Customer Reviews

Rozsa: Violin Concerto/ Sinfonia Concertante

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I've treasured my recording of Jascha Heifetz playing Miklós Rózsa's violin concerto for more years than I can remember, first on LP and later on CD. The concerto was, of course, written for Heifetz and he championed it assiduously. I believe that his recording with the Dallas Symphony conducted by Walter Hendl has never been out of print; it is considered a classic by violin connoisseurs. Unfortunately the recording, made in the 1950s, is in mono and although in very good sound for that era, it has long since begun to show its age. With all that I mind I began playing this new recording and was almost immediately thinking, 'My goodness, this is just as good as Heifetz!' And that impression remained. This concerto deserves to be better known. It is richly romantic, brilliantly orchestrated, and contains some of Rózsa's finest work. (For the curious, Rózsa reworked the concerto and it appears in a 1970 film, Billy Wilder's 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes'.)

Anastasia Khitruk, a name new to me, is a young Russian-born, American-trained violinist possessed of a fine technique and innate musicality. And not only has she recorded a very fine performance of the violin concerto, she has revived Rózsa's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 29, and recorded it with another Russian-American musician, cellist Andrey Tchekmazov. For me this was a wonderful discovery. After several hearings I have decided that it is the equal of the violin concerto. Somewhat more spiky in places than the Violin Concerto, it is nonetheless in high romantic style, brilliantly constructed and orchestrated. I particularly like the middle movement, a theme and variations, which is then followed by a finale that brims with Hungarian brio. The two soloists play in perfect accord with each other, a wedding of similar styles and techniques. In my dreams I imagine these fine artists appearing in a concert doing the Rózsa and Brahms double concertos in tandem. Now THAT is a concert I'd go a long distance to hear!

Conductor Dmitry Yablonsky (himself a fine cellist) leads the Russian Philharmonic in sensitive, richly played and recorded performances. For me this is one of the better CDs of the year. Enthusiastically recommended.

Scott Morrison

This was a surprise to me. While I was familiar with Rosza's film scores, I had no idea that he was capable of such fine concert compositions. This muscular and inspired writing performed by a modernist with heady sensibilities and solid grounding in classic performance standards hands us an exhiliarating disc that satisifies on first and repeated listenings. Why is this not a standard at the LA Phil and in SF? Indulge and be amply rewarded.

The combination of the artist and composer is electrifying! I would like to have more recordings like this -- subtle yet passionate playing. I loved it.

Ms. Khitruk does a fantastic job with this concerto. I had never heard it before. I highly recommend it.

I've always been somewhat familair with the music of Miklos Rozsa, but I can't say that I've ever really sat down and "absorbed" his art. Thanks to this new Naxos recording, I've sat down, I've listened and I've enjoyed.

This recording features two concertos that were written by Rozsa in the 1950's. While I certainly enjoyed the VIOLIN CONCERTO, I was blown away quite a bit more by the SINFONIA CONCERTANTE FOR VIOLIN AND CELLO. Both works are charged with Hollywood-ish bravura, but the VIOLIN CONCERTO did not grab me as much as the SINFONIA CONCERTANTE. To my ears, themes seem better devoped in the latter piece and the drama is more impactful. That is not to put down the VIOLIN CONCERTO, however. It is a interesting mesh of late-romaticism/nationalism with a distinctively spiky modern twang.

I own many Naxos recording with the Russian Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dmitry Yablonsky and this has to be one their best collabroative efforts to date. The playing is always polished yet exciting. And the soloists Anastasia Khitruk (violin) and Andrey Tchekmazov (cello) are outstanding. Naxos continues to prove that little-known ensembles, conductors and soloists can produce world-clas results.

I can't think of a recent Naxos disc that doesn't sound good; this disc is no expection to that trend. What else can I say? This disc sounds great!

This is another Naxos winner. All for about $10? An easy and wise investment for any music lover.

Bartok in a Ball-gown! All the drama of Hollywood, plus Hungary, plus flaming virtuoso playing by a fiery young Russian. I play this full blast in my car while speeding down country lanes.