November / Month of the Sonata – 26
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Tag: David Oistrakh
October 9, 2011
Brahms violin concerto in D major, Op.77
though I’d’ve preferred to consider violin concertos for a while
after the Tchaikowsky, the Beethoven, a break from the usual,
though always eminently magisterial, piano, I was unable to
quickly find a performance of the work I had in mind that would
suit my needs, nothing primarily that was complete, that had all
its unabridged movements
and what’s a concerto without its movements, a meal without
an appetizer, without its main course maybe, without even
dessert, that’s making do, that’s subsisting, that’s got nothing
to do with appreciating a meal, not to mention our pending
Thanksgiving
then the Chopin struck, a very revelation, and I couldn’t, even
temporarily, put it aside
I hope you enjoyed it
because the Brahms in D major, opus 77, is after the first
two violin concertos I listed the third most revered and
respected major string work, it cannot but be duly and
with great honour represented in any Classical music
survey
the first movement, the allegro non troppo, or, jauntily but
not too much, in English, is played by David Oistrakh and
conducted by the legendary Kirill Kondrashin, who conducted
Van Cliburn, famously, in both his Tchaikowsky One and
Rachmaninoff Three concertos in Moscow, 1958, when Cliburn
won first prize, is he the best, Khrushchev asked when
nervous judges questioned awarding an American, give it
to him then, he most judiciously replied, in the very face
of Cold War bile and cynicism
Kondrashin defected to the West in 1978
David Oistrakh never left his homeland, Russia, though he
toured extensively enough in the West, surely dazzling
everywhere rapt audiences
but not too lively – little by little go faster, have the
glorious Leonard Bernstein jumping up and down even
with exhilaration at the thrilling sounds they are making,
while the equally glorious Gidon Kremer struts inimitable,
incendiary stuff, a Tchaikowsky competition winner also
he, in 1970, who ‘s since dominated and championed an
impressively extensive and eclectic, even modern,
repertoire
note in passing that their accompanying Vienna Philharmonic
doesn’t have a single woman, which nevertheless doesn’t
of course disqualify a superior sound, it is merely an archaic,
intransigeant, aristocratic institution, it would appear, with
a counterintuitively melodious and undeniably winning soul
one course at one restaurant then, the next two at another,
you’ll need to adjust to atmosphere, menu variations,
service, but expect in either case only the very best, you
will not be disappointed
Brahms violin concerto in D major, opus 77
1 – allegro non troppo, Oistrakh, Kondrashin,
the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
2 – adagio, Gidon Kremer, Leonard Bernstein, the Vienna Philharmonic
Kremer, Bernstein,
the Vienna Philharmonic again
Richard
psst: here is an alternate third movement by to me unknowns,
an exquisite partial repast, perhaps the most impressive
morsel here
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