Corelli
Tri-Centenary String Orchestra,
conducted by Dean Eckertsen. Originally released in 1953 as three
Vox LPs PL7893-1/2/3 CD1: Concerti 1-6
- Duration 64'52" Download ID: 145394/321806 CD2: Concerti 7-12 - Duration 53'15" Download ID: 145395/321807
Concerti
1-6
Concerti
7-12
Play
sample movement:
Arcangelo
Corelli (1653-1713) was one of the shining geniuses of the
baroque era. Born a generation before Bach, Handel and Scarlatti, little
is known of his life beyond his musical contributions - he has been variously
titled Founder of Modern Violin Technique, World's First Great
Violinist and Father of the Concerto Grosso.
As
the 300th anniversary of his birth approached clearly interest in Corelli's
music was stirring. This set of Concerti Grossi had its US premiere in
1951, almost 250 years after its composition, and the pioneering independent
record company, Vox, marked the composer's 300th anniversary with a set
of three LPs from which our reissue is drawn. In both the Carnegie Hall
premiere and on this recording, the conductor was Dean Eckertsen, who
had drawn together the Corelli scores and "filled in the important
markings which the composer had omitted according to the customs of the
time", according to the sleevenotes.
Certainly
his work was well received - writing in the New York Journal-American,
Miles Kastendieck wrote: "Eckertsen's labour of love is fruitful.
He has placed musicians and music lovers in his debt." His conducting
interpretations were similarly praised - "among the finest we
have ever heard" is an unattributed quote printed in the sleevenotes.
Turning to perhaps a more authoritative contemporary source, the recording
was double-starred in The Record Guide and is accompanied by the
note "Dean Eckertsen conducts a carefully prepared and sensitive
performance, which is very cleanly recorded."
"Cleanly
recorded" - and now cleanly restored by the sensitive work of
Peter Harrison at disk2disc, we are delighted to return these wonderful
recordings to the catalogue. They are released here as two MP3 files to
make a double-CD, each one a high quality LAME-encoded file for maximum
fidelity. The first file contains Concerti Grossi Nos 1-6, the second
Nos 7-12.
Note
that for the purposes of this release we have kept with the original records
in marking individual Concerti, but not the individual movements, which
are often differently named where marked elsewhere for issue, are usually
of the nature "Allegro - Largo - Allegro", and which I would
have struggled to fit into the confines of a CD insert!
REVIEW
OF CORELLI: Concerti Grossi Corelli Tri-Centenary String Orchestra, Dean Eckertsen
(1953)
Always
excepting the deservedly ubiquitous Vivaldi "Four Seasons",
the crown of Italian baroque music are the 12 Concerti Grossi,
Op. 6 of Arcangelo Corelli. Though not as theatrical and virtuoistic
as Geminiani nor Locatelli nor as broadly melodic as Albinoni
nor Benedetto Marcello, Corelli has a purity, an austere grandeur
and a never-ending invention that banishes any hint of the
routine.
I listened through all 12 concerti without boredom and with
increasing wonder at both Corelli's genius and at Peter Harrison's
incredible transmutation of VOX's dullish 1953 disks into
bright, thrusting, noiseless things of beauty.
But
there was a major question hanging over the proceedings. How
could Dean Eckertsen and his group in 1953 compete with the
original instrument and performance practice chamber orchestras
of 30 years later? To determine that, I compared Concerto
#7 using Eckertsen and La Petite Bande conducted by Sigiswalde
Kiujken (EMI). La Petite Bande was recorded 24 years later
than the Eckertsen and is in rather orthodox original instrument
style. It had some pluses: (1) you could hear a continuo most
of the time and (2) you could distinguish the ripieno (small
band) from the tutti (full band). But mostly, there were minuses:
fussy phrasing and broken-up lines.
The
Eckertsen triumphed over it in warmth and heart! It wasn't
even close. The Eckertsen in no way lacks for crispness or
virtuosity, but it has a certain depth and matching enhanced
sonic that will always draw me back.
