Customer Reviews

Violin Concerto / Violin Concerto 1

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

 

 

Both these Concertos are well suited to Nadja's wild yet focused temperament. The Barber written in 1936 doesn't give away its date the way some works do. The overwhelming passionate lyricism was Barber's creative genius. The work has its give and take,the beautiful melody of the "First Movement" is something you never forget your entire life. Nadja here fines an emotive center adding just the right amount of herself without being overly sentimental. That is the danger in Barber's music you need always to search for an emotive center and distance yourself.It is still modern music despite its 19th Century affinities. The ending "Toccata" is indeed dangerous yet the perpetual motion is handled here like a goddess above the fury. Shostakovich as well Nadja adds a refinement to the dark pages here.

This is a great recording of two breathtaking violin concertos. The first movement is both lyrical and playful, and Salerno-Sonnenberg brings out these two sides of the movement beautifully. She plays the second movement, a slow, gorgeous melody very well. The third movement, which was considered too difficult to play by the violinist for whom it was commissioned, is insanely fast, very intense, yet almost sarcastically so, and is a lot of fun! Sonnenberg plays it very well. In this interest of saving my time writing this and your time reading this, I won't comment as much on the Shostakovich, but rest assured that she plays it fantastically!

These are two of the greatest violin concertos ever written, separated chronologically by not much time, but worlds apart in sound and color. Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is an energetic soloist, a trait which emerges in the faster movements of each piece. The second and fourth movements of the Shostakovich concerto are played here with wild exuberance, and are absolutely dazzling to listen to. The first movement and passacaglia are given the treatment they deserve, played with at times a dark brooding sound, and at times a stark melancholy. Her playing seems perfectly suited to this work overall, and this perhaps rivals even Vengerov's great recording (coupled with Prokofiev's first concerto). The lyrical passages of the Barber, on the other hand, are so full of vulgar swells and cheesy slides that I couldn't even listen all the way through the first movement. All melodic line is abandoned in order to make "moments" that don't really even happen. You'll find better performances of this concerto just about anywhere you look (I'd especially recommend Stern's old recording with the NY Phil). The Shostakovich is worth the price of the disc, but if you're familiar with the Barber concerto, you'll find yourself fast-forwarding through the first three tracks more often than not.

I have seen Nadia perform live on more than one occasion, and she was unforgettable; nevertheless, her artistry is invisible here. EMI's attempts invite harsh criticism. The recording lacks ambiance, depth, and tonal quality. Nadia's violin shrinks to the background, and a restricted orchestra struggles to overcome this limited engineering. Even the soloist herself turns in a subpar performance, lacking conviction when she needs it most. Why oh why, can I not find Nadia on a different label such as Phillips or Erato, or better yet, Well Tempered Productions (HDCD) -then we would hear something truly moving.

I fell in love with the Barber violin concerto the first time i heard Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg play it - it is the best rendition i have ever heard. The Shostakovich - well i had never heard it before - and i didn't like it the first or the second time i listened to it. It sounded very sinister, brooding, dark and sad - once i understood who Shostakovich was my approach to listening changed. That is when i put it in the CD player again. This time the concerto took on a new life. The music perfectly describes life in that part of the world at that time. And well, Nadja's playing really makes it come alive. I am very glad that i listened that third time - now i listen to this CD at least once every week.

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg exhibits her skills to the utmost while interpretating the brooding, romantic Shostakovich concerto and the lively, elfin Barber concerto with passion Viktoria Mullova was unable to display. The youngest winner of the 1981 Naumberg Competition, Salerno-Sonnenberg has again proven in this recording that she is a formidable player; a player possibly unmatched by any other current players (Perlman, Midori, and Shaham included). She is worthy of undaunting praise from all. Her expulsion from the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music set aside, one can instantly see that Salerno-Sonnenberg had some of the best professional help available to her. Her career continues to burgeon, and it is interesting to see what future accomplishments she is awarded.

The other reviews here are correct - this would've been a great disc if the EMI personnel had recorded this the way it should've been. Throughout, Nadja is swamped by the orchestra. It was like they stuck one microphone in the middle of the orchestra and let the good times roll. The Shostakovich #1 and Barber are pieces that us Nadja fans have always largely considered 'hers'...and I hope someday she'll record them again on a different label (she has her own record label now, so there's hope.) Nadja plays the Barber third movement ('Presto in Moto Perpetuo') faster than just about anyone - live and on this disc. Her dashing crescendos and sforzandos are great. But here, of course, much of the sparkle is marred by the inferior sound, particularly the last part of the third movement. Much of the Shostakovich just sounds blurry and imbalanced, although Nadja does the solo part superbly. If you want a great experience, go to one of Nadja's concerts where she plays it and don't waste your money on this CD.