Search - Wallfisch, Goodman, Brandenburg Orch :: Violin Concerti of Myslivecek Viotti & Spohr

Winning program but uninspired recording

David J. Friedlander | Columbus, Ohio United States | 02/12/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I thought this mix of music would be a good CD to have. The Schubert Rondo and Viotti's usually accessible music seemed welcoming. The Spohr was a solid bonus and the Myslivecek would be whatever it was, I didn't care because the other 3 compositions were enough of a draw. Elisabeth Wallfisch is an accomplished violinist with excellent technique and usually a sweet toned agility to her playing. Unfortunately the recording lets her down. Her violin tone comes out thin and distant and the music seems unable to collect much momentum. I still get some pleasure from this CD, but compared to the top recordings available today this falls disappointingly short of being as great as it could of been.



I happen to be a fan of Louis Spohr and I find his music always rich, full of good ideas, absorbing harmonies and interesting chord progressions. His work is probably the most interesting to me on the recording. The Viotti concerto also has pull, surprising in the depth of feeling the music contains. One shouldn't shy away from music just because it isn't by the most well known composers. Often the lesser known ones are very comparable to the big names. Viotti and Spohr are in this catagory and I've found their music to be extremely worthwhile to pursue. The Schubert piece suffers a little on this disc. I've only heard this performance of it, and here it fails to gain momemtum as it plays out. A concert Rondo should do that and I can only assume that either the recording, the performance or both are to blame for the failure. I certainly expected more from this track.



So there you have it. If you want these particular works, this may be a relatively inexpensive way to acquire them. You may find though that this version is inadequate to fulfill your requirements. It could end up that you will go seek out other versions after buying this. In that case it may seem like wasted money. I'm pretty much on the fence as far as recommending this. I can only do it with reservations. If you have a great sound system with a very good graphic equilizer, you may be able to adjust and compensate for the recording's shortcomings. Otherwise, don't expect a great recording here. It isn't to be found unfortunately."