Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8

Hilary Hahn (Artist), Niccolo Paganini (Composer), Louis Spohr (Composer), Eiji Oue (Conductor), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Eiji Oue
• Composer: Niccolo Paganini, Louis Spohr
• Audio CD (October 10, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000G04RKS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,322 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Paganini concerto, with its combination of wild virtuosity and fatty, gushy melody, is a favorite of audiences and violinists; fiddlers love to strut their stuff and the public can't resist anything so juicy. Hilary Hahn here throws her violinist hat into the ring with Perlman, Kogan, and Gil Shaham and comes out looking just fine. She handles the incredibly showy outer movements with flair, poise, and startling precision, and spins out the long, Italian melodies in the middle movement beautifully. Similarly, she handles the Spohr almost as if it were composed for the voice--it's an enchanting performance. Simply stunning and highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Product Description

HILARY HAHN SIMPLY SHINES IN THESE ROMANTIC VIRTUOSO SHOWPIECES Star violinist Hilary Hahn performs violin concertos by two predominant violin virtuosos of the early Romantic era, Italian Niccolo Paganini and German Louis Spohr. Both concertos were composed around 1816 to serve as effective showpieces for their composersÂ’ tour activities and are packed with stunningly virtuosic figures, beautiful cantilenas, and dramatic effects that were intended to leave the audience breathless and helped to establish the violinistsÂ’ legendary status.

Hilary Hahn has the superior technique needed to tackle even the most difficult figures and to make this music shine. Her performances of the Paganini Concerto have been hailed by critics: "Hilary Hahn, this queen of Apollonian clarity and compelling concentration . . . In her playing the wondrously singing lyrical passages were a response to the flawless ecstasy of supreme violinistic artistry." (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Storm Before The Calm, October 11, 2006

By 

Steven M. Ziolkowski (New York, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8 (Audio CD)

Well, its mostly a happy, festive storm (the Paganini) and a sometimes melancholy, but sometimes tense calm (the Spohr).

My limitations in reviewing this: I am a guitarist and have a much deeper background in rock/pop/alt./indie than classical. My classical vocabulary is limited. But I have amassed quite a classical collection over the past year.

My biases in reviewing this: I think Hilary Hahn could walk on water if she tried. But while I love her Beethoven and Brahms, I am not as drawn to her Elgar or Barber. So I think I can be fair.

The Paganini seems written to show off as many of the violinist's skills as possible, and Hilary takes full advantage of the opportunity. There are plenty of trills, runs that move over large ranges of notes and lots of double stops, all played effortlessly, flawlessly and with emotion. Especially astounding is a section at the end of the first movement which involves runs that are played with a sliding effect, instead of punctuated. The piece as a whole really is festive (think cymbal crashes), with intermittent slower passages but always a joy. I do not think it will ever move me as much as the Beethoven or Brahms, but it is a different kind of composition.

As if Hilary heard the "bravos" after the Paganini, the Spohr provides the perfect encore. As if to acknowledge that we all need a rest, the Spohr is about half the length of the Paganini, and much less showy -- but dramatic and thoroughly satisfying. The perfect calm after the perfect storm!

Thanks Hilary!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paganini and Spohr would smile and shake hands, November 19, 2006

By 

HDunik (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8 (Audio CD)

This is a very substantial album. Hilary Hahn, like always, never stops to amaze. The Paganini concerto is perfectly played, her intentions fulfilled. Her approach and performance for this piece are definitely different than any other violinists'. The technical highlights are skillfully controlled, the operatic qualities successfully emphasized. The Spohr concerto is just as beautiful as it can get. It stands out as solidly as any other well-known concertos. Hahn made an extremely smart decision to pair the two concertos in the album. The histories of the pieces and composers are very well studied and considered.

Hilary Hahn's technique shines very pleasantly. Every note is clear and equally considered. The orchestra and conductor did quite a good job. The tempi are very nice.

This, I would say, is one of the best classical CDs in 2006. Another Grammy for Hilary Hahn is very possible.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hahn = Opera Singer?, October 26, 2006

By 

J. M. Thomas (New Haven, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8 (Audio CD)

I have been a fan of Hilary Hahn's for some time now, and each new release is a true pleasure. Her playing certainly is music at its greatest - the technical mastery, the musicality, the way she lets the music be its own entity. Indeed, one gets the impression even from this recording of one of the showiest violin pieces ever written that it's not about her at all. Hahn offers her motivation for pairing these concertos in her program notes, aptly titled "The Violin as Voice." The Paganini and Spohr concerti both possess dramatic vocal qualities, and Hahn demonstrates this to perfection in a masterful recording that cannot be ignored.

Vocal qualities aside, the Paganini and Spohr are spectacular, each in its own way. The Paganini does not fail in being a thrilling showpiece - indeed, the orchestra and soloist become a breathtaking sort of circus act, with the violinist as the featured performer. Never have I heard a more exhilarating display. The Spohr, a lesser known work, was written in the style of an opera scene and possesses a darker demeanor. Hahn champions the work quite nicely, and ably demonstrates why it deserves to be placed beside the Paganini.

The recording is stunningly beautiful, and all the more stunning because Hahn's technique is so sure that one forgets about it and can focus on the music itself. One complaint - the recording technology is not quite capable of capturing Hahn's sound in all its glory. After hearing her live, it's hard to go back to the recordings! There's nothing like it.