Lately, as I was trying to kill time while waiting for someone, I was casually browsing through the classical CD-cases in my local music-store (since the ebbing away of the customer's interest in classical music, this browsing is, unfortunately, not taking very long; as I already have memorised the whole collection). A newly inserted CD caught my attention: "Violin Magic" (Supraphon, released in 2004) where the Czech violinist Gabriela Demeterová plays a selection of violin music repertoire. Usually I shun such collection-CDs (like "The Best of... ", "Candlelight Classics", etc.). It had an odd mix of some rearranged "light repertoire" and lo and behold: Haendel and Bach!
Baroque music is a flavor, which I have to taste immediately when offered. Leafing through the booklet, it told me that Ms. Demeterová has (and I quote) "for many years intensively concentrating on ancient music even using the original tuning of 415Hz"(!!!) It was in fact the style of this sentence, which made me feel a bit like being an ignoramus, who was being patronised by the label Supraphon from Prague, instead of being the critical customer, looking for a quality recording. But Haendel's "Lascia ch'io pianga" was a tempting litmus testing, so I requested the lady at the counter to hear it.
Playing an aria as a violin solo piece is not exactly very favourable genre in my eyes, but I was interested in how this dedication to baroque music would show in this recording. Naturally, the CD is meant for a broad public, not connaisseurs. And perhaps, I could have expected romantic honey-vibrato and tone. But what surprised me most, was that Gabriela Demeterová clearly misunderstood some phrase-lines, which I would have considered as a blasphemic mistake, especially for an alleged baroque music specialist. Further, I gave Bach's Air from the 3rd Suite for Orchestra, a try as well and .... Ouch! ... impatiently pressed the "stop" button.
So, dear Supraphon textwriter: Tuning your fiddle down to 415Hz is definitively not a quality seal for being a good baroque music performer. Baroque music is not about tuning half a note down! There's much more to it to learn how to play properly ancient music. Perhaps I am so unfortunate, not having heard the right recording of Ms. Demeterová's baroque playing - maybe someone could recommend me one, but I am afraid, that my collection will not have her name among it.
MS
Baroque music is a flavor, which I have to taste immediately when offered. Leafing through the booklet, it told me that Ms. Demeterová has (and I quote) "for many years intensively concentrating on ancient music even using the original tuning of 415Hz"(!!!) It was in fact the style of this sentence, which made me feel a bit like being an ignoramus, who was being patronised by the label Supraphon from Prague, instead of being the critical customer, looking for a quality recording. But Haendel's "Lascia ch'io pianga" was a tempting litmus testing, so I requested the lady at the counter to hear it.
Playing an aria as a violin solo piece is not exactly very favourable genre in my eyes, but I was interested in how this dedication to baroque music would show in this recording. Naturally, the CD is meant for a broad public, not connaisseurs. And perhaps, I could have expected romantic honey-vibrato and tone. But what surprised me most, was that Gabriela Demeterová clearly misunderstood some phrase-lines, which I would have considered as a blasphemic mistake, especially for an alleged baroque music specialist. Further, I gave Bach's Air from the 3rd Suite for Orchestra, a try as well and .... Ouch! ... impatiently pressed the "stop" button.
So, dear Supraphon textwriter: Tuning your fiddle down to 415Hz is definitively not a quality seal for being a good baroque music performer. Baroque music is not about tuning half a note down! There's much more to it to learn how to play properly ancient music. Perhaps I am so unfortunate, not having heard the right recording of Ms. Demeterová's baroque playing - maybe someone could recommend me one, but I am afraid, that my collection will not have her name among it.
MS
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