Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Jean Sibelius :: Sibelius, Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos

Mullova is an awesome interpreter of Sibelius!

J. Hofer | Baltimore, MD | 10/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow. I have been searching for a great recording of the Sibelius for a long time and finally I find this! Mullova interprets the Sibelius so well! She takes the appropriate tempi throughout the concerto, and has an incredible sense of phrase. This recording is so engaging. It's a must for Sibelius lovers."

A great success for the young Mullova

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 01/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mullova was 26 when she made this coupling of the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius concertos in 1985. It's hard not to be bowled over, beginning with the gorgeous, resiny, dark tone of the violin she plays--the NY Times noted as much in Mullova's American debut two years before. She is caught in superb sound, clsoe up ad larger than life. She plays with incrdible precision but also warmth--the closest equivalent is Vengerov, another heir to Oistrakh's mantle, although he is more aggressive in his virtuosity. I suppose in absolute terms this reading of the Tchaikovsky doesn't dazzle to th supernatural degree that Heifetz does in his RCA recording with Reiner. But Mullova is more musical than Heifetz; her line is yielding where his is stiff.



The main show for me here is the Sibelius concerto, however. Mullova's total comand of the instrument allows her to phrase with great subtlety and care--the finale, though slower than normal, holds your attention in every note. In both concertos Ozawa is a bit bland, but the soloist is in an expressive world of her own. Everything is secure, serene, songful--a performance to love. Among modern recordings, Shaham is more fortunate in having Sinopoli on the podium, but Mullova is captivating in a lower key. Five stars without a doubt."