Customer Reviews

Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major,Op. 77 / Double Concerto in A minor,Op.102 ~ Shaham / Abbado

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I ordered this disc from Amazon in the United Kingdom, a couple of months before it became available in the United States. I gave it a rave review on that Web site and feel compelled to repeat that review here:

Thank God for the Internet! If not for it, Americans like me would hardly be able to lay hands on this extraordinary disc. And extraordinary it is, boasting superlative performances of two of Brahms' most important works in rich, velvety, and ideally balanced sound.

The Double Concerto, long my favorite of Brahms' four concerti, here gets the performance of its life. Praise, first, to the two solists, who play as one; more than once during the first movement, where the violin begins a downward passage only to be taken up by the 'cello, or the 'cello begins an upward passage to be continued by the violin, I couldn't tell where one soloist left off and the other began. Such synergy is woefully rare in performances of this piece and here bespeaks (finally!) the matching of two musicians of caliber. Too often, we are forced to listen to a great violinist and a so-so 'cellist make this work into a violin concerto with 'cello obligato (I'm thinking of the unfortunate Mutter/Meneses/Karajan recording) or a great violinist and great 'cellist contort the piece out of all recognizable shape at the service of virtuosity (I won't even mention which recording I'm talking about here, because I know it has its legions of admirers). Instead, Shaham, Wang, and Abbado give a performance that is virile, yet touched by melancholy (the closing bars of the slow movement are breathtaking, as is much of the hushed development section of the first movement), and, by opening themselves up to a wider range of emotions than I've ever heard in this work, give it a fitting grandeur, appropriate to Brahms' valedictory orchestral statement.

The performance of the Violin Concerto took me longer to get a handle on; it is emotionally complex (both the work and the artists' interpretation of it) and can't really be summed up in a few words. That said, the word that first came to mind was "sensuous," although there is no lack of heft in the reading here; then words like "spontaneous" and "effortless" came to mind. For a while there, truth to tell, I wondered if perhaps Shaham and Abbado didn't make the piece sound too "easy," not projecting enough sense of struggle, but then I realized that Brahms had conceived this piece as (what was for him) "idyllic." It shares the world of the Second Symphony and First Violin Sonata. After several more listenings I finally hit on the word "inevitable." Listening to the way the work is performed here, I can't imagine it being performed any other way. Yet there is nothing overtly radical about the interpretation. The first movement is alternately tough and tender, at a tempo a bit faster than the norm, but never (!) sounding rushed; the second movement has a wonderful whimsy (with a superbly individual delivery [lots of rubato!] of the famous oboe solo); and the finale goes like lightning without ever sounding like cheap display. Overriding it all is the superb partnership (and balancing) between solist and conductor, making this a true "symphonic concerto."

In sum, a refreshing, thought-provoking, and altogether beautiful set of performances of two life-enhancing works, to engage mind and heart. I wouldn't be surprised if this one were destined for greatness.

This CD features a live performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto from 2000, followed a year later by a studio recording of the Double Concerto. Many here have praised Shaham's solo work, and I'd also rank his Brahms D major with the best modern recordings. I think Abbado's earlier 1992 reading on Philips with Viktoria Mullova, also live, finds both in stunning form, but this DG version, though not as brilliant sonically, is certainly fine. The first movement is now quite fast at 20 min.--only Heifetz and Reiner, in my experience, go faster. Shaham takes a delicate, inward view of this movement, playing with nuance for the microphone. The Adagio and finale are more standard but nevertheless quite sweet-toned and convincing.

But it's the Double Concerto, I think, that's the marvel. This late work reflects one of Brahms's unique emotions: melancholy fervor. Performances need to be spirited and fleet not to sound lugubrious. Here Shaham and cellist Jian Wang go further--they play with one voice, in a synchronized duet of amazing spontaneity and inner life. One marvels at how joyful this work can be made to sound, and Abbado is with them every step of the way. I've never heard the like. Five stars plus.

This is the latest big name Brahms violin concerto recording- Hahn and Chung have both released recordings recently as well. I have reviewed the Hahn on amazon. This new recording from Shaham is a rather unusual modern recording for a couple of reasons.
- It's quite fast, first of all. Heifetz fans should be pleased. The average first mvt these days goes around.. 22-24 minutes, but Shaham and Abbado take it in 20'50. Not 18'50, but the dramatic sections seem to speed up appropriately; the orchestral introduction is nearly exactly Heifetz/Reiner tempo. The second mvt is 8'30, the last a very sprightly 7'30. (compare to Heifetz 7'20 or... Chung 8'30).
-It's a live recording; the balance is NOT forward on Shaham. This is not a problem in that you can hear very well the orchestra (one of my complaints about Hahn's recording was the forward balance), but Shaham's tone seems a bit more streamlined than it does in say, his Barber/Korngold recording, and sometimes it's hard to hear him.
-The BPO is in top form(not that this is unusual for them, but it's so much more refreshing than some other orchestras, ie Academy of St Martin in the Fields), and Abbado is attentive to detail. All the lines are brought out and in general everything works together very well.
As for Shaham's performance, perhaps because of the balance, it seems less colorful than you might expect. It also seems to be a relatively conservative reading in terms of emotional outpouring, etc. It's very clear, streamlined, technically perfect, refreshing - no whining in the upper registers - the giocoso is quick, the flourishes actually flourish, and there is humour as well. Is it beautiful?? Maybe, but those who prefer a Mutter approach (who probably aren't even considering this CD) will say no. I think it could do with a little more Heifetzian intensity myself. But in terms of sound quality and overall performance, I think it's a very good modern Brahms. (Gramophone gave it 5 stars in their August issue.)
The double concerto I would not give 5 stars (but 4). Probably because there are less blah modern recordings of it than the violin concerto, so there's less out there to make it seem refreshing. There is nothing upsetting about the tempos (17'10, 8'00, 8'50), although for a minor point, the orchestral entrance in the first mvt (after the soloists present themselves) seems a little asleep. Abbado wakes up soon enough, though- I think it's the soloists who make or break this recording. Shaham and Wang are both very good, of course, but they lack that edge-of-your-seat intensity that Oistrakh/Rostropovich bring. They do not dig into the double stops as much as they could; it's almost like the easy listening Brahms double concerto. Maybe it'd work best for a younger fan who is still scared of nitty-gritty solo string playing? If I had to generalize nicely, I'd say it's a cooler, 'intellectual' reading. STILL, I have to recommend Oistrakh/Rostropovich/Szell as top choice for this concerto.

One year after I regret my former review. The music has not changed, but I have. Shaham plays softly, like honey; the touch is so light and delicate, intimate, introvert. The problem is that although it is unique, it not exciting in the long run. Is the op. 102 better played? It is very much the same style, I think. Abbado's conducting is never the problem here; his conducting is sometimes pretty boring, but not in this case; no, the problem is his bloodless soloists. The result is too discrete. Where is the passion?
I agree with the former reviewer about the Haitink/Szeryng/Starker; it is better than this, very enjoyable. Yet it is not the very best.
I don't have every version of these concertos of course. For sheer fire nothing compares to the Stern/Rose/Ormandy, but in that case the sound is not so good and when something always is at peak, it doesn't feel like peak. However, that version has actually grown in my esteem. Then we have the beautiful Oistrakh/Klemperer (op. 77) and the Oistrakh/Fournier/Galliera (op. 102). For op. 77 alone Heifetz/Reiner is a well structured, intense account.
But:
If you want state-of-the-art-sound and can tolerate to buy the two concertos separately (you should tolerate that), I recommend Mullova/Abbado live in Japan for the op. 77 and Mordkovitch/Wallfisch/Jarvi for the op. 102. Those performances are the best I have heard to date, considered the wonderful sound, the Mordkovitch/Wallfisch/Jarvi goes straight to the top, and Mullova/Abbado is nothing less than a must-have.
Op. 77 Mullova/Abbado live in Japan, go for it: Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto
Op. 102 (and Bruch's popular 1st violin concerto op. 26) Mordkovitch/Wallfisch/Jarvi, beautiful yet not as passionate as Mullova on op 77: Bruch: Violin Concerto, Op. 102; Brahms: Violin Concerto, Op. 26

This is the latest big name Brahms violin concerto recording- Hahn and Chung have both released recordings recently as well. I have reviewed the Hahn on amazon. This new recording from Shaham is a rather unusual modern recording for a couple of reasons.
- It's quite fast, first of all. Heifetz fans should be pleased. The average first mvt these days goes around.. 22-24 minutes, but Shaham and Abbado take it in 20'50. Not 18'50, but the dramatic sections seem to speed up appropriately; the orchestral introduction is nearly exactly Heifetz/Reiner tempo. The second mvt is 8'30, the last a very sprightly 7'30. (compare to Heifetz 7'20 or... Chung 8'30).
-It's a live recording; the balance is NOT forward on Shaham. This is not a problem in that you can hear very well the orchestra (one of my complaints about Hahn's recording was the forward balance), but Shaham's tone seems a bit more streamlined than it does in say, his Barber/Korngold recording, and sometimes it's hard to hear him.
-The BPO is in top form(not that this is unusual for them, but it's so much more refreshing than some other orchestras, ie Academy of St Martin in the Fields), and Abbado is attentive to detail. All the lines are brought out and in general everything works together very well.
As for Shaham's performance, perhaps because of the balance, it seems less colorful than you might expect. It also seems to be a relatively conservative reading in terms of emotional outpouring, etc. It's very clear, streamlined, technically perfect, refreshing - no whining in the upper registers - the giocoso is quick, the flourishes actually flourish, and there is humour as well. Is it beautiful?? Maybe, but those who prefer a Mutter approach (who probably aren't even considering this CD) will say no. I think it could do with a little more Heifetzian intensity myself. But in terms of sound quality and overall performance, I think it's a very good modern Brahms. (Gramophone gave it 5 stars in their August issue.)
The double concerto I would not give 5 stars (but 4). Probably because there are less blah modern recordings of it than the violin concerto, so there's less out there to make it seem refreshing. There is nothing upsetting about the tempos (17'10, 8'00, 8'50), although for a minor point, the orchestral entrance in the first mvt (after the soloists present themselves) seems a little asleep. Abbado wakes up soon enough, though- I think it's the soloists who make or break this recording. Shaham and Wang are both very good, of course, but they lack that edge-of-your-seat intensity that Oistrakh/Rostropovich bring. They do not dig into the double stops as much as they could; it's almost like the easy listening Brahms double concerto. Maybe it'd work best for a younger fan who is still scared of nitty-gritty solo string playing? If I had to generalize nicely, I'd say it's a cooler, 'intellectual' reading. STILL, I have to recommend Oistrakh/Rostropovich/Szell as top choice for this concerto.

Shaham's performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto is quite simply the most lyrical recent performance available on CD; it is also the swiftest. I strongly commend Shaham's playing, though it lacks the pyrotechnics one hears in recent recordings by Mutter and Vengerov. With Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as accompanists, Shaham is in excellent hands; Abbado does a great job emphasizing the rich orchestral textures in Brahms's score. Indeed, I think Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic have yielded a more dramatic - and yes, swifter - performance of this concerto than their peers in New York (Mutter's Deutsche Grammophon recording) and Chicago (Vengerov's for Teldec). It is also the best-balanced of the three recordings.

It's regrettable that Shaham's performance wasn't recorded in the classic Jesus Christus Kirche studio used often by Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, taking advantage of the studio's warm, lush sound. However, the Double Concerto was recorded there. Unfortunately, that may be the only excellent point about its recording since neither Shaham nor Wang seem to meld well as soloists. I've heard other, more vibrant performances of the Double Concerto; one recently heard version is one with Szeryng and Starker with Bernard Haitink conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Fans of Shaham's playing won't be disappointed with either performance. However, if one wants more dramatic performances of the Brahms Violin Concerto, there are better recent recordings available, most notably those with Mutter and especially, Vengerov.

Given the fact that Brahms labored for most of his life to create an orchestral output that would approach that of Beethoven, it is to his immense credit that he not only composed a singular concerto for the violin as his predecessor had done, but did so in the same key of D Major. Composed in 1878 for his good friend Joseph Joachim, the Violin Concerto, aside from being one of Brahms' most important and popular compositions, also happens to be right up there in the violin concerto pantheon with Beethoven's, Mendelssohn's, Bruch's (the G Minor), and Tchaikovsky's. Any great violinist worth their salt must eventually tackle this concerto, which is rather amazing given how poor the reception to it was. It stands, however, as a marvel of its kind, with a grandiose opening movement, a relatively tranquil slow middle movement, and the famous final movement that has its basis in Hungarian dance rhythms and gives the soloist the ultimate workout.

The Double Concerto, composed towards the end of Brahms' career in 1887, also for Joachim, and cellist Robert Hausmann, was also Brahms' final orchestral work of any kind. Here, he takes up an enlarged form of the Baroque-era concerto grosso and the classical-era sinfonia-concertante in which two or more instruments take solo turns (Beethoven's Triple Concerto, and Mozart's two "Sinfonia Concertante" works fit in this category). In the case of the Double Concerto, Brahms had created a stark work in A Minor for violin and cello that reflects his taste for brooding atmosphere in a relatively classical structure, even at a time in which the radical changes being wrought by Liszt and Wagner were beginning to dominate European classical music.

Gil Shaham, one of the great violinists of the past forty years, has the honor of being the violin soloist on both works; and not surprisingly, his abilities make his interpretation of the Violin Concerto one of the best it has had in recent times. He is joined in the Double Concerto by the Chinese-born cellist Jian Wang on this Deutsche Grammophon recording, done before live audiences in, respectively, May 2000 (for the Violin Concerto), and December 2001 (Double Concerto), with Claudio Abbado leading the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The combination of such skilled soloists, along with a great conductor and what remains one of the world's greatest orchestras results in great and powerful music making. This recording is a must for anyone to have.

I'm a Gil Shaham fan. I think his tone is as gorgeous as any I've ever heard, and he consistently gives artistically tasteful performances. The performances of both of the concertos on this recording are very good and most classical music lovers should find them very pleasing. Then why am I giving this CD only 4 stars? Because, good as these performances are, the performances on Philips by Henryk Szeryng (with cellist Janos Starker in the Double Concerto) are significantly better. In fact, Szeryng's performances of both of these concertos are the best I've ever heard. Regretably Szeryng never received the public accolades that some other violinists such as the excellent Gil Shaham have received and, therefore, he may not be known to you. But, many who are familiar with Szeryng's recordings, regard him as perhaps the finest violinist of the recorded era. If you like Gil Shaham -- or just like fine violin playing -- you won't be disappointed with this CD. But if you're looking for truly great performances of these concertos get those by Szeryng.

The real highlight of this disc is the Double Concerto, a work by Brahms that to my mind rarely gets a great reading. This is one of them. The greatness comes not so much from Shaham and Wang, however, as from Abbado helmking the BPO. Although his tenure at that great orchestra was overall disappointing, on this day they played with fire and conviction--and CLARITY--like I've rarely heard before or since. Such passages as the pizzicato of the secondary theme in the first movement have a clarity and a lyricism like I've never heard before. It may sound odd to speak of "lyricism" when dealing with pizzicato, but it's there--just listen.

There's also the miracle of clear textures even though the BPO thunders and roars with all its characteristic mass and weight. Someone I know once described hearing this orchestra in person as akin to "being run over--by a Lamborghini." Having heard them in person several times I can affirm that is very accurate. This recording of the Double captures that experience on disc--this is as close to hearing the BPO live as you can get. Wang give a very sensitive performance. Shaham is okay, but I've never been a big fan of his, at least based on recordings. I find him rather bland and boring.

And that describes his contribution to the violin concerto. The Brahms VC is one of the more intense pieces out there, but here the forces concerned amble along at about 30 miles per hour. The performance is very unmemorable, the violin playing anonymous and luke-warm. Kulenkampff, Szigeti, Menuhin, Morini, Tetzlaff, Stern, Milstein, Heifetz, Hahn, Ficsher, Mutter (her first), and even Sonenberg, even Perlman all outshine this bland, thin performance.

So while I can only recommend this disc for half the content, that content is so superb that I think this is a must-own if you love the Double. And if the piece has never quite "worked" for you, as used to be the case with me, give this reading a try. Abbado makes sense of the structure in a way I've never heard before, without doing anything revolutionary. It's just intelligent, thoughtful conducting. (I feel the same way about his Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 recording with Pires.) Highly recommended, if only for half the disc.

Ashtonishing virtuosity is once again on show here from Gil Shaham, and the end result is very impressive. However, this performance of the D major concerto is just not to my taste. I feel that Abbado and Shaham play just a little too quickly, which robs this concerto of some of its poise, grace and power. Just listen to the orchestral ritornello, one does not get the sense of nobility and strength that I believe is one of the cornerstones of the first movement. Similarly, I think that the adagio loses its beautiful contemplative nature owing to the fast speed to which it is driven. However, it would be churlish to dismiss the recording, but in terms of making the very strongest case for this wonderful work, I would point listeners to Milstein/Steinberg, Mutter/Karajan (preferable to her remake with Masur) or Vengerov/Barenboim.