David Oistrakh Collection

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ("Harp"), Op. 74
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Pyotr Bondarenko, Svyatoslav Knushevitsky, David Oistrakh, Mikhail Terian

2. String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51/1
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Pyotr Bondarenko, Svyatoslav Knushevitsky, David Oistrakh, Mikhail Terian

Tracks:

Lullaby - Galina Vishnevskaya
Serenade - Galina Vishnevskaya
Trepak - Galina Vishnevskaya
The Field-Marshal - Galina Vishnevskaya
Ophelia's Song - David Oistrakh
Hamayun, The Prophetic Bird - David Oistrakh
We Were Together - David Oistrakh
The City Sleeps - David Oistrakh
Storm - David Oistrakh
Mysterious Sign - David Oistrakh
Music - David Oistrakh
To A Critic - Mstislav Rostropovitch
Spring's Awakening - Mstislav Rostropovitch
The Descendants - Mstislav Rostropovitch
Misunderstanding - Mstislav Rostropovitch
The Kreutzer Sonata - Mstislav Rostropovitch
The Sun Has Filled My Room - Mstislav Rostropovitch
True Tenderness - Mstislav Rostropovitch
Memory Of The Sun - Mstislav Rostropovitch
Greetings - Mstislav Rostropovitch
The King With Grey Eyes - Mstislav Rostropovitch

Amazon.com

Shostakovich's orchestrations for Mussorgsky's Songs & Dances of Death heightens the music's stark, desolate qualities, without shying away from ear-catching instrumental combinations. Galina Vishnevskaya's raw-nerve response to the texts and affinity for the composer's sound world border on the clairvoyant. Her husband is a better accompanist at the piano than on the podium, providing firm support in Shostakovich's Satires and Prokofiev's Five Poems by Anna Akhmatova. The world premier of Shostakovich's Seven Romances to Poems by Alexander Blok finds Mstislav Rostropovich at the cello where he belongs, playing as gorgeously as David Oistrakh. The violinist and the soprano, though, are not quite attuned to each other during their duet. An absorbing occasion, nonetheless, and kudos to Melodya for making these performances available for the first time. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Very important release.......2000-03-03

This CD comes with thorough liner notes, it is beneficial to read them before actually listening to the music. The reviewer below, obviously knowledgeable, attempts to praise this recording, but since he mixes in so much of vocal technique examination into it, the results are somewhat strange. I urge the classical music and opera fans to read the book "Galina" which is a brilliantly written autobiography, which is not only one person's life story, but also the picture of Russian times and events through the eyes of incredibly intelligent, witty, and emotional observer and participant. Reading it would help to fill in the blanks and understand the significance of this recording. First of all, the "Songs and Dances of Death" cycle was orchestrated by Shostakovich especially for Galina Vishnevskaya. His very close friend and one of the all-time musical giants Mstislav Rostropovich follows the score with utmost respect and precision. It's a great, unforgivable mistake to claim that he "belongs at the cello" as Ted Libbey suggests - Maestro Rostropovich is a fantastic conductor with impeccable musical instincts and phenomenal insight. Moreover, he might as well be the ONLY person to conduct these works because his personal affiliation with the composers allowed for unprecedented level of expertise. Just listen to his complete cycle of Shostakovich's symphonies or "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" for more examples of brilliant conducting.

The satires were written by Sasha Cherniy at the beginning of the century, but once set to music to Shostakovich they became a weapon against the Soviet regime and as a result subsequently banned, with a particular emphasis on "The Descendants".

Now, not only Vishnevskaya has the most expressive voice, it is also one of the most beautiful voices ever recorded. Hers is a true spinto without the usual "pushed up" meaning to it that characterizes most other spinto voices. As to Tebaldi, for instance, this sound came naturally to her and allowed for immense power and incredible vocal range. This recording with its customary Melodiya problems hardly does it justice. Turn to "Boris Godunov", "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk", or "Turandot" to hear it at its full glory. Philips used to carry a great CD called "The Early Years"; look for it. No, she did not sing "too many Leonoras" -- that's a gross mistake; while Leonora in Fidelio was her Bolshoi leading role debut, her favorite role was Aida and with it she subjugated the greatest opera houses, MET included. Had you heard it, you would not guess it's the same voice! The so-called "ugly" overtones in Songs and Dances of Death are clearly done on purpose: Vishnevskaya here acts with her voice to imitate Death the character, making it terrifyingly vivid and real. Same goes for "shrieking" on fast passages, here she uses a folk-song like approach, emphasizing the close connection that Russian composers have to their roots. Had this disc included other Mussorgsky songs, particularly "Where art thou, little star?" everyone would be astonished how enchantingly beautiful her voice could be. Another example is her Liu in Turandot, when she sang opposite Franco Corelli and Birgit Nilsson; it's available both on Myto and Opera d'Oro. Finally, one of the greatest musical achievements is Britten's War Requiem. Once again, it was written FOR her voice and she set an unsurpassed standard for it. Power, grace, and fully involved approach to music are her trademarks, this CD is really a small example but it's extremely important in terms of first performances of great works of great composers.

Viva Vishnevskaya.......1999-11-11

What we have here is a result of a unique teamwork of musical giants of the 20th century. Shostakovich, Vishnevskaya, Prokofiev and Rostropovich are not the names one dismisses lightly (well, not in the Stalinism-free world). One uses here a term `team work' because at the time the items on this disk were recorded, an outstanding musical performance was conceded possible only as a result of a team effort. In this case a team of Galina Vishnevskaya and Mstislav Rostropovich. Though Vishnevskaya is a soloist, she is not a singer delivering pretty songs - she is an `instrument' contributing to the total framework of emotionally charged compositions. This music can only gain from such an approach. Hers is not a beautiful voice, but it is expressive and emotional.

In `Songs and Dances of Death' Vishnevskaya is not afraid to sound ugly if the mood of the song so requires. At the same time it is not simply `doom and gloom' that the singer strives for- but a more complex atmosphere of hopelessness and despair. (One tends to think that the reason for the lack of hilarity in Russian music accounts less for the idea that Russians are boring hypochondriacs and more for the fact that Russian life had generally showed (and still does) little happiness. Vishnevskaya has an extensive vocal palette and uses it abundantly in order to reach her goal. To see the singer's prowess in this field one only has to compare hers to the recordings of the cycle by Hvorostovsky.

The satires cycle is outstanding for its witty and sarcastic text and Shostakovich's clever use of popular melodies. It is a shame that the booklet does not include the text of the songs and just the resume - despite Vishnevskaya's expressiveness, people who do not speak the language are going to miss on some of the songs' impact.

What one finds questionable here is some aspects of Vishnevskaya's vocal technique - when sang at forte, her top notes become unsteady and, very often, shrill and wobbly (too many Leonores, perhaps?). She is better in the slower passages where she can expand her voice and float her higher notes with greater freedom.

Tracks:

Trio No.1 in d, Op.49: I. Molto
Trio No.1 in d, Op.49: II. Andante Con Moto Tranquillo
Trio No.1 in d, Op.49: III. Scherzo: Leggiero E Vivace
Trio No.1 in d, Op.49: IV. Finale: Allegro Assai Appassionato
Trio No.2 in C, Op.66: I. Allegro Energico E Con Fuoco
Trio No.2 in C, Op.66: II. Andante Espressivo
Trio No.2 in C, Op.66: III. Scherzo: Molto Allegro, Quasi Presto
Trio No.2 in C, Op.66: IV. Finale: Allegro Appassionato
Trio No.1 in d, Op.49: 1st Movt
Str Qt in E flat, Op.12: 2nd Movt - David Oistrakh/Pyotr Bondarenko/Mikhail Terian/Sviatoslav Knushevitsky
Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges, Op.34 No.2 - David Oistrakh/Vladimir Yampolsky

Average customer rating:

Best ever

David Oistrakh Collection, Vol.3

Manufacturer: Doremi Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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David Oistrakh Collection Vol. 8
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David Oistrakh Collection, Volume 2
Davd Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter - Live at Alice Tully Hall, New York 1970

ASIN: B000005FWL
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

Trio in B flat, Op.99 (D.898): I. Allegro moderato
Trio in B flat, Op.99 (D.898): II. Andante un poco mosso
Trio in B flat, Op.99 (D.898): III. Scherzo (Allegro)
Trio in B flat, Op.99 (D.898): IV. Rondo (Allegro)
Trio in E flat, Op.100 (D.929): I. Allegro
Trio in E flat, Op.100 (D.929): II. Andante con moto
Trio in E flat, Op.100 (D.929): III. Scherzo (Allegro moderato)
Trio in E flat, Op.100 (D.929): IV. Allegro moderato

Customer Reviews:

Best ever.......2001-03-01

"One glance at Schubert's Trio [ opus 99 ] -- and the troubles of human existence disappear and all the world is fresh and bright again." - Robert Schumann

The two Piano Trios of Franz Schubert are late works, from 1827 and 1828. They are large and complex, and each contains a great deal of lovely material organized in a conventional and sophisticated four-movement structure. They fall somewhere between the two great Quintets in style, between the cheerful lyricism of the Trout and the bottomless pathos of the great String Quintet (surely the greatest and most moving piece of chamber music ever written).

In all of these works, the composer requires many things from the performers, including the ability to sustain a singing line, to convey many moods and shades of feeling, and to understand and convey the relationships between the musical elements.

In David Oistrakh, Sviatoslav Knushevitsky, and Lev Oborin these demands are met and dealt with in a most convincing, exciting, and aesthetically rewarding manner. At times it is difficult to imagine these spirited and energetic performances in their historical context -- the aftermath of the Second World War and the devastation and suffering of Russia.

These performances are lively, a little fast, and very direct, with less of the Viennese charm and sweetness than we usually associate with this composer. The Oistrakh Trio plays with palpable tension and a sense of risk. The Beaux Arts trio, for example, brings a lighter touch to these works. On the whole I feel that the Oistrakh Trio brings out the most that these works have to offer, not always the most pleasant but the most subtle and profound. No performer can match the expressive quality of Oistrakh's playing, and Knushevitsky and Oborin, while not so well known here as soloists, were at the same high level of technique and musicality.

The sound is clear mono. It is remarkably good considering the date and the source, a set of Melodiya LPs which were made from a 1947 tape. There is no surface noise or tape hiss unless you listen very closely. This is due in part to the latest computer technology. The producer, Jacob Harnoy, has assembled a formidable array of hardware and software with the aim of extracting as much music as possible from the old discs. He is very successful at this because he has excellent musical instincts and a great deal of patience. Technology alone cannot deliver these results.

Some distortion remains, especially in the louder passages. This must have been present on the original tapes and could not have been remedied. Other problems with the source material have been dealt with in other ways: missing notes have been replaced and artificial reverberation has been removed. I could not hear any evidence of the first, while traces of the echo remain as a blurring of the timbres in the Trio, D 898.

The sound of the second Trio is not the same as that of the first, with a more constricted feeling, less high end, and a duller sound. It suffers less from distortion, so on balance it is as good.

This is also the longest Compact Disc I have ever seen - at nearly 81 minutes it is far over the theoretical maximum for the format. My six-year-old Sony ES player had no trouble tracking it, and neither did a new Panasonic portable.

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 35: 1. Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 35: 2. Canzonetta. Andante
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 35: 3. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo
Violin Concerto In D Minor, Op. 47: 1. Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto In D Minor, Op. 47: 2. Adagio di molto
Violin Concerto In D Minor, Op. 47: 3. Allegro, ma non troppo
Two Humoresques For Violin And Orchestra op. 87: No. 1 In D Minor
Two Humoresques For Violin And Orchestra op. 87: No. 2 In D Major

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: 1. Allegro non troppo
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: 2. Adagio
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: 3. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace - Poco piu presto
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: 1. Allegro ma non troppo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: 2. Adagio ma non troppo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: 3. Finale. Allegro gioicoso, ma non troppo

Tracks:

Ciacona In G Minor
Orfeo ed Euridice: Melody
Widmung, Op. 25 No. 1
Romance In A Major Op. 94 No. 2
Hungarian Dance No. 8 in A Minor - Presto
Hungarian Dance No. 9 in E Minor - Allegro ma non troppo
Hungarian Dance No. 20 in D Minor - Allegretto - Vivace
Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Allegro - Vivace
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: El pano moruno
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Nana. Berceuse
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Cancion
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Polo
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Asturiana
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: Jota
Six Songs: Love Song, No. 6
Danzas espanolas op. 37: Andaluza No. 5
Suite Bergamasque: Passepied
Beau Soir
Raymonda op. 57: Entr' acte
Daisies, op. 38 No. 3
Vocalise op. 34 No. 14

Tracks:

Violin Sonata No. 2 op. 100: 1. Allegro amabile
Violin Sonata No. 2 op. 100: 2. Andante tranquillo - Vivace - Andante - Vivace di piu - Andante - Vivace
Violin Sonata No. 2 op. 100: Allegro grazioso (quasi Andante)
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 1. Allegro
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 2. Adagio
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 3. Un poco presto e con sentimento
Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108: 4. Presto agitato
Violin Sonata In A Major: 1. Allegretto ben moderato
Violin Sonata In A Major: 2. Allegro
Violin Sonata In A Major: 3. Recitativo - Fantasia. Ben moderato
Violin Sonata In A Major: 4. Allegretto poco mosso

Tracks:

Violin Sonata No. 1 Sz. 75: 1. Allegro appassionato
Violin Sonata No. 1 Sz. 75: 2. Adagio
Violin Sonata No. 1 Sz. 75: 3. Allegro
Violin Sonata op. 134: 1. Andante
Violin Sonata op. 134: 2. Allegretto
Violin Sonata op. 134: 3. Largo

Customer Reviews:

It Would Be Worth Every Cent Just for the Brahms Sonatas.......2006-12-19

This is probably my favorite boxed set of anything, ever. Each disc has its own merits but the Brahms and Franck are passionate and sublime, the Bartok is everything you want your Bartok to be, and of course the Tchaikovsky is without comparison. Long live King David!

Essential Oistrakh.......2002-01-10

A mandatory purchase (at a bargain price!) for all violin lovers- it contains some of Oistrakh's greatest recorded performances, including mind-boggling performances of the Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Brahms and and Dvorak concerti as well as the famous sonata recordings with Richter. Please, BMG, could we have more such treasures from Melodiya's legendary vaults?

Fantastic.......2000-07-31

Perhaps the great accomplishment in playing an instrument is to play it naturally, as if it were like breathing. Few artists prove this point as well as Oistrakh, the Soviet Union's artist, a true symbol of the Russian's school of music's excellence. As some other reviewer said, this is a moment of true musical orgasm. As an aspiring violinist, hearing Oistrakh's effortless rendition of the Tchaikovsky brings one almost to tears before such greatness. Some may complain about his dated method, but I favor it above any other artist, and highly recommend his interpretation of both the Brahms and the Tchaikovsky. Considering the fact that people didn't walk out of his performance of the pieces while a bombing raid was going on (during WWII), the man's musical prowess is second to none. Of special attention is the Brahms Sonata in A Major with Richter, easily one of the purest performances of the piece.

A wondeful collection.......2000-07-01

David Oistrakh has arguably the best pure tone of all who have ever played the violin--bar none.

Oistrakh (and Richter) Triumphant!.......2000-02-07

Reviewer David Mednicoff is exactly right about this set. All the concerto performances are terrific, but the two discs of sonatas (Brahms #2 & 3; Frank; Shostakovich [the live world premiere] and Bartok) with Richter are really something else. Amazing.

Average customer rating:

David Oistrakh Collection Vol.5

Manufacturer: Doremi Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000F1UT
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

Elegy For Violin And Piano
Movement 1: Allegro Non Tanto Ma Appassionato
Movement 2: Barcarole (Andante)
Movement 3: Allegro Con Spirito
Sonata For Violin & Piano No. 2 'Poema' In D Major, Op. 20 In One Movement

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David Oistrakh Collection, Volume 2

Manufacturer: Doremi Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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David Oistrakh Collection, Vol.3

ASIN: B000005FWG
Release Date: 1997-05-27

Tracks:

Cl Qnt in A, K.581: I. Allegro
Cl Qnt in A, K.581: II. Larghetto
Cl Qnt in A, K.581: III. Menuetto
Cl Qnt in A, K.581: IV. Allegretto con Variationi
Cl Qnt in b, Op.115: I. Allegro
Cl Qnt in b, Op.115: II. Adagio
Cl Qnt in b, Op.115: III. Andantino
Cl Qnt in b, Op.115: IV. Con moto

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David Oistrakh Collection

Manufacturer: Doremi Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004S2WN
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

St Qt in E flat, Op.74 'Harp:' I. Poco Adagio - Allegro
St Qt in E flat, Op.74 'Harp:' II. Adagio, Ma Non Troppo
St Qt in E flat, Op.74 'Harp:' III. Presto
St Qt in E flat, Op.74 'Harp:' Allegretto Con Vars
St Qt in c, Op.51 No.1: I. Allegro
St Qt in c, Op.51 No.1: II. Romanze. Poco Adagio
St Qt in c, Op.51 No.1: III. Allegretto Molto Moderato E Comodo
St Qt in c, Op.51 No.1: IV. Allegro

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David Oistrakh Collection, Vol.6

Manufacturer: Doremi Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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David Oistrakh Collection Vol. 8
David Oistrakh Collection, Vol.3
David Oistrakh Collection, Vol. 1
Legend: David Oistrakh [CD & DVD]

ASIN: B00002Z83P
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Trio For Violin, Cello And Piano In A Minor Op. 50: 1. Pezzo elegiaco
Trio For Violin, Cello And Piano In A Minor Op. 50: 2. Tema con Variazoni
Meditation For Violin And Piano Op. 42 No. 1
Waltz-Scherzo For Violin And Piano Op. 34
Serenade Melancolique For Violin & Orchestra Op. 26

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Another Testament to Great Reissues

Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Etc.

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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David Oistrakh

ASIN: B000003XKG
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Tracks:

Sym Espagnole, Op.21: I. Allegro Non Troppo - David Oistrakh
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: II. Scherzando (Allegro Molto-Poco Piu Lento-Tempo I) - David Oistrakh
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: III. Intermezzo (Allegretto Non Troppo) - David Oistrakh
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: IV. Andante - David Oistrakh
Sym Espagnole, Op.21: V. Rondo (Allegro-Poco Piu Lento-Tempo I) - David Oistrakh
Vn Con No.1 in D, Op.19: I. Andantino - David Oistrakh
Vn Con No.1 in D, Op.19: II. Scherzo (Vivacissimo) - David Oistrakh
Vn Con No.1 in D, Op.19: III. Moderato (Andante) - David Oistrakh
Ste Bergamasque, No.3: Clair De Lune - David Oistrakh/Vladimir Yampolsky
Seite Canciones Populares Espanolas: No.4, Jota - David Oistrakh/Vladimir Yampolsky
Valse-Scherzo, Op.34 - David Oistrakh/Vladimir Yampolsky
Mazurka - David Oistrakh/Vladimir Yampolsky

Customer Reviews:

Another Testament to Great Reissues.......2004-02-03

In this era of homogenized classical collections, it is great to see Testament rescue gems from the vaults of labels like EMI and reissue them on CD. This title presents the great Russian violin virtuoso David Oistrakh performing Lalo's "Symphonie Espagnole" and Prokofiev's 1st Violin Concerto, both recordings in mono from 1954. The disc ends with Oistrakh and pianist Vladimir Yampolsky performing four encores (Debussy, Falla, Tchaikovsky and Zarzycki) in stereo from 1956. I love Oistrakh for sure, but my main reason for purchasing this CD from Amazon was the fact that Jean Martinon (Lalo) and Lovro von Matacic (Prokofiev) were conducting. While both were frequently in the EMI studios in the 1950s, few of those recordings are currently available (though Testament has multiple titles for both artists slated for 2004). In fact, many of the early Testaments (like this title) are becoming equally elusive ("special order" often seems a code word for out-of-print these days), so those wishing to buy this CD should do so quickly.