Grumiaux and Milstein

Todays comparison of style will be with violinist Arthur Grumiaux and Nathan Milstein who are similar in how they portray what could be regarded as a more modern approach to Bach’s music.  Yesterday I looked at two Baroque specialists and today with two other performers who prefer to capture the feeling of Bach in a more full-on-sound approach.  Due to how the baroque violin was challenged by modern advancement in violin making, recordings from the 1960’s experiment more with this new power which can still bring Bach alive – even if its not using what was used in the day.

Arthur Grumiaux

Nathan Milstein

The Belgian violinist Arthur Grumiaux is considered to be a great violin virtuosi of the twentieth century.  Bringing performances that are technically accurate and sensitive to musical structure.  I believe his style comes across much better in romantic repertoire however, I believe his style is something I could maybe take with a pinch of salt and apply.

(Similarly to Perlman)

American/Russian Violinist Nathan Milstein like Grumiaux is considered iconic in the 20th Century and was known for his recordings of Bach’s solo works (which is why I have picked him) and of his romantic works.  He had a long career until breaking his hand in the 80’s and sadly died 22 years ago, the year I was born.

So with these two figures in mind I decided to focus on the D minor Sarabande from Partita No.2 more closely and took notes on there interpretation and of the qualities I heard in each recording – which will help me further in personal practice in deciding and experimenting with the sound I would like to capture and which I can still bring across the differences and contrasts to the public.

Arthur Grumiaux Sarabande 

• Fuller chords – in comparison to the baroque recordings – they seem to be more powerful throughout and held on.
• Punchy articulation but stroked not staccato – more detached
• The tempo is very fixed in my personal view – he doesn’t play about too much or stretches rhythms – only at cadential areas.
• rit in measure three with the open A-A double stop.
• When the phrases repeat they are much the same – no change in musicality just pushes through – consistent
• There isn’t much dynamic contrast very forte (loud) and very few shaping of crescendo (louder) and diminuendo (softer)
• The rhythms however in the second half (subject) is more contrast unlike the first half of the work.
• Definitely a contrast in sections here.
• He accentuates the first beats of the bar and crescendos into important phrases
• rit on last bar.
• Throughout I feel it is very note heavy meaning you can hear every single note with the same power or pressure making it very clear.
• He doesn’t use much vibrato, only using it on longer notes and important chords – otherwise he doesn’t really use it making it very straight.  Although the vibrato is quite wide in sound quality – trying to romanticise it.
•  In my personal opinion there isn’t much shaping – in contrast to baroque recording from Podger – she shapes continuously by following the lines that Bach wrote – whereas in this example he is clearly thinking about producing a clear powerful sound.
• The sound is beautiful throughout and very powerful portrayal of his music.

Nathan Milstein’s Sarabande

• at the beginning – the opening chords are more held much more than in Grumiaux’s – there is already from the opening phrases the push and pull effect that is characteristic of Baroque music.
• He holds onto harmonic tension and clearly shapes phrases with crescendo and diminuendo – following the line like Podger and Huggett. 
• When he repeats the opening section, the second repeat is much louder and gradually becomes softer second half of the phrases by taking more time by lengthening the bass line note.
• He doesn’t hold so much in measure 3 Grumiaux does
• The second half of the Sarabande is much slower than the first half where this is suggested by the slower trills and accentuation of rhythms.  The music at this point is very rhythmically driven.
• As he has chosen to take time here I feel that the harmony comes alive more.
• Vibrato is shorter and uses it a little more on longer notes.
• He treats the music with that idea of the harpsichord making the lines feel separate
• No rit at end but a diminuendo.

Huggett and Podger Reflections

Monica Huggett

Rachel Podger

So last night I listened and blogged about my thoughts with Isabelle Faust and also watched some Monty Python, Rachel Podger is next on the list – one of my favourite musicians (see more), especially with her vast expertise and teachings historical music courses in wales (RWCMD) but I can’t ignore the importance of Monica Huggett despite my opinion.  I thought it would good to have a think about comparing the two – especially since on equal par of knowledge of period performance and differing styles of what priorities are in a Bach recording and therefore the pros and cons of them.

Both recordings are fabulous but for this project I need to think about what the preference could be and with that I still need to make some decisions on style – so by analysing others i’ll able to hear difference and think about whether I feel these differences need to be emphasising this way or that way.  I find listening to things – much more gratifying and useful to highlighting photocopies of print outs.

Monica Huggett’s recording with her Amati violin produces a sound that is not forced and what I would describe as ‘pure’.  I would say both violinists have this edge however the momentum Rachel Podger keeps on the other hand is no match for Monica Huggett.  Rachel’s sense of pace doesn’t seem to detach unlike Monica’s recordings of the set.  This is maybe something to another persons ear – would find more pleasing with there being irregularity and a different sense of drive.  Although the nuances of sound, articulation and speed of bow in both recordings work well and I cannot fault and they are to me  appropriate to period performance practices. (obviously with their experience)

What I find the cons to be with Monica Huggett, is how she seems to make lots of changes to the tempo in each movement – which is just not necessary which means phrases sound interrupted in places which I guess is in the attempt to highlight musical ideas such as descending scales – she seems to rush through.  I feel the interruptions she makes are very extreme and make the musical line feel inconsitant.

In particular the fugues are very overemphasised of the shift of the subject theme between the registers – naff! should all be heard!  Even the Sarabande and the Corrente in the No. 2 Partita are inconsistent in terms of rhythm and pace by Monica – even though they sound nice to the ear – I guess its about personal preference though. In this video (here) – highlights this inconsistency – even in a lesson/masterclass – its not rhythmically paced.

Rachel from a listening point of view – is much more aware of the warm and expressive nuances – where her approach characterises the varied repetitions of the ground bass – which she has pointed out in masterclasses and in talks on other Bach’s work ie. his concertos.  The bass line helps to build up the cumulative effect which helps to keep the momentum going which Monica misses out by over-emphasising everything.  Rachel is firm but not too assertive with rhythm – she pulls around and stuff but when necessary ie. in cadential progressions or harmonic or melodic lines.  The big thing I notice is that she clearly splits chords downwards rather than upwards like Monica Huggett and Itzhak Perlman – giving a lighter feel but this preserves the continuity of this lower part – ie. the opening chords of the Sarabande, Chaconne and the even in the rhythmical pulse of the Giga in particular are so stunning at showing this bass line idea/rule off.

Rachel and Monica both recognise Bach’s marked terraced dynamics, however Podger is more subtle in this technical assurance and is very subtle with accentuations and karmic awareness.  Any little change of colour – she heightens – which Huggett does too but again its over emphasised – doesn’t feel natural to me.

I’m sure her style would maybe be a preference for others, however, for the purposes of my project – its not a natural or pure enough for me to follow Monica Huggett – I would much prefer playing something rhythmically stable like what Rachel Podger is aiming for and still be able to portray musicality with expressive articulation from what I’m looking at via recordings and chats and treatises.

 

This is all personal opinion of course – so please feel free to comment on your thoughts – would great to hear!

 

ALSO  important finding from her recording is that she believes Bach never used a ‘baroque pitch’ – the A = 415 hz – so she uses the standard pitch where A = 440 hz  It’s maybe something I need to have a chat with my teacher about if he thinks its necessary and how will I bring alive both representatives of style – do I go from one extreme to another or make the differences subtle – something I’m having to practice around.

 

 

Mullova

Having a listen to some CD’s that I bought of Bach and which I have kicking around on my iTunes.  Thought for the moment I will try to stick with more modern recordings and set ups – until my plain gut strings arrive for my other set up.  

Bach is something that is just amazing to listen to, whether its to switch off, to get geeky or to just absorb in the sound.

One of the CDs I have is with the violinist Victoria Mullova.

Victoria Mullova in her recordings plays on her Guadagnini which is set up with gut-core strings and uses a baroque bow with the traditional modern set up – with no wedges or alterations.  The violin itself is made around the time of Bach so makes sense to utilise the sound.

She clearly makes destination of the melody lines and bass line or chords – there is not much vibrato – only sparingly on longer notes.  Adds a lot more slurs and makes distinctions with any rhythms that need highlighting throughout the whole set.

This something I need to think about when playing – and it seems to be something that every player is accentuating – whether it is in a romantic style or more characteristically baroque in feeling.

Heres a wee excerpt of the opening adagio in G minor (click here)