Violin Forum/Message Board

Canuck · Member Joined: 15 Oct 2012 Posts: 29

I just watched two you tube videos of Elmar Oliveira playing Prokofiev and Elgar. I don't know that I am head over heels with either of the two pieces in these videos, but I was quite impressed with his capabilities. I read on another site that he plays modern violins, and while he has many instruments, some of them are, shall we say, more moderately priced than many that he plays. That a modern instrument can please the tastes of one with his talent is a credit to modern makers, and those who fine tune the instruments he plays. That is, assuming he doesn't do the fine tuning himself.

ctviolin · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:32 am Post subject:

Lemuel · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:46 am Post subject:

I'm sure there are a good few...

Similar to the Elmar's CD set, James Ehnes has a CD/DVD set of his playing, as a tribute to 12 stringed instruments (violins and violas) (courtesy of the David Fulton Collection) and their makers.

Covering a large repertoire, he plays on the following instruments:

Violins
- Antonio Stradivari, 1715 'Marsick'
- Antonio Stradivari, 1719 'Duke of Alba'
- Antonio Stradivari, 1733 'Sassoon'
- Antonio Stradivari, 1709 'La Pucelle'
- Antonio Stradivari, 1715 'Baron Knoop'
- Antonio Stradivari, 1713 'Baron d'Assignies'
- Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesu'. 1737 'King Joseph'
- Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesu'. 1742 'Lord Wilton'
- Pietro Guarneri (Peter of Mantua) 1698 'Shapiro'

Violas
- Gasparo Bertolotti (Gasparo da Salo), 1560
- Giuseppe Guadagnini, 1793 'Rolla'
- Andrea Guarneri, 1676 'Count Vitale, ex Landau'

To appreciate better the difference in the sound of these instruments he plays an excerpt of Max Bruch, "Scottish Fantasy" on each violin, and Hector Berlioz, "Harold in Italy" on each viola at the end of the CD.

ctviolin · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:59 pm Post subject:

Michael Darnton · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:06 pm Post subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Homage-CD-DVD-James-Ehnes/dp/B001IYC51O

I've only listened to my set once. I found the recording level to be a bit high and into distortion, but that may have been just me, on that particular day. . . but I do have a pretty good listening rig.
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ctviolin · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 10:53 pm Post subject:

ctviolin · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:02 pm Post subject:

Lemuel · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:17 pm Post subject:

Thanks Michael, for pointing to a source.

Just to complete your question, Craig, both viola and violin are on the CD and DVD.

In my opinion, I really enjoyed this album. There are other sections also, such as an interview with James sharing his own thoughts on playing them, the challenges he faced,...etc., and information about David Fulton and his collection.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:44 pm Post subject:

Canuck · Member Joined: 15 Oct 2012 Posts: 29

The one fiddle group I belong to played at a Harvest Dinner for a heritage society, today. We had 3 fiddles, two banjos, two acoustic guitars, one electric bass guitar, and one piano. This group is all aware of the visit we paid recently to the Stradivarius Museum in Cremona, Italy. The main topic at the banquet amongst this group was the high regard held for violins made by the early master makers of stringed instruments. I was stuck for the one answer that satisfied everyone. I told them about the earlier post to this thread which discussed James Ehnis' recording project in which he played two test pieces from two different composers on many instruments by some of those master instrument makers. The impression I got was that James Ehnis probably came away from that exercise with both likes and dislikes among the instruments he played. And that, after all, chosing an instrument is a matter which is a very personal process. I think I am a pretty good fiddler, but a violinist I'm not. But obviously, an accomplished violinist could bring out the qualities of such a violin that a fiddler couldn't, to justify the high regard and the high prices! How else could I explain that to a fiddle group? P S. I'm not asking for answers.

By the way. Can anyone name a source for the CD/DVD combination being discussed? Perhaps Amazon?

Lemuel · Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:03 am Post subject:

Canuck · Member Joined: 15 Oct 2012 Posts: 29

Lemuel,

Thanks for the link. I have ordered the CD/DVD.

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

Craig:

You must actively campaign for your wife to get this disk for Christmas. Don't leave it to chance.

The music aside, each instrument in turn is slowly rotated on a turntable as Ehnes describes it's sound and playing qualities before actually playing it. The look of the varnish and construction details revealed by this movement provides lots of useful information if you look closely.

Merry Christmas!

Joseph Leahy · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 9:26 am Post subject:

Lemuel · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 10:04 pm Post subject: Two Gentlemen Of Cremona

Has anyone ever watched this DVD? If so, can you share some of your thoughts (i.e. likes, don't likes, why?).

Violin Masters: Two Gentlemen Of Cremona, by John Forsen

http://www.amazon.com/Violin-Masters-Two-Gentlemen-Cremona/dp/B007T40GL8/ref=pd_bxgy_m_text_y/186-5036709-7676220

I'd like to know if anyone else knows other CD/DVDs like the James Ehnes and Elmar Oliveira albums comparing similar collection of violins?