Search - Szymanowski, Fitelberg, London Phil Orch :: Fitelberg 2: Violin Concerto

Unbelievable

Ionel Florescu | Paris | 09/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, I should complete the tracking information presented on this page. This CD includes Szymanowski's first violin concerto played by Eugenia Uminska under the baton of Grzegorz Fitelberg as well as Szymanowski's second symphony and Rimsky-Korsakov's Tsar Saltan suite, all conducted by Fitelberg with various orchestras (among which the Philharmonia and the LPO).Uh oh. Having mentioned Fitelberg should make you react and think : "wow, these must be old recordings, for Fitelberg was a prominent figure of the first half of this century". And you'll be right, but don't worry. Although coming from the early 1940s, these recordings seem to have been transferred from sources that were in mint condition. No hiss, no cracks, no noise, pure sound that puts some later recordings to shame. So much for the technical aspects.Now to the most important part, the artistic aspects. Simply put, I'm pretty sure that Szymanowski never found such a good interpreter of his symphony (by the way, Fitelberg and him were good friends). The concerto gives us the rare opportunity to hear Eugenia Uminska, a renowned violinist at that time, today totally forgotten : the recording fares well, compared to modern references by Danczowska and others. Finally, the Tsar Saltan suite is conducted with passion - and also with the kind of tempo fluctuations you would more probably expect from Mengelberg, but all through the suite, Fitelberg's interpretation sounds sooooo inspired...Well, to sum up, this is a very valuable item in Lys' catalogue, with top-notch performances. It is also a very good introduction to a lesser known composer of the 20th century. Really try the second symphony, for it is highly rewarding."