Customer Reviews

Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante has been a favorite of mine ever since I first heard it some 30 years ago. I have listened to numerous renditions of this work and can state my unequivocal preference for the performance of David and Igor Oistrakh with the BPO (not to be confused with the Igor and Valery Oistrakh version on the Doron label, which--although quite good--is inferior to the one with David and Igor).

That such an outstanding performance should be offered to music lovers at a sub-budget price is to the eternal credit of the EMI label.

The whipped-cream topping on this cake is David Oistrakh and Otto Klemperer performing the Brahms Violin Concerto.

So...what are you waiting for?

This is indeed a great performance of the Brahms, though it is not a patch on the outstanding Szell/Oistrakh recording in the so-called "Great Recordings of the Century" series. And in case anyone thinks I am biased, I bought this recording as well, being the die-hard Klemperer fan that I am. And yes, I'm afraid to say that Szell knocks him for six. For me the best thing about this CD has to be the Mozart, which is glorious.

I would give the Brahms about a 3 out of five, for what feels to me like occasional moments of drift in Klemperer's accompaniment, and moments of not-quite-so-good interpretation from Oistrakh (if this is horrifying you, please do compare this recording with his performance with Szell, where his playing and Szell's accompaniment are peerless. I would be amazed if you disagreed). Five stars for the Mozart... and I am not a big Mozart fan either...

Yep, masterpiece sums this one up. So does "no brainer": two of the greatest compositions in the literature, played by two of the greatest fiddlists (did I just make a word up?) in history, on one cheap CD. The sound is good, though overly-reverberant and a bit fuzzy in the Brahms (some of you may not notice; me, I like my sound dryer than this), the soloists are stupendous, and, as the Amazon review notes, this is one of the deepest and most emotional Adagios in the Brahms ever. I'm often befuddled by soloists and conductors who play the climax of this movement, the final return of the main singing theme (where the strings begin a pizzicato accompaniment), so glibly: often they just skate over it, as though they're afraid of the emotion or they think it's too schmaltzy for a major masterpiece. Well, in the right hands, it's not schmaltzy; it is, however, deeply *romantic,* and Brahms was, after all, the king of the High Romantics. Listening to this stately, rich performance by David O, you realize why many colleagues (Sviatoslav Richter for one) considered him the greatest violinist of the 20th century. Hard to argue, with playing like this as your evidence.

The Sinfonia Concertante K. 364 is one of my favorite pieces of music, period. It is unique in Mozart's output. With its depth and elegance, structural surety and technical perfection, you'd think it was a "mature" work (if you can call works of anyone who died at 35 "mature"), but no, he wrote this when he was in his early 20s and still in Salzburg living with pops. This is very fine, with son Igor Oistrakh playing violin and daddy handling viola chores and conducting, but it's not quite my first choice: that honor would go to Stern and Zukerman with Barenboim on Sony. Before you write that one off because of Barenboim, I should hasten to add that he stays out of the way and doesn't muck things up too much, conducting with a little too much thickness in spots but otherwise okay. And Stern and Zukerman *own own own* this work. Their interplay is incredible and they are so tight you'd think they are joined at the hip, and their tone is beautiful and burnished. That's not to say that this is a bad recording by any means, and I'm glad I have it, but the listener who is as passionate about K. 364 as I am should also own the Stern/Zukerman collaboration, and it is available on CD, so rejoice.

The booklet inside is quite amusing and bizarre in its layout and artwork--open it up and you'll see what I mean: paintings are cropped in non-sensical ways. Underneath the plastic that holds the CD in place is reproduced a painting called The Flower Seller by William Powell Frith. It has no relationship with either work. I think record companies just randomly pick old-fashioned artwork for their CDs, whether it makes any sense or not. No wonder few people today besides Klaus Heymann know how to run a classical label.

But who cares about artwork? You want to look at paintings, go to a museum. You want two German masterpieces played brilliantly and at a great price, buy this CD. As I said, a no-brainer. Just like the people who brought it to you.

The combination of violin virtuoso David Oistrakh with conductor Otto Klemperer, a legend by itself, is almost always a guarantee for a legendary recording. The disc, originally recorded in 1960, opens with Violin concerto in D, op.77 by Johannes Brahms; a highly romantic violin concerto which is in my opinion performed with just the right touch of expression. It is highly moving without becoming overly sentimental. The same applies to the Sonfonia concertante by Mozart, written exactly a century before Brahms published his violin concerto. The sound recording quality is excellent without being overly pumped-up. A deeply moving experience and highly recommended.

I can't really express in words how great this CD really is. Considering the profundity and artistry of the performances, IMHO, this might be one of the best classical CDs available today. If I were to try to introduce classical music to a newbie, this might be a CD I'd choose to do it with its formidable and inspirational combination of orchestral power (Brahms) and grace (Mozart). Whether you've heard Brahms' Violin Concerto in D Major 5,000 times or you're about to experience Johannes' stratospheric quest for the first time (and, man, do I envy you!), all you need to know is Otto and Oistrakh are going ALL THE WAY, and if you want to ride along, well that's just perfectly fine and dandy with them. They're not stopping for pop music wannabes or bow-tie business daddies. And just who are those French musicians impersonating the Berliner Philharmoniker? As for Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major, Oistrakh and the VPO give a recorded performance that can only be compared to Szell and the Clevelanders from the 1960s. Sublime, precise, dynamic, Mozart. And Oistrakh's happy demeanor shines through, as always, as opposed to dour George. BTW, in case you're new to classical music or never heard Oistrakh rosin up his bow before, the rumors and mentions in classical music magainzes are really true. He really was one of the half-dozen absolute violin greats of the 20th century. And what's this, you can buy this for less than $10 and the sound is more than adequate? You'll thank yourself one day for buying this one. And remember, Otto Klemperer is OK!

While I have not heard the current CD pressing, I am very familiar with both performances. The Brahms concerto was the first performance I ever heard, back in 1969. Oistrakh is virile, introspective when required, and turns in the most magnificent performance I ever heard (unless you count the Heifetz/Toscanini 1935 NYP, which is in poor sound). Klemperer is magnificent. He brings out all the details with high seriousness and grandeur. The Mozart work is given a fine performance, but the Brahms is practically beyond belief because of the drama, intensity and rightness of their conception.

David Oistrakh recorded the Brahms violin concerto several times, and this one, with the odd combination of a French orchestra conducted by a quintessentially German conductor, Otto Klemperer, is the best I've heard. It's rarely been out of the catalog since it was recorded in the early 1960s; it really is one of the great recordings of the piece. The sound, in case you are concerned, is just fine.

In the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, Oistrakh picks up the viola, with his son Igor playing the violin part, and Papa also conducts the great Berlin Philharmonic. This performance, recorded in 1971, came before the great move to historically-informed Mozart that calls for smaller forces, original instruments and the like; this one is like a steak dinner, full of juice. The second movement, in particular, has a kind of melancholy - I'm tempted to call it a Russian melancholy - that I've not heard in any other recordings. The BPO, of course, are masters in this repertoire and their spirited playing, especially in the final rondo, is evidence of their love for it, too.

If you don't already own these performance, go for it. At this price, you'd be sorry if you didn't.

This superb account of the Brahms Violin Concerto has led the field for nearly fifty years and needs little defence. The combination of a great violinist and a great Brahms conductor who think as one, both interpreting this most luscious of Romantic concertos in a manner mercifully free of HIP concerns, makes magic. Oistrakh's big, juicy tone, immaculate intonation and profoundly emotional approach which never lapses into sentimentality, put other favourite versions in the shade; even Boris Belkin's famous account can seem perfunctory alongside this one, yet Oistrakh and Klemperer are considerably spritelier in tempi than Fischer and Belkin. The Orchestre National are wholly in harmony with their conductor and soloist and the characteristic pungency of their woodwind contributes to off-setting any sense of indulgence in the interpretation. The plangent sweetness and melancholy of the Adagio defies description; Oistrakh's instrument sings like a soul glorified. The gypsy dance of the Finale abounds in energy without ever feeling the least rushed.

This bargain disc, available absurdly cheaply on Marketplace, would be a steal if it offered only the Violin Concerto, yet in addition we have another classic performance from 1972 of the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante K364 by Oistrakh father and son, the latter on violin and the former this time showing his mastery of the viola, giving the same weight of tone to its voice as he does with a fiddle in the Brahms. This interpretation does not perhaps, stand quite as alone as the Brahms as it has a rival in the superb DG recording by Perlman and Zukerman, but while listening to this version it's hard to imagine anyone playing it better.

The sound is fine; big and resonant and thus in keeping with the artists' interpretations but it could do with being cleaned up to remove some fuzziness and impart a little more bite and edge to the orchestral sound - however, until EMI see fit to re-master this jewel in their catalogue, this bargain issue, naff packaging and all, is not be missed.

This is my favortie recording of the Brahms because it features Klemperer and Oistrakh. The stereo sound is fantastic, and the interpretation is grandly and majestic like no other.

No one can compare to the glory of these two great human beings. I am thankful that Klemperer and Oistrakh made this recording for all of us to listen to, enjoy and learn from.

And it's good that EMI has made it available for budget price and it is truly one of the great recordings of the century.

With both Oistrakhs and legendary conductor Klemperer, it certainly is no shock to see this CD rated at 5 stars and I am not going to disagree. Considering the budget price, this CD should be in any serious classical collection. When I listened to it, I enjoyed the Mozart much better. As much I respect Otto Klemperer, I have often found his conducting to be over serious. Without Klemperer, the Mozart sounds much more joyous and the music really sings. And the string playing of the Oistrakhs is simply incredible. Before EMI sends this CD to a mid-price label, grab it now.