Customer Reviews

Mendelssohn, Sibelius: Violin Concertos

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As much as I love Sarah Chang's playing, this disc is one that disappoints, the Mendelssohn especially. It is beautifully played, but the phrasings are very ordinary. This is the first time where I really discovered that you can play the notes perfectly and have not much musicality behind the playing. Playing by a very great artist of the future like this is not recommendable. I do have to say, though that the reviewr who said "uhg" in not justified in his comment of Sarah Chang not being a remarkable performer. Look at her track record! Not many performers record their debut album at 9 years of age and prove that you are extremely musical as well as being technically brilliant. Even the sceptics admitted that this was quite a special case. Also, she has survived the "Prodigies' Hothouse" unscathed. She has blssomed into a mature artist. Anyway, the Sibelius is an interpretation I like to a better degree than the Mendelssohn, for Chang never relents the intensity of her playing, whih is what is needed in the Sibelious - nervous energy. But for a spot in the top recommendation, this misses by a fair way, as after repeated listenings, this performance can become rather one-dimensional. The sound is too boxy for the Sibelius, relatively resonant but still not open enough in the Mendelssohn. The EMI engineers have had trouble recording in Berlin for some reason (although Mike Hatch - of the Mahler 10 CD with Sir Simon Rattle recently released - bowled me over with his amazingly open sound recorded in the Berlin Philharmonie, a trouble spot for recording), and this is one of the worst examples of the EMI-Berlin sound. But the playing of the Berliner Philharmoniker is superb, as always, and Maestro Jansons is a superb supporter for Sarah Chang in this recording. I would recommend for both the Mendelssohn and Sibelius Kyung-Wha Chung's performances on Decca. The Mendelssohn is not schmaltzy (as is the case in many recordings), but very happy and musically brilliant, and the Sibelius has all the Nordic chill and fire, coupled with impeccable phrasing to give this wonderful work a three-dimensional character The good thing is that Sarah Chang has since matured musically into a fantastic artist of a high order, and has since released many first-class recordings.

This is a very good recording of these two warhorses. The first movement of the Mendelssohn is very dramatic and reaches the emotional depths unlike many recordings such as Hahn, Heifetz, or Bell. The rest of the Mendelssohn is nicely played. The Sibelius, however, is the best I have ever heard. It is so intense! Like all of Chang's live performances, the intonation is dead center, and she plays with so much so much power that you are constantly on the edge of your seat. I have listened to other recordings of the sibelius such as Josefowicz, Chung, and Mutter. They are very good, but there are some inconsistencies and they are less fluid and natural sounding than Chang's. This is a must have if you like these pieces, or even if you have never heard these pieces, but you would like to become familiar with them.

I've been a fan of Miss Chang's since her debut and I've been looking forward to the release of this disc, but this CD is a total disappointment. I can't believe this was recorded by the very artist who played Vieuxtemps so wonderfully. I also can't figure out what Miss Chang was thinking when she was playing Mendelsshon. Her Mendelsshon is filled with emotions, but the articulation isn't good enough. As to Sibelius, Miss Chang's fingering and intonation is awesome, but falis to express the depth of emotions in this concerto. Besides, her playing doesn't sound effortful. I hope she will do better on her next disc. She still seems to be able to do anything with the instrument.

Sarah Chang opens the Mendelssohn concerto with a big, wide vibrato, making this lightly romantic work sound overtly sentimental. Such was her treatment of the first movement--rendering it heavily romantic. At first I was not used to this kind of interpretation, but then I started to appreciate it, and finally, love it. The third movement is simply flawless, musically and technically.

Her Sibelius is of the standard Julliard-type. One cannot really blame her for not giving a personalized interpretation of this work; after all, it's been recorded over 50 times, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to form an individual interpretation, especially when most of today's young players are taught to remain faithful to the score. I did not adore her tone recorded in this live concert--a bit harsh in my opinion. Her technique was near-perfect.

I'd like to point out one place in the first movt. of the Sibelius where I thought her rendition was the best ever. It's right before the coda, the twelve measures before no. 11 of the score, this very long trill of an A. The soloist's and orchestra's playing of crescendo and diminuendo are in perfect unity. The soloist's sound nearly disappears when the orchestra plays pianissimo pizzicato. These compelling rise and fall in dynamics are not marked on the score.

Sarah Chang made this recording of both the Mendelssohn and Sibelius concerti with Jansons and the Berlin Philharmonic in 1998 and at that time she was a rising star, one that encouraged many to collect her work. This recording is one that sits on the shelf as it is surpassed by the many other recordings of these popular concerti by other violinists. While this recording is not bad, it lacks life and depth, settling for surface and not for insight.

Now some 11 years later Chang's Mendelssohn (at least) has shown little growth. In a week of performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under guest conductor James Conlon, Chang continues to be a notable stage presence whose body language would indicate she is probing the concerto's secrets. Yet the performances are still on the surface - more facile than intuitive. If the public is waiting for a repeat recording of the Mendelssohn, be satisfied with this CD: nothing is much different from this winsome lass. She plays well and everything is in place, but the tone and the feeling are still on the surface. Pretty, but... Grady Harp, February 09

.....a few have even done it well. I suppose most every star violinist has recorded this old standard [Remember when the second movement was the theme in Quantis Airlines commercials?]. Well, add one more, and she is fabulous....Sarah plays like she really wants us to feel, to "get", the concerto, not just admire great technique. The result is beautiful....my personal favorite is the old Mischa Elman recording; set that aside, and Sarah is as good as any.

With the Sibelius, I am less familiar, though familiar enough to say that it, too, is wonderful. Here we have a live performance that the audience obviously loved....

The little girl has grown up into a fantastic violinist, and, maybe, the most gorgeous one ever [OK, Leila Josefowicz is gorgeous, too...she even has my wife's name]. This is a recording that has everything...superb interpretations, perfect sound [both studio and live]; naturally, the Berlin Philharmonic with Mariss Jansons is as great as we should expect. Highly recommended.

I can't believe you guys don't like her Sibelous! I just saw her perform that concerto live, and it, like the Cd was amazing! Her Mend. might not have been the greatest, but I love her Sibelous.

At first, this would seem to be an unusual pairing of concertos- it's usually Mendelssohn with Bruch. But it works very well. Chang's tone in the Mendelssohn is very clear and bright. It's just impossible for her to hit an out of tune note. The whole thing is just beautiful. As for the Sibelius, this a live recording and her tone is a little rough. But it still is terrific, especially the 1st movement, much darker than the Mendelssohn. What a great CD!

There have been many great recordings of the Sibelius violin concerto; unfortunately the Sarah Chang recording is not one of them. I think Sarah Chang is an extremely talented violinist but she has neither the affinity nor the passion for the Finnish violin concerto. If you want a recording that is more in the vein of Nordic beauty, try the Josefowicz or the Mullova recordings. Of course the Chang recording does have its merits, especially in the slow second movement. Mariss Jansons does his part and so listening to the Berlin Philharmonic is enough to make the recording worth listening to. Sarah's violin overall is a bit tiring and makes this exciting concerto rather dull.

I think all in all, Sarah Chang is more comfortable with the Mendelssohn concerto as her tempo is more natural. If you like Mendelssohn buy her CD, but if you like Sibelius avoid it (as well as the Mutter recording). Try instead the Heifetz, the Mullova, or (the underrated) Josefowicz recording.

Many have defended Sarah Chang's recording by stating that since it was a live performance, it was only natural that it would sound unpolished. Nonetheless a live recording is no excuse for a poor interpretation. I have heard and attended other better recordings (I saw Midori play this live and it was way better than Chang's performance on this CD).

Hello, do you guys even know that this is a live recording?

That means she didn't edit it, and it is being played straight through. I've heard Mutter, I've heard a lot of violinists play sibelius live and I am pretty sure this by comparison is better.

She is doing the old school style recording, where you tape it and don't do anything with it but release it.

How dumb do music-wannabes want to get? Get a grip on some real musical insight.

I think this recording is quite remarkable already for Sibelius being THAT in tune on a live recording. = )