Daniel Lozakovich / Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto

VIOLIN CONCERTO

 

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 9

SYMPHONY No. 9

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 8

SYMPHONY No. 8

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 6

SYMPHONY No. 6

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 5

SYMPHONY No. 5

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4

SYMPHONY No. 4

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 3

SYMPHONY No. 3

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 2

SYMPHONY No. 2

Münchner Philharmoniker / Valery Gergiev BRUCKNER Symphony No. 1

SYMPHONY No. 1

Javier Perianes / Münchner Philharmoniker / Pablo Heras-Casado BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra - Piano Concerto No. 3

Neither the disillusionment that set in after his exile to the United States nor his declining health stopped Bartók from fulfilling his commission for the Concerto for Orchestra nor from writing the Third Piano Concerto, his final work, intended to secure his wife’s future. Hence his gloomy circumstances led to two masterpieces (and gained him a long-awaited American reputation). They are magnificently served here by Javier Perianes and the musicians of the Münchner Philharmoniker under the direction of Pablo Heras-Casado.
...The Concerto for Orchestra was composed in a single burst of inspiration during an unexpected remission of his leukaemia, from August to October 1943. It is Bartók's only orchestral work on so large a scale. Fascinating both for its sonic hedonism and for the virtuosity it demands from each section of the orchestra (which justifies the choice of this title rather than ‘symphony’), the work sums up the composer’s achievement...

...The Piano Concerto no.3, the only keyboard work that Bartók did not compose for himself to play, has a less gruelling solo part than its two predecessors. Here he forsakes ostinatos, repeated notes and batteries of chords in favour of singing melodies. Tonality is clearly asserted (the key is E), and triads, octaves and unisons abound, as if sending out reassuring signals...

Sol Gabetta / Lorin Maazel / Olga Kern SHOSTAKOVICH - RACHMANINOV

With this recording Argentine-Swiss cellist Sol Gabetta completes her pair of Shostakovich's cello concertos, recorded in reverse order. Perhaps she has simply been aware of Shostakovich's still growing popularity, or perhaps she felt it was a unique challenge to apply her somewhat impetuous style to Shostakovich, who could certainly be called sober and perhaps even dour. This is a strong reading of the Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 107, which was composed in 1959 and dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. It's probably preferable to Gabetta's recording of the second concerto, which doesn't quite catch Shostakovich's expansive late manner. Here she is in her element, with plenty of facility in the spectacular cadenza that introduces the finale, and an interpretation that stands out in comparison with Russian ones. As is her way, Gabetta plays fast and loose with tempi, but what she finds here is one of the Shostakovich works that seem to be rather angry assertions of identity, underlined by the dense repetitions of the D-S-C-H motif (in the German note-naming system, "Es" is E flat), which is, unusually, transposed and manipulated through the eventful opening movement. Another attractive feature of the release is the sympathy between the young and charismatic Gabetta, who seems to be getting the full star treatment from Sony Classical, and conductor Lorin Maazel, leading the Munich Philharmonic and turning the orchestra's percussion section loose in some loud noises that fit very well with what Gabetta is trying to do. There are some reservations to be had: the Rachmaninov Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19, with pianist Olga Kern, makes an unconvincing conclusion. And it's not quite clear in what sense the Shostakovich was a "live" recording if it was recorded over three days in Munich. But this is in the main a strong outing by an exciting developing artist. (James Manheim)