Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Jean Sibelius - Violin Concertos (David Oistrakh)

Information

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Jean Sibelius

1. Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato
2. Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35: II. Canzonetta. Andante
3. Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35: III. Finale. Allegro vivcissimo
4. Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47: I. Allegro moderato
5. Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47: II. Adagio di molto
6. Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47: III. Allegro, ma non tanto

David Oistrakh, violin
Philadelphia Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy, conductor

Date: 1959
Label: Sony Classical

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Review

David Oistrakh plays these two concertos with the total skill and musicianship which seem as rewarding today as they did 20 years ago. His partners, as it were, are on the numerous side; in the Sibelius, in particular, the Philadelphia strings are both very strong and very impressive. They give the orchestral texture sound in general tremendous tension, given half a chance (and Sibelius sees to that often); but they would in the concert hall make life very difficult for the soloist. Not so on record, where the soloist can be given help; here he needs it in a degree which not everybody will like (TH did not, reviewing the record on its first appearance). The overall sound is somewhat more natural (though not self-evidently therefore better: cannot 'natural' sound have its defects, too?) in the Tchaikovsky. Both concertos need taming a bit, top and bottom alike needing dc-boosting to get (again!) a 'natural' sound. But better performances you may never hear; and in spite of their length, and of the generous quantity of sound (in doubleforle) recorded, each concerto is apparently comfortably contained on its own side. [12/1982]

-- Gramophone
reviewing an earlier reissue on LP

More reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Violin-Concerto-Sibelius/dp/B004NSHBCK

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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (25 April/7 May 1840 – 25 October/6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the romantic period who wrote some of the most popular music in the classical repertoire. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote many works that are popular with the classical music public, including his Romeo and Juliet, the 1812 Overture, three ballets, last three symphonies, the 1st Piano Concerto and the Violin Concerto. Despite his many popular successes, Tchaikovsky's life was punctuated by personal crises and depression.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky

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Jean Sibelius (8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957) was a Finnish violinist and composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. His music contributed to the development of a feeling of national identity in Finland where he is now celebrated as the country's greatest composer. Sibelius is widely known for his seven symphonies, the violin concerto and the tone poems, especially Finlandia and the Karelia suite. Throughout his career, the composer found inspiration in nature and Nordic mythology. He almost completely stopped composing after 1920s and did not produce any large-scale works in his last thirty years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Sibelius

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David Oistrakh (September 30 [O.S. September 17] 1908 – October 24, 1974) was a renowned Soviet classical violinist. He is considered one of the preeminent violinists of the 20th century. Oistrakh collaborated with major orchestras and musicians from many parts of the world, including the Soviet Union, Europe, and the United States, and was the dedicatee of numerous violin works, including both of Dmitri Shostakovich's violin concerti, and the violin concerto by Aram Khachaturian.. Oistrakh's playing was not so much marked by brilliance, but by richness, lyricism, roundness of tone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Oistrakh

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