Customer Reviews

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto / Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

About two years ago I first heard Hilary Hahn do the Shostakovich live -- and liked it so much that I heard her perform it again a few weeks later. For someone so young, she really has an incredible measure of what the work is about. (Let's hope when she is older she will record it again.) Aside from her (apparently) note-perfect reading, she plays it a bit cool with her interpretation, which some have felt as an indicator that she is a bit young for this difficult work. I don't quite agree: her seeming reticence only emphasizes the more sorrowful passages in the piece, and this work is chock-full of those.

Hahn blazes through the final pages with amazing energy, and at times it seems that Marek Janowski and the Oslo Philharmonic will be hard pressed to keep up with her -- but they do, winningly. The Mendelssohn is also engaging, if as some have noted, the coupling of these two concerti might seem a bit odd. (I confess that as a piece I prefer the Shostakovich.) Never mind. Here conducted by the excellent Hugh Wolff, Hahn brings out the poetry and melodic invention that makes this work so enormously popular. And it could be argued that its relative sweetness makes a nice contrast to the violence of the Shostakovich.

Sony's sound is very good -- no complaints. Hahn is rapidly mowing down staples of the violin repertoire and proving she is one of the best violinists around. If you like these pieces, here is a great opportunity to hear for yourself.

I had the great good fortune to see Hilary Hahn play the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra when she was 14 years old. She absolutely thrilled me with both her playing and her stage presence. A lady behind me sniffed, "I pay my money to see stars, not children." I wish I had told the woman what I was thinking: "Lady, you HAVE seen a star but you're just too dense to realize it."

This is the best Mendelssohn Violin Concerto I have ever heard. Of the scores of times I have heard this work on record or in concert, none has come close to Hahn's combination of precision and passion. The extraordinary maturity of her musicianship reveals surprising depths to what is ordinarily an old warhorse. In addition to the solo performance, the orchestral support also surprised me with a power I never expected to hear in the Mendelssohn. The word "virile" came to mind, which I would never have associated with this work. But Hilary always soars with and above the orchestra. I played this recording for a musician friend and he was as excited by it as I was, and he too has since bought all her recordings.

I cannot recommend this recording more highly. I do not have enough familiarity with the Shostakovich to say anything about it except that if this recording contained only the Mendelssohn, it would still be worth it.

The other reviewers here have touched on many points that don't need repeating about Hilary Hahn's silvery tone, exemplary technique, and fresh approach. Hearing her in perosn makes clear that she has charisma, a special gift of communication with the audience that keeps an entire concert hall silent while she plays. Her tone is rather small, very sweet, and naturally lyrical. She makes no attempt to produce a fat virtuoso sound.

This would seem to work agaisnt her in the Shostakovich, which is dominated by the classic interpretation from Oistrakh, biggest of all big violinists. But Hahn makes something different of the Shostakovich First Concerto, turning her back on its very Russian black sorrow and biting irony. The orchestra still sounds that way, but Hahn herself becomes a lone voice of lyrical balm, and the contrast is very convincing. Oistrakh was such a powerhouse in the long cadenza at the end of the slow movement that every other violinist since has been tempted to try the same huge approach. Hahn is penetrating, gritty, and wiry instead--it's the only time she allows herself actual grit. Her finale is mercurial, more positive emotionally than the usual biting slashes one hears from everyone else.

The Mendelssohn is lightness and lyricism all the way, which means that Hahn misses many chances for depth and inward phrasing such as Menuhin famously found in his classic postwar recording with Furtwangler (EMI). Hahn's mercurial swiftness becomes pure delight in the very fast finale, and her feminine sparkle (I mean that as a high compliment) results in a captivating performance that holds one's interest from first to last. Highly recommended in both works.

Is there really any need to go on, once more, about Hilary Hahn's increbible tone, technical mastery, and emotional depth? Yes! This recording is amazing and if you love the Mendelssohn and don't have this CD, buy it. The third movement is sheer excitement as Hilary plays it at a tempo and with a joy that other players either just don't, won't or simply are not capable of. And yet for all of this, Hilary Hahn pulls this off with her usual grace and humility. She is not showing off, she is simply that good. Not since Heifetz was recording on vinyl has anything been this good. This is a musician who is truly special. The Shostakovich is a great find and if you don't already know the piece this is a great introduction. Thank you Ms. Hahn!

A great CD.

To me, the first movement of the Mendelssohn violin concerto is one of the most perfectly structured pieces of music that has ever been written: then couple that with the haunting "Russian" theme and you have music that is both emotionally moving and gratifying. It just gets into your subconscious and affects your inner being.

Hahn's playing was absolutely wonderful: her notes crisp and clean; the interpretation flawless.

The lost of one star (actually ½ star, if it was available) was because of my concern with the audio volume of the orchestra; I found the principal violin occasionally (not often, but enough to be noticeable) drowned out by orchestra. At times the orchestra sounded almost blaring; just enough of a stigma to make this less than an absolutely perfect recording.

The other offering on this disc is a work by Shostakovich; a piece I'm not particularly familiar with, nor as pleasing to my ear as the Mendelssohn. The work is technically difficult but Hahn plays it with style and polish.

All in all, a CD with 2 violin concertos that is worthy of adding to your classical collection.

I have in the past thought of Shostakovich in terms of barbed wire, tanks, and icy winters. This, until the orchestra in which I play viola, performed his 5th Symphony. I was overwhelmed by the power of it, and by the deep sadness I felt in it, in parts. With this in mind, I re-visited other works of his, including the First Violin Concerto. I first acquired a version with Maxim Vengerov as soloist, and was stunned at what I had overlooked in the music in the past. I then purchased this album, since Hilary Hahn has been my favourite violinist for some time. I have listened to the last three movements by each soloist repeatedly. I find both performances to be excellent, but, on balance, Hilary Hahn's interpretation is more moving, and it is intensely moving in places. To my ear, her tone has a depth and intensity, even darkness, which fits the music magnificently. I am astonished that a person of her age (and physical statue) can summon such power and maturity in a demanding composition such as this. I highly recommend this CD.

I also recommend another of her CDs, "Hilary Hahn Plays Bach", most especially for her interpretation of the Chaconne. I believe this is one of the great compositions in western music, and I have heard no better performance than hers, again partly due to her wonderfully deep tone, but also due to the magic of her own interpretation. I have listened to this track many times, and never cease to be deeply moved.

I haven't even listened to the Mendelssohn concerto yet.

Hahn's playing has progressed to the point where I will buy her new CD's regardless of the programme. I certainly didn't think I needed another Mendelssohn violin concerto on my shelf. Her interpretation is solid and fresh and stands up to the best of them. The Shostakovich, which is rarely played but has some incredible writing, is very solid if a bit cool. I prefer the Vengerov version for the Passacaglia but if you don't own a version, Hahn's will do very well. My only dissapointment is the playing of the Oslo Philharmonic, which is fine but not stellar.
Nit picking aside, this is a great CD.

This is probably the most virtuosic and technically dazzling recording of the Mendelssohn I've ever heard. Unfortunately, it was too fast (particularly in the third movement) to convey much depth. The opening of the third movement is one of the most dramatic in the entire repertoire, but the drama/suspense was killed because she rushed through it. Even the timing is off - she suddenly speeds up for no apparent reason shortly after the tempo change, immediately before the introduction of the theme. Mendelssohn wrote the opening to create a sense of anticipation about the presentation of the theme, but this anticipation is not conveyed in Hahn's recording because she speeds through it and doesn't even hold a steady tempo. That was my biggest complaint about the recording, although the rest of it seems to be primarily about displaying her impressive technique, rather than playing with any real depth. As mentioned in other reviews, Heifetz's famous recording is a great example of a virtuosic and moving performance of this piece. Hahn's falls short in this regard. In any case, my favorite recordings of this concerto are Midori's live performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Salerno-Sonnenberg's.

With her great recordings of Beethoven, Stravinsky violin concertos, and etc.. , Hilary Hahn joined the A list of today's violinists such as Chung, Mutter, Repin, Midori, Vengerov, Bell etc...

As in the editorial review, Hahn's biggest asset is her straightforward, no-nonsense expressions and phrasings. Well, it worked quite well in Mendelssohn, but not so well in Shostakovich.

In Mendelssohn's melodramatic piece, Hahn takes the music by moving force. Her aggressively straightforward performance takes the extra drama off the piece and brings out the strength and its simple beauty. At the same time, I have to say her tone sounds the same throughout the piece and it almost sounds like a 13-year-old prodigy playing. I think she still could be more than this, instead of just being straightforward playing with some virtuosity, maybe she can leave some space in the music rather than "play", "play" and just "play". The music needs some air.

Well, I like this Mendelssohn a lot, but I really have doubts about those critics saying like "her straightforward performance sounds fresh" and those non-sense comments. I mean, if they listen to this performance by being told "it is by a new child prodigy", they would definitely say "it lacks colors and depth." They wouldn't be praising this one as much if they did a "blind tasting".

Well, my personal best of Mendelssohn goes to Midori and Kyung-Wha Chung. Midori's is beautiful and exciting throughout. It just sounds so miraculous. Chung's Mendelssohn is a classic. It is such a heart-felt performance and memorable.

I did not like Hahn's Shostakovich at all. The editorial review says that it "burns ice-blue rather than red-hot." I completely disagree. If you listen to one by Oistrakh or Vadim Repin, it is obvious. Those guys know much more about the piece and know it better. (Well I didn't choose them as the best just because they are Russian playing Russian music, and I didn't pick Mr. Vangerov as this piece's best...) Oistrakh and Repin bring the cold-reality and fear of the music with fiery irony. Those guys even sound ambivalently sensual whereas Hahn brings everything out in the direct sunlight. Well, again I really wish those critics would try some "blind tasting". One thing I found interesting is Hahn's amazingly thick and sticky cadenza. It is not the ideal best, but it's worth listening. By the way, the orchestra sounds like a mere BGM. It sounds good in Mendelssohn, but in Shostakovich they sound like they are just giving a rhythmic support for Hahn, not making music with her.

I strongly recommend Oistrakh or Repin for Shostakovich. If you don't like those Russian versions, maybe you can try MIDORI's. Her shostakovich sounds frighteningly cool yet it adds the breathtaking beauty and tranquility in the piece.

For any fan of the violin, Hilary Hahn is simply one of life's joys these days. Her technique is staggering -- beyond even other virtuosi in the way Heifetz was a little beyond the other great violinists of the mid-20th century.

But Hahn is also a thoughtful musician. Who doesn't love Perlman, but so much of his work at this age was technically lush, but interpretively dry and dull. Hahn, by contrast, is a thinker and a risk-taker. Even if you cringe at her interpretations some times (and I don't for the most part) you have to admire her willingness to try for a fresh take. She will develop and develop, and I hope I'm still around when she is making her third and fourth recordings of these pieces in her 50s and 60s.

Anyway, this Mendelssohn is fantastic. The third movement alone is worth the price of the CD -- she takes a very fast tempo and just whips up this wonderful sweet confection.