Customer Reviews

Brahms: Violin Concerto / Violin Sonata No. 3, Opp. 77,108

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Maxim Vengerov is a talented and thoroughly modern performer. In this recording he takes on one of the landmarks of the 19th-century Romantic repertoire.

This Brahms Concerto opens in stately fashion, measured and careful. The violin's entrance is brisk, raising hopes of more excitement to follow. But the conductor manages to keep a tight rein on the proceedings. A range of moderate to slow tempos are maintained throughout the performance, which is one of the longest on record.

In general, Vengerov plays with great precision but little warmth; instead he displays a steely brilliance. He often sounds hurried even when he is not playing fast. Barenboim seems to be holding back the tempo whereas the soloist seems to want to go faster. In the second movement, the combination of a slow tempo and very smooth playing from both soloist and orchestra results in a mood that borders on the soporific. By the end of it I was so relaxed that the aggressive opening of the third movement came as something of a shock.

Vengerov's tone recalls that of the young Heifetz: it is precise and intense, with little of what now would be considered Romantic excess. In fact, Vengerov gives the piece a Nordic, Sibelian sound, which is unusual and unexpected for the music of Brahms.

The soloist plays his own cadenza, which is simple and unadventurous, never going far from the motifs in the score.

Overall, Vengerov's interpretation is thoughtful, considered, and deliberate. Its appeal is subtle, not very exciting on the surface but complex, refined, and artful. Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony contribute a firm foundation, not as driven as Reiner (with Heifetz) but not plodding either.

The whole thing is very sleek and modern-sounding. The recorded sound is clear and detailed, instruments are well located and represented. The liner notes indicate that this was taped "live," but there is absolutely no audible sign of an audience.

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Many of the same comments regarding Vengerov also apply to the Sonata, recorded a year later in the studio. Here the violin sounds sweeter, and there is more involvement and risk-taking on the part of both performers. Barenboim again provides solid backing, but this time he seems to enjoy what he's doing and does not make it sound so serious. His keyboard playing is for the most part delicate and controlled. The impressive variety of tone colors and effects tell of his years as a keyboard soloist.

Vengerov too produces a remarkably wide range of timbres from his extraordinary instrument. This range is all the more apparent when he does not need to compete with a full orchestra. And in the Sonata Vengerov is able to exploit the lower ranges of his instrument more effectively than in the Concerto.

Tempos in the Sonata are for the most part moderate and relaxed. The finale is spirited and (dare I say?) passionate. This contrast is especially effective because of the restrained approach to the rest of the piece.

Don't be put off by the slightly menacing cover photo. This is serious, honest, and reliable music-making.

Maxim Vengerov is not only a firebrand violinist, he is also a poet and a musician of great intelligence. This collaboration with Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra recorded during a live performance in 1997 has all the majesty and symphonic sweep that this sole concerto for violin by Brahms demands. Vengerov's phrasing is elegant, his tone is lustrous, and his dexterity with his instrument is superb. But with Brahms' music it takes more then a soloist 'accompanied' by an orchestra to approach the arching architectural perfection of this most symphonic of concertos. And it is here that Vengerov and Barenboim appear to be of singular vision. Of course it helps to have the luxury of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as the fabric upon which the concerto is played. The effect is stunning.

As a major addition to this fine recording Vengerov and Barenboim join spirits in an exceptional performance of Brahms' Sonata in D minor. This kind of programming is creative and reassuring: the message here is not about individuals but about the composer. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, August 05

This recording is taken from a live performance, and those who attended the concert have been avidly waiting for this document. (Folks at the CSO's store claim they could barely get the CDs out of the box before people grabbed 'em.) It does not disappoint. Brahms wrote this concerto for his long-time friend and musical partner Joachim, and it shares the same key as the contemporary and pastoral Second Symphony. With an expert violinist prompting him, Brahms produced one of his finest works. Barenboim's tempos are relaxed in the first two movements, driven in the third, and Vengerov brings his usual range of colors and intensity to the solo part, especially enhancing the "Hungarian" quality in the last movement (Brahms, after all, wrote a lot of music with the designation "ala Ungarese" and this movement has that kind of energy here). The D-minor sonata is also filled with both lyrical beauty and driving energy. Let's hope that these two musicians will continue to work together in the future.

Among the great recordings of Brahms' Violin Concerto this recent Teldec CD has to be regarded as definitive. Vengerov gives an electrifying, compelling performance that is served well by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's warm, brilliant playing. Vengerov's playing has a steely edge to it, which sounds Nordic, not Germanic, in tone, but it doesn't lose the lyricism which this piece demands. His performance ranks with Grumiaux's and Perlman's; all others pale by comparison. Somehow he strikes a balance between Grumiaux's warm, vibrant playing and Perlman's exuberance tinged with warmth. And he is brash enough to perform his own cadenza, which sounds as compelling as Joachim's. Barenboim is a compassionate interpreter of Brahms, yet he opts for a subdued, relaxed mode of conducting during the first two movements, before adopting a frantic, almost Bernsteinesque pace.

This may be the only great recording of Brahms' Violin Concerto which has a compelling performance of one of Brahms' Violin sonatas. Barenboim is the ideal accompanist, playing with drama and warmth akin to Arrau's and Kempff's, yet with ample restraint with regards to Vengerov's playing. Here, Vengerov's violin sounds sweeter and more lyrical, in stark contrast to his performance of the concerto.

Teldec's engineers have recorded a live performance that sounds as crisp as any studio recording. The sound quality is impeccable; it is as though I was present at Symphony Hall the night of the performance. While I can recommend other recent recordings of Brahms' Violin Concerto with Kremer and Mutter as soloists, this has to be regarded as first choice. It belongs in your CD collection alongside the classic recordings of Grumiaux accompanied by Sir Colin Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra and Perlman with Carlo Maria Giulini and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Over the years I have owned completely satisfying versions of the Brahms concerto with Oistrakh/Klemperer, Heifetz/Reiner, Mullova/Ozawa, Kremer/Bernstein, Hahn/Mariner, Shaham/Abbado, and Perlman/Giulini. I adore Vengerov and recognize his immense stature, but for me this recording is spoiled by Barenboim, at best a mediocre conductor and no friend of Brahms (except as a pianist) with his willful ideas about pulling the melodic line around. I would buy any of the above performances before this one, despite the fact that Vengerov is so marvelous.

Let me praise what I find strongest in this recording. The Chicago Sym. plays magnificently and gives full weight to Brahms's symphonic intentions. It's not their fault that form the first bar Barenboim is so slack and dull; at least he sets a tempo that isn't pompously slow. Te soloist was only 23 when this live concert was taped in 1997, and although his interpretation is far form callow, the conception is a bit cautious and restrained. There's no gainsaying his ravishing tone and charisma, however. (The cadenza at the end of the first movement is his own, by the way, and owes much to a desire to display maximum technical difficulty.)

Barenboim sets a moderate, flowing pace i the Adagio but has little to say so far as shaping the music in a memorable way. The young Vengerov took mentoring seriously and would have benefited from a deeper, more mature conductor, as he benefited in Prokofiev and Shostakovich from Rostropovich (in retrospect, I'm shocked to realize that when I last heard them together with the NY Phil. in the Shostakovich First, Rostropovich would soon die and Vengerov retire from concertizing with orchestras). At just under 8 min., the finale displays a good deal of vigor, but one notes immediately that Vengerov shows ore vitality than Barenboim's conducting, adding to an overall impression that Vengerov has yet to record the great Brahms concerto that is surely in him.

Barenboim is on much safer ground in the Brahms Sonata No. 3, where he provides large-scaled accompaniment to Vengerov's swaggering playing. A previous reviewer calls Vengerov "an Oistrakh clone," which sells him short, yet there's no denying the resemblance insofar as both possess a huge tone, rock-solid integrity, and indisputable authority. But for all that, I prefer Vengerov, who sounds fresher and more personal than the great Russian master. His musical instincts are impeccable in this sonata, allowing him to deliver a reading as fine as any could be.

After listening through Vengerov's interpretation of Brahms' famous Violin Concerto, I found myself quite uninspired and longing for more. Don't get me wrong: Vengerov is an amazing player, and is close to the top on my list of favoured violinists, but there's something that's quite unappealing about his rendition here. Much of the playing is messy and unpolished, not the emotional and expressive Vengerov that most are used to hearing. This is somewhat surprising given that the work is filled with so many different colours for the soloist to explore. Barenboim does a decent job of an accompaniment, but it's certainly not anything spectacular, though I sometimes do find myself enjoying the orchestra more than the soloist. Overlooking the lack of clarity in Vengerov's sound, his interpretation is also somewhat nonstandard, though not necessarily unappealing. Maybe in a better studio with a bit more practice and time for Barenboim and Vengerov to bond together musically (though they have a longstanding musical partnering), this could be a recording worth listening to on a regular basis. However, in its current state, there are more worthwhile discs out there.

My favourite recording at this time is Hilary Hahn playing ASMF and Neville Marriner. At such a young age, Hahn brings something to the musical table that I can't really find in other recordings, though it's hard to pinpoint what it is specifically. The Neveu recording with Isserstedt is another one I prefer, though those who don't like older recordings due to their poorer sound quality may want to pass (the accompaniment isn't as good either, but that can be overlooked).

Vengerov plays this instrument as if it was an extension of his body. He owns all what you may demand: interpretative warmth, leonine fierceness, prodigious and enviable technique, sense of the tune, absolute accuracy and supreme elegance without frenetic raptures like others known players that we know.
The impressive maturity has nothing to do with his physical age, he has filled the huge empty left by violinist of the stature of Szigetti, Neveu, Thibaud, Stern, Szerying, Gitlis, Busch, Vegh, Milstein and Hubberman.

We expect from him to listen his Bach Partitas and Sonatas, both Prokoviev and Shostakovich violin Concertos in the near future with superb conductors as Barenboim, Welser Most, Temirkanov and the raising Venezuelan baton: Gustavo Dudamel, recently invited by the BBC.

This CD contains a remarkable Brahms performance. It is too far from Ginette Nevue reading in the late forties but nevertheless it keeps the majestic, supreme eloquence and gypsy ferocitiy demanded by Brahms in the last movement.
The Sonata No. 3 is superbly conceived and recorded.
Welcome to the Holy Pantheon, master.!

This CD is one of those rare moments when a soloist is in his prime, playing with a rich and wonderful tone, and married to an orchestra which is in perfect synch and playing at the top of their game. Vengerov plays with warmth and richness of tone, with virtuosity that is never over the top. Barenboim must also be congratulated for conducting a Chicago Symphony that sounds fabulous. Also, even though the recording is live, the sound is perfectly balanced without distractions or glitches. Highly recommended!

Gramophone lists this CD as a recommended recording for this VC. I can't claim it as the best in the crowded competition but it will be a nice addition to your library.
'Cause others wrote positive reviews I will talk about some trifles. When Vengerov enters at 2:45 to the 1st mvt. the very first note is played shorter than actual duration. It should be played as a note 6/5 as long as a quarter note. (a quater note is tied to a 16th note of a 16th-note quintuplet) At 4:16 to the 1st mvt. he loses control and creates an awkward moment.
His playing is somewhat nervous and sounds laborious.
If you want only one recording of Brahms VC, get Oistrakh/Szell. Oistrakh. efforless and sublime playing from Oistakh together with heartful conducting from Szell make that one essential.

One thing that is the best of this whole recording, the tone. The tone is very panoramic, unlike most other modern violinists.