4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real find, March 5, 2009
This review is from: Lee Actor: Violin Concerto (Audio CD)
Looking at the cover, you may get the impression that this is a vanity production for the violinist, Pip Clarke. It turns out to be more than that (although that's certainly part of the package), but there's no question that the violin concerto is the best of the three compositions and that she gives it one top-notch performance. The symphony and the timpani concerto aren't quite as persuasive, but they are also fine music.
Let's look a little closer at the violin concerto. It sounds to me like a Heifetz specialty, reminiscent in general terms of the Korngold, or Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Second. The melodies are memorable, the craftsmanship is solid, and it's very much in a "romantic" vein, though not as self-indulgent as the two I mentioned. The slow movement is eloquent, and the finale strongly resembles Prokofiev in his less agressive manner. Clarke really knows this work, and her playing sells it. The orchestra keeps up just fine. And the sound is solid.
The Second Symphony occupies most of the rest of the disc. In my review as originally written, I expressed a lukewarm view of this work, but I've given it a couple of relistens and have edited this review to reflect my current (Jan. 18, 2011) view, which is more favorable. I still think the symphony falls short of such a near-masterpiece as the violin concerto, which I happily played three times in a row the first time around, but its thematic distinction and superb orchestration deserve a more favorable comment than I posted initially. The symphony, like so many even today, has some echoes of Shostakovich, especially in the finale, but they're not terribly obtrusive and don't detract from the experience. In view of this rethinking, I've upgraded from four stars to five.
The Timpani Concerto is little more than a gimmick, but it doesn't wear out its welcome, the tunes are attractive, and there really is some trade-off between soloist and orchestra. Given the merits of the rest of the disc, this ten-minute add-on needn't affect your decision whether to purchase.
Conclusion: Excellent music, excellent playing. If you like true romantic music of recent vintage, this is for you.
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