Review -
Lessons from the Past:
Great Violinsts of the Bell Telephone Hour
The
digital age increasingly gives us the chance to experience performances
from an era of less technology and more cultural sophistication. In the
late 1950’s and early 1960’s The Bell Telephone Hour was television
for the commercial airwaves, that 
would
be unheard of today. Featured on the show were complete movements of major
classical repertoire, performed by some of the most renowned artists of
the day. A full symphony orchestra was hired just for the occasion, an
expense no current television broadcaster would undertake.
Digital Transfer by Video Artists International has made it possible for
us to watch some of the old tapes of the show in a DVD entitled Great
Violinists of the Bell Telephone Hour. The DVD makes for worthy
viewing: Past violin luminaries are revealed, often in very fine form.
Taped in 1959, Isaac Stern’s rendition of Camille Saint Saens Rondo
Capriccioso is ravishing. Also from 1959, Zino Francescatti plays
beautifully in Debussy’s The Girl with the Flaxen Hair and he
delivers a bold and incisive account of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen.
In a show from 1960, Galamian superstar, Michael Rabin is featured in a
virile reading of the last movement of the Tchaikovsky Concerto complete
with ridiculous, campy cutaway shots to an adoring, dewy-eyed audience
member. From 1962, Rabin demonstrates his enormous capacity for tone
production in two Kreisler selections performed with orchestra and minus
the cutaway shots to the audience. Also from 1962 we hear Mischa Elman,
well past his prime, but displaying his hallmark tone and sentimentalism
in the 2nd movement of the D minor Wieniawski Concerto. Elman’s 1962
rendition of Kreisler’s, Schon Rosmarin is remarkably strong
technically for a 71-year-old man!
From a 1963 taping we hear Erica Morini playing a brilliant final movement
from the Bruch Concerto #1. Also in 1963 Yehudi Menuhin is featured in two
Movements from the D major Paganini Concerto. While possibly not as fine
as the Menuhin footage from Art of the Violin DVD released in
recent years, this represents a fine performance from a notoriously
erratic artist. Also from a 1963 program, David and Igor Oistrach deliver
an account of the slow movement of the Bach Double Concerto. While
hopelessly uninformed by today’s standards, the playing is richly
expressive in a romantic sort of way; the violin playing is not to be
faulted here even if the style is not what would be currently accepted.
Ruggiero Ricci delivers an earthy reading of the third movement of the
Tchaikovsky Concerto. This is from a 1964 taping, putting it right in the
middle of one of the longest solo violin careers of all time.
A special bonus is included on the DVD: Gregor Piatigorsky ,from a 1960
show in which he plays Faure Elegie and Saint Saens Allegro
Appassionato. Both of these renditions are heartfelt and technically
secure.
Despite the relatively low fidelity on the video, the performances in
general have a refreshing, “live” feel. One can detect the slight
imperfections along with the spontaneity to be expected in a live
performance. This makes the video all the more interesting and
entertaining. That current soloists lack the distinctive personality of
the violinists of previous generations is by now a hackneyed point of
view. Nonetheless, these performances from the Great Violinists of the
Bell Telephone Hour give us a window to a
variety of styles absent from today’s concert stage. ###
Ralph
Wolin
Ralph Wolin is
a violinist, and an occasional contributor to Soundpost Online