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Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) The Concerto Album
CD 1
Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor, op.35 (1933) [22:56]
Piano Concerto No.2 in F, op.102 (1957) [19:33]
Piano Quintet in G minor, op.57 (1940) [31:50]
CD 2
Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat, op.107 (1959) [29:32]
Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, op.99 (1948) [35:50]
CD 3
Cello Concerto No.2 in G, op.126 (1966) [35:43]
Violin Concerto No.2 in C# minor, op.129 (1967) [30:19]
see end of review for performer and recording details EMI CLASSICS 5094282 [3
CDs: 74:35 + 65:22 + 66:09]
What a marvellous collection this is.
Shostakovich’s
concertos cover the whole of his career, from naughty young
man, in 1933, to within sight of his death, in 1967, and
they cover a variety of moods from keystone cops chase in
the 1st Piano Concerto to distant, sometimes very
private, musings in the final two works.
It’s
odd that Shostakovich never wrote a serious Piano Concerto,
along the lines of the string works, for the two concertos
for piano, enjoyable though they are, are, in general, light
and frothy. Ironically, it was the placing of the great Piano
Quintet after the Piano Concertos which got me thinking of
this. No matter. Rudy is magnificent in the Piano Concertos,
he’s equally at home in the jazzy/silent film music of the
First as he is in the easy listening slow movement of the
Second. Nothing is too difficult for him and he brings a
humour and sympathy to the works. Excellently supported by
both the Berlin and London Philharmonics, with intelligent
direction from Mariss Jansons, and fine trumpeting from Ole
Edvard Antonsen, these performances are real winners.
Both
Violin Concertos were written for David Oistrakh and it’s
good to have his recording of the First in this set. It’s
a big, serious work – his longest concerted piece – and Oistrakh
plays it with passion, style and intensity. There’s a spontaneity
in the music-making that makes it sounds like a live performance
or a recording done in one take such is the tension and bite.
A magnificent performance from one of the great violinists
and it’s worth the price of the set for this alone. The balance
between soloist and orchestra isn’t always perfect, the violin
in a couple of climaxes is a bit too close for comfort, but
don’t worry about it for it’s a small point and it’s not
enough to spoil your enjoyment of the interpretation. The
composer’s son and the New Philharmonia give solid support.
The
Second Violin Concerto is much more personal. There’s virtuosic
writing, to be sure, but the argument is carried on with
a quieter voice; there’s a resignation to this music. There
are few tuttis, a fine, thoughtful, slow movement and a sparkling
finale with a nagging undercurrent to foil the high spirits.
Sitkovetsky gives a fine performance although I question
his attack on some chords which seem too hard and perfunctory
for this music, and somehow seem out of place here, but it
will not disturb you overmuch.
The
two Cello Concertos were written for Rostropovich; was there
ever a musician who inspired and brought to life so many
new works for his instrument? Tortelier’s performance of
the First is, in general, very good, although in the second
movement I felt that he somewhat distanced himself from the
music. The first movement sets off at a brisk pace, which
suits the bluff humour of the music well. However the soloist
doesn’t always seem comfortable with the many double and
triple stoppings and when, at figure 30, the second theme
is reprised on horn with a complicated accompaniment for
the soloist the brakes have to be applied - so he can get
his fingers round the notes! The music then returns to its
original tempo and all progresses well to the end. Berglund
and the Bournemouth support Tortelier’s every inspiration
magnificently. The sound here is rather over-bright and reverberant.
I don’t remember the original LP being so. I do hope that
it wasn’t thought necessary to do a bit of tweaking with
the sound, making it fuller – and it is a full sound – for
I am sure that it was always perfectly respectable.
Poor
Truls Mørk has a difficult task with the Second Cello
Concerto. There’s so little there to work with! This is music
pared to the very bone, so much so that in the first movement
the music is continually interrupted by a beat rest, giving
the music a very disturbing, and disturbed, quality. The
scherzo, although full of fireworks for the soloist, is equally
troubled. The finale contains very Brittenesque fanfares
for the orchestra, as well as the soloist, contrasted with
a gentle rocking lullaby music. This culminates in the kind
of clicking percussion music which ends the second movement
of the Fourth Symphony. Mørk is superb, making every note, of the few he
is given, tell with significance and, at times, pathos. Mariss
Jansons has a fine control on this music from another planet
and the London Philharmonic play excellently.
I must say that in each work the orchestra never merely “accompanies” the
soloist. Each performance is a true joint effort, the soloist
being pitted against the orchestra with each emerging unscathed
from the confrontation.
Finally to the Piano Quintet, which completes the CD1 containing the
Piano Concertos. In five movements, the Quintet become progressively
more friendly as the music unfolds. The work starts with
an intense and serious Prelude and Fugue, which is followed
by a boisterous scherzo and a cool, slightly distanced, intermezzo.
The whole is rounded off with an easy-going, and quite delightful,
almost childlike, finale. The Nash Ensemble, always to be
relied upon for fine performances, play with great feeling
and give a splendid performance.
Erik Levi’s note in the booklet is all too short, but gets to grips
with the music quickly. He explains things easily, without
recourse to technical details. Considering the fact that
these recordings span the period 1972 to 1995, and encompass
both analogue and digital recording techniques, the sound
is pretty uniformly very good. Allowances need to be made
only for the reverberant First Cello Concerto.
Almost all these works were recorded by the performers for whom they
were written. The only exception is Shostakovich himself
playing both Piano Concertos. Oistrakh also made a recording
of the First Violin Concerto, conducted by Mitropoulos, shortly
after giving the American première of the work. These disks are,
without question, invaluable to anyone interested in Shostakovich’s
music. This set is equally valuable to anyone simply wanting
a collection of Shostakovich’s concerted works or for the
most ardent fan of the composer.
Bob Briggs
Performer and recording details Piano concerto 1
Mikhail Rudy, Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet),
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Mariss Jansons
rec. June 1994, Philharmonie, Berlin Piano concerto 2
Mikhail Rudy, London
Philharmonic Orchestra/Mariss Jansons
rec.
April 1997, EMI Studio No.1, Abbey
Road, London Piano quintet
Nash Ensemble
rec. November 1999, Henry
Wood Hall, London Cello concerto 1
Paul Tortelier,
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Berglund
rec.
7-8 January 1973, Guildhall, Southampton Cello concerto 2
Truls Mørk, London
Philharmonic Orchestra/Mariss Jansons
rec.
10/11 March 1995, EMI Studio No.1, Abbey Road, London Violin concerto 1
David Oistrakh, New Philharmonia Orchestra/Maxim Shostakovich
rec. 25 November 1972, EMI Studio 1, Abbey
Road, London Violin concerto 2
Dmitry Sitkovetsky,
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Davis
rec. December 1989, Studio 1, BBC Maida Vale, London
DDD/ADD
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