Search - Toscha Seidel, Harry Kaufman :: Complete Rca Victor Recordings 1938-1941

Passion and individualism unbridled!

12/08/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Toscha Seidel was one of the supremely romantic, free-wheeling violin virtuso who studied with Leopold Auer in St. Petersburg. Tonally, he possesed a tone practically second to none (only Kreisler and Heifetz really match him in this respect), and technically he was in Heifetz's class. What his playing lacked was certain musical intellectuality and discipline, and this CD shows both his positive and negative sides. In lush, romantic pieces such as "Brahmsiana", "Hungarian Dance No.1", Korngold's Suite and Provost's "Intermezzo" (from the Ingrid Bergman movie), he is superb. At the same time, his Mozart selection sounds overly gushing and lacking in classical purity. His Franck sonata is somewhat disappointing. He does not quite let the music speak for itself and overpowers the music with extremely freewheeling rubatos (sometimes his rhythm is downright unstable). His is not helped by dry, businesslike pianist. But I think this disk is worth getting because one rarely hears this kind of violinist today. If one loves an unbridled, passinate playing from the bygone era, grab it!"

Auer's great "forgotten" Pupil

05/14/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Toscha Seidel was one of the finest, but forgotten pupil of Leopold Auer. He possessed a gloriously rich, vibrant tone and dashing temperament. Unfortunately he was overshadowed by Heifetz and never received a reputation he should have deserved. This disc is a reminder of his enormous talent. Every pieces are played with unbelievably lush and vibrant tone and when the approach fits the music, the result is astonishing. My personal favorites are Brahms' Hungarian Dance No.1, Provost's Intermezzo and a piece called "Brahmsiana." Those are incredible. The Strauss numbers brings one back to the old 1930s Hollywood movie atmosphere. Korngold Suite is a welcoming discovery, although the third piece is played so slowly that the musical flow is threatened to halt. Franck sonata is another interesting discovery, although it is rhythmically too freewheeling for my taste. I recommend this CD to anyone who likes big-scaled "old-Russian" approach of violin playing."

Tone, Trills and Rubato

Art Haule | Flower Mound, TX | 10/01/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I LOVE the man's performance. While the modern player may take issue with Seidel's rhythmic liberties, his rubato just bowls me over. The romance of his playing is incredible. Seidel's tone was legendary, and this recording just goes a little farther in driving that point home. But listen to the man's TRILLS. They are astounding! The recording's downfall is indeed the accompaniment. "Businesslike" was a good description. But I guess when you accompany a violinist who may wander off the rhythmic path at a moment's notice once in a while "businesslike" may be the safest way for the accompanist to go. A little disappointing, but understandable. All in all a very good recording. A great example of the Russian School."