Charles Barkel

Violin Genius & Dandelion Child

It belongs to the privileges of former generations to have heard Barkel perform live, or to be able to call oneself his pupil. Charles Barkel gave his last performance as a violinist in Stockholm on the 4th of October 1953, and the last time he gave violin lessons was around the new year of 1973. For a younger generation his name either means nothing, or is mentioned in connection with different anecdotes.

This is unfair. During his heyday Barkel was regarded as a Swedish Jascha Heifetz or Fritz Kreisler; a virtuoso with a warm-hearted tone, a chamber musician touched by God.

The foremost violin pedagogue of the time, Carl Flesh, regarded Barkel both as his best pupil and his worst problem. Barkel has, however, passed down his experience of the Flesch-school to innumerous students. No Swedish pedagogue has had such an influence in his own time as Barkel. Fortunately one of Barkel’s pupils, Ole Hjort, recorded some of Barkel’s radiobroadcasts, and the radio archives also kept recorded examples of the mastery of Barkel.

On four CDs Barkel is documented both as a soloist in smaller pieces and sonatas, in violin concertos and as a chamber-musician.

The story of the private life of Barkel, and of his concerts is based on interviews made with his colleagues, pupils and people close to him during a period of more than 20 years by Carl-Gunnar Åhlén, musicologist and editor of the Collector’s Classics series. This is the 13th volume in the series.

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Show playlist
    • CD 1
      • 1.
        Preludium och allegro i Pugnanis stil Music: Fritz Kreisler
        4'19
      • 2.
        Grave i Wilhelm Friedeman Bachs stil Music: Fritz Kreisler
        3'57
      • 3.
        Romanza op 4 ur Violinsonat a-moll, sats 2 Music: Paul Juon
        3'27
      • 4.
        Arietta op 52:1, ur 2 Violinstücke Music: Paul Juon
        3'33
      • 5.
        Ave Maria Music: Charles Gounod/J S Bach
        3'18
      • 6.
        Souvenir de Vienne/Intermezzo Music: Heinz Provost
        2'41
      • 7.
        Sonata i D-dur op 1:13, III Larghetto Music: G F Händel
        3'35
      • 8.
        Sonata A-dur op 1:1 II Allegro (fuga) Music: Giuseppe Tartini/Kreisler
        3'35
      • Fyra akvareller för violin och piano Music: Tor Aulin
        • 9.
          I. Idyll
          3'34
        • 10.
          II. Humoresk
          3'11
        • 11.
          III. Vaggvisa
          3'27
        • 12.
          IV. Polska
          2'59
      • 13.
        Alte Weise op 89:2 ur 3 stycken 1908 Music: Christian Sinding
        2'58
      • 14.
        Romans E-dur op. 9 Music: Christian Sinding
        5'30
      • Violinsonat nr 3 c-moll op 45 Music: Edvard Grieg
        • 15.
          I. Allegro molto ed appassionato
          9'52
        • 16.
          II. Allegretto espressivo alla romanza
          6'59
        • 17.
          III. Allegro animato
          7'46
    • CD 2
      • Violinsonat i A-dur Music: César Franck
        • 1.
          I. Allegretto ben moderato
          6'22
        • 2.
          II. Allegro
          8'08
        • 3.
          Recitativo fantastico, ben marcato
          7'28
        • 4.
          Allegretto poco mosso
          6'22
      • Violinsonat nr 1 e-moll op 21 Music: Eugene Gossens
        • 5.
          Allegro con amima
          9'24
        • 6.
          Molto adagio
          8'08
        • 7.
          Con brio
          6'10
      • Sonata alla leggenda, Ed. Charles Barkel, Nordiska Musikförlaget Music: Harald Fryklöf
        • 8.
          I. Allegro moderato
          8'17
        • 9.
          II. Andante. Agitato e con passione. Grave
          7'28
        • 10.
          III. Scherzo: Vivace ma discrezione....
    • CD 3
      • Violinkonsert d-moll op 47 Music: Jean Sibelius
        • 1.
          I. Allegro moderato
          16'02
        • 2.
          II. Adagio di molto
          8'22
        • 3.
          III. Allegro, ma non tanto
          8'13
      • Konsert nr 2 op 95 för violin och orkester, tillägnad C. Barkel Music: John Fernström
        • 4.
          I. Långsamt men ej släpigt–attacca
          7'03
        • 5.
          II. Allegro
          3'41
        • 6.
          III. Arioso: Långsamt, med buret föredrag
          7'04
        • 7.
          IV. Allegro (quasi valse)
          4'35
      • Violinkonsert nr 3 c-moll op 45 Music: Tor Aulin
        • 8.
          II. Andante con moto
          8'02
      • 9.
        Repetitionsglimtar från stråkkvartetter Music: Dvorak/Wirén
        6'00
    • CD 4
      • Stråkkvartett nr 11 f-moll op 95 Music: Ludwig van Beethoven
        • 1.
          I. Allegro con brio
          4'54
        • 2.
          II. Allegretto ma non troppo
          6'33
        • 3.
          III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso – Più allegro
          4'57
        • 4.
          IV. Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro
          5'35
      • Stråkkvintett g-moll k v 516 Music: W. A. Mozart
        • 5.
          III. Adagio ma non troppo
          8'58
      • Trio Ess-dur op 40 för piano, violin och valthorn Music: Johannes Brahms
        • 6.
          I. Andande – Poco animato – Tempo 1 – Poco più
          8'45
        • 7.
          II. Scherzo: Allegro – Molto meno allegro – Tempo 1
          7'12
        • 8.
          III. Adagio mesto
          8'26
        • 9.
          IV. Finale: Allegro con brio
          5'45
      • Ur Fyra Akvareller Music: Tor Aulin
        • 10.
          a) III. Vaggvisa
          3'34
        • 11.
          b) II. Humoresk
          3'12
      • 12.
        Frykdalspolska
        1'23
      • 13.
        Djävulens polska
        1'18
      • 14.
        Mélodie Hébraïque Music: Issay Dobrowen
        4'12
      • 15.
        Preludium och allegro i Pugnanis stil Music: Fritz Kreisler
        3'59
  • Total playtime 306'57
CD/digital // CAP 21705 // Collector’s Classics // Classical // Releasedate: 17 November, 2011