Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major [CD]

I am a little amused by the seemingly opposing views concerning this CD. I proffer mine, which I hope may be helpful in some small way to those contemplating its purchase. I think both criticisms and praise are valid but what matters ultimately I suppose, is the music and its enjoyment, which is purely a matter of personal tastes.

My friend & I bought this CD some 10 years ago when I was buying some high-end hi-fi equipment and my friend was upgrading his. We're not violinists or trained musicians. We're just ordinary guys who love music and the electronics that reproduced it for our enjoyment. We're not strictly into classical music but deeply appreciate some of it. Back then, we've some CDs of classical piano, guitar but none of the violin. The main reason is that we are so critical (or fussy if you like) of `reproduced sounds' that we have yet to come across any that meet our expectations and that can satisfy us. We know it is extremely difficult, almost impossible, for a sound system to faithfully and accurately reproduce the sounds of a violin, next to the piano. Very often, the sound reproduced comes across as what we like to describe as someone strangling, torturing or killing a chicken! (hear a beginner play and you'll know what I mean). In this respect, we really wanted to have at least one representative CD of violin music in our collection so that we can use it to evaluate, audition, test a whole host of hi-fi systems to determine how good they really are. When I first heard this CD on a very expensive sound system in a showroom, I immediately fell in love with it - it was the best violin music I've heard in all my years. For this `review', I went back and listen to it again several times to confirm why I enjoy it so much. Also, I've other CDs like Anne Sophie/Previn/VPO/DG (SACD), Akiko Suwanai/Kitaenko/MPO/Teldec, Viktoria Mullova/Ozawa/ BSO/Philips and David Oistrakh/Ormandy/PO/Sony for comparison.

Why did I find this CD of the Tchaikovsky Concerto so attractive? Without going into lengthy details I would say that:-

1. The sound is clear and dynamic. I can hear everything distinctly i.e. the soloist and orchestra, the very soft, slow as well as the very loud, fast passages. The sound was not very warm and smooth but neither was it too cold or hard. The balance was about right. I consider the recording very good even if it could be better in terms of resolution. On a good sound system, you can almost feel that Anne Sophie and the orchestra are in your listening room.

2. Anne Sophie's playing was dramatic and griping. She played like someone possessed and we, those hypnotised to follow her along deeper and deeper into the music, were unable to tear ourselves away. The playing wasn't smooth, sweet, genteel and subtle but rather raw, direct, intense, engaging even exciting.

3. Some of the music played is very touching, moving. I don't know how to explain this because I'm not a musician but there seems to be something that gives it a distinct Russian flavour. Maybe it is the music itself or the instruments or the playing or all three. The 2nd movement was especially beautiful and lovely. It was filled with tinges of melancholy and sadness, tenderness and poignancy, reminiscence and nostalgia. There was a deep sense of longing, like the desire to return to one's homeland and loved ones after a long period of absence. The sounds produced by the woodwind instruments was wonderfully airy which seem to make your mind drift into space. All the feelings evoked are not something that I will forget or experienced again listening to recordings by other great artistes.

4. The tone of the violin sounded good, even if it sometimes seemed a little bit brittle, harsh and sharp rather than full, smooth and `round' as compared to others. I find that I can listen to this CD over and over again for hours without the slightest mental fatigue or strain on my ears - this at a volume that would send all my neighbours scurrying for cover! I consider this is no mean feat having tried tens of violin CDs, even by famous artistes, and found that I couldn't stand the sound for more than 5 minutes! This I believe attests to the high quality of this CD recording as well as the sound of the violin reproduced.

5. The sound of some violins (or is it the playing) have this "crying", "wailing" character (check out Mullova's) which will tug at some heartstrings but which I personally dislike. Others seem to be imbued with a smooth, full, rich, sonorous, `singing' or `ringing' quality (like Suwanai's) which I love. Anne Sophie's somewhere in between I think and was therefore agreeably lovely. Of course, this is all a matter of personal tastes like I've said.

So there you have it, some of the plausible reasons why people could possibly enjoy this CD so much and why it is reissued time and again! I never grew tired of hearing it over the years, even after having acquired other recordings deemed superior in terms of performance and/or recording. This is not a definitive recording but it is certainly a memorable one. If you find that you're unable to enjoy, listen to it for long, then your musical taste is different else it's time to upgrade your sound system. I think in the final analysis, Anne Sophie's wonderful talent and gift for music making definitely overrides minor technical failings. Go get this CD as well as her newer and better version of this concerto on SACD. Both are equally enjoyable....

This is a unique performance of Chaikovsky's violin concerto. Most professional violinists take the opportunity, when performing this concerto, to demonstrate technical prowess. When listening to most recordings of this piece, you will hear the artist offering certainly very fast tempi in the first and third movements, though in almost every case the tempi in the third can be described as extremely fast. This recording is not one of those. Karajan and Mutter present a fresh interpretation of this piece, and one that adds to the richness and variety of the recorded catalogue. In this performance, rather than the elicitation of dazzling technique (though the technique in the recording is as flawless as live recordings can be), HVK and Mutter seem to strive for the extraction of as much music as possible from the concerto.

If, when listening to music, your enjoyment depends in large part on the extent of pyrotechnics demonstrated, then this is not the best recording for you. But if you find beauty, as I do, in dark and rich tone and color, in smooth and flowing phrases-in essence, the transforming of the violin into the fluid and primal beauty of the human voice-then this is without question a recording you should buy. Here, Mutter does not merely play the concerto on her violin, but instead she "sings" the concerto through her violin.

Although this recording of the Chaikovsky concerto is likely different from any other you will hear, it is in no way inferior. This is a world class performance in every sense. My ultimate recommendation would be that you buy this recording along with one eliciting more pyrotechnics. Finding one of those won't be difficult-almost every famous violinist you've heard of has made one. If you like Mutter, her second recording of this piece could be a good choice.

I've heard about twenty recordings of this piece and several live performances by some of today's most highly regarded violinists. This one is definitely an original interpretation, but I think that adds to its artistry. It's truly among the best recordings of the Tchaikovsky available.