This edition brings together the Decca and Deutsche Grammophon recordings of Christian Ferras, supplemented by those he made for these labels’ French and Japanese divisions. It includes the French violinist’s significant collaborations with Herbert von Karajan and Pierre Barbizet and presents what Gramophone magazine called as ‘some of the loveliest violin records of the past 50 years’.
Several first-ever CD transfers in this newly remastered set celebrating a sublime exponent of the Franco-Belgian violin school.
Christian Ferras was just 15 when he first attracted attention in the international press for the premiere of Honegger’s Unaccompanied Sonata in 1948. He began making records for Decca the same year, including a brand-new concerto of Paganinian virtuosity by Federico Elizalde, and critics continued to be astonished by the combination of technical accomplishment with warmth of tone and a musical maturity far beyond his years.
Ferras continued to make records for Decca throughout his teenage years. They include little-known concertos by Rodrigo and Ivan Semenoff (an album produced in Paris by John Culshaw) and the first recorded testament to his long and fruitful partnership with the pianist Pierre Barbizet. Many of these recordings had been forgotten until recently; they are newly transferred here from the best-available sources.
The Ferras/Barbizet partnership brought unrivalled finesse to the Francophone sonata repertoire (Debussy, Faure, Franck and Lekeu, all represented here) but a Mozart sonata LP from 1954 is another forgotten gem. So is an album of Bach made under the supervision of Ferras’s teacher, Georges Enescu. By the early 60s, Ferras had won the admiration of Herbert von Karajan, and their DG recordings of repertoire concertos from JS Bach to Sibelius stand the test of time for a harmonious meeting of minds, dynamism and strength of mutual inspiration rare among the conductor’s many concerto partnerships.
Ferras’s career was derailed by episodes of depression and alcoholism which eventually led to his suicide in 1982, aged just 49, and the final recordings here are encore collections made in 1968 and 1971. By then he had relinquished his partnership with Barbizet, but these little-known ‘late’ albums find Ferras on undimmed and delightfully imaginative form, making a ‘wonderfully relaxing coda’ to this important anthology, as Tully Potter remarks in his booklet tribute. The booklet also includes an interview between Jean-Michel Molkhou and Julien Szulman, where they discuss the rediscovery of the rare 1971 album made by Ferras in Japan with Shuku Iwasaki, as well as the little-known 78-era recordings.
Released 17 February 2023.
CD 1
ELIZALDE Violin Concerto
Gaston Poulet
Kreisler ∙ Massenet · Fauré ∙ Ravel
Ernest Lush ∙ Pierre Barbizet
CD 2
RODRIGO Concierto de estío
George Enescu
SEMENOFF Double Concerto
Pierre Barbizet ∙ Ivan Semenoff
CD 3
DEBUSSY Violin Sonata
FAURÉ Violin Sonata No. 2
Pierre Barbizet
CD 4
CHAUSSON Poème
RAVEL Tzigane
HONEGGER Sonata for solo violin
Georges Sébastian
CD 5
J.S. BACH Violin Sonata No. 3
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5*
Concerto for Flute, Violin and Harpsichord*
Céliny Chailley-Richez ∙ Jean-Pierre Rampal ∙ George Enescu
*FIRST CD RELEASE ON DG, REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL TAPES
CD 6
MOZART Violin Sonatas K. 305 & 376
Pierre Barbizet
CD 7
BRAHMS Violin Concerto
Carl Schuricht
CD 8
ECK (attr. Mozart) Violin Concerto in E flat major
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 3
Karl Münchinger
CD 9
BRAHMS Violin Concerto
Herbert von Karajan
CD 10
SIBELIUS Violin Concerto; Finlandia
Herbert von Karajan
CD 11
SCHUMANN Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2
3 Romances
Pierre Barbizet
CD 12
FRANCK Violin Sonata in A major
LEKEU Violin Sonata in G major
Pierre Barbizet
CD 13
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
Capriccio italien
Herbert von Karajan
CD 14
NIGG Violin Concerto No. 1
CONSTANT 24 Préludes for Orchestra*
Charles Bruck
*FIRST CD RELEASE ON DG
CD 15
J.S. BACH Violin Concertos
Michel Schwalbé ∙ Herbert von Karajan
CD 16
BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto
Herbert von Karajan
CD 17
BRAHMS Violin Sonatas Nos. 1–3
Scherzo from F-A-E Sonata
Pierre Barbizet
CD 18
RENDEZ-VOUS MUSICAL AVEC CHRISTIAN FERRAS
Kreisler · Schumann · Schubert · Mendelssohn · Dinicu · Dvořák · Massenet · Chaminade · Fauré · Rimsky-Korsakov · Sarasate · Falla · Saint-Saëns · Stravinsky
Jean-Claude Ambrosini
CD 19
AIR SUL G – VIOLIN FAVOURITES
Rameau · Tchaikovsky · Granados · Mendelssohn · Debussy · Drdla · J.S. Bach · Boccherini · Ravel · Dvořák · Beethoven · Albéniz · Schubert · Kreisler
Shuku Iwasaki
CD 1
(Tracks 1-3)
Recording Producers: Federico Elizalde, Victor Olof
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, 7 November 1947
Original Decca Release: K1777–79: May 1948; also released on Decca LX 3116: November 1953
P 1948 Decca Music Group Limited
(Tracks 4-5)
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 26 November 1948 (Sarasate), 27 November 1948 (Kreisler)
Original Decca Release: K2299: January 1950
Kreisler, Sarasate: 78s from the private collection of Jean-Michel Molkhou; sound restoration by Studio Art et Son, Paris
P 1950 Decca Music Group Limited
(Tracks 6-9)
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Polydor Studios, Paris, France, 15 February 1951 (Massenet, Fauré, Ravel)
Original Decca France Releases: GAG 15099 (Massenet, Fauré), GAG 15097 (Ravel: Pavane), GAG 15100 (Ravel: Tzigane): 1951
Massenet, Fauré: 78s from the private collection of Jean-Michel Molkhou; sound restoration by Studio Art et Son, Paris
Ravel: 78s from the private collection of L’Association Christian Ferras; sound restoration by Studio Art et Son, Paris
P 1951 Decca Records France
MONO
CD 2
Recording Producer: John Culshaw
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: La Maison de la Mutualité, Paris, France, 24–25 October 1951
Original Decca Release: LXT 2678: March 1952
P 1952 Decca Music Group Limited
MONO
CD 3
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 19 October 1953
Original Decca Release: LXT 2810: July 1954
P 1954 Decca Music Group Limited
MONO
CD 4
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Brussels, Belgium, 16 June 1953
Original Decca Release: LXT 2827: October 1953
P 1953 Decca Music Group Limited
MONO
CD 5
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Paris, France, 25 February – 3 February 1954 (BWV 1050 & 1044), 14 December 1953 (BWV 1016)
Original Decca France Releases: FAT 173.530 (BWV 1050 & 1044); BWV 1016 unpublished on Decca, first released through Universal Music France on Deutsche Grammophon 480 6656: 2012
P 1954 Decca Records France (BWV 1050 & 1044), 2012 Classics & Jazz France, a label of Universal Music France (BWV 1016)
*FIRST CD RELEASE ON DECCA
MONO
CD 6
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Paris, France, 9 November 1954
Original Decca France Release: LX 3141: 1956
LP records from the private collection of Jean-Michel Molkhou; sound restoration by Studio Art et Son, Paris
P 1956 Decca Music Group Limited
MONO
CD 7
Recording Producer: Victor Olof
Balance Engineer: Cyril Windebank
Recording Location: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna, Austria, 19–20 April 1954
Original Decca Release: LXT 2949: September 1954
P 1954 Decca Music Group Limited
MONO
CD 8
Recording Producer: Victor Olof
Balance Engineers: Gil Went (mono), Roy Wallace (stereo)
Recording Location: Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland, 14 October – 11 November 1954
Original Decca Releases: LXT 5044: May 1955, ECS 697: November 1973
P 1973 Decca Music Group Limited
STEREO · FIRST STEREO RELEASE ON CD
CD 9
Executive Producer: Otto Gerdes
Recording Producer: Hans Weber
Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Editor: Volker Martin
Recording Location: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, Germany, 4–6 May 1964
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 138 930: October 1964
P 1964 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 10
Recording Producers: Otto Gerdes, Otto Ernst Wohlert
Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Editor: Rolf Peter Schröder
Recording Location: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, Germany, 28 October 1964 (Finlandia), 29–30 October 1964 (Violin Concerto)
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 138 961: August 1965
P 1965 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 11
Recording Producers: Dr. Hans Hirsch, Wolfgang Lohse
Balance Engineer: Klaus Scheibe
Editors: Volker Martin, Joachim Niss, Wolfgang Werner
Recording Location: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, Germany, 19–20 May 1965 (Sonatas), 15 October 1965 (Romances)
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 138 998: March 1966
P 1966 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 12
Recording Producer: Wolfgang Lohse
Balance Engineer: Klaus Scheibe
Editor: Volker Martin
Recording Location: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, Germany, 13–14 October 1965
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 139 124: April 1966
P 1966 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 13
Executive Producer: Otto Gerdes
Recording Producers: Otto Ernst Wohlert (Violin Concerto), Hans Weber (Capriccio italien)
Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Editors: Volker Martin, Helmut Najda (Capriccio italien)
Recording Location: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, Germany, 6–8 November 1965 (Violin Concerto), 13 October 1966 (Capriccio italien)
Original Deutsche Grammophon Releases: 104 925 (Violin Concerto): April 1966; 139 028 (Capriccio italien): April 1967
P 1966 (Violin Concerto), 1967 (Capriccio italien) Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 13 Apr 66 on 104 925, Capriccio first released in Oct 67 on 139 028 (so P 1967 for Capriccio!)
CD 14
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Paris, France, 4–5 February 1966
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 139 171: November 1966
An ORTF Recording
P 1966 Decca Records France
*FIRST RELEASE ON CD
STEREO
CD 15
Executive Producer: Otto Gerdes
Recording Producer: Hans Weber
Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Editor: Volker Martin
Recording Location: Victoria-Konzertsaal, Hotel ‘La Reine Victoria’, St. Moritz, Switzerland, 17–23 August 1966
Original Deutsche Grammophon Releases: 445 1952 (BWV 1041 & 1042): 1999, 477 7097 (BWV 1043): 2007
P 1999 (BWV 1041 & 1042), 2007 (BWV 1043) Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 16
Executive Producer: Otto Gerdes
Recording Producer: Hans Weber
Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Recording Engineer: Joachim Niss
Editor: Volker Martin
Recording Location: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, Germany, 25–26 January 1967
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 139 021: October 1967
P 1967 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 17
Recording Producer: Rainer Brock
Balance Engineer: Heinz Wildhagen
Recording Engineer: Gernot Westhäuser (Sonatas Nos. 1–3); Gernot Westhäuser, Jobst Eberhardt (Scherzo from ‘F-A-E’-Sonata)
Editor: Joachim Niss
Recording Location: UFA-Tonstudio, Berlin, Germany, 10–12 June 1968
Original Deutsche Grammophon Releases: 104 985 (Sonatas Nos. 1–3), Tape A 2911, first released on CD 479 0378 (Scherzo): September 1968
P 1968 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
STEREO
CD 18
Executive Producer: Karl Faust
Recording Producer: Hansjoachim Reiser
Balance Engineer: Henri Lemmel
Recording Engineers: Gilbert Grell, Henri Arcens
Editors: Hans-Rudolf Müller, Gernot Westhäuser, Joachim Niss
Recording Location: Polydor Studios, Paris, France, 16–19 December 1968
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 135 133: August 1969
P 1969 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
CD 19
Recording Producer: unknown
Balance Engineer: unknown
Recording Location: Japan, 10–11 April 1971
Original Release: MGW 5245
P 1971 Universal Music LLC
STEREO
“A young man with an astonishing technique and a growing reputation. His tone … is on the small side still, but it is sweet and warm, and he plays dead in tune all the time.” Gramophone, November 1953 (Chausson/Honegger/Ravel)
“M. Ferras is an excellent violinist and does very well by the two standard-repertoire pieces on this record. He does equally well by the Honegger, which may very well be the best sonata for unaccompanied violin composed since the death of Bach.” High Fidelity, January 1954 (Chausson/Honegger/Ravel)
“Mr. Ferras is extraordinary in the size and quality of his tone and his ability to keep a suave line pure … The Ferras-Schuricht performance is vast.” High Fidelity, December 1954 (Brahms Concerto)
“Christian Ferras plays the solo to the manner born.” The Record Guide, 1955 (Ravel Tzigane)
“Elizalde’s Violin Concerto is a serious composition … full of character in a Franco-Spanish style … The solo part, which bristles with difficulties, is played with ease and assurance by a very young virtuoso.” The Record Guide, 1955 (Elizalde)
“The Concierto de estío is quite an agreeable work … Christian Ferras handles the solo masterfully.” The Record Guide, 1955 (Rodrigo)
“Recommended as much by the combined geniuses of these two artists of great future as by the delicacy and richness of the recording. If we add the deliciously fresh and sensitive interpretation of Debussy’s Sonata, we may consider this an indispensable item for any good record collection.” Revue des deux mondes, August 1955 (Fauré/Debussy)
“The combination of Ferras’s Kreisler-ish tone and richly lyrical interpretation with Karajan’s beautifully poised, muscular conducting is an unqualified success.” High Fidelity, January 1965 (Brahms Concerto)
“Ferras’s style is perfectly suited to the Faure [Second Sonata], and I can’t recall hearing its elegant post-Romanticism more beautifully and movingly projected than it is here.” Stereo Review, November 1966
“An altogether exceptional reading. I find it hard to resist its lofty eloquence and spacious design.” High Fidelity, November 1967 (Beethoven Concerto)
“An interpretation of the highest class: dazzling, prestigious.” Revue des deux mondes, December 1967 (Beethoven Concerto)
“This artist’s control… is just short of amazing, his pinpoint articulation a source of sustained admiration … One of those truly fine performances in which artistic impulse and skilled craftsmanship fuse as one.” High Fidelity, December 1967 (Tchaikovsky Concerto)
“The ultimate in refined lyricism with jewel-like brilliance … the Ferras-Karajan collaboration comes out absolutely tops.” Stereo Review, February 1968 (Sibelius Concerto)
“Some of the loveliest violin records of the past 50 years … all characterised by a high degree of expressive refinement.” Gramophone, January 2013 (DG recordings)
“I was surprised at Ferras’s nifty account of Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile, though tone-colouring is typically sensitive … Schon Rosmarin [is] dispatched crisply and with a light bow.” Gramophone, October 2016 (‘Air Sul G – Violin Favourites’)