Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky / Myaskovsky: Violin Concertos

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This recording is highly to be praised. Repin's other recording of the Tchaikovsky with the London Symphony on Erato (coupled with a fine Sibelius) still holds a place in my heart. However, this new recording of the Tchaikovsky with the Kirov and Gergiev blows everything else away. As with other reviewers, I found Vengerov's Berlin recording to be unsurpassed technically and with first rate sound. Well, here we have Repin not only technically in command, but playing with such remarkable understanding and subtlety as well. Repin reminds me much more of Oistrakh than Heifetz. Repin has this dark, full, rich tone along with strength and finesse in the right measures. And, unlike his Erato recording, he has the benefit of better recorded sound. His imaginative touches are a plus too. The Kirov sound wonderfully alive and on their toes here. It is a live recording and it really has that feel to it. The Myaskovsky is equally well done and is a very enjoyable piece of music for those not familiar with it. I do love the Oistrakh recordings of the Tchaikovsky, but this one is certainly at the top among modern digital recordings and will definitely hold its own among the entire catalogue. Highly recommended.

Now in his 20's, Russian violinist Vadim Repin is a real prodigy. Winning the Queen Elizabeth international competition when he was 17, he actually began his recording career much earlier--at age 12. He is blessed with an incredible technique, complemented by a superb command of his tone color that puts him far above most other violinists. Repin can create the darkest, most viola-like sound in the low register, and then soar gracefully in the highest. His command of the bow is excellent-such a variety of articulations and never a scratchy attack. It helps, of course, that he plays a Strativarius; but he is surely a performer worthy of the instrument.

This is already Repin's second recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto-the first was with the London Philharmonic. Here, under the direction of Valery Gergiev, the Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg are inspired by Repin's playing and they display true brilliance. The ending of the concerto is truly spectacular.

Coupled with the Tchaikovsky is Myaskovsky's Violin Concerto. Nicolai Myaskovsky is another Russian (this disc is full of them!) who flourished in the Soviet Union, but remains somewhat obscure elsewhere. His mature works, as required by the time and place he lived, are tonally and rhythmically conservative, essentially cast in the late 19th century style. Nonetheless, they are wonderfully crafted pieces, if in no sense innovative, and audiences generally find his music accessible and attractive.

Great performances, lovely music-what more can we ask? I'm glad I don't have to be a curmudgeon all the time, and I give this CD my highest recommendation.

There are several major violin concertos that came from Russia that were composed after the Tchaikovsky that I consider significant. They include Glazunov, Kabalevsky, Prokofiev 1 and 2, Shostakovich 1 and 2, Khachaturian, and the Miakovsky played here. My favorite has to be the Glazunov but I liked the Miakovsky second best, more than Prokofiev 2 or Kabalevsky and that may surprise some people. The rythms are intricate and completely unique showing a tremendous sence of imagination and creativity. Both the Miakovsky and Kabalevsky Concertos contain rythms that I find so appealing, giving the music a freshness and sence of individuality.

The Miakovsky Violin Concerto was written for David Oistrakh but somehow the piece has been overlooked and forgotten for 40 years. The Oistrakh recording is poor but the playing and notes are incredible.

For me, Vadim Repin is the greatest living player for virtuoso repertoire, on his "Tutta Bravura" CD he shows his ability to pull off virtuoso stunts with sincerity and a full singing tone. It is clear that Technique is no effort to this man. I am so grateful that Repin has recorded the Miakovsky, to hear musical colors with a good recording quality is great to hear. Repin produces a phenominal tone with his Guaneri DelGesu violin here.

Fortunately this recording was reissued very recently.

In a recent interview upon winning the Belgian Caecilia award, Mr Repin said the following:

"Valery Gergiev and I have been making music together for over 17 years, but this is the first time our collaboration has been put on record, so to speak. The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, a great and glorious challenge in the violinist's repertoire, seems to take on an extra special quality when it is shaped by Valery Gergiev and his orchestra. We have performed it together many times, and over the years it has grown and developed in such a way that we felt it was high time we finally committed it to disc. I am delighted that we were able to couple it with Myaskovsky's concerto - a neglected and yet major work, which I hope through this recording will have the place it deserves in our musical literature. As a proud holder of Belgian citizenship, I am delighted to have been honoured in my country with a Caecilia Award. "

While there are no performers who can permanently claim or be bestowed ownership of a certain musical work, it seems that for the time at least Vadim Repin has made Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto his imprint on performance history. The 34-year-old Siberian violinist is a stunningly fine musician and performer and instantly makes his presence on the stage pulsatile. Having just had the privilege of hearing Repin play this concerto in the inimitable acoustic of Disney Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic guest conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya encouraged me to add this recording with Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra and while the magic of a live performance where Repin commands the stage and the aural atmosphere can never be duplicated on CD, this 'live performance' comes as close to that immediacy as any available.

Repin plays a Stradivarius 'Ruby' 1708 violin and the range of color and tone and digital dexterity response he pulls form that instrument is nothing short of magnificent. At every point on Tchaikovsky's demanding concerto's spectrum Repin is in complete and impassioned control. He is a technical wizard, but more important he is a poet. The Andante movement is disarmingly plangent and luminous. Some may feel that Gergiev's orchestral support is not as committed to emotion as it is to dazzling effects, but the two seem to hold a like view of the work and the collaboration is sound. The performance with the LA Phil found more introspection and sensitive phrasing, but this live performance on CD is full of glories.

Including the Myaskovsky concerto on the same CD is a welcome bonus for those unfamiliar with this ultra-romantic composer's output. Repin and Gergiev give this richly melodic work a spellbinding performance.

Vadim Repin has the talent, the bravura, and the eloquence to enter to the upper echelon of current violinists. The fact that he is also committed to performing contemporary works in addition to the sure-to-please standard repertoire speaks well for his musicianship and dedication to his craft. This is an excellent addition to everyone's library, no matter how many 'favorites' of these works you own. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 05

After reading many positive reviews of this recording I decided to give it a try! I have a couple of different versions of the concerto by Tchaikovsky, but this one is really ouststanding!

Repin plays with a passion that leaves you breathless! It is quite amazing! If you like this concerto you have to give this recording a try! You'll love it!

The Myaskovsky violin concerto is an excellent coupling! A beautiful concerto indeed!

Until I heard this magnificient recording, the one that I thought was the benchmark version of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto was Maxim Vengerov's brilliant performance with Claudio Abbado conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. In some respects it still is since the Berlin Philharmonic offers a more polished, lyrical performance than the Kirov Orchestra. However, I doubt I have heard a more passionate performance of the orchestral score than I have in the hands of Valery Gergiev and his orchestra. And the same holds true in Repin's brilliant performance, with its warm, full-bodied sound and exceptional lyricism. Without a doubt, Repin's passionate performance should be regarded now as the definitive version of this long-time concert warhorse. Classical music fans may still prefer the Vengerov/Abbado recording for the reasons stated above, yet Repin's sterling account is sufficiently distinctive enough to surpass it.

Both the orchestra and Repin offer yet another brilliant performance in the neglected Myaskovksy violin concerto; theirs is a performance which makes a persuasive case for this piece to be regarded as one of the more significant works for violin and orchestra composed in the last century. Although it does not quite show the lyrical and technical brilliance so aptly manifested in the Tchaikovsky concerto, it is nonetheless still a fine work worthy of long-overdue recognition. Repin's violin playing is just as dazzling as in his Tchaikovsky, noted for his exceptional bowing and pizzicato technique.

There are many excellent recordings of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and this one is among them. It is ironic that the concerto was so poorly received. The comment by the Viennese music critic Hanslick, that Tchaikovsky's music smelled bad to the ears, has long since been discredited but at the premiere of the concerto in 1881 such comments devastated the composer. Today, the Tchaikovsky is universally accepted as among the most beautiful of concertos for the violin.

This was this first time I heard the Siberian born violinist Vadim Repin and from the instant he plays he astonishes. His control and phrasing is simply amazing. The tone of his 1708 Stradivarius is phenomenal. In Repin's hands the instrument sings. The Kirov Orchestra plays beautifully with excellent phrasing and Valery Gergiev is responsive to the shadings of the music. This disc joined the other records I have of the Tchaikovsky by Heifitz, Yehudi Menuhin and David Oistrakh.

I find I disagree with the reviewer who criticized the choice of including the Myaskovsky Violin Concerto. This certainly is a concerto that deserves to be better known. There are too many Violin Concertos that are languishing because the more popular ones are programmed. I would much rather have a coupling that would include the Bruch 3rd or the Saint-Sa'ns 2nd than yet another Tchaikovsky/Sibelius combination.

A close friend of Prokofiev, Nicolai Myaskovsky remained in Russia following the October Revolution. His violin concerto was composed in 1938 and was first performed by David Oistrakh in 1939 (and recorded by him). Myaskovsky spent time studying other violin concerti before writing his own, deciding that instead of bravura piece his would be a concerto to interest a virtuoso. It is, like much of Myaskovsky's music, brooding in character. The long first movement, at almost 20 minutes, is longer than the remaining parts of the concerto; it beings with a dramatic theme that will reoccur during the movement and is generally melancholy in tone. The soloist has a long cadenza that allows a display of virtuosity. The middle movement is lyrical and the dance-like theme of the finale bring the concerto to a close on a high note. This is a concerto that the listener will find more beautiful with each hearing. Vadim Repin is beautifully eloquent in this concerto, again marvelously supported by Gergiev and the Kirov.

This is definitely a CD to have even it you already have recordings of either (or both) concertos already.

To judge form the raves this CD has gotten at Amazon, you'd think the Myaskovsky concerto was an undiscovered gem. In reaity it's an innocuous, sugary extension of the ultra-conservatism of Glazuov. Its pleasant melodies and light construction could be substituted for the ballet music of various dutiful Soviet composers of the Stalinist era -- note especially the zippy, folk-inspired finale, which sounds like the soundtrack to happy collective farmers in springtime. Repin and Gergiev give the concerto as much commitment and respect as it deserves and probably a lot more. I will admit readily that I know little of Myaskovsky's music, however, and recognize the high respect in which he is held in Russia.

As for the Tchaikovsky, I was put off initially by the sonics when the orchestra opened the first movement -- the boomy echo made it sound like a stadium concert. Repin has been caught close up, as usual with violin recordings. Gergiev conducts with sensitivity, more than a touch of sobriety, and dash where called for. The soloist displays perfect technique and a marvelously even, robust tone reminiscent of the Russian school. Compared to a dazzler like Heifetz, however, I don't detect a compelling personality. I wish he didn't apply himself with such seriousness at every moment. One comes away admiring a first-rate performance but remembering little about who played it. Even so, such suave, often tender fiddling isn't to be sneezed at. Repin has yet to compete successfully in the public eye with higher voltage contemporaries like Vengerov or artists with more insight like Khachatryan or Mullova. This CD illsutrates his strengths very well, I think, but there are hints as to why he isn't an icon like Oistrakh.

Exactly a week ago, during the XXth edition of the "George Enescu" International Festival, I was witnessing live at the Great Hall of the Palace in Bucharest an eagerly anticipated event: Vadim Repin performing Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (paired by the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta). Overwhelming performance! What a technical wizardry! What a seductive musicianship! Repin seems the ideal interpreter for this cornerstone of the violin repertory. His inspiration veiled magically his otherworldly musical and technical gifts.

Therefore, this recording - achieved in the company of the great conductor Valery Gergiev and his Kirov Orchestra (present in the actual edition of the Enescu Festival too) - is a wonderful memory to be cherished. The full mastery of Repin is captured on disc and it sparks not only in Tchaikovsky but also in Myaskovsky which is a concerto that can stay along with its companion on this disc as two great gems representing the great Russian musical tradition.

Highly reccommended!

By all accounts, this is a sensible coupling of the violin concerti of Russia's musical giants two generations apart, let alone musical cousins. Tchaikovsky's concerto of 1878 is arguably unmatched by other concerti written thereafter, though Glazunov's masterpiece does indeed measure up to Tchaikovsky's (as does his symphonies, quartets, & ballets by the way, but then that's just my opinion). But, with all the concerti written in Soviet Russia, Myaskovsky's work (of 1938) stands up above many others in the depth that is to be found in almost every composition of his. If only the finale carries the same fine qualities of the previous movements, this work may well have been in the premiere league.

It's interesting to find out, however, that there are those who understandably rate Myaskovsky's Violin Concerto at the same level as his Cello Concerto written in 1944 (some rate it even higher than the latter). Despite certain limitations (David Oistrakh, the dedicatee of the work, had reservations especially of the finale), this piece has within compelling beauty and lyricism. The Elgarian beginning gives way to the soulful, in ways lamenting passages of the violin with subtle support of the orchestra. It's as if the violin is yearning for something lost, and at pains in finding it. The cadenza is among Myaskovsky's most inspired and imaginative of passages, & Vadim Repin met the challenges admirably. But the second movement, adagio e molto cantabile, is equally fine. It's more of a nocturne, intropective and in ways nostalgic (very much like the Canzonetta movement of Tchaikovsky's). The finale is jovial & light-hearted, with plenty of pizzicato throughout. And while there are impressive moments (with the rhythm quite dynamic), some of the emptiness fail to escape me as Myaskovsky's personality becomes somewhat muddled. As he demonstrated in his very fine Cello Concerto (though written in a not-so-entirely different time), the nostalgia is understandably in the composer's state of mind whether in 1944 or in the height of Stalinist terror in the mid-1930s. The finale of his Sixteenth Symphony (1936) is, for instance, admittedly not as nostalgic, but contains ideas are more clearly wrought & nicely held together (with more of a personal voice). So, with all that said, Myaskovsky's concerto deserves its place in the repertoire in Russia & abroad, for it is a piece very easy to like, but quite impossible to love or hate.

Vadim Repin shows his upmost warm-heartedness, flair, & virtuosity in Myaskovsky's concerto as in Tchakovsky's. Let me say upfront that David Oistrakh 1939 premiere performance of the Myaskovsky is still in a class of its own, with superior support of Gauk & the USSR State Symphony despite the recording definitely showing its age. Grigory Feigin, in the now deleted 1976 Melodiya LP recording, offers an otherwise special yet compelling sense of occasion, even if the recording disallows details to really bloom as much as they should, especially from the Moscow Radio Symphony under Dmitriev. But Repin is flawless, matching the depth of Myaskovsky amicably while showing real artistry in the cadenzas. And Repin's violin sings eloquently in the slow movement. Excellent & mesmerizing experience, thanks to the excellent support of the Kirov Orchestra under Valery Gergiev (who paced the concerti nicely, if a bit too idiosyncratic for some). In the Tchaikovsky's concerto, Repin is a shade more persuasive than Maxim Vengerov in the celebrated Teldec recording (which includes Glazunov's Concerto). And where the Berlin Philharmonic under Abbado is perhaps a tad more refined & polished, nothing can dismiss the Russian fervor of the Kirov forces that would have done Svetlanov, Fedoseyev, or Kondrashin proud. The live recordings sound a bit congested, but this album will remain something close to historical stature for generations to come.

A crowning achievement unquestionably.