Igor Oistrakh & Rudolf Barshai

On this CD:

1. Märchenbilder for viola (or violin) & piano, Op. 113
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by Rudolf Barshai, Vladimir Shraybman

2. Sonata for viola solo, Op. 25/1
Composed by Paul Hindemith
Performed by Rudolf Barshai

3. Pavane pour une infante défunte, for piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Rudolf Barshai, Vladimir Shraybman

4. Duo for violin & viola No. 2 in B flat major, K. 424
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Rudolf Barshai, Igor Oistrakh

Tracks:

Konzart Fur Violine, Streicher Und Continuo A-moll BWV 1041: Allegro Moderato
Konzart Fur Violine, Streicher Und Continuo A-moll BWV 1041: Andante
Konzart Fur Violine, Streicher Und Continuo A-moll BWV 1041: Allegro Assai
Konzert Fur Violine, Streicher Und Continuo E-dur BWV 1042: Allegro
Konzert Fur Violine, Streicher Und Continuo E-dur BWV 1042: Adagio
Konzert Fur Violine, Streicher Und Continuo E-dur BWV 1042: Allegro Assai
Konzert Ur 2 Violinen, Streicher Und Continuo D-moll BWV 1043: Vivace
Konzert Ur 2 Violinen, Streicher Und Continuo D-moll BWV 1043: Largo Ma Non Tanto
Konzert Ur 2 Violinen, Streicher Und Continuo D-moll BWV 1043: Allegro
Romanze Fur Violine Und Orchester Nr. 1 G-dur Op.40
Romanze Fur Violine Und Orchester Nr. 2 F-dur Op.50

Tracks:

Konzert Fur Violine Und Orchester D-dur Op. 77 In D Major: Allegro Non Troppo
Konzert Fur Violine Und Orchester D-dur Op. 77 In D Major: Adagio
Konzert Fur Violine Und Orchester D-dur Op. 77 In D Major: Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Vivace
Konzert Fur Violine Und Orchester D-dur Op.35 In D Major: Allegro Moderato
Konzert Fur Violine Und Orchester D-dur Op.35 In D Major: Canzonetta. Andante
Konzert Fur Violine Und Orchester D-dur Op.35 In D Major: Finale. Allegro Vivacissimo

Customer Reviews:

A must own!.......2007-03-07

The Bach concertos are amazing. I don't think I've heard a better violin tone in my life than what is captured here. The Brahms concerto is also great. I didn't love the Tchaikovsky concerto compared to some other recordings I've heard, but that is just personal taste. I would highly recommend picking up this double disc.

Music for a desert isle.......2007-02-05

The entire disc is wonderful, but if I could only take one recording on a shipwreck, it would be this version of the Bach E major concerto. Oistrakh's vibrancy and warmth of tone are unparalleled. Available recordings of this great artist are regrettably few; any fan of the violin should grab this collection while they can.

Very nice set, but the Brahms is outstanding.......2004-08-13

Though I usually prefer a bit more briskness in the faster movements, the Bach pieces for both single and double violins are given fine performances. Especially lovely is the Oistrakhs' reading of the adagio in BMV 1043. Thankfully, the sound does not exhibit the kind of steeliness or stridency fairly often characteristic of other Baroque and Early Classical period recordings....The two Beethoven Romances with Eugene Goossens and the Royal Philharmonic are given expectedly warm, songful readings.

On disc two, the Tchaikovsky Concerto is not as well recorded as the Brahms (discussed later). In comparison, it sounds just a tad boxy and muddy, but it's still okay. At various times in the first movement the pace is a bit slow, with Konwitschny sharing the responsibility. Overall, though, it's a nice performance, with the last movement being particularly enjoyable. This said I still prefer Oistrakh's stereo reading with Ormandy. My absolute favorite is the stunning Heifetz/Reiner.

The biggest attention getter for me in this compilation is the Brahms Concerto. The obvious comparison is with Oistrakh/Klemperer. For quite some time I have considered that performance among the finest---and I still do. But I do not get as much satisfaction from it as this one (in very fine mono) with Konwitschny and the Dresden Staatskapelle. One key reason is that Oistrakh is miked closer than he is with Klemperer. I hear more of his violin, and it sounds wonderful. A sense of warmth and richness is more apparent. Oistrakh seems more relaxed as well. With Klemperer, by comparison, he seems less attuned to beauty, more business-like and slightly restless. With Konwitschny, he seems to be enjoying more thoroughly what he is doing, more focused on making music as opposed to just playing notes. Hear how he brings more suppleness and sensitivity to the adagio. Indeed, throughout the entire performance he is no less virtuostic than he is with Klemperer yet he seems more able to let his emotions speak with greater expressiveness. Though I still enjoy the Oistrakh/Klemperer with its more massive and powerful orchestral approach, it is this Oistrakh/Konwitschny, along with a very different account, the Heifetz/Reiner, that sits at the top of my list of favorites in this magnificent work.

INCREDIBLE VOILIN.......2003-06-27

THIS GUY IS GREAT, YOU SEE HIS FACE AND YOU THINK HE'S A REDNECK BUT HIS FINGERS "PLAYS" WITH THE VIOLIN.
HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST OF ALL TIMES

King David.......2001-09-15

Oistrakh, that great Russian violinist of sentiment and technical prowess is shown at his best in this collection. The Heifetz/Reiner version of Brahms on RCA seems to be the most famous, but this performance by Oistrakh and Konwitschny is better. Oistrakh has much more heart than Heifetz. Heifetz has always been cold blooded. If you want warmth and sentiment, Oistrakh is your man. Oistrakh also has a Brahms concerto with Klemperer, in stereo. If you must have one in stereo, the one with Klemperer will suffice, since Oistrakh's performance with Szell has not yet been issued on cd. The Beethoven romances are filled with such warmth and emotion, it's bound to give you goose bumps. The Tchaikovsky is also played in the grand, warm Oistrakh manner. Once you hear Oistrakh's deep sense of emotion, you will be hard pressed hearing it by others. There are many good performances, but get Oistrakh's. You'll be glad you did.

Average customer rating:

a must-have for the cello music collection
Worth Getting to Know

Vivaldi: Complete Cello Concertos

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009A1AKU
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Customer Reviews:

a must-have for the cello music collection.......2006-02-14

What immediately surprised me, after happily being borne along by the jouncy first track of this compilation, is why Vivaldi is still a stranger in the classical cello concert hall. Cellists spotlighted as soloists invariably choose the concerti of Dvorak, Saint Saens, Elgar, even Haydn. Perhaps it's because these compositions showcase the cellist's technical skills. However, all are forays into somber tones. In contrast, Vivaldi's cello concerti is loaded with his unmistakable joie de vivre. Yet Vivaldi's soaring notes, caresses, leaps and waves are complemented by his thoughtful forays into melancholia, subtly dipping into sadness without delving too deeply that it can't go back. Ofra Harnoy gratifyingly showcases the composer and these wonderful pieces, not herself; she is a cellist not given to cheap effects for braggadocio. Get this wonderful collection if you love cello and baroque music. It occupies a cherished spot on my classical cd collection. The music never fails to cheer me up.

Worth Getting to Know.......2005-10-26

This 4-disc set is an RCA Victor reissue of recordings of Vivaldi's cello concertos that Canadian cellist Ofra Harnoy made from 1989-1997. At a bargain price of $23.98, it's an absolute must-have for baroque music lovers, fans of Vivaldi, or just anyone who loves good classical music. Most people are probably familiar with Vivaldi's many violin concertos, including, of course, Le Quattro Stagioni, the famous "Four Seasons." This lesser known music by "the red priest" is just as rewarding. Harnoy's cello has a warm and rich tone, and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra provides excellent accompaniment. Superb in every respect.

Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Benda / David & Igor Oistrach

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable

Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Benda / David & Igor Oistrach

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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David und Igor Oistrach Violin Concertos, Vol. 1
Wieniawski, Alard, Moszkowski

ASIN: B00004R7X7
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

Con Grosso in a, Op.3 No.8: 1. Allegro - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach
Con Grosso in a, Op.3 No.8: 2. Larghetto E Spirituoso - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach
Con Grosso in a, Op.3 No.8: 3. Allegro - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach
Son in C, BWV 1037: 1. Adagio - David Oistrach/Igor OistrachHans Pischner
Son in C, BWV 1037: 2. Allabreve - David Oistrach/Igor OistrachHans Pischner
Son in C, BWV 1037: 3. Largo - David Oistrach/Igor OistrachHans Pischner
Son in C, BWV 1037: 4. Presto - David Oistrach/Igor OistrachHans Pischner
Son in g, Op.2 No.7: 1. Andante - Allegro - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach/Vladimir Yampolsky
Son in g, Op.2 No.7: 2. Arioso. Poco Adagio - Attacca - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach/Vladimir Yampolsky
Son in g, Op.2 No.7: 3. Allegro - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach/Vladimir Yampolsky
Trio Son in E: 1. Moderato - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach/Vladimir Yampolsky
Trio Son in E: 2. Largo - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach/Vladimir Yampolsky
Trio Son in E: 3. Allegro - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach/Vladimir Yampolsky
3 Etudes-Caprices, Op.18: No.2 in E flat - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach
3 Etudes-Caprices, Op.18: No.5 in E - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach
3 Etudes-Caprices, Op.18: No.4 in a - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach
'Navarra' Op.33 - David Oistrach/Igor Oistrach

Amazon.com

"I was three and a half when my father brought home a toy violin," said the great Russian fiddler David Oistrakh. "I enthusiastically imagined myself a street player, a sad profession quite common at that time in Odessa." But he went on, he said, to become a child prodigy, "boring and without a spark." His own son Igor's violin training took a more conventional path, but to hear father and son together on this CD is to get a whiff of that original, wonderfully liberated Odessan sound. Liberated, but also remarkably disciplined: the tempi are often followed with metronomic precision, and there's no trace of virtuosic affectation. Their Bach is grave, their Vivaldi glowing, and their Handel full of vivid warmth. When they do let rip in the final Sarasate number, it's to dazzling effect. Recorded in the late 1950s, this is a disc to treasure and marvel at: their violins speak as one, in perfect symbiosis of mood and purpose. --Michael Church

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable.......2003-10-20

The Bach BWV 1037 is great. The selection is a bit random, and I would have left out the Vivaldi. However, David and Igor Oistrach's playing has appealed to me from the first. They are lyrical without being affected. If you do not own any of their duets, then this CD is a pretty good place to start.

David und Igor Oistrach Violin Concertos, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

David und Igor Oistrach Violin Concertos, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Berlin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000035PZ
Release Date: 1994-02-01

Tracks:

Con in d, BWV 1043: 1. Vivace
Con in d, BWV 1043: 2. Largo, Ma Non Troppo
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Con in d, BWV 1052: 1. Allegro
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Con in d, BWV 1052: 3. Allegro
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Con Gross in a, Op.3 Nr.8: 3. Allegro
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Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante, KV 364 in E Flat Major, Concertone KV 190 in C Major, Adagio KV 261, Rondo KV 269

Average customer rating:

Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante, KV 364 in E Flat Major, Concertone KV 190 in C Major, Adagio KV 261, Rondo KV 269

Manufacturer: EMI / Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DOJD
Release Date: 1989-07-18

Leclair/Kodaly/Strawinsky/Prokofjew/Brahms

Average customer rating:

Leclair/Kodaly/Strawinsky/Prokofjew/Brahms

Manufacturer: Berlin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000035Q1
Release Date: 1994-02-01

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Oistrakh

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The Devil's Trill: Showpieces for violin & piano

ASIN: B000056QEK
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Con No.1 in a, Op.77: I. Nocturne. Moderato
Con No.1 in a, Op.77: II. Scherzo. Allegro - Poco Piu Mosso - Allegro - Poco Piu Mosso
Con No.1 in a, Op.77: III. Passacaglia. Andante
Con No.1 in a, Op.77: Cadenza
Con No.1 in a, Op.77: IV. Burlesca. Allegro Con Brio - Presto
Con No.2 in c#, Op.129: I. Moderato - Piu Mosso - Allegretto - Piu Mosso
Con No.2 in c#, Op.129: II. Adagio
Con No.2 in c#, Op.129: III. Adagio - Allegro
Amitie, Op.26: Poem No.6: Molto Moderato Quasi Lento - Animato E Vivo - David Oistrakh/Igor Oistrakh

Bach: Violin Concerti BWV 1041-1043 / Vivaldi: Concerto Grosso RV 522

Average customer rating:

Bach: Violin Concerti BWV 1041-1043 / Vivaldi: Concerto Grosso RV 522
Bach , Vivaldi , David & Igor Oistrakh , Sir Eugene Goossens , and Wiener Symphoniker
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Release Date: 1990-10-25

Ofra Harnoy - Vivaldi Cello Concertos Vol. 4

Average customer rating:

I HAVE seen Ofra live
A must for afficionados of baroque cello
Two sides of a coin>I like mine
poor playing

Ofra Harnoy - Vivaldi Cello Concertos Vol. 4

Manufacturer: BMG
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FXN
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Concerto In A Minor,RV 418: Allegro
Concerto In A Minor, RV 418: Largo
Concerto In A Minor, RV 418: Allegro
Concerto In E Flat, RV 408: Allegro non molto
Concerto In E Flat, RV 408: Largo
Concerto In E Flat, RV 408: Allegro
Concerto In G Minor, RV 416: Allegro
Concerto In G Minor, RV 416: Adagio
Concerto In G Minor, RV 416: Allegro
Concerto In A Minor, RV 419: Allegro
Concerto In A Minor, RV 419: Andante
Concerto In A Minor, RV 419: Allegro
Concerto In A Minor, RV 413: Allegro
Concerto In A Minor, RV 413: Largo
Concerto In A Minor, RV 413: Allegro
Concerto For Violin, Cello & Orchestra In B Flat RV. 547: Allegro
Concerto For Violin, Cello & Orchestra In B Flat RV. 547: Andante
Concerto For Violin, Cello & Orchestra In B Flat RV. 547: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

I HAVE seen Ofra live.......2006-01-07

Reviewer number one sounds green with envy. And anyone who has seen Ofra live (as I have) knows that her performances are electrifying. She may hold the Cello oddly, she may close her eyes, throw back her head and seem to be in a different world from the hall she is in; but she is obviously in a world the composer would understand and appreciate, and the audience seems to go with her into that higher emotional state. Isn't that what great music is about?

This complete Vivaldi gives us one intrepreter's take on the works in depth. Her intrepretation brings Vivaldi alive for me. That is all I care about.
Patrick Cunningham (not afraid to sign my name)

A must for afficionados of baroque cello.......2004-12-16

I, too, am puzzled by the first review (probably found at end of reviews) of this item. Harnoy is not so popularly well known as other cellists, but I am grateful that she has produced this and other CD's in a series of Vivaldi's cello concertos -- probably all of his known cello concertos. True that Yo-yo Ma also has an album (just 1) of Vivaldi cello concertos, but Harnoy's production was first and holds up very well.

Taken as together a complete 3 CD set, you may find some concertos less interesting than others. It is hard to find these recordings (out of print?), so if you see them used at a decent price, snatch them up!

Two sides of a coin>I like mine.......2003-05-11

Strange to read a review by a so-called seasoned cellist calling another, with much more skills, artistry, talent and aplomb, amateurish. Shall we put Yo Yo Ma in this category too. Ma plays lots of popular music and somehow converts rock lovers to classical notes.

I have CDs by most and have heard others. Not as many as [some]. However, I buy items. I even sell some. Harnoy's skills are unquestioned, especially in classical. Her Dvorak Silent Woods and Bloch/Bruch CDs, just to cite two are unparalleled performances. Harnoy plays with pinache. She brings out the very best in Vivaldi. Perhaps her Canadian heritage upsets the reviewer. But, this performance with the Toronto S.O. stands on its own. Match it against the best--Ma, Fournier and even Rostropovich or Casals. I stay with Harnoy.

She shows masterful interpretation of Vivaldi's intent, meaning and message. This is conveyed through precise, clear and proper intonation, playing and emotion. I am still waiting to hear Harnoy's version of Four Seasons. But until then, I will go throughout the classical stores trying to find Harnoy's works in stock. My Harnoy Vivaldi CDs are not for loan or borrow, except to spouse and siblings. This is how much I treasure her artistry. Two economists can look at the same thing and see totally different perspectives. Musicians should be able to have some degree of appreciation for talent. As an educator, I learn from Harnoy each time. Maybe Amazon will double its supply of Harnoy CDs in stock. Her playing is superb as exemplified in this outstanding set of concertos.

Alan D. Kardoff, Ed.D.

poor playing.......1998-09-12

as a trained cellist who worked to get where I am, I am appaled to see Ms Harnoy in your classical music collection. She is good for posters in record stores and pictures in cd covers, but no serious musician, least of all a cellist, would buy her stuff. No wonder one only sees her in cd's, but never live in concert; it would be too revealing.