! ;-)
Regarding the Bach G minor Sonata, I don't know either of the two "thoughtful vibrato" recordings you mention. Re the Luca recording - it's been around for a long time I know, but, in its LP incarnation, I either heard part of it on the radio, or I read enough reviews to know that it wasn't for me. Mullova is of course for me a tragic case of someone who sold out her earlier principles to the lure of HIP. Perhaps, as you suggest, she made something out of that bargain with the Devil.
I do appreciate your analysis - but nevertheless, the vibratoless tone on sustained notes is just such an ugly, amateurish sound (IMHO) that I'll never abide it. It's the very opposite of cultivated sound I expect of a professional musician. I'll grant you that one can devise a certain kind of expression by withholding vibrato from certain notes - and in fact, I agree with that approach in certain, VERY LIMITED instances. (Some short places in the Beethoven Quartets come to mind.) But still, with all the other expressive means that we have (articulation, dynamics, etc.), why do we have to resort to this ugly, dessicated sound so often? To me, it has just grown out of control these days.
Allow me to quote the Sulzer treatise again: "A fundamental part of good singing and playing requires holding out EVERY NOTE [my caps] with such vibrato. It is easiest in singing, because Nature herself ensures that the vocal instrument does not remain on any sustained tone with the same rigid tension." In fact, singing is the ideal. I do kind of agree with you that string players can never quite approach even the modest application of vocal vibrato used by such singers as Elly Ameling - but they can sure come a LOT closer than HIP groups do! ;-) And while it may be true that many singers can't modulate or control their vibrato, there are clearly certain singers (the ones I've named already, in addition to many others) who control their vibrato well enough for string players to aspire to, even though, as you say, the vibrato is produced differently.
Your comments about the Heifetz recording are interesting, especially in view of the Auer quote in the comments section of the Strad article (with Heifetz being an Auer student). Strange. In any case, Heifetz' rather strenuous renditions of the Sonatas and Partitas are not my cup of tea. You asked whom I like - I would say J-Fi for sure; I also like both of the Szeryng recordings (although I haven't heard the mono one in many years) even though he is a bit too free with the rhythm in places for my taste. I also like Lisa's B-minor Partita on her debut album - she's another tragic case, who, on evidence of her latest sorry Bach recording on DG, has abandoned her previous artistic principles (at least as they relate to vibrato).
Regarding singers and singing (your last paragraph) - yeah, that's funny. There is so much mythology and charlatanism connected with singing (boh teaching and performing) - I think partly because it's all internal.
Anyway, thanks again for the reply - but I've still got my wooden stake and mallet ready to go! ;-)
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Follow Ups
- Thanks for your thoughtful reply - Chris from Lafayette 20:46:54 02/22/15 (0)
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