Ricci/Gamba: Mendelssohn & Bruch Violin Concerti - London CS 6010

$

40

redgarnett Store ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful and rare LP from London (CS 6010, LP pressed in England by Decca / jacket printed in the USA, red/silver WBg FFSS label, stereo, blueback) features Ruggiero Ricci's vibrant and poetic accounts of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor Op. 64 and Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op. 26, both made with conductor Pierino Gamba and the London Symphony Orchestra in the rich acoustics of Kingsway Hall on 15/16 January 1957.

This is highly individual playing and one senses a great personality behind the bow. Gamba and the LSO provide fleet and lyrical support and the recorded sound is absolutely first class.

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Wrote the erudite and eloquen critic Jonathan Woolf for MusicWeb-International:

“This 1957 meeting witnesses a commanding display from Ricci, his sound quite astringent, when one considers the somewhat gestural warmth so many players bring to it. One or two expressive finger position changes stand out in the slow movement, whilst the finale is buoyant and replete with resinous down bows. This may not be the ideal or expected sound world for this concerto but the playing is certainly fascinating…But with Pierino Gamba on the rostrum – childhood prodigy conductor – and the combustible, galvanizing figure of Ruggiero Ricci as soloist it’s a safe bet that the recording won’t be a safe bet. And so it proves. If you want elevated, sweet toned raffine playing in the Mendelssohn, if your preference is for romanticism but not ever emoted expressivity in the Bruch; if, in short, you enjoy well equalized and discreet musicality then Ricci is not the violinist for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy personalized playing, an exceptional technique, some succulent and big sounds and the antithesis of impersonal and blandly monochrome disengagement then maybe Ricci is for you after all.

“Ricci has recently (2002) announced his retirement from the concert stage, a career that extended even beyond Milstein’s, and which saw some considerable ups and downs. He tended publicly to denigrate his middle period – of which this recording is, I suppose, an example - as a time in which he played safe, in which he unlearned the adolescent speculations and strongly emotionalised responses to music making. In his middle age, with the belief, in his words, that it was better to be a whore than a nun, he felt he regained control of his own musical destiny.

“Ricci is an engaging personality and a sometimes contentious musician. In the Mendelssohn there is some tremulous playing in the first movement but also a splendid cadenza and elegantly expressive playing – nothing sleek and manicured about it all – and some delightful phrasal inflections. Interesting too to hear how Gamba encourages woodwind weight behind the soloist. In the second movement, where one might expect some disruptive mannerisms Ricci’s vibrancy – in contrast – is eloquently under control. The finale is restrained too, at a reasonable tempo and not the show off sprint it can sometimes become; admirable is the little fillip Gamba gives to the trumpets here (and there are a number of little felicities in his management of the orchestral patina that intrigued me). ”

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This album was produced by Erik Smith and engineered by Cyril Windebank. The striking cover photo of Ricci was taken by Sedge le Blang. There are superlative liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket by Joan Chissell, printed in English only.

CONDITION:

The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The condition of the jacket is near-MINT. There is some light creasing towards the upper-right corner, but really that is all. There are no seamsplits, bends, owners' markings, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive – overall, an outstanding collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT. Though there is light surface noise throughout, in general the playback remains quite fine. However, those wanting a flawless or near-MINT copy are kindly advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this rates as an excellent collector's copy.

PLEASE NOTE:
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