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Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos / Menuhin


Release Date: 03/09/1999 
Label:  Emi Great Recordings Of The Century Catalog #: 66958   Spars Code: ADD 
Composer:  Felix Mendelssohn,  Max Bruch
Performer:  Yehudi Menuhin
Conductor:  Efrem Kurtz,  Walter Susskind
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length: 0 Hours 51 Mins. 

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Notes and Editorial Reviews

Among the great 19th century works for violin and orchestra, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is perhaps the most lush and beautiful of all. The solo that opens this work--a bold move by Mendelssohn, as no concerto prior to this one opens with the soloist--has never sounded sweeter and the lyrical Andante brings to mind the composer's 'Songs Without Words' for solo piano. But it is the dazzling finale and Menuhin's astonishing capacity to excite that makes this recording a classic for the ages.
History has not been kind to Max Bruch. Although the composer was highly regarded by Brahms, only his first Violin Concerto has become a concert staple. No doubt the enduring quality of this work is due to its rhapsodic nature as well as to its great Read more sense of pathos. Menuhin is, again, in fine form here: the expansive melodies and dramatic shifts perfectly suit Menuhin's astonishing range and versatility. The Adagio has a grandeur and beauty that is perhaps unmatched in the repertoire while the vigorous finale displays Menuhin--a child prodigy two decades prior to this classic recording--at the peak of his artistic powers. Read less

Works on This Recording

1. Concerto for Violin in E minor, Op. 64 by Felix Mendelssohn
Performer:  Yehudi Menuhin (Violin)
Conductor:  Efrem Kurtz
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1844; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 04/30/1958 
Venue:  EMI Abbey Road Studio No. 1, London 
Length: 26 Minutes 36 Secs. 
2. Concerto for Violin no 1 in G minor, Op. 26 by Max Bruch
Performer:  Yehudi Menuhin (Violin)
Conductor:  Walter Susskind
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1868; Germany 
 Date of Recording: 09/12/1956 
Venue:  Kingsway Hall, London, England 
Length: 30 Minutes 0 Secs. 

Sound Samples

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor Op. 64 (1997 Digital Remaster): I. Allegro molto appassionato
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor Op. 64 (1997 Digital Remaster): II. Andante
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor Op. 64 (1997 Digital Remaster): III. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1959 Digital Remaster): I. Allegro moderato
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1959 Digital Remaster): II. Adagio
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1959 Digital Remaster): III. Allegro energico

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 1 Customer Review )
 Menuhin at his best June 3, 2013 By david l. (chicago, IL) See All My Reviews "I have Heifetz, Kreisler, Stern, and others playing Mendelssohn's violin concerto, and this is among the best. Pure , no schmaltz. His Bruch is terrific." Report Abuse
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