Tchaikovsky / Sibelius: Violin Concertos ~ Kennedy [Import]

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Jean Sibelius (Composer), Okko Kamu (Conductor), Simon Rattle (Conductor), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Nigel Kennedy (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Nigel Kennedy
• Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Okko Kamu, Simon Rattle
• Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Jean Sibelius
• Audio CD (April 14, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B000002RSW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,437 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unrecognized Brilliance, August 7, 2000

By 

Ryan Richards "reb77" (Midland, MI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tchaikovsky / Sibelius: Violin Concertos ~ Kennedy (Audio CD)

Wow, I don't know if I want to jump into this controversy... but I will. I don't understand what Hurwitz and others mean when they talk about this CD being "flat" and "lifeless". I thought Kennedy had remarkable power and particularly smooth articulation throughout both pieces, especially on passages with rapid octave scales--they could have sounded like toneless "non-notes," but instead each one was clearly defined. (I wanted to avoid the "I'm a violinist so I know Kennedy's a good player" spiel, but I am, and he is). It's definitely true that Kennedy doesn't give these pieces the small Romantic-era flourishes and musical shaping that Oistrakh and others did. In some places, particularly in the slow movements, this is a detriment. In others, though, it's a welcome relief, especially in the aforementioned octave passages where everyone else's tendency was to try to throw passion and feeling into parts of the music that intrinsically need to move along. My overall feeling is that this is one of the better recordings of these two concertos out there, if only for the precision of the playing....

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dazzling, June 7, 2004

By 

E. Ban (Chicago, IL, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tchaikovsky / Sibelius: Violin Concertos ~ Kennedy (Audio CD)

Unlike many other artists, Nigel expresses the message of music through simplicity. He puts flare into the music very selectively, not into everything played. The simplicity of his playing makes the violin sound almost like a human voice.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kennedy - A real ARTIST, October 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tchaikovsky / Sibelius: Violin Concertos ~ Kennedy (Audio CD)

It is really crude to call Kennedy a mediocre violonist. I am a great fan of the old school: Oistrakh, Szeryng, etc. and have a vast collection of classical CDs. I have no particular interest in "hyping" Kennedy. What I love about him is the passion he puts into his playing. He puts his heart on the violin and plays it. He is the ultimate artist, the sort of Van Gogh and Gauguin were. He comes in front of us and shows who he really is, good and bad. His music comes from the bottom of his heart, from his soul, unlike many other "great" violonists who play with their hands only. Music is art, not just robotics. Music is feeling, and it is extremely rare when a MUSICIAN is a REAL ARTIST. Kennedy is a GREAT one. I do not care how well he succeeds in attacking the octaves, what I do care about is the human feeling he conveys. Forget about CDs, go and see Kennedy live!