Customer Reviews

Russian Violin Concertos [Hybrid SACD]

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

 

 

Julia Fischer is a violinist whose name is news to me, but then, What good news she is. Like the young Anne Sophie Mutter, she appears to have sprung whole from the head of Jove. She plays with a simply huge command of her instrument, and she grasps the music in both local nuances and larger paragraphs. Her intonation and fingerwork and bowing are well nigh faultless, so far as I can hear. She has a sort of wicked ease that actually might remind an older listener of the late, great Heifitz. He used to tell his student violinists to warm up by playing fingered octaves, which is rather like telling people to start just where most others are leaving off in happy achievement.

Nowhere are these capabilities put to better use than in her resuscitation of the much hackeneyed Khachaturian concerto, which she has the gruff to play as her opening. She obviously loves playing it, and has such a good time that it is quite easy to forget all the kitsch renderings you may have heard over the years. The RNO under Yakov Kreizberg (who is also a rising star among conductors now active in Europe) keep up with Julia all the way. Somehow all the flash just sounds scintillating, and the orientalisms just sound atmospheric and colorful. You think in some beautiful spots that Khachaturian knew what he was doing, after all.

Then Julia and company move on to the Prokofiev first violin concerto, and make deft, stunning magic of it, too. Again she and the conductor and the orchestra demonstrate remarkable unanimity of musical purpose. And, they have a good time with the Prokofiev, shattering our stuffy stereotypes that genius in classical western music is always tendentious, fat, and dressed in over-starched shirts with very stiff collars.

Thirdly, we get the Glazunov concerto. This, too, benefits from a completely fresh and straightforward reading, rooted in the players love of the music. Julia realizes the more brilliant moments of the Glazunov without forgetting that its heartfelt pusle is mainly lyrical, and her lyrical is so lithe and athletic that you don't feel for once that Glazunov was tempted to outstay the melodic welcomes embodied in his main themes.

The SACD surround sound is equally wonderful. It completely serves the music and the musicians, without calling attention to itself. You simply get a good, multichannel sense of everybody, including Julia, the super RNO as a whole body and as an unnervingly talented nexus of virtuosos, and of course, of conductor Kreizberg. The hall acoustic adds air and resonance, which is quite an accomplishment considering that we are talking about a recording studio and not one of the historic Moscovite venues like Tchaikovsky Hall at the conservatory.

If you like superior violin playing that is above all musical, with an orchestra and conductor that can keep up with such a soloist; then this disc will do fine. Five stars, fading into sunrise pinks and whites and blues. Where did the slow night go? Oh, well, play that SACD again, will you?

PS. Keep your ears and eyes on the lookout. Julia Fischer is now an exclusive Pentatone artist, and Yakov Kreizberg, maybe, too.

Although this is not the young Julia Fischer's first recording, it is the first she has done in SACD format on the PentaTone label with whom she has signed as an exclusive artist. The CD came out in late 2004, if I'm not mistaken, and she has since released the Bach Partitas and Sonatas, and most recently a disc of Mozart Violin Concerti. I gave a rave to the latter here at Amazon. I had not heard this début disc until recently and was, I will admit, a little concerned that she might be too 'classical' a violinist to make the most of these mostly extrovert Russian concerti. I was wrong to have any hesitation; she plays them with verve, wit, style and plenty of extroversion where needed. But she also brings to them an inwardness -- particularly in the Prokofiev First, which certainly has a veil of mystery about it -- that makes them seem fresh.

In recent times the Khachaturian Concerto has to some extent fallen from favor. When I was a youth it was one of the big modern Russian concerti along with Prokofiev 2 and, late in the 1950s, the Shostakovich 1, and one heard it in concert with some regularity. Happily there has been a bit of a revival lately, in spite of the tendency of some critics and programmers to think it is rather lightweight and too much of a populist work. Whatever the drawbacks it might have, it is an extremely effective piece with plenty of Khachaturian's Armenian flavorings, lots of rhythmic interest and virtuosity galore. Fischer brings to it a musicianly concern for dynamic subtlety and nuanced phrasing along with complete mastery of the concerto's technical difficulties. She eschews the Oistrakh edition of the concerto -- he extended the first movement cadenza and cut some measures in the finale -- and uses Khachaturian's original version. This is a first-class performance of a wonderful concerto which is worth one's attention.

One cannot but adore Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto. And one cannot say enough about the masterful orchestration Prokofiev provides, with harp intertwined with violin harmonics and extraordinarily plangent woodwind writing. The Russian National Orchestra, a group formed not long after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the stirrings of a new freedom in Russia, is a marvelous group. Their conductor here is Yakov Kreizberg, incidentally the brother of the probably better-known conductor Semyon Bychkov, who is making a very favorable impression these days. I've heard a number of his recent recordings and am mightily impressed with his formally clear approach that is, ironically, coupled with a really poetic sensibility. Clarity and poetry make wonderful partners in his recordings. Both Kreizberg and Fischer show us the darker side of the Prokofiev and in the process present it as the lyrical yet fierce work it is.

Glazunov's concerto is a late Romantic work in one movement. It is notable for its heartfelt lyricism, gorgeous tunes, and the equality of the orchestral principals with the violin soloists. It is really more like a symphony with violin obbligato, particularly in the long and lovely andante middle section. That aspect of the work is emphasized here and one must give credit to Fischer and the recording engineers for allowing that to shine through. Fischer is more generous, even self-effacing, in this than some soloists in other recordings the concerto has had (Perlman, Heifetz) and this is to the benefit of the work's effect. (A comparable concerto, to give you some idea of what I mean, is Brahms's Second Piano Concerto where the piano is not always the spotlighted star.) This is a genial reading with Fischer's burnished tone riding above and around the contributions by the orchestra. The folksong aspects of the finale are emphasized and one is left with a kind of uplift that makes one want to start the concerto all over again.

This is, make no mistake, a marvelous disc and I cannot recommend it highly enough. In addition, all three concerti are given strikingly lifelike sound.

Scott Morrison

The very young Violinist Julia Fischer demonstrates in this recording that (to me) the future for the performance of masterpieces of so-called classical music is very bright indeed. Julia gives very sensitive, virtuosic, and beautiful in tone performances of these Russian concertos for the violin. She is rhythmically astute in the Khachaturian concerto and very gorgeous in tone in the overtly romantic Galazunov concerto. Likewise, the Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto is given a finally nuanced performance with Yukov Kreizberg leading the Russian National Orchestra splendidly.

I heard Ms. Fischer in Aspen, Colorado in the summer of 2006 and was very impressed with her; this recording certainly confirms that most favorable impression.

If you want to hear some great violin playing, buy this disc.

By the way, the recorded sound is great-- very full and rich!

Even a jaded listener would blink twice at this recording, which showcases the German violin prodigy Julia Fischer. She's quite a dynamic player, and although lightning-fingered virtuosos aren't that rare nowadays, Fischer also possesses real charisma. She exudes confidence in every bar, and besides her gorgeous tone, she has an uncanny ability to phrase for someone so young. In all three works here she's able to shift effortlessly from Khachaturian's brash, semi-kitschy Soviet fireworks to Prokofiev's lyrico-ironic modernism and finally Glazunov's plush-velvet sentimentality. Only the Prokofiev concerto comes close to being a masterpiece, but you'd never know that from Fischer's complete dedication to each one.

PentaTone's remarkably vivid sonics make a big impression--this company has been in the forefront of SACD sound for a while--bringing Fischer's violin to life quite remarkably. Even better is Yakov Kreizberg's conducting of the exuberant Russian National Orch. His style is extroverted, like Gergiev's, with unihibited Russian vitality. I'm on the verge of gushing, but how can one help it when confronted by such a brilliant all-around production?

Acclaimed German violinist Julia Fischer truly burst onto the scene with this electrifying PentaTone recording of Russian Violin Concertos composed by the likes of Khachaturian, Prokofiev and Glazunov. This was - and still is - a splendid showcase of her formidable musical talents, since she plays each work with ample passion and empathy as well as exquisite technique; hers may be the "brightest" bright tones I have heard either live or in recordings from the current rising generation of virtuoso violinists hailing from Europe, North America and Asia. It is simply no exaggeration to assert that she plays with the ample technical depth and maturity shown by the mature Anne-Sophie Mutter, coupled with the emotional intensity of a Joshua Bell; without question she is the best twenty-something violinist I have heard, period. Her exceptional fiery performance of the Khachaturian Violin Concerto in D minor is like no one I have heard; it is quite simply a class by itself in its emotional range. Her excellent playing of the second work, the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, is surprisingly self-assured and confident, in spite of its technical complexity. Last, but not least, she offers a compellingly lyrical account of the Glazunov Violin Concerto in A minor. In all three works she has splendid musical partners in Russian-American conductor Yakov Kriezberg and the Russian National Orchestra, whose performances of these works are as compelling as Fischer's. Anyone who is not acquainted yet with Fischer's admirable blend of technical brilliance and emotion will find much to be admired in this remarkable recording.

A rich program of three violin concertos, as different from each other as can be imagined. Each is a gem, although the Prokofiev is the acknowledged masterpiece. Julia Fischer, now approaching her 25th birthday and already named "Artist of the year" 2007-2008 by Gramophone Magazine was but 21 when this recording was made.

"Wunderkind" is German for "a child of genius" and that is what was demonstrated here. The playing is characterized by gloriously rich and varied tonal colors, by flawless technique, and perfect intonation.

But this is much, much, more than brilliant fiddling. Each concerto is treated as a separate gem of individual beauty. Julia Fischer provides passionate performances with immense feeling that arise from a deep understanding of the music she is playing. She is an intellectual artist, but one with great heart! Pre-eminent among todays young musicians, Julia Fischer is surely destined to be recognized as one of the greatest violinists of all time!

Just a word about the sound. Although it will play on any CD player, I listened to this disc as a multi-channel SACD. The rear or "surround" channels were recorded to capture the reflections from the rear and side walls and on playback the listener is virtually transported to the concert hall. This is uncanny and quite wonderful. It makes regular stereo something you never want to have to put up with anymore.

After hearing critics trip over themselves finding superlatives for the recordings featuring German-born and Russian-trained Julia Fischer, I chose this recording to dabble in her sound-world. Fischer is clearly the hottest young violinist on the international circuit these days. She has gone around the world playing the great violin concertos including those on this recording as well as Brahms and Beethoven, typically to more wet pants reviews.

This recording, made in 2004, was Fischer's first. She chose the Khachaturian, she says in the notes, because it was her love child. She betrays a bit of her youth by admitting she doesn't know why conductors warned her against playing it and fans don't clamour for it. Apoparently, she never heard that Chicago critic that said, "He who steals Khachaturian steals trash."

I like Khachaturian, of course, and having a temporary empty spot in my collection for this concerto I thought I'd give the 25-year-old's version a spin. My verdict: she plays very well with sweetness and some vigor but she nearly completely lacks fire. This is uniform throughout the disk as she concentrates on the lyrical and not fiery aspects of the Khachaturian, Prokofiev and Glazunov concertos.

While I wouldn't count this recording a complete success for this reason, I think her style works best in the Glazunov, a lovely and not very consequential thing that leaves a strong impression under Julia's tutelage. All told, this is a much different impression than the one I got from the last great young female virtuoso I tried -- Hilary Hahn in her wonderful reading of Barber's Concerto a decade ago. If Fischer represents the best in new virtuosity on the scene, I don't hear it in this recording even though others do.

For his part, the late Russian-born conductor Yakov Kreizburg (died March 2011) -- whom Fischer said she enjoyed working with -- provides firm and appropriate support for the soloist and offers brio and dash when in the lead or in tutti. His work in the opening movement of the Khachaturian is better than the soloist's, I'd say, full of fire and wanton expression. Too bad it didn't rub off on Julia!

The Pentatone recording, a super audio hybrid, is clear and open but also one dimensional and not particularly impressive either played in super audio or stereo. Everything appears to be on one plane across a flat sound stage with the music before you. The bass response is not very prevalent, nor is the sound of the timpani very impressive. There is neither the depth nor the definition I've heard from the best SACDs.

So my analysis is this recording is probably overrated. Fischer is a fine player with an even temperament that needs some juice in this music. Kreizburg tries to help her out in this regard but he's following, not leading. Julia sounds a lot more like an intellectual German than a hot-headed Russian in this recording, perhaps because she's trying to copy her idol, David Oistrakh. If so, she should have taken more time to find her own way around these scores.

I am not an expert in classical music but I do enjoy listening to good classical music. This recording of Russian Violin Concertos is one that I have enjoyed listening too many times. I would not hesitate recommending it to anyone who enjoys classical music that highlights the romantic violin.

This 2004 recording was Julia Fischer's first for Pentatone. It is a Super Audio CD and the sound is demonstration quality. The performances by Fischer, Yakov Kreizberg and the Russian National Orchestra and recorded sound levels are incompatible.

In the Khachaturian Kreizberg and the Russian National Orchestra overwhelm Fischer. Miking needs to bring her out front more. Because it doesn't, she comes off distant. Better engineering on Pentatone's part could have rectifield this. As is this sounds like a first take. Ms Fischer works away but is not rewarded. I doubt she had artistic control here.

Of the three violin concertos, the Prokofiev #1 is heard to advantage. The engineering is better. The soloist and orchestra are on par with each other and Fischer demonstrates emotional expressiveness and the lyrical qualities of the Prokofiev. Kreizberg supplies excellent support.

Between the Khachaturian and the Prokofiev stands the Glazunov Violin Concerto, which does not get enough performance and should be a standard of 20th century violin concerto repertoire, but orchestras and record companies go for the tried and true (Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Beethoven). There are many fine 2oth century violin concertos but they rarely get heard in concert halls or on record.

This is why Fischer's outing is disappointing. She is an advocate for these composers. She states, in the notes, her love for these pieces and for the work of the late David Oistrakh. One might add each of these concertos were performed several times by Oistrakh and Leonid Kogan as well, that Khachaturian wrote for each violinist.

Whatever performance qualities Fisher brought to this disk is ruined by bad engineering and sound levels imbalances. Normally expressive and not afraid to be expressive, Pentatone failed her. Others may disagree with me. The fire present in Oistrakh and Kogan's recordings of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s is still with me. The sound of those older recordings wasn't that great but the feeling of Oistrakh and Kogan come through loud and clear.

This cannot be said of Julia Fischer's first outing on Pentatone and the selection of Russian violin concertos. It would only get better for her later on. Hopefully, now she is with another company (Decca/Univeral), she will return to record this concertos.

Recommendation: Seek out other performances of these works by Oistrakh and Kogan. Chalk this one up as a debut disk with all its hopes and flaws intact. Disk only for those who must have everything Julia Fischer has recorded.

"Second Hearing: because once is just not enough!"

I am a neophyte in classical music with a small SACD collection. This is my favorite and I enjoy it immensely. Highly recommended.