This very welcome 5 CD set has been released to celebrate the seventieth
birthday of the Soviet musician Vladimir Spivakov (b. 1944). An all-round
musician, he has forged a five-pronged career encompassing that of
violinist, conductor, jury member, concertmaster, teacher and educator. He
organizes annual music festivals, founded the Chamber orchestra Moscow
Virtuosi, which is featured in the compilation, and has always striven to
make music more accessible to those less fortunate. As a violinist, he
studied at the Moscow Conservatoire, where he was mentored by David
Oistrakh, no less. As a budding conductor, both Lorin Maazel and Leonard
Bernstein featured prominently in his development. It is also interesting to
discover that poetry and painting feature in his life. I can’t think of
anyone more deserving of an anniversary tribute.
CD 1 contains previously unreleased concert recordings from the Fourth
International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1970. Spivakov came away with
second prize and a silver medal for his performances of the Tchaikovsky and
Sibelius violin concertos as well as captivating accounts of the
Tchaikovsky, Sarasate and Shchedrin pieces accompanied by Maria Gusak. The
Tchaikovsky Concerto is both exciting and beguiling, and certainly doesn’t
pander to over-emotionalism. There’s a lusty and exuberant current running
through the first movement and the violinist meets all the technical
challenges head-on. He achieves a beautifully controlled pianissimo in the
Canzonetta, and doesn’t linger too much - unlike some. The finale showcases
some crisply incisive spiccato, and the work ends in a blaze of glory. Yuri
Temirkanov proves a sympathetic partner. The Sibelius Concerto is a spacious
account, deeply evocative, conjuring up images of the vast, rugged Finnish
wilderness. Spivakov’s technical command is praiseworthy, yet he imbues the
music with eloquent lyricism when called for. He brings poetry and yearning
to the slow movement, yet the finale would have benefited from a little more
fire and passion. Audience presence in both concertos is faintly discernible
but not intrusive in any way. Applause is retained.
There’s a violin and piano recital, again from 1970, where the violinist
is accompanied by Viktoria Postnikova. The Locatelli Sonata which opens the
programme is a work unfamiliar to me. It is intoxicatingly played, and both
players lavish upon it refinement, elegance and charm. Paganini’s
Le
Streghe, with its pure harmonics and sparkling left-hand pizzicatos,
easily stands comparison with those of Ruggiero Ricci. The Franck Sonata
must be one of the most compelling I’ve heard, and Postnikova’s sensitivity
adds to the success of the mix. It is unhurried, with both players basking
in the score's melodic richness. The Bartók and Prokofiev works are
heard in idiomatic and deeply probing readings.
Spivakov’s collaborations with the pianist Boris Bekhterev are represented
with recitals from 1972 and 1981. This partnership is not as successful as
that between the violinist and Viktoria Postnikova. Whilst Bekhterev’s
contributions are serviceable, I find Postnikova’s pianism and artistry more
alluring, sensitive and sympathetic. The Schubert Sonatina Op 137/2 which
comes at the beginning of CD 5 highlights one problem I have with Spivakov’s
playing. Whilst his formidable and intelligent musicianship cannot be called
into question, and he is technically well-groomed, his fast, insistent
vibrato, relentless at times, severely limits his tonal palette. This
renders some, but not all, of his playing rather one-dimensional and
monochrome. The Schubert Sonatina is one victim of this ‘one size fits all’
vibrato and, as a performance, doesn’t really work for me. The Bartók, Bloch
and Saint-Saëns selections fare much better. The only other disappointment
is the Wieniawski Polonaise which is over-cautious and rather po-faced,
lacking Heifetz’s risk-taking and wow factor.
It was in 1979 that Spivakov, together with a group of friends and
associates, founded the Chamber orchestra Moscow Virtuosi, mustering some of
the finest musical talents around at the time. It took four years, until
1983, to prove its worth and gain official status, entitling it to
governmental financial support. Vladimir Spivakov became its artistic
director, and it soon amassed a wide-ranging repertoire from Bach to
Schnittke.
Discs 2 and 3 feature the orchestra in works by Rodion Shchedrin and
Mozart. Shchedrin’s
Music for the Town of Köthen was written
especially for Spivakov. It is an attractive three movement work. The first
is spiky and angular, with an underlying sombre complexion. The composer
gives plenty of scope for the individual woodwind players to shine. A
melancholic Andante follows, ardently realised by the strings. A bustling
finale ends the work with gusto. The performance is well-rehearsed and
precision of ensemble is remarkable. Shchedrin is better known for his
ballet suite
Carmen, after Bizet. That work demonstrates the
composer’s imagination and compositional skill. All the well-known tunes are
there. The ballet is a masterstroke of scoring, and the Moscow players do it
proud; one senses real joy in the music-making.
Mozart’s Symphony No. 28 isn’t that well-known, so it’s a treat to have it
included here. Nicely paced, the Moscow soloists make the sun come out in
the opening movement. Spivakov is a charismatic conductor inspiring the
orchestra to deliver a performance of spontaneity and freshness. The Andante
is deliciously contoured and the Presto finale sparkles with vitality and
verve. The
Coronation Mass, taped in 1986, is a reverential and
stylish account that exudes joy and confidence. It’s obvious that Spivakov
relishes the music’s lyricism. The soloists, none of whom I’ve heard of
before, are excellent in every way and blend well. The choir sound well
prepared, with diction clear and cleanly articulated.
Audio quality throughout is exceptionally fine, with the Moscow Virtuosi
orchestral selections outstanding. Comprehensive liner-notes in Russian,
English and French are up to the mark. This is a worthy anniversary tribute
to a multi-faceted musician.
Stephen Greenbank
Contents List
CD 1 [79.42]
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Mélodie, Op. 42 No. 3
Rodion SHCHEDRIN (b. 1932)
Imitating Albeniz
Pablo de SARASATE (1844-1908)
Caprice Basque, Op. 24
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
Jean SIBELIUS
Violin Concerto in D
minor, Op. 47
Maria Gousak (piano)
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra/Yuri Temirkanov (Tchaikovsky & Sibelius
Concertos)
rec. 1970
CD 2 [66:53]
Rodion SHCHEDRIN
Music for the Town of Köthen
Carmen Suite (Bizet)
Chamber orchestra Moscow Virtuosi/Vladimir Spivakov
rec. 1984-1986
CD 3 [47.09]
Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756–1791)
Symphony No. 28 in C
major, K. 200
Mass in C major,
Coronation, K. 317*
Moscow Virtuosi/Vladimir Spivakov
Araks Davtyan (soprano)*
Larisa Pyatigorskaya (mezzo)*
Jorge Anton (tenor)*
Inaki Fresan (bass)*
Basques Chorus
Orfeon Donostiarra, under A. Ayestaran*
rec. Moscow Conservatoire 1989 (K.200), 1986 (K317)
CD 4 [74.41]
Antonio LOCATELLI (1695-1764)
Sonata da camera in G minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 2 No.6
Nicolň PAGANINI (1782-1840)
Le Streghe, Op. 8
César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Violin Sonata in A major (1886)
Belá BARTÓK (1881-1945)
Violin Rhapsody No. 1, Sz. 87
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Five Mélodies for Violin and Piano, Op. 35
Viktoria Postnikova (piano)
rec. 1970
CD 5 [72.05]
Franz Peter
SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Violin Sonata (Sonatina No. 2) in A minor, D. 385, Op. 137/2
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Havanaise, Op. 83
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Pieces
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Valses nobles et sentimentales, M. 61
Darius MILHAUD (1892-1974)
Corcovado from Saudades do Brasil, Op. 67
Henryk WIENIAWSKI (1835-1880)
Polonaise de Concert in D major, Op. 4
Belá BARTÓK
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56
Ernest BLOCH (1880-1959)
Baal Shem for Violin and Orchestra (1939)
George GERSHWIN (1898-1937)
Prelude No. 2 in c sharp minor, Fragments from the opera
Porgy and
Bess
Boris Bekhterev (piano)
rec. 1972-1981
