Customer Reviews

Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Violin Concerto in D major Op.35 / Gesang der Heliane Op.20 / Vier StÃ1/4cke Op.11 / Suite Op.23

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There are a number of fine recordings of Korngold's lushly lyrical Violin Concerto currently available, including Jascha Heifetz's pioneering (world premiere) mono version and more recent efforts from the likes of Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, and Anne-Sophie Mutter. I think this 'live' Oehms version by Benjamin Schmid, Seiji Ozawa and the Vienna Philharmonic, recorded at the 2004 Salzburg Festival, goes to the top of the list. First, Schmid is completely captivating, producing a near-miraculous range of tone color, spot-on intonation, and a beautifully natural projection of phrase. (His magnificent Arte Nova recording of J. S. Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin should be more widely known in the US.) Ozawa and the Philharmonic are nothing short of astonishing, presenting the orchestral fabric with such bite and urgency that the music at times sounds like it could have been written by Gustav Mahler himself. The other music is performed at a similarly exalted level and ranges from the deliciously charming (the 'Much Ado About Nothing' pieces) to the dramatically challenging (Suite for Piano and Strings). The audience goes wild after each performance, but is mercifully quiet while the music is being played. Recorded sound is gloriously rich yet wonderfully detailed.

I had ordered this for my mother - she requested for her birthday. She loves it, plays the CD in her vehicle, really enjoys good classical music.

I only wanted Korngold's Concerto in D and what I did not want was the inclusion of people clapping after the first movement. Didn't they know what they were listening to? The rest of the CD is not worth much after the violin concerto...