Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations; Andante cantabile

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

 

 

The reviewer from Tucson (below) "teed off" on this CD, writing off this recording of the Rococo Variations as merely "acceptable." This is a tremendous disservice to any of you considering buying this CD, as well as to Maisky himself and the members of the Orpheus CO. IMHO, Maisky has a sympathetic orchestra accompanying him, but it is also very true that the Orpheus players have a "sympathetic" soloist here.

Specifically regarding this recording of the Rococo Variations: Maisky's careful feeling for dynamics is evident throughout; in the first and second variations, he is meticulous about his volume, playing mezzo-piano when the orchestra members have the melody, making himself adequately heard while avoiding even the hint of overpowering the group and spoiling the melody. Maisky takes the third variation slower here than other soloists I've heard, but it certainly doesn't spoil the recording.

In the concluding seventh variation, Maisky impressively rips through those fiendish passages (his intonation and phrasing are arguably flawless), and THIS is the place where other soloists and their accompanying orchestras often make a less-than-heartstopping impact, with the orchestra often registering a slightly distant echo in the call-and-response. But Maisky and the Orpheus violins match each other stride for stride, especially in dynamics - the violins' presence here is EXACTLY what it should be. Likewise, the orchestra does not wash out Maisky's cello during the closing chords.

This is one of my very few "favorite" DG recordings, because of the size of the venue and the proximity of the microphones. The Recital Hall at SUNY-Purchase yields an intimate (but roomy enough) acoustic, rather than one of a cavernous auditorium.

In comparison to other recordings I have, including two by the great Slava Rostropovich and one by Yo-Yo Ma, I keep returning to this particular "Rococo." Maisky's reading of the Andante Cantabile from String Quartet 1 is likewise, thoughtfully and beautifully played.

Most people thinking about this CD are considering it for the Rococo Variations, and Misha Maisky and the Orpheus come out of this recording shining. Beautifully done.

Maisky's playing is superb - I love his recording of the Rococo Variations. Get this CD, you won't be sorry!

I second the praise for Maisky's version of the Rococo Var., which he plays with panache and lightness, backed up -- for once -- by an equally light orchestral accompaniment. Bringing the piece down in scale from the overblown proportions of, say, Rostropovich and Karajan, great as they are, makes musical sense. The cello speaks quqietly in real life, and it sounds natural to set it in more intimate surroundings.

But for me the real delight on this CD was the performance of Souvenir de Florence in its frequently enoucntered expansion from string sextet to string orchestra. The Orpheus strings play with great virtuosity, particularly in the racing finale, which they take faster than anyone else and yet, amazingly enough, bring out even more countrpoint and inner detail. DG's engineering is crystal clear -- not the easiest thing to accommplish with string orchestras -- adding to the overall impressiveness of another excellent Orphes outing.

Sextet in D (called Souvenir De Florence) was written as a sextet. Here it is performed by a rather large string orchestra. The original clarity, drama and brilliance of the sextet is compromised. The fugues are hardly decernable. Nowhere on the Amazon.com page or liner notes of the CD is this fact explained. The Sextet version is far superior to this muddy string orchestra presentation, so I returned the CD as unacceptable. The Rocco Variations and other pieces on this CD are acceptable, but not outstanding.