Search - Aram Khachaturian, Camille Saint-Saens, Vladimir Golschmann :: Khachaturian: Violin Concerto; Saint-Saëns: Intro & Rondo Capriccio / Mischa Elman

Delightfully Eccentric

01/31/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mischa Elman was always his own man, no matter what he played. When his approach matched the music, the result was magical. When it did not match the music, it was still never less than curious. The performances on this CD were made during the last decade of his life but still show enormous vitality and character. The tempi of both pieces are almost absurdly slow (the last movement of Khachaturian sounds dangerously close to a Viennese Waltz! ), and if one has never heard these pieces before, his/her conception maybe warped permanently. This is a disc for well-seasoned violin lovers. I find these performances delightfully eccentric and endearing. The recording is very fine for its age."

For the connoisseur

06/30/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I agree with the previous listener, this one is a bit on the lolly side, but its originality is compelling (Elman was never less than compelling). For a long time Szyering and Dorati have cornered the K concerto (with good reason) but there's always another way, and Elman is very much off on his own. It's a pleasant surrounding and the sound is extremely beautiful.The S-S is one of those perfect but zing-zang pieces for the public of the French Second Empire, and it's always mystified me why it has a hold on everybody today...until I hear a kind of zany knock-it-off performance like this. Nowhere is it more charming than in Elman's trust.By the way, the conducting standards are superb in both jobs, but Elman would always draw from the top-drawer for collaborations. I return to this old beauty time and again for its ballsiness and deep character."