Worthy purchase, despite the pricey tag
Accidental Tourist | Paris, France | 01/09/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Chances are that you have been really impressed by another record of this (unjustifiably) forgotten violinist, if you happen to be checking out this page. If not, please check the review of other Amazon customers to know who Ferras was: Les Introuvables de Christian Ferras.
You would hate the French radio folks for not having brought better recording equipment, if you were a Ferras aficionado like myself - saturation, tonal distortion, etc are everywhere in these live recordings. Nonetheless, the Mendelssohn recording here ALONE is worth the price tag: Ferras at his prime AND unrestrained best. Sawallisch just let him guide the tempo through the whole piece (kind of like what Mehta had done for the legendary Sibelius video recording) Christian Ferras [DVD] [2003]. The only other Mendelssohn from Ferras is on the now hard-to-find French EMI set quoted above, with Silvestri conducting, unless you get another DVD Christian Ferras - the Art of...(Brott, Radio Canada Orch) [1963] [DVD]. Despite the trademark violin sound of Ferras, that EMI studio recording sounds too "schoolish" to reflect his art.
The Tchaikovsky Concerto was recorded when Ferras' performance began to falter, due to his depression and alcholism (e.g. a missed high A in bar 115, an "oops" in the opening of poco meno mosso in the third movement in bar 352). But trust me, once you get to hear how he made the violin SING in the con molto espressione in the first movement (the passage with the dangerously high notes marked "8va", bar 264-270), you know you got in hand a historic recording.
However, if you are picky on the quality of the recording (vs. what has been played), please go for the Testament reissue of Ferras' Tchaikovsky (again with Silvestri on the podium) Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto. Best compromise between musicality and engineering achievement. Just make sure that you steer clear from the Karajan Tchaikovsky with Ferras Karajan Conducts Tchaikovsky. Despite the FAR superior recorded sound, the result is at best so-so, with Ferras sounding like a Conservatory entrance candidate, counting each and every beat to sound exact to the taste of Karajan (vs. making the violin sing).
The Martinon concerto - well, I may be biased by my usual aversion against 20th century music, but take it as a nice-to-have filler. Curious why he "wasted his time" in recording this piece, rather than more worthy bits like Saint Saens #3..."
