3 Comments

1. 

   Tully Potter on August 1, 2020 at 10:48 am

   This is some sort of a document, certainly, and it is good to see Shafran playing, but neither he nor Giulini really understands Dvorák. Like quite a few conductors, Giulini falls at the very first hurdle, establishing the rhythm of the opening phrase, pom-pa-pa-pom. It isn’t difficult, but so often I hear it flabbily done. The opening tutti seems to go on for ever, and when Shafran enters he makes heavy weather of things. The tempo fluctuates so much that the structure of Dvorák’s greatest orchestral work falls apart. But then Rostropovich’s recording with Giulini is just as bad. Much as I love Rostropovich, he never really came to terms with this work, and it is hard to think of any Russian who has played Dvorák idiomatically. Oistrakh perhaps, as he was exposed to Czech musicians very early on, but certainly not Richter, who has left us a terrible Dvorák Piano Concerto and two appalling versions of both the Piano Quintets. Horses for courses, I say! Great musicians are not always in sympathy with every single style. In addition, Viennese orchestras always smooth off Dvorák’s corners… Try one of the many recordings with the Czech Philharmonic.

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     Artem Wahrhaftig on April 23, 2022 at 11:09 am

     What a ridiculous judgement: just like “pam pa pa pam” description of the composer’s “idea” 🙂
     Bad generalizations are always a true way to hell – as far as “all the Russians” are concerned and their “idiomatic” way of playing Dvorak 🙂
     They are all different – just in case someone didn’t notice yet – and all free to find what they are looking for in the Dvorak’s texts.
     I don’t even try to ask for any recommended recordings/performances that suit you: no reason to trust this sort of “taste” 🙂

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2. 

   Constantine Finehouse on February 13, 2021 at 12:06 pm

   Having read your nearly meaningless review of Shafran’s Beethoven cycle yesterday, it must be some sort of unfortunate synchronicity, that I came upon this equally meaningless comment here. One is, needless to say, perfectly entitled to a negative opinion of Shafran, but it might be worth making some substantive points, perhaps. The piece de resistance in the Strad is the entirely random mention of a second tier recording by that fine Japanese cellist on Sony, which you might have accidentally heard not too long before writing the review or, perhaps, the only Beethoven sonatas recording you could remotely recall at that particular moment. The reference was as gratuitous, as it was utterly embarrassing. As embarrassing was the striking lack of effort to say anything at all of essence or mention anything specific in the 5 works, that might illuminate the reasons for your disapproval of the interpretation. A half-assed job, at best. Here too, the commentary is thoughtless and frivolous. Incidentally, Rostropovich’s Karajan recording of the Dvorak is one of the definitive recordings (not my opinion) and, if nothing else, Richter’s “Dumka” movement is spellbinding. You might want to take your profession slightly more seriously, and put some thought and care into your writing, before you (as is your full right) endeavor to disparage one of the great pianists of all time (that would be Richter, just fyi, not the person on that Sony Beethoven cello sonatas release).

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