Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos in E & D minor / Fair Melussina Overture [Enhanced]

On this CD:

1. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by London Sinfonia with Mayumi Seiler
Conducted by Richard Hickox

2. Violin Concerto in D minor
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by London Sinfonia with Mayumi Seiler
Conducted by Richard Hickox

3. Overture for orchestra in E major ("Fair Melusina"), Op. 32
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by London Sinfonia with Mayumi Seiler
Conducted by Richard Hickox

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato
II. Canzonetta (Andante)
III. Allegro Vivacissimo
Serenade Melancolique
I. Allegro Molto Appasionato
II. Andante
Leadout

Customer Reviews:

Superb versions of the violin concerti!.......2005-03-14

I was familiar with both Violin Concerti before my purchase, but since I am just starting to work on my own collection, did not own any version of either of them. I chose this CD at the store because of the relatively prestigious reputations of all performers and conductors, even though there were cheaper options. I have not been dissapointed! These versions of the Violin Concerti are without a doubt my favorite to date and this has become one of my most played CDs. I would highly reccommend this CD.

Must Have CD.......2005-02-16

This is the one CD that every lover of classical music must have. No greater performance in the genre of violin concertos has ever been recorded. Perlman is at the height of his craft.
Absolutely fabulous!!!

Bruch, Mendelssohn, Mozart: Violin Concertos

Average customer rating:

Not a very good recording
Joshua Bell in His Element
A good compilation from the younger Joshua Bell

Bruch, Mendelssohn, Mozart: Violin Concertos

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tchaikovsky, Wienawski, Brahms, Schumann: Violin Concertos
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Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [Hybrid SACD]
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Romance of the Violin

ASIN: B0007WQHVC
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

I. Vorspiel: Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio
III. Finale: Allegro Energico
I. Allegro Molto Appassionato
III. Andante
III. Allegretto Non Troppo - Allegro Molto Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Rondeau
Adagio In E Major For Violin And Orchestra, K261
I. Allegro Aperto
II. Adagio
III. Rondeau - Tempo Di Minuetto
Rondo In C Major For Violin And Orchestra, K373

Customer Reviews:

Not a very good recording.......2007-02-07

I don't think Joshua Bell plays this pieces very well... Its a shame that artists like Oistrakh and Milstein are forgotten when people go out to buy joshua bell cds (Must be the marketing strategy)... Kyung Wha Chung's recordings of these two pieces feature better sound and much better performances than this pitiful violinist

Joshua Bell in His Element.......2006-12-10

After reviewing the CD of Joshua Bell and Neville Marriner performing the Bruch G minor and the Mendelssohn E minor concerti, this listener realized that the CD is no longer available. BUT here is an even better option: on this generous 2 CD set are not only the original recordings of the Bruch and Mendelssohn but also a re-emergence of an absolutely exquisite recording of Mozart works that make this available CD one to buy immediately.

Having addressed the Bruch and Mendelssohn in a prior review, let it be said that there are few recordings of the Mozart concertos No. 3 in G major and No. 5 in A major that can compare with these 1992 performances by Bell and the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Peter Maag. The playing is sweet and tender and technically secure as well as being played with heart. Bell uses his own cadenzas as has become his trademark and without exception these cadenzas show the amount of insight and careful study behind Bell's performances.

As an added bonus to the Mozart CD, Bell and Maag offer the 'Adagio in E major', K261 and the 'Rondo in C major', K373 and once again it would be difficult to find finer recordings of these two gems in the current library. This is a splendid set of CDs offering two hours of perfect playing from one of our finest violinists on the stage today. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 06

A good compilation from the younger Joshua Bell.......2005-08-22

These are rereleases of previous recordings by Joshua Bell the teenager. The Bruch and Mendelssohn are from 1988 and the two Mozart concertos, plus embellishments, are from 1992.

The principal difference between these recordings and the work Bell does today is in style. Compared to his now lean and mean approach, Bell played in a warmer, more romantic style in these recordings, where he was given appropriate accompaniment by the English Chamber Orchestra under the late Peter Maag in Mozart, and by the Academy of St. Martin's in the Fields led by Neville Marriner in the romantic concertos.

Since Bell later re-recorded the Mendelssohn concerto (in 2000 with Roger Norrington and the Salzburg Academy Orchestra) it is easiest to note the differences in that work. The timings for the Mendelssohn are consistently broader in the older recording and his style is consistently more romantic.

Bell and Marriner play up the finale into a blaze or romantic language, picking up the pace at the very end. The Bruch concerto is similar in style and temperament. To my ears, the playing by the Academy and leadership by Marriner in the Mendelssohn is inferior to the 2000 recording.

For most listeners, the more notable release is the two Mozart concertos and the K.261 adagio & K.373 rondo that fills the disk, music that has been out of print for some time. Here, Bell is in territory with the greatest violinists of today and yesterday, recording Mozart's famed Concertos No. 3 and 5, the so-called "Turkish" concerto for its national dance in the final movement.

In this music, Bell again demonstrates a more committed and somewhat romanticized approach with flexible phrasing. That flexibility sometimes threw me, as I was a bit put off by the brief tenuto he employs at the beginning of certain phrases, espeically when the violin makes its initial entry after an orchestral tutti.

Aside from this, I found no objectionalbe tendencies...assuming you can live with Bell's own cadenzas in the Mozart. I found these worked part of the time and didn't work so well part of the time. Bell plays the traditional cadenzas in the Mendelssohn, something he changes in his later recording.

Bell has several outstanding moments in the Mozart concertos. The adagio of the Concerto No. 3 is especially lovely, handled with utmost care and sensitivity by both the soloist and accompanist.

In addtion, the "Turkish" section -- Tempo di minuetto -- in the finale of the Concerto No. 5 springs forth with life and brings distinction to an otherwise ordinary performance. All the while, Bell receives outstanding accompaniment from the Mozart specialist, Peter Maag, and the ECO.

I compared these recordings to a pair of collections I have at home, one by Augustin Dumay and the Salzburg Academy Orchestra and another by Pinchas Zukerman and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Bell's performances compare most readily to Zukerman's 25-year-old recordings.

Both take a healthy, romantic view of the music and play it the way David Oistrakh does on his stereo recordings. Bell's accompaniment is twice as good as that given to Zukerman by the St. Paul group, whose scrappy playing seriously downgrades his meaty interpretation.

The Dumay recording of Mozart Concertos 3-5 takes the more modern chamber-period approach with faster speeds, more clipped phrasing and a complete lack of pathos, sentiment and romance. I find the music works well either way (it is Mozart, after all!) and either recording will bring pleasure.

This two CD set sells for a list price of $18, making it a 2-for-1 proposition. It is eminently worth your money if the collection is one you are seeking and you enjoy the old fashioned romantic approach.

Average customer rating:

Mellow Mendelssohn and Bright Brahms Amid the Berlin Philharmonic
Typical Karajan
Karajan and Mutter match perfectly, but not for me
doesn't measure up to hilary hahn
Excellent

Mendelssohn/Brahms: Violin Concertos

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Carmen-Fantasie

ASIN: B000001GNG
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. 64: 1. Allegro molto appassionato
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. 64: 2. Andante
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. 64: 3. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In D Major, Op. 77: 1. Allegro non troppo
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In D Major, Op. 77: 2. Adagio
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In D Major, Op. 77: 3. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace - Poco piu presto

Customer Reviews:

Mellow Mendelssohn and Bright Brahms Amid the Berlin Philharmonic.......2007-03-14

If you haven't heard these recordings, you have a nice surprise ahead of you. The Mendelssohn dates from 1981 and the Brahms from 1982. Because of the recording dates, you've got the young protege, Anne-Sophie Mutter, firmly under the leadership of the old master, Herbert von Karajan, with that marvelous orchestra to draw on for generous support.

Ms. Mutter has never been closer since then to the gentler ways of performing these pieces as she is here. The accompaniment is very well balanced and perfectly complements the solos.

Being used to a lot of fire from Ms. Mutter, some may complain that these performances aren't sizzling enough.

I found that her interpretation of Mendelssohn was delightfully restrained which allowed for the heavenly aspects of the piece to emerge. I was equally pleased with her Brahms where her violin seems to literally sing to us in a beautiful human voice. Beneath the surface, you can feel the controlled power of Mutter, von Karajan, and the Berlin Philharmonic. It's like watching heavyweights delicately dancing ballet to exquisite chamber music. You know there's the power there to blow us away, but that they want to enrapture us instead.

This recording will appeal most to people who like to hear classic pieces of the repertoire performed in ways that aren't the typical fare.

Typical Karajan.......2006-10-29

Herbert von Karajan's smooth orchestral sound was much more suited to some composers than others; unfortunately the composers that it was not suited to comprise the majority of the standard Teutonic repertoire. In particular the music of Brahms becomes flat, lifeless and boring under his approach, when in the hands of many other conductors it is inuered with a profound lyricism unsurpassed by any other composer. I don't think there was any other composer who Karajan was so awful at conducting, and so any of his Brahms recordings should be avoided. If you want recordings by Karajan go for late romantic and modern music where the greater orchestral complexity and amount of dissonance counteract the smooth superficiality evident in his classical and early romantic performances, and presents the music with clarity of texture.

Ms. Mutter is one of the best violinists in the world, with both a remarkable attention to detail as well as perceptive musical insight, and plays extremely well here in spite of Karajan's interpretation of the score. I haven't heard her recording of the Brahms Concerto with Kurt Masur but that would probably be were to look for a performance of this concerto by her.

The Mendelssohn Concerto also suffers from the same lacklustre conducting from Karajan, although he is not quite as bad with this concerto as with the Brahms.

Karajan and Mutter match perfectly, but not for me.......2006-10-14

Even though I consider Karajan the greatest maestro of his generation, as an accompanist he tended to exhibit faults I don't find when he's on his own. In both these concertos there's a concern for overall smoothness, mellow tone, and precise balance. Karajan's lovely young protegee, Mutter, matches his approach perfectly. She spins one of the most consistent tones of any violinist and shows no desire to crowd the spotlight. The result wins admiration for being harmonious, but where's the individuality and drama?

In the Mendelssohn concerto we get dreamy melodic lines but no real delight and magic--it's all rather charmless, without joy. Mutter is careful not to show off with brilliant pyrotechnics, which is too bad--if you're going to dazzle, this is one work that will take off into ethereal heights. The Brahms finds Karajan developing a broad sound picture that's simply too bland. The rugged, struggling temperament of this composer has been carefuly suppressed, and at no times does Mutter seem to throw caution to the wind. Having said that, I much prefer this reading to the celebrated EMI recording with Perlman and Giulini--it's even more faceless and correct.

Of course, tastes differ, and I must confess that Mutter never went on to make any recordings I really love, so perhaps I should be discounted as a non-fan. If you value precise technique and clean tone without much 'intervention" on the soloist's part, here you are. I will stick with Menuhin/Furtwangler, Heifetz/Reiner, and Mullova/Abbado, among quite a few that shine with more vibrancy than this CD.

doesn't measure up to hilary hahn.......2006-03-26

I know that both anne-sophie mutter and hilary hahn are both exceptional musicians, but i personally think that hilary hahn has the better mendelssohn recording. the first movement just has more energy... as well as more motion and dynamics that make it so beautiful to listen to.

Excellent.......2002-06-27

Protege Anne-Sophie Mutter has made yet another excellent CD. The Mendelssohn concerto is truly one of the greatest concertos, and has been well met by Anne-Sophie Mutter. She has a very clear and pronounced style, that not only makes for an excellent piece to listen to, but would be a bonus for a student studying either of the concertos.

Mendelssohn & Beethoven: Violin Concertos

Average customer rating:

Extraordinary violinist
Joshua Bell does it once again
Overrated Violinist
Magical!
Lovely tone but recessive performances

Mendelssohn & Beethoven: Violin Concertos
Joshua Bell , Roger Norrington , Camerata Salzburg , Mendelssohn , and Beethoven
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006876P
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 64: Allegro molto appassionato
Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 64: Andante
Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 64: Allegretto non troppo-Allegro molto vivace
Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 61: Allegro ma non troppo
Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 61: Larghetto
Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 61:

Amazon.com

Joshua Bell's first recordings of these warhorses stand apart from the hundreds of versions crowding the catalogs in at least one respect, namely his own cadenzas. Beethoven didn't supply his own for the long first movement of his Violin Concerto, and Bell's thoughtful, stylish emendation easily stands with the frequently played Kreisler and Joachim cadenzas as a viable option. His extroverted yet well-proportioned cadenza in the Mendelssohn may not match the original's instant melodic appeal, but it certainly works. Elsewhere, Bell's direct, clean-cut, utterly dependable virtuosity will not surprise his legions of fans, who won't mind that the violin tends to dominate in the mix. Is that due to the engineering, or to Roger Norrington's somewhat reticent accompaniments? You'd think a chamber orchestra would help the Mendelssohn's bubbling woodwind licks emerge with greater clarity. Likewise, small forces are capable of richer, more tonally varied, and sustained string tone in the Beethoven's slow movement, as one hears in the more confrontational and interesting Richard Kapp-Mela Tenenbaum collaboration. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Extraordinary violinist.......2007-05-21

I have seen and heard Joshua Bell playing in a beethoven concert with the Orchestra of St Martins in the field. In spite of his bravura on the violin, I am looking forward for a cd of his recording with the above orchestra: superb!

Joshua Bell does it once again.......2006-02-24

If you haven't heard of Joshua Bell, take a tour on Amazon of his recordings. He is a young man with a beautiful hand on the violin. His interpretations are as wonderful as YoYo Ma on cello or Ruth Larado on piano. I sneek a CD of his in every few orders from Amazon. He makes the violin speak and becomes one with it as he plays.

Overrated Violinist.......2006-02-15

I don't know why people are attracted to Bell's playing. I think part of it is due to his public image as the young sexy violinist that all the girls like....

Stay away from this recording! Honestly, the Mendelssohn is overly sentimental, and the Beethoven was not serious as all! I preferred the way Menuhin played it, with grace and style and elegance. Sorry, I hate it when people like Bell butcher up two most famous violin pieces. Get the Menuhin/Furtwangler recording. Even the audio is bad, Menuhin's interpretations are SUPREME!

I'm done now.

Magical!.......2006-02-01

This is the most amazing recording I've ever heard of Mendelssohn, and Beethoven's violin concertos. Joshua Bell plays with such incredible passion that it's almost magical. I love the cadenzas that he wrote for both of them even better than the original ones that went with the concertos.

Lovely tone but recessive performances.......2005-09-24

In performance I've found Bell to be the opposite of his glossy public image--a committed, sensitive, poetic violinist who happens to perform on an exceptionally beautiful Strad. On his records these qualities sometimes come across as preciousness or lack of guts. This is one of his more uninvolving outtings. Bell is recessive and sensitive to a fault, rarely bringing forward any temperament. This is especially true in the Mendelssohn, where he takes great pains to spin out gorgeous tone without really digging into the music.

Given the presence of Roger Norrington, a noted (and not very inspired) period performance expert, I guess Bell's aim is to retreat from the romantic approach to Beethoven and Mendelssohn. But the temperature of his Beethoven is too low--where is the revolutionary? Tempos are traditional, however, and only the small-scale orchestra evokes a period flavor. I guess some listeners don't mind it when bell skims over the surface of a masterpiece as long as he does it prettily. (A fiveaway might be the album cover photo, which makes him look like the dewy adolescent who burst on the scene nearly twenty years ago.)

Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos / Chung, Kempe

Average customer rating:

In response to James P. Sheehan
This is the BEST bruch out there
Awkward playing
Very nice, kinda overrated here
Definitive Mendelssohn, phenomenal poetry in the Bruch(s)

Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos / Chung, Kempe

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schumann: Piano Concerto Op. 54; Grieg: Piano Concerto Op. 16

ASIN: B00000JXZ7
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: I. Allegro molto appassionato
Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: II. Andante
Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: III. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace
Violin Concerto No 1 In G minor, op.26: I. Introduction: Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto No 1 In G minor, op.26: II. Adagio
Violin Concerto No 1 In G minor, op.26: III. Finale: Allegro energico
Scottish Fantasia For Violin And Orchestra , Op.46: I. Introduction: Grave - Adagio cantabile
Scottish Fantasia For Violin And Orchestra , Op.46: II. Allegro
Scottish Fantasia For Violin And Orchestra,Op.46: III. Andante sostenuto
Scottish Fantasia For Violin And Orchestra,Op.46: IV. Finale: Allegro guerriero

Customer Reviews:

In response to James P. Sheehan.......2007-05-06

This review is in response to gripes by the aforementioned reviewer regarding the "excessive" dynamic range on this CD.

Sound engineers do not purposely "exaggerate" dynamic range on discs - in fact, if you were familiar with modern sound engineering, you would know that a prevalent problem nowadays is the *reduction* of dynamic range (compression) in order to win the "loudness race". I do not know of a single disc out there that had its dynamic range artificially "expanded", if this is even possible.

In other words, your playback equipment is to fault - it is (sadly) typical for lower end audio equipment to not reproduce low level information well; it vanishes, making fortissimos startling and pianissimos absent. Or perhaps you are listening to this disc in a noisy environment, with low level information getting lost in the haze of environmental noise.

Regardless of the reason, I feel that your opinion on this disc's sound quality should be taken with more than a small pinch of salt given the information that I have relayed here.

This is the BEST bruch out there.......2005-04-07

i have heard over 20 different recordings of Bruch violin concerto No.1. i strongly recommend this recording to anyone. this is the best out there. no kidding. i put this in #1 spot where oistrakh's recording also belongs to. Those 2 recordings are different and both excellent. IF YOU LIKE THIS PEICE, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN THIS.

Awkward playing.......2005-03-28

You can do much better for the Mendelssohn and Bruch. You may have to get them separately, but Isaac Stern does them much better. I find Ms. Chung's playing to be uneven, choppy and full of seams. The phrasing is not smooth. Her vibrato is also very sloppy in places. Frankly, having listened to several recordings of these two pieces over many years I would have to keep these
discs out of the running entirely. I would recommend Stern or
Francescatti in the Bruch and Stern in the Mendelssohn. You get
the tops Tchaikovsky performance as well if you get Stern (with score cuts in overly repetitive measures).

Very nice, kinda overrated here.......2004-06-11

I bought this CD after reading many of the enthusiastic reviews here. And while I agree that her playing is at times beguiling and masterful, and that the sound quality is astounding, I find much of her phrasing breathless and confused (especially in the Mendelssohn). She often "swallows" the notes at the bottom end of a run, then scratches back in catching up. She overplays her hand rather gaudily at times, with no appreciable intent. It is not a "seamless" performance, like that of Heifetz, but broken up into smaller chunks of musical (and emotive) effort.

I applaud her determined effort to take risks and give fresh voice to these pieces, but I find that she doesn't seem to demonstrate that she knows where she's going often enough to gain my full confidence. I have listened a few times now to both her Bruch and her Mendelssohn performances on this CD, and have found new delights and discoveries -- but just as many disappointments and "so whats?"

I think the quality of this recording's technical production is one of its flaws: it's like a sound geek's dynamic-range tour-de-force. The violin is jammed in your face. When the orchestra is faint, it's too faint, and when it's loud, well, it fairly bursts. I think the guys at the mixing console were maybe a little too interested in what they COULD do, and less interested in what was appropriate.

I agree that the recording does in some ways capture the excitement and urgency of a live performance, but quite frankly, it's a CD. I also purchased a Heifetz recording of the Mendelssohn concerto, and man, I've listened to that bad-boy about 87 times in a row. But, that's unfair -- the two violinists are nothing at all alike.

In a nutshell: Kyung-Wha Chung will take you on an engaging, sometimes exciting tour of these showpieces. But she (with a little "help" from her sound crew) is sometimes like a chatty tour guide with a big megaphone.

Definitive Mendelssohn, phenomenal poetry in the Bruch(s).......2003-08-06

...I feel obliged to say something, as I believe this is one of the outstanding must-have cds of recent years.
Kyung Wha Chung cut these legendary recordings in the 70s (Bruch) and early 80s (Mendelssohn), with fantastic analogue sound and outstanding orchestral rapport. She plays the Mendelssohn with a pace which brings out the sheer joy and beauty of the music, free of lingering exaggerated sentimentality. If ever there was a modern masterpiece, this recording is one. The sound is sweet and virile, and in this as in so many of her recordings she plays as if she is capturing a live performance, not the stereotyped studio. There is a spontaneity so often lacking in studio recordings, which doesn't fade with repeated hearings.
The Bruch Concerto is also wonderfully fresh, a real breath of life in a much-recorded work. (Astonishingly, she plays this work even more beguilingly later with Klaus Tennstedt, coupled with the Beethoven, another must-have recording). I first heard this Kempe collaboration of the Bruch Concerto and Scottish Fantasy when it was released on vinyl, long ago played into scratched oblivion as was the way with my favourite LPs. Hearing the CD is just magical. Even the fabulous Heifetz Mendelssohn (Munch) and Bruch (Sargent) recordings don't eclipse Kyung Wha Chung's legendary performances, which are appropriately remastered on the Decca Legends label

Average customer rating:

Shaham and Sinopoli were a great team
Sensuous and powerful
Gil Shaham
Get it for the Bruch
Sublime

Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001GB8
Release Date: 1990-03-30

Tracks:

1. Vorspiel. Allegro modernato - attacca:
2. Adagio
3. Finale. Allegro energico - Presto
1. Allegro molto appassionato
2. Andante
3. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace

Customer Reviews:

Shaham and Sinopoli were a great team.......2006-07-15

Perhaps not since the partnership of Furtwangler and Menuhin after the war have we had such a brilliant collaboration as that between Gil Shaham and the late Giuseppe Sinopoli. (Rostropovich makes a fine, sympathetic duo with Vengerov, but Sinopoli is a much better conductor in standard non-Russian repertoire.) On this CD, Sinopoli's startling drama in the Bruch is something I've never heard the likes of. There is such sweep and passion that you hear the work as having much more emotional depth than before. Shaham keeps pace with a powerful reading full of nuance and original thoughts on a thrice-familiar work. Maxim Vengerov has a towering recording of the Bruch on Teldec with Masur (where the soloist is miked more clesly than here), but this one is worthy to stand alongside.

On that Teldec CD Vengerov's Mendelssohn concerto felt a bit careful, with less than vivacious conducting. Shaham begins with a delibreate first movement that's almost 2 min. slower, expressing his intent to give us weightier Mendelssohn than the airy, mercurial variety we're used to. In keeping with that, his tone is big and he plays with broad phrasing. The Andante is also slow and deeply felt. I was happy to go along with the interpretation as long as the finale brought in a flood of light and fancy for contrast. It doesn't quite. Shaham chooses not to be sprightly but to remain a bit straight-faced--even so, one can't overlook his exceptional ability to communicate. Call it a tie with Vengerov.

Sensuous and powerful.......2004-12-19

These are sensuous recordings. Shaham plays with both technical fire and (especially in the Mendelssohn) pleasing sweetness. The orchestra -- large and lush in the Bruch, a bit more restrained in the Mendelssohn -- plays with discipline, precision, and power, and the sonics are very satisfying. These surely count as exemplary if not definitive modern renditions of these two classic concerti.

Gil Shaham.......2003-11-29

This was an exceptionally good recording, but I'll have to admit Joshua Bell's recording is better...

Get it for the Bruch.......2002-06-04

This is one of the finest recordings of the Bruch violin concerto (#1). I think it ranks up there with the Heifetz/Sargent. Of course Heifetz takes each movement a bit faster, but the slightly slower tempos do not make much difference (unlike in many Brahms vl.c. recordings.) The sound quality is much better, with good balance, and the orchestra playing is smooth and fluid and clear. Some recordings like Perlman/Haitink seem to have very bombastic orchestral entrances at some places. That is not the case here - Sinopoli is exciting without beating you upside the head.

As for Shaham, he is also very good - no technical problems, and a very clear silky sound. He is not as melodramatic as Mutter (which seems too unruly/melodramatic to me), but this is a romantic intrepretation nonetheless. There is some very interesting, dramatic sliding in the first movement (around 4'20?) before the big orchestral entrance - I've never heard anyone do that before. Definitely worth checking out.

The Mendelssohn I would give four stars - the first movement seems a little slow and less inspired. The second movement is beautiful, but once again, the third is not so exciting as in the Bruch. Perhaps it is that Shaham seems a little heavy handed - there are more sprightly readings out there. I like a Milstein or Menuhin better for the Mendelssohn. This is still a fine recording, but after the Bruch it seems anticlimactic.
So I recommend the CD - Heifetz fans can stick with Heifetz if they want, but anyone looking for a good modern recording of the Bruch should try this one.

Sublime.......2001-01-24

I must admit that Gil Shaham is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best violinist in the 20th Century. I must have listened at least 100 times to this album since I bought it last year. The speed,technique and above all, the sensitivity of this artist blows you away. This album is a must in your CD collection.

Beethoven, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos

Average customer rating:

the sound quality is really bad
Decent recordings, but not the best
Great but not greatest
Definitely not the Best
A classic, but not in the same league with the best

Beethoven, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (Lift To The Scaffold): Original Soundtrack

ASIN: B000006OPI
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Concerto In D, Op. 61: Allegro, ma non troppo
Concerto In D, Op. 61: Larghetto
Concerto In D, Op. 61: Rondo: Allegro
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Allegro molto appassionato
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Andante
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Allegretto non troppo; Allegro molto vivace

Amazon.com essential recording

RCA has coupled, recoupled, and re-recoupled their Heifetz recordings in just about every conceivable incarnation, making it very difficult and confusing for the collector to purchase the best of them in a simple and straightforward way. This "Living Stereo" reissue, however, really does offer the best sound so far, and the performances are second to none. Heifetz's Mendelssohn has always led the field: for lightness, athleticism, grace, and virtuosity, it's unsurpassed. In a work that many violinists take for granted, Heifetz's high-powered approach really does remind us what great music this really is and how it responds to a violinist with a real sense of bravura. The coupling--a superb Beethoven concerto--provides a real antidote to so many modern performances that mistake slowness for depth. If any disc deserves to be called "essential," this one does. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

the sound quality is really bad.......2007-05-26

the hiss and pop is too much. I guess this is inevitable for such an old record. But you just can't put it in a high-end audio system which will brutally reveal all these flaws.

otherwise the perform is great, hence the 3-star.

Decent recordings, but not the best.......2005-09-23

Although well played, people who are considering buying this thinking it's the best rendition of both these concertos should pass.

In the Mendelssohn, Heifetz seems to lack a certain emotional element that should be present in the piece. As others have mentioned, there are other recordings out there that should be listened to first before hailing this as the best thing since sliced bread. The Kyung Wha Chung rendition is still slightly faster than most people decide to take this peice, however, the lyrical melodies are still present (I would also reccoment the Chung recording to anyone who hasn't had a chance to listen to it). If you're looking for a very passonaite recording of this concerto, try the Vengerov. Although it's not for everyone, you can hear the heart and soul he's pouring into the piece as he plays it.

The Beethoven lacks in similar ways that the Mendelssohn did. Although it is not nearly as passionate as the previous concerto, there is still an element of movement that needs to be felt. Heifetz fails at this partially because of how fast he plays this, and how everything just seems to "zing" by. Although the highly technical passages are played nicely, much of the rest is just too disappointing. For people looking for a better recroding, I reccomend the Francescatti or the Schneiderhan recordings of this piece, which caputre the mood and phrasings much better than Heifetz has done here.

Overall, if you're looking for another decent rendition of the Mendelssohn and Beethoven out of the oodles of recordings out there, then this CD is for you. If you are looking to purchase the best possible recoding in one go, you should probably pass on this CD and try some of the other ones I've outlined above.

Great but not greatest.......2005-06-28

I do agree that Heifetz performed these concertos greatly, with an unbelievable technique. But the problem here is Heifetz played so fast (maybe due to his technique) and it causes the sound too short, and more serious is become lacking of sharpness. You can find the same thing at other CDs, for example, Heifetz played the first movement of Tchaikovsky's concerto in 15'50" while Kogan in 18'07" and Oistrakh in 18'56". Another example is in Sibelius' concerto, Heifetz played the Allegro movement just 13'30'' (compare to Oistrakh around more than 16' and Marcovici 17'30'').

For these concertos, I strongly recommend to Kogan and Oistrakh. But I recommend Heifetz with Glazunov's concerto, it's great.

Definitely not the Best.......2005-02-07

I agree with Mr. Melson, who is below me.A fine performance of these works but there's better ones out there. Read Mr. Melson review---my thoughts are the same.

A classic, but not in the same league with the best.......2005-02-01

Unquestionably, this is a classic performance of the Beethoven concerto, but it is by no means its "greatest recording," as some continue to suggest. As usual, Heifetz brings his awesome virtuosity, his incredible technique and precision, to the table, but he is just too emotionally detached overall. Of course, these criticisms of Heifetz's playing are pracitically cliches at this point; they've been made a thousand times before and are even acknowledged to some extent by many of his fans (though these people are likely to spin it as, not "coldness" but "classical poise and restraint"). Even so, I suggest that you listen to a few other versions of the Beethoven concerto (Menuhin/Furtwangler, Perlman/Giulini, Schneiderhan/Jochum, Walter/Francescatti, the various recordings by Oistrakh, Stern/Bernstein -- just to name a few) and then return to this one and see if you remain satisfied. If you are a big Heifetz fan, then I suggest getting his earlier recording with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra (available on Naxos). As was often the case when Toscanini was at the helm, the tempo is too driven. But Heifetz's playing, if still somewhat cool, has an ineffable quality to it (a Gramophone reviewer called it a "looking at the stars" quality) that is less present here.

The Mendelssohn here is, I'm afraid, even less successful. The finale is certainly exciting, taken about as fast you'll ever hear it, but basically this is a performance on autopilot, a comparatively tepid run-through. I'd direct you to Menuhin/Furtwangler, Milstein/Abbado, Perlman/Previn, Stern/Ormandy, Grumiaux/Haitink, Chung/Dutoit, Zimmermann/Albrecht, among others, for readings that really capture the concerto's great sparkle and warmth.

Bottom Line: Certainly worth hearing and maybe even worth owning for comparative purposes, but there are many better versions of these concertos. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least three Heifetz recordings that no fan of his should be without: his collection of encores ("Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," etc.); his Korngold concerto with Wallenstein; his Sibelius Concerto with Beecham. Those are CDs that I have nothing but reverance for. I'd skip this and go for those recordings or one of the listed Beethoven/Mendelssohn alternatives.

Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos

Average customer rating:

Cheer and Pleasure
Amazon's Classical music CD's
Virtuoso of virtuosos...
Greatest Tchaikovsky Ever!
Greatest of All Time

Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fritz Kreisler Plays Kreisler

ASIN: B000003FIP
Release Date: 1995-05-09

Tracks:

Concerto, Op.35, In D Major: Allegro Moderato
Concerto, Op.35, In D Major: Canzonetta: Adante
Concerto, Op.35, In D Major: Allegro vivacissimo
Violin Concerto In E Minor: Allegro molto appassionato
Violin Concerto In E Minor: Andante
Violin Concerto In E Minor: Allegretto non troppo: Allegro molto vivace
Serenade Melancolique, Op. 26
Serenade In C Major, Op. 48: Waltz

Amazon.com

The Tchaikovsky offers dazzling technical challenges and heart-on-sleeve emotional ups and downs. The Mendelssohn is Olympian, cool, beautifully formed--music that is immediately recognizable as the work of the composer who produced the magical Midsummer Night's Dream music. Jascha Heifetz is equally at home with Tchaikovsky's fervor and Mendelssohn's calm. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Cheer and Pleasure.......2007-06-08

Somehow Heifitz makes it all sound easy, relaxed, and well worth repeating. It is fun, sweet, exciting, sad, and loving. If you really love violin music, this is the best.

Amazon's Classical music CD's.......2007-01-18

This CD was purchased as a Christmas gift from a friend, who was very specific about the recording he wanted. I held my breath, fearing it might not arrive in time ... but it did, beautifully. Thank you, Amazon!

Virtuoso of virtuosos..........2005-07-13

This disk features arguably the two greatest concertos ever written for the violin performed by the hands-down greatest violinist of the twentieth century and recorded in the absolute peak of his career. It really doesn't get much better than this for music lovers. If we all lived in a fair world, which we don't, performances on disks would be priced according to the amount of beauty and power it contains, not how recent it was released or supply-demand. Having said that, when it comes to these two recordings, 16 bucks doesn't seem like that great of a reach anymore.

I've listened to many recordings of both concertos, but out of Perlman, Milstein (second best), Stern, Oistrakh, Menuhin, and ect., Heifetz stands out on top in both. People will always say that the first movement of the Tchaikovsky is played too quickly, but I believe this is only so because no other violinist is ABLE to duplicate this kind of speed, hence Heifetz's recording being separated from the rest. I could certainly understand why a slower tempo is desired if the performer was tripping over the difficult passages and turning the movement into a mudslide, but that is certainly not the case with Maestro Heifetz; in fact, the opposite is true.

I believe Heifetz was a man who above all respected the composers. He also understood the art of "withholding". What do I mean? Here is a perfect example. In the first movement of the Mendelssohn, Heifetz has been infamously accused of playing the main theme using harmonics and flying through the movement with zero sentimentality. This demonstrates ignorance and a strong lack of respect on the modern generation. With the rise of 20th Century music (most of which Heifetz detested), appreciation for professionalism declined and indulgence in emotionalism became commonplace. Heifetz understood that there is no payoff, no climax to any piece of music, unless there is patience and sensitivity. After a slightly withheld first movement and a sweet second movement, Heifetz bursts open the doors in the third playing with more liveliness and accuracy than any other violinist can. The concerto climaxes towards the end when Heifetz passionately pounds through the main theme one last time then finishes with a flourish. This epiphany would not have been possible had he sentimentalized the whole concerto, as many violinists do nowadays.

As with most listeners, I often conjure up my own opinions on how certain concertos should be played based on my first hearing. After that first hearing, all others are labeled as inaccurate interpretations. I've found out through years of listening that there are only two musicians for which this does not apply: Heifetz and Rubinstein. Even if my first impression has already been set, it is they who play the concertos the way they were meant to be played. My advice on the Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn is if you have nevered listen to these, listen to Heifetz first, after doing so, all other versions will pale in comparison. If you have already formed first impressions on how to interpret these concertos, give Heifetz a chance. I've found that just about every other violinist (save Milstein) seem to play with AWFUL intonation after listening to Heifetz.

Greatest Tchaikovsky Ever!.......2005-06-08

In my opinion, this is the greatest rendition of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto that I've ever heard. Heifetz plays the first movement very fast, but every note is audible and clean. There are literally moments where my jaw drops each time I listen to this recording. It would be hard to imagine a more technically and musically superb version of this wonderful concerto, although there are many other good versions (Milstein's in particular is great as well).

The Mendelssohn is great, and like all of Heifetz's work, it's pretty much perfect. While it is great, I wouldn't name this as my favorite version. Hilary Hahn's Mendelssohn is equally good and the sound quality is considerably better (because Heifetz's was recorded a long time ago), so Hahn's is my preferred Mendelssohn.

This disc is a must have. Because of the sound quality of the disc, I would not place this Mendelssohn as my top choice because they are other versions that are technically similar with better sound quality. The sound quality on this CD isn't bad (it's actually pretty good), but it's not as good as modern recordings. The Tchaikovsky is so spectacular, however, that even with better sound quality recordings out there, Heifetz still remains my top choice. Enjoy!

Greatest of All Time.......2005-03-16

If you want to get a feel for who Jascha Heifetz really was, as a musician and as a virtuoso, this recording is a must-have. Yes, as many listeners have noted, Heifetz tends to play his opening Allegro's extremely fast. However, you can hear every single note despite the mind-blowing speed. The combination of incredible technique and flawless intonation and tone-color make Heifetz, in my opinion, among the top three violinists who ever played. This recording is the best classical CD in my collection and a necessity for any Heifetz fan or serious collector.

Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Violin Concerto

Average customer rating:

Mendelssohn's Concerti performed with excellence
Mendelssohn is put on a Serkin-support system
Very good performances
Conciertos al mejor nivel
A must in your collection

Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Violin Concerto

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Liszt: The Two Piano Concertos; The Piano Sonata

ASIN: B00005YOY8
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano & Orchestra No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: I. Molto Allegro Con Fuoco
Concerto For Piano & Orchestra No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: II. Andante
Concerto For Piano & Orchestra No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: III. Presto. Molto Allegro E Vivace
Concerto For Piano & Orchestra No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 40: I. Allegro Appassionato
Concerto For Piano & Orchestra No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 40: II. Adagio. Molto Sostenuto
Concerto For Piano & Orchestra No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 40: III. Finale. Presto Scherzando
Concerto For Violin & Orchestra In E Minor, Op. 64: I. Allegro Molto Appassionato
Concerto For Violin & Orchestra In E Minor, Op. 64: II. Andante. Allegretto Non Troppo
Concerto For Violin & Orchestra In E Minor, Op. 64: III. Allegro Molto Vivace

Customer Reviews:

Mendelssohn's Concerti performed with excellence.......2006-02-27

This recording by Serkin and Stern is a terrific performance to add to your collection if you like Mendelssohn. I highly recommend these performances especially at such a budget conscious price!

Mendelssohn is put on a Serkin-support system.......2006-01-12

The flashy runs in both Mendelssohn piano concertos, particularly the first, haven't redeemed the banality of their musical content, which actually rivals the Liszt concertos--they are diabolically humdrum while Mendelssohn is academically humdrum. Serkin didn't care about their low status. He pitches into both works as if they are incendiary masterpieces, and for as long as he is playing you're held in his spell. The sonics on these 1959 recordings are a bit thin in the orchestral background--the piano is caught very well--so getting the most up-to-date pressing seems like a good idea.

1959 was also the year when Isaac Stern recorded this Mendelssohn Violin Concerrto, and the sound is still respectable, with the violin escaping the nasty edginess found on old budget CDs. Ormandy is quite vigorous here, as in the piano concertos--he was at his best as an accompanist. Where Menuhin takes every opportunity to make a musical point and Heifetz every opportuity to dazzle, Stern is midway between. He isn't introspective, but he plays seriusly. Passagework and intonation are impeccably clean, and although not the most individual reading in the catalog, Stern's is excellent, particularly in a budget release.

Very good performances.......2005-03-17

It is very nice to have both Mendelssohn piano concertos and the famous violin concerto all on one CD. A very good bargain, and very good performances. Sound quality is actually pretty good too, even though these recordings are somewhat old.

Conciertos al mejor nivel.......2004-09-15

Mendelssohn escribio estos tres conciertos de gran factura y ciertamente tener los tres en un CD ya es algo bastante interesante, ahora si a eso añadimos la calidad de la interpretación estamos frente a un CD de colección.
Rudolf Serkin es un gran pianista y aqui lo demuestra doblemente, el concierto Nº 1 es exquicito, innovador, bello y Serkin lo lleva con fuerza y pulcritud, el comienzo es apasionado, diria frenetico, Serkin me sorprende nuevamente y lleva al piano al maximo, Arrau seria mas majestuoso y quizas le daria un toque de delicadeza, Serkin al contrario y Ormandy lo acompaña, hacen de este comienzo un apasionado y abrumador, muy bueno. Asi el segundo movimiento es mas sutil pero ese toque que Mendelssohn le da a todos sus conciertos, finalizamos con otro momento agitato por decirlo de alguna manera y el solista denuevo nos deslumbra. El Nº 2, aunque inicia como si fuera mas suave es solo eso, un comienzo sutil unos acordes suaves orquesta y luego piano, y de pronto frenesi, impetu, voragine, verdaderamente genial, tengo que decirlo Serkin es un pianista de excepcion y Ormandy como Uds, lo saben acompaña como el solo sabe hacerlo, en forma perfecta. El concierto es recio, contundente, no estoy seguro cual de los dos es mejor, pero definitivamente siempre opacados por el concierto para violin. Aqui otro solista de la mayor calidad Stern lleva el vigor y la alegria de este concierto hasta hacerlo inolvidable, es hermoso, los sonidos de la orquesta, la sutileza y la no tanto del violin envuelven al oyente en una magica red de portentoza gracia y esplendor.
Eugene Ormandy hace lo suyo de manera impecable, lo he comentado antes, es un director de rigor, que acompaña y que sobresale, es espectacular. En este caso acompaña a Serkin y lo hace con fuerza y vigor, y bueno su conocidisima pomposidad.
La Orquesta de Columbia que aparece en forma especial, fue creada para Bruno Walter y es por cierto de una calidad inmejorable. Para la Orquesta de Filadelfia no creo que tenga ya mas halagos que decir que es perfecta.

A must in your collection.......2004-06-20

The piano concerts are ornamental works , and never reach the peak of the champions . They are deeply lyrical and inmersed in the mood of that age signed by the virtuosistic mood. Think in those forty years , Thalberg , Herz, Czerny , Henselt , Moscheles , Bronsart and Liszt to name the most remarkable. In that generation it was more important the show itself that the music could mean. The romanticism in its peak , with all his effects over the great audiences . Transcriptions for piano , fireworks , eight hours concerts , where the music felt in a show business.
Only Schumann , Chopin , Brahms among others could keep the level in their works. And we had to expect for the second half of the century for that show fever eventually dissapeared.
The violin concerto in this case was the best work in the genre of the concerts. In my opinion , F.M. will be reminded by his string quartets , his last three symphonies and this violin concert.
Stern gives to that work , eloquence , majesty and dignity . And the only version I remember to that level is Szigetti Beecham . Deep musicality and above all elegance , and nuance.
Undoubtly this work itself deserves you to acquire.The Philadelphia strings as always superb and powerful. Ormandy was deeply inspired in that ocassion.

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Symphonies; Overtures; Concertos

Average customer rating:

Triumphant return of Flor's Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Symphonies; Overtures; Concertos

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009A1AJG
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Tracks:

Merce, Diletti Amici - O Tu, Che L'alma
Scena, Coro E Brindisi
Mamma...Quel Vino E Generoso
Lamento Di Federico
Improvviso
Come Un Bel Di Dimaggio
Oh! Fede Negar Potessi
Fontainebleau, Foresta Immense
Amor Ti Vieta
Cielo E Mar
Epilogo
Vesti La Giubba
Dio, Mi Potevi Scagliar
La Danza

Customer Reviews:

Triumphant return of Flor's Mendelssohn.......2005-06-01

At last Claus Peter Flor's Mendelssohn symphonies, overtures and piano concertos (with Edelmann) have returned. On the basis of these recordings (all previously issued) Flor, who is probably in his early 50s now, is still one of the better Mendelssohn conductors out there.

In particular, his Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5 have been hailed by critics on this side of the Atlantic for their beauty, proportion and Mendelssohnian sensibility. His other symphonies are also good and his collected overtures have been revered on both sides of the Atlantic by critics from Gramophone (which gave the overtures a rosette) to American Record Guide (which continued to promote his works even after they were out of print).

Flor's regualr partner in these performances, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, is a European band of the second rank. While not being confused with the more well-known orchestras in Vienna, Berlin or London, they perform universally well in these CDs in recordings that sound better than ever.

This is a very good collection of Mendelssohn's symphonic music and piano concertos that will rank with the best recorded boxes including Abbado and Karajn. In musical terms is far exceeds the collections led by Masur, Ashkenazy and the newer Naxos cycle of mixed quality.

Collectors that have never heard Flor conduct (or have never heard of him) can rest assured that this is a worthy alternative collection in this music. If this grouping and this price are attractive, go for it.

Music Track:

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