This Audio CD Music item from EMI Classics was reviewed on 4-Nov-2008.
Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia Reference Music. Classifications : General Classical Styles Music General Chamber Music Classical Styles Music Brahms, Johannes ( B ) Featured Composers, A-Z Classical Styles Music Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus ( M ) Featured Composers, A-Z . Click the following link to view the cover of Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia. Related topics: 1. Allegro non troppo. 2. Adagio. 3. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace. 1. Allegro maestoso. 2. Andante. 3. Presto. General. Classical. Styles. Music. General. Chamber Music. Classical. Styles. Music. Brahms, Johannes. requestid: d33b6556-d018-4e7a-ad32-2fd5d5d9dc92
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1) Audio CD Music Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia by EMI Classics. Yep, masterpiece sums this one up. So does "no brainer": two of the greatest compositions in the literature, played by two of the greatest fiddlists (did I just make a word up?) in history, on one cheap CD. The sound is good, though overly-reverberant and a bit fuzzy in the Brahms (some of you may not notice; me, I like my sound dryer than this), the soloists are stupendous, and, as the Amazon review notes, this is one of the deepest and most emotional Adagios in the Brahms ever. I´m often befuddled by soloists and conductors who play the climax of this movement, the final return of the main singing theme (where the strings begin a pizzicato accompaniment), so glibly: often they just skate over it, as though they´re afraid of the emotion or they think it´s too schmaltzy for a major masterpiece. Well, in the right hands, it´s not schmaltzy; it is, however, deeply *romantic,* and Brahms was, after all, the king of the High Romantics. Listening to this stately, rich performance by David O, you realize why many colleagues (Sviatoslav Richter for one) considered him the greatest violinist of the 20th century. Hard to argue, with playing like this as your evidence.
The Sinfonia Concertante K. 364 is one of my favorite pieces of music, period. It is unique in Mozart´s output. With its depth and elegance, structural surety and technical perfection, you´d think it was a "mature" work (if you can call works of anyone who died at 35 "mature"), but no, he wrote this when he was in his early 20s and still in Salzburg living with pops. This is very fine, with son Igor Oistrakh playing violin and daddy handling viola chores and conducting, but it´s not quite my first choice: that honor would go to Stern and Zukerman with Barenboim on Sony. Before you write that one off because of Barenboim, I should hasten to add that he stays out of the way and doesn´t muck things up too much, conducting with a little too much thickness in spots but otherwise okay. And Stern and Zukerman *own own own* this work. Their interplay is incredible and they are so tight you´d think they are joined at the hip, and their tone is beautiful and burnished. That´s not to say that this is a bad recording by any means, and I´m glad I have it, but the listener who is as passionate about K. 364 as I am should also own the Stern/Zukerman collaboration, and it is available on CD, so rejoice.
The booklet inside is quite amusing and bizarre in its layout and artwork--open it up and you´ll see what I mean: paintings are cropped in non-sensical ways. Underneath the plastic that holds the CD in place is reproduced a painting called The Flower Seller by William Powell Frith. It has no relationship with either work. I think record companies just randomly pick old-fashioned artwork for their CDs, whether it makes any sense or not. No wonder few people today besides Klaus Heymann know how to run a classical label.
But who cares about artwork? You want to look at paintings, go to a museum. You want two German masterpieces played brilliantly and at a great price, buy this CD. As I said, a no-brainer. Just like the people who brought it to you.¤ 2) Audio CD Music Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia by EMI Classics. With both Oistrakhs and legendary conductor Klemperer, it certainly is no shock to see this CD rated at 5 stars and I am not going to disagree. Considering the budget price, this CD should be in any serious classical collection. When I listened to it, I enjoyed the Mozart much better. As much I respect Otto Klemperer, I have often found his conducting to be over serious. Without Klemperer, the Mozart sounds much more joyous and the music really sings. And the string playing of the Oistrakhs is simply incredible. Before EMI sends this CD to a mid-price label, grab it now.¤ 3) Audio CD Music Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia by EMI Classics. This is indeed a great performance of the Brahms, though it is not a patch on the outstanding Szell/Oistrakh recording in the so-called "Great Recordings of the Century" series. And in case anyone thinks I am biased, I bought this recording as well, being the die-hard Klemperer fan that I am. And yes, I´m afraid to say that Szell knocks him for six. For me the best thing about this CD has to be the Mozart, which is glorious.
I would give the Brahms about a 3 out of five, for what feels to me like occasional moments of drift in Klemperer´s accompaniment, and moments of not-quite-so-good interpretation from Oistrakh (if this is horrifying you, please do compare this recording with his performance with Szell, where his playing and Szell´s accompaniment are peerless. I would be amazed if you disagreed). Five stars for the Mozart... and I am not a big Mozart fan either...¤ 4) Audio CD Music Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia by EMI Classics. For some reason EMi didn´t include this famous 1960 Brhams violin concerto in their Klemperer Edition, so the suond is a bit glassy in this early digital CD version. The acoustic is large, with lots of hall resonance, making the French Radio Orch. sound as big as all outdoors, and Klemperer conducts magisterially, so the two seem to match. The tangy French woodwinds are a plus here. Klemperer´s tempos are moderate throughout, even a bit faster than the norm in the first movement, and although it obviously helps to have a great Brahms conductor on the podium, what strikes me about this reading is how compatible Oistrakh and Klemperer are. Their intentions merge seamlessly. I side with the other reviewers here who nominate this as one of the greatest readings of this concerto in modern sound.
The Mozart Sinfonia Concertante from 1972 gets a large-scale reading, too, abetted by very close sound for both orchestra and the two soloists. Despite some absent delicacy and refinement, the performance is thoroughly musical and bracingly direct. Oistrakh´s conducting (from the viola) verges on the romantic, in keeping with the style he and son Igor (on violin) apply to the work. In all, a bargain CD not to be missed, yet I will replace it in a shot if EMI ever gets around to remastering the sound.¤ 5) Audio CD Music Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia by EMI Classics. The combination of violin virtuoso David Oistrakh with conductor Otto Klemperer, a legend by itself, is almost always a guarantee for a legendary recording. The disc, originally recorded in 1960, opens with Violin concerto in D, op.77 by Johannes Brahms; a highly romantic violin concerto which is in my opinion performed with just the right touch of expression. It is highly moving without becoming overly sentimental. The same applies to the Sonfonia concertante by Mozart, written exactly a century before Brahms published his violin concerto. The sound recording quality is excellent without being overly pumped-up. A deeply moving experience and highly recommended.¤ 6) Audio CD Music Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia by EMI Classics. David Oistrakh recorded the Brahms several times. This one is a great performance in 1960 sound that holds up well. The combination of a crack French orchestra, a German conductor known for granitelike solidity, and the intense Russian violinist strikes sparks. Oistrakh plays with fire dampened by a big tone that moves easily between ineffable sweetness and molten heat. Klemperer and the orchestra match him throughout, and the Adagio is especially striking in its emotional depth. In the Mozart, from 1972, the violinist switches to the viola and directs the Berlin Philharmonic, while son Igor takes the violin part. The result is one of the best recordings of this masterpiece. The two play with spirit, breathing and phrasing as one, while David´s big viola sound and expert playing indicate he´s as much at home on that instrument as on the fiddle. The orchestral part is a huge plus here; the BPO´s warm sound and detailed playing are outstanding. --Dan Davis¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 2-Dec-2008, 724357472425, W5B-VOB-IXB-J1B-JKB-JLB-8 
Brahms: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia, Music, Image © EMI Classics
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