Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Track Listings
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Maxim Vengerov burst on to the scene in the late 1980s and soon secured a recording contract with the late Teldec label in Germany. Now that Teldec has been subsumed into the Warner Classics stable, this box set, issued in 2006, usefully collects those records at a bargain price. Rather than try to review each individual CD, I'll be lazy and insert product links as most have been reviewed by others! I would say that this box is well-worth having as all of the performances are good, and the majority are excellent.
The first Teldec releases came along in 1992 and comprised a chamber music disc featuring Beethoven's "Spring" sonata, Mozart's K378, and Mendelssohn's F major violin sonata. Vengerov was accompanied by Itamar Golan in the Beethoven & Mozart and Alexander Markovich in the Mendelssohn. Classical Violin Sonatas. The next 1992 release was also comprised of chamber music and featured Beethoven's "Kreutzer" sonata and Brahms' second violin sonata; Markovich was the pianist here, too. Beethoven/Brahms - Violin Sonatas was the original CD.
The last 1992 release featured the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta with Vengerov in the Paganini violin concerto 1, Saint-Saens Introduction et Rondo capriccioso & Havanaise, and Waxmans Carmen Fantasy. Works for Violin and Orchestra was the original release.
Two further CDs appeared in 1993 and these were a collection of virtuoso pieces Virtuoso Works for Violin and the "we really need to release this" ubiquitous Bruch/Mendelssohn violin concerto combination with the excellent Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under the baton of Kurt Masur (actually, it is a very good disc indeed!). The Teldec CD was released as Bruch/Mendelssohn - Violin Concertos.
Around 1993, the "major" classical music labels started to run out of cash after the crazy late 1980s feeding frenzy, which may account for the fact that only one CD from Teldec/Vengerov appeared each year until he left the Teldec stable as that brand (along with Erato and Finlandia) folded into Warner and disappeared until the reissue fairy waved her wand in the 2000s.
From 1994 we have Prokofiev's violin concerto 1 and Shostakovich's violin concerto 1 with the LSO under Rostropovich. The award-winning original CD was Prokofiev/Shostakovich - Violin Concertos - fantastic!. 1995 brought us the Tchaikovsky violin concerto coupled with the less than familiar Glazunov concerto. This CD featured the Berlin Phil under Claudio Abbado. It's very good and was first around as Tchaikovsky/Glazunov - Violin Concertos.
1996 brought us the umpteenth recording of the wonderful Sibelius violin concerto coupled with Nielsen's. This is certainly a great recording with Vengerov being backed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra during Barenboim's tenure Sibelius/Nielsen - Violin Concertos; hear this CD for the Nielsen as much as the Sibelius! 1997 arrived and Vengerov's release that year was the CD featuring the second violin concertos from Prokofiev & Shostakovich with the LSO and Rostropovich. Maybe not quite as sparky as the first concerto disc, its still very good indeed Prokofiev/Shostakovich - Second Violin Concertos.
Nothing was released in 1998, but 1999 saw a release featuring Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the Brahm's violin concerto - an excellent live recording in front of a silent audience (of recording engineers?). This disc is filled up with Brahms' third violin sonata, with Barenboim as the pianist. I think that this is a benchmark modern recording of these works in excellent sound; a truly wonderful release.
By 2000, the game was up with Vengerov, Teldedc, and Warner said goodbye to him (and EMI said hello). The last CD in this box is Dvorak's violin concerto with Masur and the New York Philharmonic, a remarkable live recording - it's really excellent. The CD closes with Elgar's sonata Op.82, featuring the pianist Revital Chachamov. It's not an odd coupling, as Vengerov and company emphasise the Brahmsian nature of these works. Dvorak - Violin Concerto was the original highly-regarded release.
The box has a brief booklet, no compensation for the fact that Warner could have easily reproduced the original notes at minimal cost, and this annoys me enough to dock ½ a star from what would have been a 5* review. I can't do that, so 4* it is.
Do be aware that several of these CDs have appeared on the Warner Apex and Elatus imprints and in several other forms. This box is the best way to obtain exposure to a very talented violinist in his early, fresh, enthusiasm.
Very highly recommended indeed!
The first Teldec releases came along in 1992 and comprised a chamber music disc featuring Beethoven's "Spring" sonata, Mozart's K378, and Mendelssohn's F major violin sonata. Vengerov was accompanied by Itamar Golan in the Beethoven & Mozart and Alexander Markovich in the Mendelssohn. Classical Violin Sonatas. The next 1992 release was also comprised of chamber music and featured Beethoven's "Kreutzer" sonata and Brahms' second violin sonata; Markovich was the pianist here, too. Beethoven/Brahms - Violin Sonatas was the original CD.
The last 1992 release featured the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta with Vengerov in the Paganini violin concerto 1, Saint-Saens Introduction et Rondo capriccioso & Havanaise, and Waxmans Carmen Fantasy. Works for Violin and Orchestra was the original release.
Two further CDs appeared in 1993 and these were a collection of virtuoso pieces Virtuoso Works for Violin and the "we really need to release this" ubiquitous Bruch/Mendelssohn violin concerto combination with the excellent Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under the baton of Kurt Masur (actually, it is a very good disc indeed!). The Teldec CD was released as Bruch/Mendelssohn - Violin Concertos.
Around 1993, the "major" classical music labels started to run out of cash after the crazy late 1980s feeding frenzy, which may account for the fact that only one CD from Teldec/Vengerov appeared each year until he left the Teldec stable as that brand (along with Erato and Finlandia) folded into Warner and disappeared until the reissue fairy waved her wand in the 2000s.
From 1994 we have Prokofiev's violin concerto 1 and Shostakovich's violin concerto 1 with the LSO under Rostropovich. The award-winning original CD was Prokofiev/Shostakovich - Violin Concertos - fantastic!. 1995 brought us the Tchaikovsky violin concerto coupled with the less than familiar Glazunov concerto. This CD featured the Berlin Phil under Claudio Abbado. It's very good and was first around as Tchaikovsky/Glazunov - Violin Concertos.
1996 brought us the umpteenth recording of the wonderful Sibelius violin concerto coupled with Nielsen's. This is certainly a great recording with Vengerov being backed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra during Barenboim's tenure Sibelius/Nielsen - Violin Concertos; hear this CD for the Nielsen as much as the Sibelius! 1997 arrived and Vengerov's release that year was the CD featuring the second violin concertos from Prokofiev & Shostakovich with the LSO and Rostropovich. Maybe not quite as sparky as the first concerto disc, its still very good indeed Prokofiev/Shostakovich - Second Violin Concertos.
Nothing was released in 1998, but 1999 saw a release featuring Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the Brahm's violin concerto - an excellent live recording in front of a silent audience (of recording engineers?). This disc is filled up with Brahms' third violin sonata, with Barenboim as the pianist. I think that this is a benchmark modern recording of these works in excellent sound; a truly wonderful release.
By 2000, the game was up with Vengerov, Teldedc, and Warner said goodbye to him (and EMI said hello). The last CD in this box is Dvorak's violin concerto with Masur and the New York Philharmonic, a remarkable live recording - it's really excellent. The CD closes with Elgar's sonata Op.82, featuring the pianist Revital Chachamov. It's not an odd coupling, as Vengerov and company emphasise the Brahmsian nature of these works. Dvorak - Violin Concerto was the original highly-regarded release.
The box has a brief booklet, no compensation for the fact that Warner could have easily reproduced the original notes at minimal cost, and this annoys me enough to dock ½ a star from what would have been a 5* review. I can't do that, so 4* it is.
Do be aware that several of these CDs have appeared on the Warner Apex and Elatus imprints and in several other forms. This box is the best way to obtain exposure to a very talented violinist in his early, fresh, enthusiasm.
Very highly recommended indeed!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
[-] 11¼-Hour Vengerov Playing of Expressive Intensity (2011 Christmas Gift Set II)
11 Dec 2011
The case of parallel backgrounds of Vadim Repin and Maxim Vengerov is almost as peculiar as that of Freni and Pavarotti: Repin and Vengerov were both born in Novosibirsk, shared the same teacher in Zakhar Bron and even played together in their teens (there is a delightful and easily found clip on YouTube). Although Repin is three years Vengerov's senior and was the youngest-ever winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1989, Vengerov was the first to become an international star, landing a recording contract with Teldec in the early 1990s. This helps explain why Repin for long was overshadowed by Vengerov, something that may have changed with Repin's DG contract and Vengerov's lingering arm injury.
I immediately fell in love with Venergov's uniquely large and fat sound, capable of creating a rare sense of intensity of expression. It took longer to appreciate the marvellous purity and refinement of Repin's sound, not quite as intense but often even more ravishing and above all more varied. Taken together, Repin and Vengerov represent everything one may wish to find in a violinist. Hence, the 10-disc Repin and 11-disc Vengerov box sets are ideal Christmas gifts--especially when available at some outrageously inexpensive £20 each in the UK (Presto Classical).
I bought most of these discs separately on their original releases. In contrast to the chamber-dominated Repin set, Vengerov gives us all the Violin Concerto warhorses save the Beethoven. If chamber music is particularly suitable to Repin's somewhat smaller sound, Vengerov is the ideal soloist with his hugely rich tone, without any rival in the past two decades that I know of--Mullova would probably come closest. Therefore, several of these concerto recordings remain reference choices.
Discs #1-3 combine Violin Sonatas of Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Brahms with showpieces for violin and piano as well as some original one-off works--chiefly Bloch's Tambourin chinois and Messaien's Theme & Variations. Venergov is partnered by Itamar Golan and Alexander Markovich, both of whom are good but nowhere near the level of excellence Berezovsky contributes to Repin. The first disc, originally named 'Virtuoso Vengerov', is the most successful together with a sunny performance of Beethoven's 'Spring' Sonata.
Discs #4-5 pair 'lighter' warhorses from Paganini, Bruch and Mendelssohn with Saint-Saëns's two bravura numbers for violin & orchestra and Waxman's infamous Carmen Fantasy. There are those who claim that Vengerov's sound is overblown for the Mendelssohn Concerto, whereas I would suggest the exact opposite: Vengerov is able to give such rich timbre and expression as to raise it to the level of greatness where it belongs (as opposite to an infinite number of modern recordings stressing inward and understated beauty); I would even venture to say that the Bruch/Mendelssohn disc, released in 1994, with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Masur caught in extraordinarily full sound, may be Vengerov's greatest from his Teldec era. Furthermore, few would probably quarrel with Vengerov's large-scale delivery of Paganini's pyrotechnics in his debut recording of 1992, though the IPO under Mehta rather adds to the crudity of the Concerto (Perlman's version has far more subtlety and is even more jaw-dropping).
Discs #6 & 9 give the complete Violin Concertos of Prokofiev and Shostakovich, partnered by the LSO under Rostropovich, which made Vengerov the recipient of a wide range of prestigious awards including the Gramophone Record of the Year, Grammy Award and Edison Award. Undoubtedly, Vengerov's uniquely intense playing suit Shostakovich's two deeply tragic and gloomy, respectively, Violin Concertos like hand in glove; his account of the Passacaglia Cadenza may well count amongst the most heartfelt 5 minutes of violin playing caught on record. However, the only occasions where I find his sizeable sound a disadvantage occur in the two Prokofiev Concertos, both of which thrive on eeriness and lyricalness; Vengerov's fat and somewhat unvaried sound do not manage to conjure up those lovely fairytale worlds (at which I find Mordkovitch unsurpassed).
Discs #7-8 offer two warhorses coupled with two, if I may, dark horses--the Glazunov and Nielsen Concertos. Vengerov's Tchaikovsky is safely grand, heroic and beautiful, whereas his Sibelius is somewhat larger-than-life or perhaps 'overprojected' (not helped by Barenboim's self-serving conducting). The Glazunov is very good, although I do not find myself returning to it very often, but the Nielsen is a real showstopper; in Venergov's hands, one cannot understand why this work remains so neglected.
Discs #10-11 finally juxtapose the Brahms and Dvorák Concertos with two Violin Sonatas (Brahms 3rd and Elgar). Both Concertos were recorded live and show Vengerov at his apex; the depth, range and inspiration he brings to the violin parts are greater than what I have come across from any other performer--as much as I treasure Mullova's Brahms (great rapport with the BPO under Abbado) and Suwanai's Dvorák (more thrilling above all in the Finale).
'The Best of Maxim Vengerov' may be a somewhat presumptuous title on an 11-disc collection of Vengerov's complete recordings on Teldec, released between 1992 and 2001. On the other hand, with so many reference performances, and recorded sound often approaching demonstration quality, this box set is, indeed, likely 'the best' of its kind available on the market.
REFERENCES: This One--the Concertos of Bruch (1st), Mendelssohn, Shostakovich (1st & 2nd), Nielsen, Brahms and Dvorák
I immediately fell in love with Venergov's uniquely large and fat sound, capable of creating a rare sense of intensity of expression. It took longer to appreciate the marvellous purity and refinement of Repin's sound, not quite as intense but often even more ravishing and above all more varied. Taken together, Repin and Vengerov represent everything one may wish to find in a violinist. Hence, the 10-disc Repin and 11-disc Vengerov box sets are ideal Christmas gifts--especially when available at some outrageously inexpensive £20 each in the UK (Presto Classical).
I bought most of these discs separately on their original releases. In contrast to the chamber-dominated Repin set, Vengerov gives us all the Violin Concerto warhorses save the Beethoven. If chamber music is particularly suitable to Repin's somewhat smaller sound, Vengerov is the ideal soloist with his hugely rich tone, without any rival in the past two decades that I know of--Mullova would probably come closest. Therefore, several of these concerto recordings remain reference choices.
Discs #1-3 combine Violin Sonatas of Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Brahms with showpieces for violin and piano as well as some original one-off works--chiefly Bloch's Tambourin chinois and Messaien's Theme & Variations. Venergov is partnered by Itamar Golan and Alexander Markovich, both of whom are good but nowhere near the level of excellence Berezovsky contributes to Repin. The first disc, originally named 'Virtuoso Vengerov', is the most successful together with a sunny performance of Beethoven's 'Spring' Sonata.
Discs #4-5 pair 'lighter' warhorses from Paganini, Bruch and Mendelssohn with Saint-Saëns's two bravura numbers for violin & orchestra and Waxman's infamous Carmen Fantasy. There are those who claim that Vengerov's sound is overblown for the Mendelssohn Concerto, whereas I would suggest the exact opposite: Vengerov is able to give such rich timbre and expression as to raise it to the level of greatness where it belongs (as opposite to an infinite number of modern recordings stressing inward and understated beauty); I would even venture to say that the Bruch/Mendelssohn disc, released in 1994, with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Masur caught in extraordinarily full sound, may be Vengerov's greatest from his Teldec era. Furthermore, few would probably quarrel with Vengerov's large-scale delivery of Paganini's pyrotechnics in his debut recording of 1992, though the IPO under Mehta rather adds to the crudity of the Concerto (Perlman's version has far more subtlety and is even more jaw-dropping).
Discs #6 & 9 give the complete Violin Concertos of Prokofiev and Shostakovich, partnered by the LSO under Rostropovich, which made Vengerov the recipient of a wide range of prestigious awards including the Gramophone Record of the Year, Grammy Award and Edison Award. Undoubtedly, Vengerov's uniquely intense playing suit Shostakovich's two deeply tragic and gloomy, respectively, Violin Concertos like hand in glove; his account of the Passacaglia Cadenza may well count amongst the most heartfelt 5 minutes of violin playing caught on record. However, the only occasions where I find his sizeable sound a disadvantage occur in the two Prokofiev Concertos, both of which thrive on eeriness and lyricalness; Vengerov's fat and somewhat unvaried sound do not manage to conjure up those lovely fairytale worlds (at which I find Mordkovitch unsurpassed).
Discs #7-8 offer two warhorses coupled with two, if I may, dark horses--the Glazunov and Nielsen Concertos. Vengerov's Tchaikovsky is safely grand, heroic and beautiful, whereas his Sibelius is somewhat larger-than-life or perhaps 'overprojected' (not helped by Barenboim's self-serving conducting). The Glazunov is very good, although I do not find myself returning to it very often, but the Nielsen is a real showstopper; in Venergov's hands, one cannot understand why this work remains so neglected.
Discs #10-11 finally juxtapose the Brahms and Dvorák Concertos with two Violin Sonatas (Brahms 3rd and Elgar). Both Concertos were recorded live and show Vengerov at his apex; the depth, range and inspiration he brings to the violin parts are greater than what I have come across from any other performer--as much as I treasure Mullova's Brahms (great rapport with the BPO under Abbado) and Suwanai's Dvorák (more thrilling above all in the Finale).
'The Best of Maxim Vengerov' may be a somewhat presumptuous title on an 11-disc collection of Vengerov's complete recordings on Teldec, released between 1992 and 2001. On the other hand, with so many reference performances, and recorded sound often approaching demonstration quality, this box set is, indeed, likely 'the best' of its kind available on the market.
REFERENCES: This One--the Concertos of Bruch (1st), Mendelssohn, Shostakovich (1st & 2nd), Nielsen, Brahms and Dvorák
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
