Henri Vieuxtemps - Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 (Misha Keylin)

Information

Composer: Henri Vieuxtemps

1. Violin Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 10: I. Allegro moderato
2. Violin Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 10: II. Introduction. Adagio
3. Violin Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 10: III. Rondo. Allegretto
4. Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, Op. 31: I. Andante - Moderato
5. Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, Op. 31: II. Andante religioso
6. Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, Op. 31: III. Scherzo. Vivace
7. Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, Op. 31: IV. Finale marziale. Andante - Allegro

Misha Keylin, violin
Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra
Dennis Burkh, conductor (1-3)
Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra
Takuo Yuasa, conductor (4-7)

Date: 1995 (1-3), 1999 (4-7)
Label: Naxos
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554506

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 7 / SOUND QUALITY: 8

Henri Vieuxtemps’ concertos have not aged well. Their banal developments and empty technical passages are packed with all the commonplaces of romantic virtuosity and need very convincing and committed performers to resist the assault of boredom. Vieuxtemps finds in Misha Keylin an ardent defender of his cause, who projects enough warmth and eloquence to sustain the listener’s interest throughout the never-ending Concerto No. 1 (40 minutes!). His admirable precision and intensity of tone equally uphold the D minor concerto, whose four movements are shaped like a symphony, less profuse and more inspired than its lengthy predecessor. The two outer movements don’t always avoid banality, but the sensitive Andante religioso and the effective, witty Scherzo are well worth listening to. Perfectly sustained by two different orchestras and conductors, American violinist (born in St. Petersburg, Russia) Keylin gives every note its due importance, helped in the Fourth Concerto by the magic sonority of his 1715 “Baron Knoop” Stradivarius. The recordings are spacious and agreeable. If you like these works, give the rating another point.

-- ClassicsToday

More reviews:
https://www.naxos.com/reviews/reviewslist.asp?catalogueid=8.554506&languageid=EN
http://www.amazon.com/Vieuxtemps-Violin-Concertos-1-4/dp/B000046Q58

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Henri Vieuxtemps (17 February 1820 – 6 June 1881) was a Belgian composer and violinist. He occupies an important place in the history of the violin as a prominent exponent of the Franco-Belgian violin school during the mid-19th century. The bulk of Vieuxtemps's compositions were for his own instrument, including seven concertos and a variety of short salon pieces. He is also known for playing upon what is now known as the Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesu, built in 1741, a violin of superior workmanship. The instrument was later played by noted violin masters like Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Vieuxtemps

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Misha Keylin (born 1970 in St. Petersburg, Russia) is a Russian-American violinist. He immigrated to the United States at nine and had his New York Carnegie Hall début at age 11. He currently resides in New York and performs on a violin made by Antonio Gagliano in 1831. Keylin has garnered numerous awards (including “Critic’s Choice” by The New York Times, Gramophone and The Strad) for his complete CD series for Naxos of the seven Henry Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concertos. These recordings have sold over 150,000 copies worldwide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misha_Keylin

http://www.keylin.com/

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