Alfredo Campoli, Anatole Fistoulari, Ataúlfo Argenta, Belinda Bunt, Daphne Ibbott - Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 1-6 (2018)
BAND/ARTIST: Alfredo Campoli, Anatole Fistoulari, Ataúlfo Argenta, Belinda Bunt, Daphne Ibbott, Eduard van Beinum, Eric Gritton, George Malcolm, Josef Krips, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Norihiko Wada, Piero Gamba, Royalton Kisch, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Arthur Bliss
- Title: Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 1-6
- Year Of Release: 1951-1972/2018
- Label: Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Genre: Classical
- Quality: flac lossless
- Total Time: 12:41:31
- Total Size: 2.56 gb
- WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 1
01. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-1. Allemande
02. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-2. Corrente
03. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-3. Sarabande
04. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-4. Giga
05. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-5. Ciaccona
06. Tartini: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G minor, B. g5-"Il trillo del diavolo"-1. Larghetto affettuoso
07. Tartini: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G minor, B. g5-"Il trillo del diavolo"-2. Allegro
08. Tartini: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G minor, B. g5-"Il trillo del diavolo"-3. Andante-Allegro
09. Tartini: Sonata in G minor, Op.1, No.10-1. Adagio ma non troppo
10. Tartini: Sonata in G minor, Op.1, No.10-2. Presto
11. Tartini: Sonata in G minor, Op.1, No.10-3. Largo
12. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-1. Andante
13. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-2. Allegro
14. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-3. Adagio
15. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-4. Allegro
16. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-1. Andante
17. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-2. Allegro
18. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-3. Adagio
19. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-4. Allegro
20. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-1. Adagio
21. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-2. Allegro
22. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-3. Largo
23. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-4. Allegro
24. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-1. Affetuoso
25. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-2. Allegro
26. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-3. Larghetto
27. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-4. Allegro
28. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-1. Adagio
29. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-2. Allegro
30. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-3. Larghetto
31. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-4. Allegro
32. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-1. Adagio
33. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-2. Allegro
34. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-3. Largo
35. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-4. Allegro
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. Campoli made these recordings of Baroque sonatas between 1948 and 1955, at a time when virtues of rich, full- bodied tone and smoothly expressive phrasing were prized in music of all periods: indeed, Decca originally issued the D minor Solo Partita of Bach in 1951 on one side of an LP with Bruch’s G minor concerto on the other.
Born in Rome, and taught by his father who had been a professional violinist there, Campoli grew up in London listening to and learning from records of the great singers of the age: he subsequently toured with Nellie Melba and Clara Butt. Accordingly, his own playing was often likened to bel canto singing, which had its own stylistic roots in Italian Baroque principles of melodic phrasing and opportunities for virtuoso display.
The two sonatas by Tartini are full of double and triple stops, florid passagework and elaborate ornamentation, and their subtitles imply operatic narratives. In fact, the ‘Didone abbandonata’ only became popularly known as such in the nineteenth century, but the idea for it may go back to the composer, who certainly came up with ‘The Devil’s Trill’ after experiencing a vivid dream in which the Devil had seized the violin from his hands and played ‘a sonata of such exquisite beauty as surpassed the boldest flight of my imagination’ – which he sought to recapture on waking up.
For the Tartini sonatas in 1955, Campoli was accompanied on the piano by George Malcolm. In the Handel sessions three years earlier Malcolm used a more historically appropriate harpsichord, as he did on many other Decca recordings over a distinguished recording career spanning more than three decades.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘These are thoroughly satisfying performances by a violinist whose name should be better known in [the US]. The playing is technically adroit, tonally warm and well recorded, with a lot of space around the performers.’ High Fidelity, July-August 1953 (Handel) ‘This disc enshrines a virtuoso performance that is at the same time a deeply felt interpretation of two of the finest of Tartini’s solo sonatas.’ Gramophone, September 1955 (Tartini)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 2
01. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-1. Allegro molto appassionato
02. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-2. Andante
03. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-3. Allegro non troppo-Allegro molto vivace
04. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26-1. Vorspiel (Allegro moderato)
05. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26-2. Adagio
06. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26-3. Finale (Allegro energico)
07. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op.61-1. Allegro ma non troppo
08. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op.61-2. Larghetto
09. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op.61-3. Rondo (Allegro)
10. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-1. Allegro molto appassionato
11. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-2. Andante
12. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-3. Allegro non troppo-Allegro molto vivace
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. This reinvention was much aided by a succession of Decca recordings made with some of the label’s greatest conductors – Argenta, Boult, Krips – and critically praised at the time for bringing to serious repertoire the impeccable technique, warmth of tone and long, legato phrasing that had made Campoli so stylish a player of salon music.
For many music-lovers of the 1950s, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto was almost synonymous with the name of Campoli. The concerto appeared on his programs more than any other work, from the time of his debut in 1923 to his final major appearance at the age of 74 when the critic of The Strad remarked that this 950 th performance sounded both ‘fresh and mature’. Accordingly, he made two recordings: firstly with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Eduard van Beinum in 1949, shortly after Decca had announced its technological breakthrough known as ‘Full Frequency Range Reproduction’. The second recording came out a decade later with the same orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. The Bruch recording dates from April 1951, and was first issued in company with Bach’s D minor Solo Partita (now coupled on Eloquence with other Baroque repertoire, 4825175). The Beethoven Concerto disc was made at the end of the same year in the middle of Josef Krips’s brief but important tenure as music director of the London Symphony Orchestra; the understanding between soloist, conductor and ensemble is notably closer and more sympathetic than on Campoli’s later recording of the work with another London orchestra.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli plays most beautifully – the finale, in particular, is accurate and brilliant in the extreme.’ Gramophone, September 1959 (Mendelssohn/Boult) ‘Campoli’s playing gives me the impression of overhearing a musician of exquisite sensibility thinking over Beethoven’s thoughts … he avoids all showiness and gives a reflective reading … Krips accompanies sensitively and the ensemble is excellent.’ Gramophone, May 1952 (Beethoven)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 3
01. Dohnányi: 5 Pieces from "Ruralia Hungarica", Op.32a-Arr. Kreisler-Presto
02. Dohnányi: 5 Pieces from "Ruralia Hungarica", Op.32a-Arr. Kreisler-Andante rubato alla zingaresca
03. Dohnányi: 5 Pieces from "Ruralia Hungarica", Op.32a-Arr. Kreisler-Molto vivace
04. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Caprice No. 13
05. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Caprice No. 20
06. Paganini: La Campanella, Op.7
07. Fibich: Poem, Op41:14
08. Ponce: Estrellita-Arr. Heifetz
09. Drdla: Souvenir, for violin and piano (1904)
10. Fiocco: Pièces de clavecin Op.1-Arr. Bent, O'Neill-Allegro
11. Schubert: The Bee, Op.13, No.9-Arr. Kross
12. Albéniz: Tango-Arr. Dushkin
13. Heuberger: Der Opernball. Overture-Arr. Fritz Kreisler-Midnight Bells
14. Mendelssohn: Auf Flügeln des Gesanges, Op.34, No.2-Arr. Achron
15. Drigo: Valse Bluette-Arr. Leopold Auer
16. Elgar: La Capricieuse, Op.17
17. From the Canebrake
18. Anonymous: Deep River-Arr. Heifetz
19. Debussy: Préludes / Book 1, L.117-Arr. for violin & piano Debussy-Minstrels
20. Foster: Old Folks at home-Arr. Kreisler
21. Kreisler: Praeludium & Allegro
22. Kreisler: Liebesleid
23. Kreisler: Liebesfreud
24. Kreisler: Polichinelle (Sérénade)
25. Kreisler: Schön Rosmarin
26. Kreisler: Caprice viennois op.2
27. Kreisler: Tambourin chinois
28. Paderewski: Menuet Célèbre Op.14, No.1 in G
29. Wieniawski: Caprice in E Flat Major
30. Wieniawski: Caprice in A Minor
31. Kreisler: Rondino On A Theme By Beethoven
32. Kreisler: La Chasse (In The Style Of Cartier)
33. Kreisler: La Gitana
34. Granados: Spanish Dance Op.37, No.5-"Andaluza"
35. Tartini: Variations on a theme of Corelli
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist.
Nonetheless, Campoli retained a popular touch, and an innate feeling for light-hearted music, which lends both grace and distinction to this anthology of encores, miniatures and trifles. The second disc reproduces an album conceived and released by Decca in February 1955 as an 80 th -anniversary tribute from Campoli to the man who was in many ways his artistic forefather, Fritz Kreisler. Both violinists were equally at home in the café as the concert hall; both could charm the birds from the trees with the brilliance of their technique but also the natural, beguiling warmth of their expression which seemed to reflect a special generosity of spirit. It is no coincidence that Campoli became so sympathetic interpreter of the Violin Concerto which Elgar had dedicated to Kreisler.
The Kreisler album is complemented here by a first international CD release on Decca for three 10” LPs. Three Paganini showpieces and three Dohnányi works arranged by Kreisler were recorded in April 1953 and released in the autumn; in December of that year, Campoli went on to make an acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall. Two medium-play discs of encores were then recorded in December 1954 and January 1956, both with the violinist’s principal accompanist, Eric Gritton.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley.
‘Mr Campoli’s playing of the Ruralia Hungarica and the Paganini is brilliant and sure, without the excesses that so often accompany display pieces. The violin tone is warm, with a very satisfying balance between piano and violin.’ High Fidelity, January-February 1954
‘Here is something wonderful and unique … Campoli has excelled himself … The result is a disc of rare beauty; one that should on no account be missed’ Gramophone, March 1955 (Kreisler) ‘Campoli could play this music in his sleep … He combines a knowledge of such pieces with a matured classical technique as does no other violinist I can think of, and […] he plays the music with sympathy and affection and immense skill. Eric Gritton accompanies with customary care, and the recording is very good indeed.’ Gramophone, November 1955 (Elgar, Drdla)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 4
01. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op.35, TH. 59-1. Allegro moderato
02. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op.35, TH. 59-2. Canzonetta (Andante)
03. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op.35, TH. 59-3. Finale (Allegro vivacissimo)
04. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-1. Allegro non troppo
05. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-2. Scherzando (Allegro molto)
06. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-3. Intermezzo (Allegretto non troppo)
07. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-4. Andante
08. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-5. Rondo (Allegro)
09. Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op.20
10. Saint-Saëns: Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Op.28
11. Saint-Saëns: Havanaise, Op.83
12. Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61-1. Allegro non troppo
13. Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61-2. Andantino quasi allegretto
14. Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61-3. Molto moderato e maestoso
15. Wieniawski: Legende, Op.17
16. Paganini: Violin Concerto No.1 in D, Op.6-Version in One movement by Fritz Kreisler
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist.
When Campoli made this recording of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto at the very end of 1956, he had lately returned from a tour of the Soviet Union which had been facilitated by the temporary thaw in Cold War relations. Also on the tour, Gerald Moore later recalled that in Russia, Campoli had been spoken about in the same breath as Oistrakh. In stereo and in partnership with the Spanish conductor Ataulfo Argenta, the Tchaikovsky sessions catch the violinist on masterful form, imbuing the concerto with every shade of subtle rubato.
Campoli is hand in glove with several other Decca house conductors on four more complete long-play and medium- play discs featuring concertante bow- and showstoppers: there is the sophisticated playfulness of the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saëns, his habanera-like Havanaise leading smoothly into the gypsy fire of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen, the gymnastics of Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole and the melodic composure of Wienawski’s Légende. Campoli is accompanied by the young Piero Gamba in a concerto of particular significance for him, Kreisler’s one- movement arrangement of Paganini’s First Concerto. When he played it at a Henry Wood Promenade concert in the summer of 1938, the violinist later told Gramophone, ‘it was one of the proudest moments of my life when the Queen’s Hall audience recalled me six times.’
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli has the technical equipment and musical understanding to exploit these varied works to the fullest. Notable features, aside from his big, singing tone in all of them, are his subtlety and phrasing and rapid double-stop passagework in the Havanaise and his entirely gypsy-like approach to the Zigeunerweisen.’ High Fidelity, November 1957
‘Campoli is an enormously proficient violinist, one on the order of a Stern, Oistrakh, or anybody else you can name. His tone has amazing solidity and sweetness, his fingerwork is impeccable, his intonation is a joy… Admirable recorded sound, and Gamba leads the London orchestra in precisely adjusted accompaniments.’ High Fidelity, September 1957 (Saint-Saëns, Paganini-Kreisler) ‘A refreshingly vital performance distinguished by the gorgeous opulent tone and unmannered directness of Alfredo Campoli.’ Fanfare, September 2003 (Lalo)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 5
01. Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61-1. Allegro
02. Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61-2. Andante
03. Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61-3. Allegro molto
04. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-1. Adagio cantabile
05. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-2. Scherzo-Allegro; Adagio
06. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-3. Andante sostenuto
07. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-4. Finale (Allegro guerriero)
08. Bliss: Violin Concerto, F. 111-I. Allegro ma non troppo
09. Bliss: Violin Concerto, F. 111-2. Scherzo: Vivo
10. Bliss: Violin Concerto, F. 111-III. Introduzione. Allegro deciso in modo zingara
11. Bliss: Theme and Cadenza
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. Edward Elgar dedicated his Violin Concerto to Fritz Kreisler, and Campoli was the outstanding inheritor of Kreisler’s mantle as a violinist of unchallenged technique and a popular touch that endeared him to audiences of all backgrounds. His October 1954 recording of the concerto is lent further distinction by the support of that supreme Elgarian, Sir Adrian Boult, who also accompanies him in a May 1958 account of the Scottish Fantasia of Max Bruch.
Despite his name and his Roman heritage, Campoli was a Londoner through and through who spoke with a Balham accent. Something of his dry humour and outgoing personality can be heard reflected in the 1955 Violin Concerto written for him by Sir Arthur Bliss, who had become Master of the Queen’s Music two years earlier. Having worked closely on the solo part together, composer and soloist made this recording together within weeks of its premiere. The result has an unrivalled authority, as fellow composer Humphrey Searle recognized in The Gramophone Record Review of June 1956: ‘Campoli copes with the very difficult solo part as if it were child’s play’. The concerto is coupled, as it was on the original Decca LP, with the more Romantically yearning Theme and Cadenza which Bliss extracted from the incidental music he had written in 1946 for a radio play concerning a young composer who writes a concerto for his wife as a wedding gift.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli and Boult offer an intense, vigorous, often deeply probing interpretation.’ High Fidelity, June 1957 (Elgar) ‘Campoli has successfully renovated this imposing Edwardian piece without destroying its essential contours; he brings new life to it without seeking to stamp out the old… He is well supported by the orchestra, and safe in the hands of Boult.’ Gramophone, April 1955 (Elgar)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 6
01. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.21-1. Malagueña
02. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.21-2. Habañera
03. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.22-1. Romanza Andaluza
04. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.22-2. Jota Navarra
05. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.23-1. Playera
06. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op. 23-2. Zapateado
07. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.26-1. Vito
08. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.26-2. Habañera
09. Sarasate: Navarra For Two Violins, Op.33
10. Albéniz: España, Op.165-Arr. Dushkin-2. Tango
11. Brahms: 16 Waltzes, Op.39-Arr. Violin & piano-No.15 in A flat
12. J.S. Bach: Concerto for Harpsichord, Strings, and Continuo No.5 in F minor, BWV 1056-Arr. Johann Franco-Arioso
13. Schubert: Ave Maria, D.839
14. Red dragonfly (Arr. Campoli)
15. Yanada: The rain on Jogashima (Arr. Campoli)
16. Mozart: Serenade in D, K.250 "Haffner"-Arr. Fritz Kreisler-4. Rondo (Allegro)
17. Paganini: Violin Concerto No.2, Op.7-Arr. Fritz Kreisler-3. Rondo "La Campanella"
18. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Polonaise de concert, Op.4
19. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Légende, Op.17
20. Bazzini: La Ronde des Lutins: Scherzo fantastique, Op.25
21. Wieniawski: Polonaise No.1 in D, Op.4
22. Wieniawski: Legende, Op.17
23. Wieniawski: Two Mazurkas, Op.19-1. Obertass
24. Wieniawski: Two Mazurkas, Op.19-2. Le ménétrier (Dudziarz)
25. Wieniawski: Souvenir de Moscou, Op.6
26. Wieniawski: Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16
27. Wieniawski: Romance from Violin Concerto No.2 in D minor, Op.22-Arr. violin & piano-2. Romance
28. Wieniawski: Capriccio-Valse, Op.7
29. Wieniawski: Polonaise Brillante No.2, Op.21
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. The sixth volume of ‘The Bel Canto Violin’ gives a first international CD release on Decca to the violinist’s final recording for the label after half a century of best-selling albums. This features the music of the Polish violinist- composer Henryk Wieniawski, whose star has fallen since the passing of Romantic-style violinists such as Campoli.
Almost 72 years old when he made this record for L’Oiseau-Lyre in August 1978, but often practising for seven hours a day, he could still turn on the charm for a wistful tone-poem such as the Légende, wear the grand manner in showpieces such as the Souvenir de Moscou and present transcendent virtuosity in the Polonaise brillante. This collection opens with another L’Oiseau-Lyre album made late in his long career, and of another violinist- composer, Pablo de Sarasate. This offers not the usual run of Carmen Fantasy and Zigeunerweisen but the once fashionable set of eight Danzas españolas. Like Sarasate and Wieniawski, Campoli recognized no boundary between high and popular art: ‘Although I enjoy doing the lighter stuff,’ he told Gramophone in 1939, ‘my heart and soul are in the music of the finer type. I am convinced that one can make a success of both.’ So he did; the third album reissued here is a Decca recital of encores, recorded while Campoli was touring Japan in July 1966, after three months performing across Australia. Thus, alongside display items such as Bazzini’s Ronde des Lutins – dispatched with inimitable finesse – there are two arrangements of Japanese folksongs, Red Dragonfly and The Rain on Jogashima.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli, who is excellently recorded, is on precisely the right wavelength, leaving us in no doubt of how difficult these works are to play and yet, paradoxically, making it all sound easy.’ Gramophone, August 1977 (Sarasate) ‘Campoli understands the gypsy style to the manner born and his timbre is sweet, his intonation true. He is not the man for unrestrained hyperbole, yet the moto perpetuos are effortless.’ Gramophone, June 1993 (Sarasate) ‘There is no need to make allowances for the ravages of time; if indeed there are any ravages they have not reached the fingers or the bow or the intonation, all of which give the impression that playing Wieniawski is the easiest thing in the world. The lyrical sections of the music go warm-heartedly, the virtuoso sections go elegantly; nowhere are standards less than the very best.’ Gramophone, August 1973 (Wieniawski)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 1
01. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-1. Allemande
02. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-2. Corrente
03. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-3. Sarabande
04. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-4. Giga
05. J.S. Bach: Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004-5. Ciaccona
06. Tartini: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G minor, B. g5-"Il trillo del diavolo"-1. Larghetto affettuoso
07. Tartini: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G minor, B. g5-"Il trillo del diavolo"-2. Allegro
08. Tartini: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G minor, B. g5-"Il trillo del diavolo"-3. Andante-Allegro
09. Tartini: Sonata in G minor, Op.1, No.10-1. Adagio ma non troppo
10. Tartini: Sonata in G minor, Op.1, No.10-2. Presto
11. Tartini: Sonata in G minor, Op.1, No.10-3. Largo
12. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-1. Andante
13. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-2. Allegro
14. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-3. Adagio
15. Handel: Sonata in A Major, Op.1, No.3, HWV 361-4. Allegro
16. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-1. Andante
17. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-2. Allegro
18. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-3. Adagio
19. Handel: Sonata in G Minor, Op.1, No. 10, HWV 368-4. Allegro
20. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-1. Adagio
21. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-2. Allegro
22. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-3. Largo
23. Handel: Sonata in F Major, Op.1, No.12, HWV 370-4. Allegro
24. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-1. Affetuoso
25. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-2. Allegro
26. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-3. Larghetto
27. Handel: Sonata in D Major, Op.1, No.13, HWV 371-4. Allegro
28. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-1. Adagio
29. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-2. Allegro
30. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-3. Larghetto
31. Handel: Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.14, HWV 372-4. Allegro
32. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-1. Adagio
33. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-2. Allegro
34. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-3. Largo
35. Handel: Sonata in E Major, Op.1, No.15, HWV 373-4. Allegro
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. Campoli made these recordings of Baroque sonatas between 1948 and 1955, at a time when virtues of rich, full- bodied tone and smoothly expressive phrasing were prized in music of all periods: indeed, Decca originally issued the D minor Solo Partita of Bach in 1951 on one side of an LP with Bruch’s G minor concerto on the other.
Born in Rome, and taught by his father who had been a professional violinist there, Campoli grew up in London listening to and learning from records of the great singers of the age: he subsequently toured with Nellie Melba and Clara Butt. Accordingly, his own playing was often likened to bel canto singing, which had its own stylistic roots in Italian Baroque principles of melodic phrasing and opportunities for virtuoso display.
The two sonatas by Tartini are full of double and triple stops, florid passagework and elaborate ornamentation, and their subtitles imply operatic narratives. In fact, the ‘Didone abbandonata’ only became popularly known as such in the nineteenth century, but the idea for it may go back to the composer, who certainly came up with ‘The Devil’s Trill’ after experiencing a vivid dream in which the Devil had seized the violin from his hands and played ‘a sonata of such exquisite beauty as surpassed the boldest flight of my imagination’ – which he sought to recapture on waking up.
For the Tartini sonatas in 1955, Campoli was accompanied on the piano by George Malcolm. In the Handel sessions three years earlier Malcolm used a more historically appropriate harpsichord, as he did on many other Decca recordings over a distinguished recording career spanning more than three decades.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘These are thoroughly satisfying performances by a violinist whose name should be better known in [the US]. The playing is technically adroit, tonally warm and well recorded, with a lot of space around the performers.’ High Fidelity, July-August 1953 (Handel) ‘This disc enshrines a virtuoso performance that is at the same time a deeply felt interpretation of two of the finest of Tartini’s solo sonatas.’ Gramophone, September 1955 (Tartini)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 2
01. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-1. Allegro molto appassionato
02. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-2. Andante
03. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-3. Allegro non troppo-Allegro molto vivace
04. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26-1. Vorspiel (Allegro moderato)
05. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26-2. Adagio
06. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26-3. Finale (Allegro energico)
07. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op.61-1. Allegro ma non troppo
08. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op.61-2. Larghetto
09. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op.61-3. Rondo (Allegro)
10. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-1. Allegro molto appassionato
11. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-2. Andante
12. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64, MWV O14-3. Allegro non troppo-Allegro molto vivace
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. This reinvention was much aided by a succession of Decca recordings made with some of the label’s greatest conductors – Argenta, Boult, Krips – and critically praised at the time for bringing to serious repertoire the impeccable technique, warmth of tone and long, legato phrasing that had made Campoli so stylish a player of salon music.
For many music-lovers of the 1950s, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto was almost synonymous with the name of Campoli. The concerto appeared on his programs more than any other work, from the time of his debut in 1923 to his final major appearance at the age of 74 when the critic of The Strad remarked that this 950 th performance sounded both ‘fresh and mature’. Accordingly, he made two recordings: firstly with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Eduard van Beinum in 1949, shortly after Decca had announced its technological breakthrough known as ‘Full Frequency Range Reproduction’. The second recording came out a decade later with the same orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. The Bruch recording dates from April 1951, and was first issued in company with Bach’s D minor Solo Partita (now coupled on Eloquence with other Baroque repertoire, 4825175). The Beethoven Concerto disc was made at the end of the same year in the middle of Josef Krips’s brief but important tenure as music director of the London Symphony Orchestra; the understanding between soloist, conductor and ensemble is notably closer and more sympathetic than on Campoli’s later recording of the work with another London orchestra.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli plays most beautifully – the finale, in particular, is accurate and brilliant in the extreme.’ Gramophone, September 1959 (Mendelssohn/Boult) ‘Campoli’s playing gives me the impression of overhearing a musician of exquisite sensibility thinking over Beethoven’s thoughts … he avoids all showiness and gives a reflective reading … Krips accompanies sensitively and the ensemble is excellent.’ Gramophone, May 1952 (Beethoven)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 3
01. Dohnányi: 5 Pieces from "Ruralia Hungarica", Op.32a-Arr. Kreisler-Presto
02. Dohnányi: 5 Pieces from "Ruralia Hungarica", Op.32a-Arr. Kreisler-Andante rubato alla zingaresca
03. Dohnányi: 5 Pieces from "Ruralia Hungarica", Op.32a-Arr. Kreisler-Molto vivace
04. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Caprice No. 13
05. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Caprice No. 20
06. Paganini: La Campanella, Op.7
07. Fibich: Poem, Op41:14
08. Ponce: Estrellita-Arr. Heifetz
09. Drdla: Souvenir, for violin and piano (1904)
10. Fiocco: Pièces de clavecin Op.1-Arr. Bent, O'Neill-Allegro
11. Schubert: The Bee, Op.13, No.9-Arr. Kross
12. Albéniz: Tango-Arr. Dushkin
13. Heuberger: Der Opernball. Overture-Arr. Fritz Kreisler-Midnight Bells
14. Mendelssohn: Auf Flügeln des Gesanges, Op.34, No.2-Arr. Achron
15. Drigo: Valse Bluette-Arr. Leopold Auer
16. Elgar: La Capricieuse, Op.17
17. From the Canebrake
18. Anonymous: Deep River-Arr. Heifetz
19. Debussy: Préludes / Book 1, L.117-Arr. for violin & piano Debussy-Minstrels
20. Foster: Old Folks at home-Arr. Kreisler
21. Kreisler: Praeludium & Allegro
22. Kreisler: Liebesleid
23. Kreisler: Liebesfreud
24. Kreisler: Polichinelle (Sérénade)
25. Kreisler: Schön Rosmarin
26. Kreisler: Caprice viennois op.2
27. Kreisler: Tambourin chinois
28. Paderewski: Menuet Célèbre Op.14, No.1 in G
29. Wieniawski: Caprice in E Flat Major
30. Wieniawski: Caprice in A Minor
31. Kreisler: Rondino On A Theme By Beethoven
32. Kreisler: La Chasse (In The Style Of Cartier)
33. Kreisler: La Gitana
34. Granados: Spanish Dance Op.37, No.5-"Andaluza"
35. Tartini: Variations on a theme of Corelli
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist.
Nonetheless, Campoli retained a popular touch, and an innate feeling for light-hearted music, which lends both grace and distinction to this anthology of encores, miniatures and trifles. The second disc reproduces an album conceived and released by Decca in February 1955 as an 80 th -anniversary tribute from Campoli to the man who was in many ways his artistic forefather, Fritz Kreisler. Both violinists were equally at home in the café as the concert hall; both could charm the birds from the trees with the brilliance of their technique but also the natural, beguiling warmth of their expression which seemed to reflect a special generosity of spirit. It is no coincidence that Campoli became so sympathetic interpreter of the Violin Concerto which Elgar had dedicated to Kreisler.
The Kreisler album is complemented here by a first international CD release on Decca for three 10” LPs. Three Paganini showpieces and three Dohnányi works arranged by Kreisler were recorded in April 1953 and released in the autumn; in December of that year, Campoli went on to make an acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall. Two medium-play discs of encores were then recorded in December 1954 and January 1956, both with the violinist’s principal accompanist, Eric Gritton.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley.
‘Mr Campoli’s playing of the Ruralia Hungarica and the Paganini is brilliant and sure, without the excesses that so often accompany display pieces. The violin tone is warm, with a very satisfying balance between piano and violin.’ High Fidelity, January-February 1954
‘Here is something wonderful and unique … Campoli has excelled himself … The result is a disc of rare beauty; one that should on no account be missed’ Gramophone, March 1955 (Kreisler) ‘Campoli could play this music in his sleep … He combines a knowledge of such pieces with a matured classical technique as does no other violinist I can think of, and […] he plays the music with sympathy and affection and immense skill. Eric Gritton accompanies with customary care, and the recording is very good indeed.’ Gramophone, November 1955 (Elgar, Drdla)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 4
01. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op.35, TH. 59-1. Allegro moderato
02. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op.35, TH. 59-2. Canzonetta (Andante)
03. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op.35, TH. 59-3. Finale (Allegro vivacissimo)
04. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-1. Allegro non troppo
05. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-2. Scherzando (Allegro molto)
06. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-3. Intermezzo (Allegretto non troppo)
07. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-4. Andante
08. Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op.21-5. Rondo (Allegro)
09. Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op.20
10. Saint-Saëns: Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Op.28
11. Saint-Saëns: Havanaise, Op.83
12. Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61-1. Allegro non troppo
13. Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61-2. Andantino quasi allegretto
14. Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61-3. Molto moderato e maestoso
15. Wieniawski: Legende, Op.17
16. Paganini: Violin Concerto No.1 in D, Op.6-Version in One movement by Fritz Kreisler
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist.
When Campoli made this recording of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto at the very end of 1956, he had lately returned from a tour of the Soviet Union which had been facilitated by the temporary thaw in Cold War relations. Also on the tour, Gerald Moore later recalled that in Russia, Campoli had been spoken about in the same breath as Oistrakh. In stereo and in partnership with the Spanish conductor Ataulfo Argenta, the Tchaikovsky sessions catch the violinist on masterful form, imbuing the concerto with every shade of subtle rubato.
Campoli is hand in glove with several other Decca house conductors on four more complete long-play and medium- play discs featuring concertante bow- and showstoppers: there is the sophisticated playfulness of the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saëns, his habanera-like Havanaise leading smoothly into the gypsy fire of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen, the gymnastics of Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole and the melodic composure of Wienawski’s Légende. Campoli is accompanied by the young Piero Gamba in a concerto of particular significance for him, Kreisler’s one- movement arrangement of Paganini’s First Concerto. When he played it at a Henry Wood Promenade concert in the summer of 1938, the violinist later told Gramophone, ‘it was one of the proudest moments of my life when the Queen’s Hall audience recalled me six times.’
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli has the technical equipment and musical understanding to exploit these varied works to the fullest. Notable features, aside from his big, singing tone in all of them, are his subtlety and phrasing and rapid double-stop passagework in the Havanaise and his entirely gypsy-like approach to the Zigeunerweisen.’ High Fidelity, November 1957
‘Campoli is an enormously proficient violinist, one on the order of a Stern, Oistrakh, or anybody else you can name. His tone has amazing solidity and sweetness, his fingerwork is impeccable, his intonation is a joy… Admirable recorded sound, and Gamba leads the London orchestra in precisely adjusted accompaniments.’ High Fidelity, September 1957 (Saint-Saëns, Paganini-Kreisler) ‘A refreshingly vital performance distinguished by the gorgeous opulent tone and unmannered directness of Alfredo Campoli.’ Fanfare, September 2003 (Lalo)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 5
01. Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61-1. Allegro
02. Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61-2. Andante
03. Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61-3. Allegro molto
04. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-1. Adagio cantabile
05. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-2. Scherzo-Allegro; Adagio
06. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-3. Andante sostenuto
07. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op.46-4. Finale (Allegro guerriero)
08. Bliss: Violin Concerto, F. 111-I. Allegro ma non troppo
09. Bliss: Violin Concerto, F. 111-2. Scherzo: Vivo
10. Bliss: Violin Concerto, F. 111-III. Introduzione. Allegro deciso in modo zingara
11. Bliss: Theme and Cadenza
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. Edward Elgar dedicated his Violin Concerto to Fritz Kreisler, and Campoli was the outstanding inheritor of Kreisler’s mantle as a violinist of unchallenged technique and a popular touch that endeared him to audiences of all backgrounds. His October 1954 recording of the concerto is lent further distinction by the support of that supreme Elgarian, Sir Adrian Boult, who also accompanies him in a May 1958 account of the Scottish Fantasia of Max Bruch.
Despite his name and his Roman heritage, Campoli was a Londoner through and through who spoke with a Balham accent. Something of his dry humour and outgoing personality can be heard reflected in the 1955 Violin Concerto written for him by Sir Arthur Bliss, who had become Master of the Queen’s Music two years earlier. Having worked closely on the solo part together, composer and soloist made this recording together within weeks of its premiere. The result has an unrivalled authority, as fellow composer Humphrey Searle recognized in The Gramophone Record Review of June 1956: ‘Campoli copes with the very difficult solo part as if it were child’s play’. The concerto is coupled, as it was on the original Decca LP, with the more Romantically yearning Theme and Cadenza which Bliss extracted from the incidental music he had written in 1946 for a radio play concerning a young composer who writes a concerto for his wife as a wedding gift.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli and Boult offer an intense, vigorous, often deeply probing interpretation.’ High Fidelity, June 1957 (Elgar) ‘Campoli has successfully renovated this imposing Edwardian piece without destroying its essential contours; he brings new life to it without seeking to stamp out the old… He is well supported by the orchestra, and safe in the hands of Boult.’ Gramophone, April 1955 (Elgar)
Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin - Volume 6
01. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.21-1. Malagueña
02. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.21-2. Habañera
03. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.22-1. Romanza Andaluza
04. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.22-2. Jota Navarra
05. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.23-1. Playera
06. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op. 23-2. Zapateado
07. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.26-1. Vito
08. Sarasate: Danzas Españolas, Op.26-2. Habañera
09. Sarasate: Navarra For Two Violins, Op.33
10. Albéniz: España, Op.165-Arr. Dushkin-2. Tango
11. Brahms: 16 Waltzes, Op.39-Arr. Violin & piano-No.15 in A flat
12. J.S. Bach: Concerto for Harpsichord, Strings, and Continuo No.5 in F minor, BWV 1056-Arr. Johann Franco-Arioso
13. Schubert: Ave Maria, D.839
14. Red dragonfly (Arr. Campoli)
15. Yanada: The rain on Jogashima (Arr. Campoli)
16. Mozart: Serenade in D, K.250 "Haffner"-Arr. Fritz Kreisler-4. Rondo (Allegro)
17. Paganini: Violin Concerto No.2, Op.7-Arr. Fritz Kreisler-3. Rondo "La Campanella"
18. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Polonaise de concert, Op.4
19. Paganini: 24 Caprices for Violin, Op.1-Arr. F. Kreisler-Légende, Op.17
20. Bazzini: La Ronde des Lutins: Scherzo fantastique, Op.25
21. Wieniawski: Polonaise No.1 in D, Op.4
22. Wieniawski: Legende, Op.17
23. Wieniawski: Two Mazurkas, Op.19-1. Obertass
24. Wieniawski: Two Mazurkas, Op.19-2. Le ménétrier (Dudziarz)
25. Wieniawski: Souvenir de Moscou, Op.6
26. Wieniawski: Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16
27. Wieniawski: Romance from Violin Concerto No.2 in D minor, Op.22-Arr. violin & piano-2. Romance
28. Wieniawski: Capriccio-Valse, Op.7
29. Wieniawski: Polonaise Brillante No.2, Op.21
One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. A series of six 2CD reissues from Eloquence focuses on the violinist’s postwar reinvention of himself as ‘Campoli’, the classical soloist. The sixth volume of ‘The Bel Canto Violin’ gives a first international CD release on Decca to the violinist’s final recording for the label after half a century of best-selling albums. This features the music of the Polish violinist- composer Henryk Wieniawski, whose star has fallen since the passing of Romantic-style violinists such as Campoli.
Almost 72 years old when he made this record for L’Oiseau-Lyre in August 1978, but often practising for seven hours a day, he could still turn on the charm for a wistful tone-poem such as the Légende, wear the grand manner in showpieces such as the Souvenir de Moscou and present transcendent virtuosity in the Polonaise brillante. This collection opens with another L’Oiseau-Lyre album made late in his long career, and of another violinist- composer, Pablo de Sarasate. This offers not the usual run of Carmen Fantasy and Zigeunerweisen but the once fashionable set of eight Danzas españolas. Like Sarasate and Wieniawski, Campoli recognized no boundary between high and popular art: ‘Although I enjoy doing the lighter stuff,’ he told Gramophone in 1939, ‘my heart and soul are in the music of the finer type. I am convinced that one can make a success of both.’ So he did; the third album reissued here is a Decca recital of encores, recorded while Campoli was touring Japan in July 1966, after three months performing across Australia. Thus, alongside display items such as Bazzini’s Ronde des Lutins – dispatched with inimitable finesse – there are two arrangements of Japanese folksongs, Red Dragonfly and The Rain on Jogashima.
All the recordings in this series of ‘Alfredo Campoli: The Bel Canto Violin’ have been given new remasterings from original Decca sources. Invaluable context on both artist and repertoire is provided by new booklet essays from Campoli’s biographer David Tunley. ‘Campoli, who is excellently recorded, is on precisely the right wavelength, leaving us in no doubt of how difficult these works are to play and yet, paradoxically, making it all sound easy.’ Gramophone, August 1977 (Sarasate) ‘Campoli understands the gypsy style to the manner born and his timbre is sweet, his intonation true. He is not the man for unrestrained hyperbole, yet the moto perpetuos are effortless.’ Gramophone, June 1993 (Sarasate) ‘There is no need to make allowances for the ravages of time; if indeed there are any ravages they have not reached the fingers or the bow or the intonation, all of which give the impression that playing Wieniawski is the easiest thing in the world. The lyrical sections of the music go warm-heartedly, the virtuoso sections go elegantly; nowhere are standards less than the very best.’ Gramophone, August 1973 (Wieniawski)
Year 2018 | Classical | FLAC / APE
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