Catalogue | Solo Concerto

Christian Ferras (1933-1982) was, alongside Jacques Thibaud, Zino Francescatti and Ginette Neveu, one of the great violinists who had a determining influence on the Franco-Belgian violin school: an art of playing the violin which is often associated with sensuality, elegance and a refined sound quality. Following his début in Paris in 1946 with the “Symphonie espagnole” by Édouard Lalo and Beethoven’s violin concerto, Ferras launched an international career. Together with the pianist Pierre Barbizet he formed a congenial duo which lasted for three decades. His cooperation with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic during the 1960s marked the pinnacle of his career. Ferras had made his début with the Berlin Philharmonic as early as 1951. Under the baton of Karl Böhm, he performed the Beethoven violin concerto at the Titania Palast. On this occasion a studio recording was made at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Berlin which is presented here. It is fascinating to experience the beauty and confident serenity of Ferras’ interpretation of the solo part when he was only eighteen years old. A live recording from 1964 with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin under the baton of the Italian-American conductor Massimo Freccia is an impressive document of Ferras’ reading of the Alban Berg violin concerto: he saw it as a primarily romantic work which he performed with great expressiveness to striking effect.

Ferras’ career took a tragic turn when, towards the end of the 1960s, he began battling with depression and alcoholism which resulted in a gradual withdrawal from concert life. In 1975, he accepted a professorship at the Paris Conservatoire and in the following years he no longer performed publicly. Ferras returned to the concert platform once more in March 1982; however, only three weeks after his final concert on 25 August 1982, at the age of 49, he took his own life.

This release is furnished with a “producer’s comment” by producer Ludger Böckenhoff on our home page .

This CD forms part of our series “Legendary Recordings” and bears the stamp “1st Master Release”. This term stands for the exceptional quality of audite’s archive releases which are all, without exception, produced using original tapes from the radio archives. Usually, these are the original analogue tapes with tape speeds of up to 76 cm/s which are of astonishingly high quality, even by today’s standards. In addition, the process of re-mastering – executed with professional expertise and sensitivity – reveals hitherto hidden details of the interpretations, creating a sonic image of superior quality. CD releases produced from private recordings of radio broadcasts or old 78rpm records cannot match this level of sound quality.

• Audiophile Audition | Gary Lemco | November 27, 2011

  Christian Ferras, v. = Concertos of BEETHOVEN & BERG – Audite
  The tragically doomed and extraordinarily gifted Christian Ferras appears in two concertos deeply ingrained in his personality, here restored in excellent sound.
  The sublime violin artistry of Christian Ferras (1933-1982) still compels fascination and awe for a talent we were denied too soon in his otherwise...

• Classica | Stéphane Friédérich | January 2, 2012

  Restituée par Orfeo, la prise de son de la Radio autrichienne (live du festival de Salzbourg) met à mal l'orchestre de Keilberth, trop en retrait....

• Classical Recordings Quarterly | January 12, 2011

  Like all long-time record collectors I have been aware of Christian Ferras, and over the years I have heard a few of his LPs and generally admired his...

• Crescendo Magazine | Bernard Postiau | January 3, 2012

  Les témoignages de Christian Ferras sont suffisamment rares que pour faire la fête à toute nouvelle parution. Le Concerto de Beethoven avec Karl...

• Das Orchester | Bernhard Uske | January 4, 2012

  Zwei Geiger haben zu Ludwig van Beethovens Violinkonzert den...

• Diapason | François Hudry | January 5, 2012

  CD émouvant à plus d'un titre! D'abord parce qu'il permet d'entendre le jeune Christian Ferras dans deux interprétations solaires des concertos de...

• Diverdi Magazin | Roberto Andrade | January 2, 2012

  Como caído del cielo
  Los conciertos de violín de Beethoven y Berg por Christian Ferras dirigido por Karl Böhm y Massimo Freccia, en Audite
  Entre 2003 y 2004, Testament editó tres CDs que incluían grabaciones EMI y Decca realizadas en los años 50 por Christian Ferras (1933-1982) en los...

• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | December 11, 2011

  Kurzer Nachtrag, betreffs Beethovens Violinkonzert: Zwar ist das Alte...

• Gramophone | Rob Cowan | January 2, 2012

  REPLAY – Rob Cowan's monthly survey of reissues and archive recordings
  Important first releases – Brahms from Barbirolli in the new Coventry Cathedral and in Boston • A feast from Christian Ferras
  Recordings of performances with a dark historical backdrop are fairly plentiful – think of Václav Talich conducting Má vlast in Nazi-occupied...

• Märkische Oderzeitung | p.p. | November 18, 2011

  Legendäres Debüt mit Macke
  Ooops, denkt der Hörer und spielt den zweiten Satz gleich noch mal an. Aber es bleibt dabei: Dem Larghetto in Beethovens Violinkonzert fehlt das...

• Pizzicato | RéF | January 12, 2011

  Ferras mit Beethoven und Berg
  Und wenn es nur darum ginge, zu beweisen, dass das Duo Ferras-Karajan in Beethovens Violinkonzert 1967 besser funktionierte als Ferras-Böhm 1951,...

• www.opusklassiek.nl | Aarnout Coster | January 2, 2012

  Dertig jaar geleden overleed de Franse violist Christian Ferras (1933-1982). Na een opleiding aan het Conservatorium van Parijs maakte hij in 1946...