Niccolò PAGANINI (1782-1840)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6 [37:09]
Pyotr Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Sérénade mélancolique in B flat minor, Op.26 [9:29]
Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34 [6:40]
Midori (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin
rec. 26 May 1897, Henry Wood Hall, London
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802028 [51:15] 
If you've noticed a slew of red-topped Newton Classics discs appearing in
online catalogues and stores, the good news is that their mining of the recorded
past is set to continue and will ultimately lead to new recordings of their
own. One such reissue is this early recording by Japanese-American violinist
Midori, who set these pieces down on disc at the age of just 13. Her subsequent
success has seen her avoid the pitfalls of such early precocity and forge
a continuously rewarding solo career. That first flush of talent is captured
here and makes for startling listening.
From her first entry in Paganini's First Violin Concerto, Midori's playing
demands no special allowances for her age. She's extrovert and characterful
and has a greater perfection of intonation than some of her prominent seniors.
If you were without prior warning, you'd never know that this super confident
playing belonged to one so young. Her subtle slides are stylish and in the
taxing cadenza she remains unfazed and commanding. In this Concerto, she is
certainly superior in technique to Ilya Kaler on Naxos (8.550694) and though
Hilary Hahn is more crisply characterful and rhythmically incisive (Deutsche
Grammophon 4776232), that hardly reduces Midori's achievement. If age
is at all telling, it is in the more purely melodic moments which lack the
expressive shading and nuance of a more mature musician.
It's this lack of maturity that makes Midori's performances of the two Tchaikovsky
items less appealing. Although she still plays with a full, attractive tone,
her way with the growing melody of the Sérénade Mélancolique is a little
one-dimensional. Once set, the dynamics and weight on the bow alter little
and she suggests little in the way of spontaneity. The bounce of the Valse-Scherzo
is absent, and Leonard Slatkin's leaden direction in the orchestral introduction
doesn't help. It may seem churlish to pick on aspects of musicianship that
a 13 year old cannot yet possibly have developed, but if you're going to buy
this disc for the repertoire alone, you'd be best looking for alternatives
in the Tchaikovsky. Julia Fischer's Pentatone recording (PTC5186095),
coupling these two charming works with the Violin Concerto and the Souvenir
d'un lieu cher, is one of the best violin records of recent years and
would serve as a better first port of call.
Ultimately, this reissue works best as a document of a remarkable case of
early talent, with Midori offering a very enjoyable performance of Paganini's
D major concerto and a technical security far beyond her years. The violin
is consistently well recorded, though sits rather more prominently in the
mix than the orchestral accompaniment.
Andrew Morris
Bright, impressive recordings made in the early years of a now famous violinist’s
career.