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SIBELIUS:
The Tempest - Incidental Music, op.129: Prelude; Suites 1 and 2
Violin Concerto in D minor, op.47 (1)
Dmitry Sitkovetsky (violin) (1); Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Sir Neville Marriner
Hänssler CD 98.353 [70' 37"]

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Sibelius has not been prominent in Marriner's vast recorded output, but the powerful build-up of the Prelude's opening paragraph, and the masterly control of the long diminuendo that follows, silences all doubts. Thereafter Sir Neville realises Sibelius's pastel colours with great sensitivity and shows a real feeling for how the music moves, letting it unfold at its own inevitable pace. The recording is spacious and clear.

The violin concerto brings a few problems. Sitkovetsky has been recorded very close and the fruity intensity of his tone becomes a little wearing. The orchestra in comparison appears somewhat recessed, with the lower strings almost inaudible. With the volume as high as I dared I found myself appreciating the orchestra more. I have the greatest respect for the work of the producer, Andrew Keener, and I wonder if the apparent imbalance does not in fact reflect the contrast between an ultra-sensitive conductor and a red-blooded soloist. For it is evident that the two do not agree. The solo passages and the orchestral episodes simply do not go at the same tempo, and since the violinist has a tendency to slow down further while the conductor is inclined to tighten up, developing a powerful momentum which the soloist then dissipates, the first movement just falls apart. In the slow movement this matters less and there are many expressive moments to be enjoyed while in the finale the persistent orchestral rhythms, very well articulated by Marriner, keep the soloist on the straight and narrow. So the performance ends up more of a success than one feared.

For a comparison I reminded myself of the Ferras/Karajan (DG). Here is a violinist with more personality to his tone. Its silvery nervousness may not be to everybody's taste but for better or worse it remains in the mind after the performance is over. I also found a better balance with the orchestra and a more unified approach, though Marriner's sharper rhythms in the finale lead me to prefer the new version in that movement.

One last practical comment; the booklet is very informative but most listeners presumably wouldn't read it every time they get the record out. So could Hänssler not have found the space somewhere on the cover to tell the user that the concerto starts at track 19 (this information is to be found only on p.4 of the booklet)?

Reviewer

Christopher Howell

The Tempest)

Violin Concerto



Reviewer

Christopher Howell

The Tempest)

Violin Concerto


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