Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto

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

 

 

Janine Jansen makes this Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto her own. Her masterful work with that 1727 Stradivarius is so expressive and on target, like Heifetz in his great recordings. This is a beautiful recording as well for a standard DDD Redbook CD. DECCA has done a fine job with the engineering, the balance of the mic on the solo violin with the Chamber Orchestra is great, just like a live performance, for my ears with my system. Over all this is a 5 star CD and joins the others by young Ms. Janine Jansen in my collection.

Ms. Jansen is part of the remarkable crop of young women violin virtuosi who have come to prominence in the last several years. Like the others (Hahn, Fischer, Josefowitz, Barton-Pine, Chan, etc.), she has an impressive technique. She has a distinctive, large, passionate, romantic sound, almost a throw-back to the days of David Oistrach. She also is an adventurous musician, not in her choice of repertoire but in her willingness to rethink the works and take chances with her interpretations.

Here she offers a Tchaikovsky reading unlike any other I've heard; for me, that's a positive. I like artists who make me look at a work anew. Her choice of a chamber orchestra heralds a more intimate reading, and she rethinks phrasing and dynamics, with the most arresting changes in the first movement. The individual ideas are good in themselves, but what seems to be lacking is an overall vision to integrate them. More than any other version I've heard, this one is episodic. Just about every episode is worth hearing, but as a whole this performance leaves me wanting more.

The recorded sound does not help matters. It is very forward, almost aggressive, and the lack of hall ambience makes the chamber orchestra sound like a large ensemble, thus virtually negating its potential effect. Janson is also miked in a spotlight, forward even of the forward ensemble. This recording does not lack for detail or clarity of texture, but in its attempt to make a dramatic impact it can become a bit wearing.

I would recommend this recording as a second or third version for your collection. Janson's ideas are worth hearing, but if you want only one version of this piece you can do better. The classic recording is Leonid Kogan/Constantine Silvestri; despite its age, the sound is better than many current recordings, the interpretation is nonpariel, and it's available for little money in EMI's cheapie line. Among the newer versions, Julia Fischer's recording on Pentatone is gorgeous, compelling and recorded in fabulous SACD sound.

Something about how her musical character and the Stradavarius she plays on just mixed well in this recording to create a rich, silky smooth and masterfully executed recording of the Tchaikovsky. So rich is her sound I could have sworn she was playing on a cello or viola. She seemed to have just enough bite in fast areas of the piece and elegance in the slow areas. It is worth mentioning that the orchestra sticks to her like super glue in both tempo and dynamics. I think "sonorous" is the term to best describe the entire album.

She is displaying all her skills once more: fantastic musicianship, gorgeous sound, her naturality in phrasing...Wonderful orchestral support! A CD everybody should have.

Janine Jansen is simply put the most dynamic, passionate violinist I've yet encountered. I will be picking up her other albums for my enjoyment. Do yourself a favor an pickup this concerto you will be pleased!

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto is a 2008 Decca Music Group Limited recording starring Violinist Janine Jansen. Daniel Harding leads Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The booklet contains an interview with the performer that is quite interesting. A very fine performance from an accomplished performer. I thoroughly enjoyed this recording. Highly recommended. 5/5.

This rendering of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is OK. For a more memorable performance, one with a better balanced orchestra, listen to Anne-Sophie Mutter play the Concerto in her "Tchaikovsky, Korngold: Violin Concertos" recording.