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Post by jandl100 on Jun 10, 2018 20:37:31 GMT
The initial furore of my first June choice having died down a bit I'm cheating again, squeezing in more classical choices.  Saint-Saens. French composer probably mainly known for his Carnival of the Animals and, above all, his famous 3rd Symphony with the organ as impressive protagonist. Well, for me, Saint-Saens' masterwork is neither of those, but his 2nd piano concerto. He wrote 5 piano concertos, all of them worth getting to know but it is the 2nd that captures my attention for the glorious solo piano opening sequence, a hommage to Bach if I ever heard one, and the astonishingly virtuosic piano part in the 3rd movement finale. Wonderful stuff. I've heard many (most/all ?) of the recordings of this piece, but head and shoulders above them all is by pianist Dubravka Tomsic. Tomsic isn't widely known in the West, but here is the opening of the Artiste Summary for her on Qobuz ... "Slovenia's Dubravka Tomsic is something of a connoisseur's pianist, not a marquee name widely known outside of classical music circles, but often listed among the finest players in the world by those in the know." On this recording there is magnificent Bachian playing at the opening, and jaw-drop virtuosity in the finale. This is one of the glories of the classical recording catalogue for me. Let's see if you like it, too.  Note that the Saint Saens starts at track 4.  |
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Post by julesd68 on Jun 10, 2018 21:40:08 GMT
It's 2 for 1 month from Jerry! Very interesting to see you rate it so highly and also I'm happy to admit I don't know the pianist at all ... |
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 11, 2018 5:22:27 GMT
It's 2 for 1 month from Jerry! It was only June 10th when I posted it ... do the math to see where I'm heading.  |
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 11, 2018 5:43:24 GMT
... and also I'm happy to admit I don't know the pianist at all ... She centred a lot of her career as a musical teacher in Eastern Europe before the days when it opened up. Claudio Arrau and Arthur Rubinstein were a very active part of her fan base! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubravka_Tom%C5%A1i%C4%8D_SrebotnjakShe's done a lot of recordings, which for the most part cropped up in the UK on bargain-basement East European labels in CD store cutout bins! .... just like the one featured on this thread .... so she has been largely ignored in the West by the major labels and hence the listening public. She is still performing and recording - a lot can be found on Spotify with some diligent searching. "The celebrated Slovenian pianist Tomsic enjoys "something of a cult status among pianophiles" (Gramophone Magazine), with performances that convey "heroic power and Olympian vision" (Los Angeles Times) as well as "splendor, drama, passion, poetry, and subtlety" (Boston Globe). The only protégé of legendary pianist Artur Rubinstein, who considered her "a perfect and marvelous pianist," she gave her first public recital at age five and later embarked on an international career that took her to five continents, performing more than 5000 concerts to date." www.dubrovnik-festival.hr/en/umjetnici/tomsic-dubravka-pianist |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 11, 2018 8:00:30 GMT
Thanks, Jerry. Looking forward to trying this later. I, too, don't know the pianist at all.
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Post by julesd68 on Jun 11, 2018 12:56:29 GMT
Utterly transcendant Jerry. How this lady isn’t better known, well it’s a crime on this alone. Utterly scandalous.  The introduction gave me goosebumps. She can generate some pretty fearsome power! Technique and musicality, you need look no further. But how to mark? The performance is an easy 5, the music 4-5, so let’s call it a 5. |
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 11, 2018 15:53:35 GMT
The introduction gave me goosebumps. Precisely so, there is hope for you yet, young grasshopper Jules. |
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Post by julesd68 on Jun 11, 2018 16:58:37 GMT
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 11, 2018 17:28:50 GMT
I don't know if you are familiar with Liszt's piano sonata, Jules, but if you are then this recording by Tomsic may come as a revelation. Often a bit of a barn-storming piece (as in Lisitsa's dramatically awesome performance on YouTube), Tomsic's playing is breath-takingly exquisite and poetic. |
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Post by Slinger on Jun 11, 2018 19:04:36 GMT
Jerry, I've got this piece played by Pascal Rogé and by Stephen Hough but are we voting on the version you've linked or the piece itself?
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Post by MartinT on Jun 11, 2018 20:07:46 GMT
No time left for the big rig tonight, but listening on my PC system, this needs more attention! Sounds wonderful so far...
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 11, 2018 20:14:22 GMT
Jerry, I've got this piece played by Pascal Rogé and by Stephen Hough but are we voting on the version you've linked or the piece itself? Well, if you think Hough & Rogé are better then you are simply wrong. OK - maybe it's a matter of opinion.  There's a YouTube vid of Rubinstein that is wonderful, and Entremont's recording (CD & LP & Spotify) is also very good. Perhaps comments on work and performances and vote on the Tomsic recording and the piece combined? |
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Post by Slinger on Jun 11, 2018 20:44:02 GMT
Jerry, I've got this piece played by Pascal Rogé and by Stephen Hough but are we voting on the version you've linked or the piece itself? Well, if you think Hough & Rogé are better then you are simply wrong. OK - maybe it's a matter of opinion. There's a YouTube vid of Rubinstein that is wonderful, and Entremont's recording (CD & LP & Spotify) is also very good. Perhaps comments on work and performances and vote on the Tomsic recording and the piece combined? You've pretty much answered my question, even though you seem to have misunderstood me a little. I haven't played any of the versions yet because I wanted to find out if, as I said, we were judging the performance. I don't use the paid version of Spotify and I play the free version through my computer system (SMSL Q5 - Celestion DL4 S2/Eltax Thunder 8 Sub) whereas if it wasn't the performance you found special I could simply play one of the versions I already own through my main system. Spotify it is then. |
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 11, 2018 20:55:45 GMT
Ah, OK.
It's a fine piece that Tomsic does particularly well and shows that it has greatness, imo.
So yes, definitely judging the performance as well.
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Post by julesd68 on Jun 12, 2018 12:54:58 GMT
It seems that Tomsic's recording career only really got going in later life so most of her output is cd only.  I will most likely buy Cecile Ousset's recording - not available to sample on spoti but does appear to be highly rated. |
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Post by Slinger on Jun 12, 2018 17:14:14 GMT
I know we're all raving about the pianist (and I'm quite happy to join in with that) I have to mention how good the orchestra is. They are on absolutely top form. Tomsic, though, must have fingers like hammers. I get the impression if she tapped me on the back she could quite easily leave me with a fractured clavicle. Having said that, what superb control she has over those fleshy little hammers. A bravura performance and a definite four out of five...plus one for the orchestra.
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 12, 2018 17:27:37 GMT
Truth be told, a lot of her earlier recordings rather suffer from "hammer finger" - I used to think of her as Clunker Tomsic for the way she rather over-egged the percussive nature of the piano.
It works like a dream in the Saint Saens, but her early Brahms and Beethoven were rather unsubtle imo.
Later on, with her more recent releases (the afore mentioned Liszt sonata, and also some Mozart sonatas) the poetic side of her nature has clearly and substantially come to the fore.
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Post by Slinger on Jun 12, 2018 17:38:25 GMT
I've just discovered (and purchased) her Grieg - Peer Gynt 1 & 2 plus the Piano Concerto, on eBay
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 12, 2018 18:16:49 GMT
I've just discovered (and purchased) her Grieg - Peer Gynt 1 & 2 plus the Piano Concerto, on eBay |
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Post by jandl100 on Jun 12, 2018 18:21:59 GMT
Here's Arthur Rubinstein in the Saint Saens
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