Album

Ida Haendel

Prague Recordings 1957-1965

Catalogue Number: SU 4162-2
Published: 25th July 2014
Genre: Chamber Music
Format: 5 CD
This album has received following awards:
  • 5 diapasons, Diapason (2015)
B. Bartók - Sonata No. 2*, Romanian Folk Dances*; L. van Beethoven - Sonatas in C minor, Op. 30/2*, in G major, Op. 30/3*, in A major, Op. 47*, Romance for Violin and Piano in G major, Op. 40*, in F major, Op. 50*, Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61; A. Glazunov - Violin Concerto in A minor; E. Lalo - Symphonie espagnole; M. Ravel - Tzigane, Habanera; P. de Sarasate - Zigeunerweisen; J. Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47; I. Stravinsky - Divertimento, Violin Concerto in D major*; G. Tartini - Sonata "Le trille du diable"; H. Wieniawski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, Scherzo - Tarantelle, Mazurka - Obertas*, Polonaise in D major*, and more

Ida Haendel - violin, Alfréd Holeček - piano, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Karel Ančerl, Prague Symphony Orchestra / Václav Smetáček


"She radiates an elemental, ecstatic musicality, one peculiar to Gypsy virtuosos, yet refined into a perfectly cultivated form."

Such attributes as charismatic, singular, exceptional are somewhat overused today. Yet in the case of Ida Haendel they are justified. Born in 1928 into a Polish Jewish family, she was a child prodigy, playing Beethoven's violin concerto at the age of five... and leading master classes in London at the age of 85. After her Prague debut in 1957, she returned to the city throughout the 1960s, either to give concerts (most frequently with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karel Ančerl, and exclusively accompanied by the pianist Alfréd Holeček at chamber recitals) or to work in a studio. The present album features the complete live and studio recordings Ida Haendel made in Prague until 1965 deposited in the Supraphon and Czech Radio archives, with a number of them being released for the very first time. Alongside "virtuoso pieces" and sonatas, the CDs include concertos by Beethoven, Stravinsky, Wieniawski, as well as her "flagship" Sibelius. When listening, you will have no doubts as to the veracity of Ida Haendel's seemingly immodest statement "I am the violin..."

Ida Haendel on herself: "I am the violin…"

Reviews

“Netopil directs an excellent performance which, appropriately enough, reflects the operatic world of The Cunning Little Vixen and the Excursions of Mr Broucek…[the Credo] is beautifully shaped and genuinely thrilling. If not entirely perfect, this reading, along with a fine performance of The Eternal Gospel is well worth investigating.“
MusicWeb International, 14th October 2014

CD 1

Fritz Kreisler
1. Preludium and Allegro for Violin and Piano 05:44
Giuseppe Tartini
Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor Trillo del Diavolo
2. Larghetto 03:16
3. Allegro moderato 02:50
4. Adagio 03:31
5. Allegro assai 05:45
Niccoló Paganini
6. Mose-Fantasia. Variations on the G string on the theme by Rossini 05:47
William Kroll
7. Banjo and Fiddle 03:07
Maurice Ravel
8. Habanera (Vocalise-étude en forme de Habanera) 03:01
Pablo de Sarasate
9. Gypsy Songs (Zigeunerweisen), Op. 20 No. 1 08:32
Johannes Brahms
10. Hungarian Dance No. 17 04:23
Béla Bartók
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56
11. Bot tánc / Jocul cu bâtă. Allegro moderato 01:26
12. Brâul. Allegro 00:32
13. Topogó / Pé-loc. Andante 01:20
14. Bucsumí tánc / Buciumeana. Moderato 01:42
15. Román polka / Poarga Românească. Allegro 00:29
16. Aprózó / Măruntel. Allegro 01:02
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
17. Saltarello (from the Symphony No. 4, arr. for violin and piano) 05:02
Karol Szymanowski
18. Mythes. Three Poemes for Violin and Piano, Op.30/1 05:29
Igor Stravinsky
Divertimento for Violin and Piano
19. Sinfonia /att./ 06:07
20. Danses suisses 04:12
21. Scherzo 02:52
22. Pas de deux. Adagio - Variation - Coda 03:27

CD 2

Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2
1. Allegro con brio 08:03
2. Adagio cantabile 11:59
3. Scherzo. Allegro 02:58
4. Finale. Allegro - Presto 05:42
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 8 in G major, Op. 30 No. 3
5. Allegro assai 04:08
6. Tempo di minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso 08:01
7. Allegro vivace 03:53
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 9 in A major "Kreutzer", Op. 47
8. Adagio sostenuto - Presto 11:29
9. Andante con variazioni 13:05
10. Finale. Presto 06:55

CD 3

Ludwig van Beethoven
1. Romance for Violin and Piano in G major, Op. 40 07:52
Ludwig van Beethoven
2. Romance for Violin and Piano in F major, Op. 50 10:32
Henryk Wieniawski
3. Scherzo - Tarantelle, Op. 16 04:40
Henryk Wieniawski
4. Mazurka - Obertass, Op. 19, No. 1 02:03
Henryk Wieniawski
5. Polonaise de Concert in D major, Op. 4 04:37
Béla Bartók
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2, Sz 76
6. Molto moderato (att.) 08:32
7. Allegretto 12:38
Igor Stravinsky
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D
8. Toccata 05:17
9. Aria I 04:11
10. Aria II 04:52
11. Capriccio 05:57
Maurice Ravel
12. Tzigane. Concert Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra 10:53

CD 4

Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 61
1. Allegro ma non troppo 23:43
2. Larghetto (attaca) 10:29
3. Rondo. Allegro (attaca) 09:39
Jean Sibelius
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47
4. Allegro moderato 15:16
5. Adagio di molto 10:06
6. Allegro ma non troppo 07:29

CD 5

Édouard Lalo
Symphonie espagnole for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 21
1. Allegro non troppo 07:46
2. Scherzando. Allegro molto 04:22
3. Intermezzo. Allegretto non troppo 06:35
4. Andante 06:38
5. Rondo. Allegro 07:26
Alexander Glazunov
6. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 82 20:30
Henryk Wieniawski
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor No. 2, Op. 22
7. Allegro moderato 11:49
8. Romance - Andante non troppo 04:44
9. Finale. Allegro con fuoco - Allegro moderato (á la Zingara) 06:05