Max Rostal (violin)
Concert Tours 1956-1965
rec. 1956-1965
Meloclassic MC2055 [2 CDs: 146]

This is the second volume of live recordings of violinist Max Rostal issued by Meloclassic. The previous one I reviewed in 2017. Whereas that twofer focused on works with piano, this latest release features concertos with orchestra, taped between 1956 and 1965. Rostal is best remembered today as a pedagogue and his career as a solo violinist has taken something of a back seat.

He was born in Teschen, a town on the Austrian Hungarian border, in 1905. When he was eight, his family relocated to Vienna, enabling him to study with Arnold Rosé, concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic and leader of the Rosé String Quartet. In 1919 he moved to Vienna to study with Carl Flesch. It was soon evident that he had a natural aptitude for teaching, and from 1930-1933 he taught at the Berlin Hochschule. When the Nazis came to power he moved to London and took up a teaching post at the Guildhall School of Music, which he held from 1944-1958. He then returned to Cologne, where he taught until 1982, concurrently holding a similar position at the Conservatory in Bern, Switzerland. Here he died on August 6, 1991, at the age of 86. Aside from his pedagogical activities, he maintained a solo career, and was an ardent champion of contemporary music. His interpretation of Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto gained admiration in some quarters. He premiered Alan Bush’s Concerto in 1949. He also performed works by Bax, Moeran, Stevens, Frankel and Lennox Berkeley.

The set opens with a thrilling performance of the Dvorák Violin Concerto from November 1957. An attractive and popular work, it has had many fine advocates. Rostal underlines the melancholy and bittersweet moments in the opening movement. The slow movement, the emotional heart of the work, is yearning and tender, with the soloist displaying a natural feel for the sprightly dance rhythms of the finale.

I have to admit that I never used to like Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto, but over recent years have been seduced by its charms. A technically demanding score, it requires a soloist who can effectively step up to the mark, and Rostal acquits himself admirably with aplomb, revelling in the work’s pyrotechnics. As regards fire and panache in the outer movements, this performance can proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with Kogan and Oistrakh. The outer movements convey optimism and exotic Armenian flavour. The slow movement is ravishing and heartfelt. The orchestra is an equal partner, and Jan Koetsier matches throughout the soloist’s vitality and expressiveness. It’s worth noting that Rostal gave the first performance of this Concerto in England on 14 January 1942 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Clarence Raybould.

The live radio recording of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 5 in A Major, KV 219 dates from 25 January 1956. Rostal is partnered by Henri Pensis at the helm of the Orchestra of Radio Luxenbourg. He invests this captivating concerto with elegance and refinement. There’s a tangible freshness and spontaneity to his Mozart playing, and the music is never allowed to sag. The central slow movement radiates unfeigned tenderness. In the final movement, the Turkish section’s rhythmic audacity offers a pleasing contrast.

The Bruch is a perennial favourite that one can tire of somewhat. What is striking here is the Adagio, which has all the qualities I found in Menuhin’s early recording of this work. It’s both eloquent and expressive. The effervescent final movement is brilliantly executed, with intonation spot-on in double-stop passages.

The performance of Glazunov Concerto is a gem. Here, Rostal’s timbre generates a wealth of tonal colour. He draws a rich, burnished tone from his fiddle, projecting his sound well. His intonation is, on the whole, pristine. Aided and abetted by the sympathetic support of Erich Schmid directing the Radio-Orchester Beromünster. Rostal keeps a tight rein on proceedings conveying a determined sense of direction and not meandering as some soloists I’ve heard have a tendency to do in this work.

All told, this well-compiled set of live performances is enthusiastically welcomed. Restorations are excellent, and the accompanying documentation is first class.

Stephen Greenbank

Availability: Meloclassic

Contents
Dvorák: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op 53
Orchestre de Radio-Luxembourg
Henri Pensis ∙ conductor
Recorded · 23 November 1957 · Luxembourg · Villa Louvigny · RTL · Radio Studio Recording

Khachaturian: Violin Concerto in D Minor
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Jan Koetsier
Recorded · 15 March 1957 · Munich · Herkulessaal · BR · Radio Studio Recording

Mozart: Violin Concerto No 5 in A Major, KV 219
Orchestre de Radio-Luxembourg
Henri Pensis ∙ conductor
Recorded · 25 January 1956 · Luxembourg · Villa Louvigny · RTL · Radio Studio Recording

Bruch: Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor, Op 26
Orchestre de Radio-Luxembourg
Carl Melles
Recorded · 05 November 1960 · Luxembourg · Villa Louvigny · RTL · Radio Studio Recording

Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op 82
Radio-Orchester Beromünster
Erich Schmid
Recorded · 04 September 1965 · Zürich · Studio I · DRS · Radio Studio Recording