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3.0 out of 5 stars
Problematic performances of these attractive works, September 11, 2010
This review is from: Violin Sonatas (Audio CD)
Carl Nielsen's violin sonatas are not as well represented on disc as much of his other chamber music, yet there are some fine recordings out there nonetheless. Their relative neglect may seem striking given their evident qualities, though both works may in fact come across as a tad elusive on first listening. The first sonata in A major was written in 1895 and is a sunnily romantic work with a relatively big-boned and dramatic first movement, an introvertedly hymnal slow movement and a fresh, pastoral, blue sky third movement. It is a wonderful work even if it needs a couple of listenings to really bloom.
The second sonata in g minor dates from 1912 and is slightly more immediately forbidding and austere, even if it is ultimately more rewarding than the first. The first movement is searching and troubled (but with some captivating reflective moments), the second movement is serious but lyrical and - again - the finale is relatively free and untroubled, youthful and vigorous. It is a great work overall, and would deserve wider exposure in the concert hall and on disc.
That said, I am less sure I can fully recommend the performances here. Mordkovitch's playing is big-boned and romantic, impulsive - even erratic - when it comes to rhythm, and overly dramatic. That works well in the first movement of the first sonata, but misses the point in the following two movements even though there are some nice touches. The second sonata suffers more; to realize its relatively elusive lyricism Mordkovitch's is simply the wrong approach. Her playing is assured and technically impressive, but the over-romantic sweep and almost oppressive drama (with full vibrato) makes the work sound like a failed Tchaikovsky work rather than a wonderfully fresh Nielsen work. The Chandos sound is reverberant, but not really problematically so. Still, this cannot really be a first choice in the repertoire. At 45 minutes the playing time is rather stingy as well.
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