Notes and Editorial Reviews
Although Tchaikovsky was inspired to write his Violin Concerto by Lalo's 'Symphonie espagnole,' its musical lineage reaches back to Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Consciously or not, Tchaikovsky was composing in Beethoven's shadow, as did Brahms at about the same time. Neither of these influences, however, kept Tchaikovsky's concerto from being completely his own, and it is performed here to technical perfection by Midori and the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado.
As a companion to the Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich's first Violin Concerto comes across as much more of a study in abstracts, considerably less rooted in the German symphonic tradition. This work was written for David Oistrakh just after Shostakovich's music was
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condemned by Stalin's cultural regime, and could not be performed until 1955. It was one of many works Shostakovich wrote during those years to truly satisfy his compositional urges while turning out public works to satisfy the state.
This pair of live Berlin performances makes an attractive disc for collectors and more general music lovers. Sony's sound is, as always, quite full and captures every nuance of the performance while omitting most audience noise. In a bit of interesting editing, however, the same deservedly enthusiastic applause follows both works. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 35 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Performer:
Midori (Violin)
Conductor:
Claudio Abbado
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1878; Russia
Date of Recording: 03/1995
Venue: Live Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany
Length: 36 Minutes 58 Secs.
2.
Concerto for Violin no 1 in A minor, Op. 77 by Dmitri Shostakovich
Performer:
Midori (Violin)
Conductor:
Claudio Abbado
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: USSR
Date of Recording: 12/1997
Venue: Live Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany
Length: 35 Minutes 48 Secs.
Notes: This concerto was originally published in 1956 as Op. 99.
Composition written: USSR (1947 - 1955).
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