The text for the CD
booklet is completely in German. I do
not read German and can just about determine
the details of the performers and the
music that they are performing but little
else. For this reason I understand virtually
nothing of the involvement of the Lions
International on this release. Following
a couple of minutes reluctant research
on the internet I am assuming that this
is probably a release performed by the
winners of the prestigious Carl Flesch
Academy Masterclass course, held in
Baden-Baden who took part in an orchestral
concert on the 1st November 2003. I
am guessing that Lions International
were the sponsors of the concert which
was recorded live for this release.
These are best estimates only and this
reviewer accepts no liability for incorrect
information. After all that I need a
lie down and somebody please pass me
another valium!
Max Bruch was strongly
attracted to Kol Nidrei a traditional
melody intoned on the Jewish holiday
of Yom Kippur and used as the spine
of his Kol Nidrei op. 47 for cello
and orchestra which he in composed
in 1880. So effective and convincing
was the presentation of Kol Nidrei
with its distinct atmosphere of
religious ceremony that many people
erroneously believed that Bruch must
be Jewish.
I found the performance
of German cello soloist Ulrike Hofmann
in Kol Nidrei to be rather bland
and uninspiring. There seemed to be
little drive and a lack of imagination.
Ulrike Hofmann has all the notes in
the right places, generally at the expense
of expression and overall the soloist’s
pace seemed pedestrian. I don’t wish
to be patronising but for a young competition
winner playing at live orchestral concert
maybe for the first time, and knowing
that the performance will be recorded,
is it any surprise to play ultra-cautiously
to avoid making major mistakes. At times
I could hardly hear the cello owing
to a mixture of soft playing and the
instrument being placed too far back.
Dvořák’s
Rondo in G minor op. 94 for
cello and orchestra is a short work
of more value in artistic terms. Shrouded
in a light mist of sorrow the music
lets the listener understand the anxiety
Dvořák
must have felt whilst exiled from his
homeland and everything that he cherished.
The Rondo’s almost over-confident
second section can dispel that shadow
of restlessness and doubt.
Offering an expressive
and endearing performance Ulrike Hofmann
seems better
suited to Dvořák’s increased variety
and quicker tempo of the Rondo
than to Bruch’s Kol Nidrei. The
cello seems more prominent in this work
and the sound is far better for that.
Really fine playing too from the Baden-Badener
Philharmonie under Werner Stiefel.
Tchaikovsky did not
find the composition of his Concerto
for violin and orchestra in D major
easy and laboured long and hard
on the work which was introduced to
an apathetic audience and reluctant
performers and was critically savagely.
Despite such difficult beginnings the
magnificent Violin Concerto has
rightly become established as one of
the most popular concerto works in the
whole repertoire.
I really enjoyed Japanese
born Yoriko Muto’s enthusiastic and
persuasive performance of the Tchaikovsky.
There is a real sense of the performer,
orchestra and conductor enjoying their
work without any sense of routine. I
was particularly impressed by the soloist’s
sensitive playing in the second movement
Andante which displayed considerable
beauty and warmth. As fine as Muto’s
interpretation is, the soloist never
finds any hidden insights in the work,
which is not surprising from a young
player starting out in the early stages
of her career. The confident Muto displays
a lovely tone and is offered excellent
support from conductor Werner Stiefel
and his Baden-Badener Philharmonie.
The variable balance of the sound quality
does the soloist few favours where in
the final movement Muto seems too far
recessed into the orchestra and for
a short time I could barely distinguish
her playing from that of the orchestra.
The sound engineers have also miked
the brass closely but not as closely
as the kettledrum which dominates far
too prominently at times.
The recorded sound
is generally acceptable although the
balance is often uneven. For a live
performance there is no evidence of
any audience noise which made me wonder
if these works are from live recordings
after all! Yes, a very mixed bag of
a release but worth hearing particularly
for Muto’s fine interpretation of the
Tchaikovsky violin concerto. However
I’m very unsure who apart from those
involved in the competition, friends,
family and audience, would want to buy
this disc in view of the intense competition
in the catalogues for these master-works.
Michael Cookson
Yoriko Muto (violin)