Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Sony has brought together Shostakovitch's greatest concertos in first recordings made soon after their American premieres by the artists most closely identified with them. Neither performance has been bettered, though some, such as Vengerov's Teldec Violin Concerto, come close. The Violin Concerto is in solid, detailed mono; the Cello Concerto in fine stereo. Oistrakh goes to the heart of the violin work, playing with extraordinary tonal magnificence and emotional power. He's matched by Mitropoulos, whose identification with the score is apparent. Rostropovitch is as good in the Cello Concerto, getting excellent support from Ormandy's Philadelphians. Both performances share the white heat of fresh discovery and have stood the test of time to become classic recordings. --Dan Davis

Amazon.com
Eugene Ormandy was Shostakovich's great interpreter (along with Bernstein) in the West, and he was entrusted with many U.S. premiers of the great Russian composer's symphonies and concertos. This recording of the First Cello Concerto was made while both the composer and his cellist friend were on tour in the United States, so it has the imprimatur of Shostakovich himself. The Violin Concerto similarly was recorded just days after its U.S. premiere in New York with the Oistrakh, for whom it... read more

Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 99: I. Nocturne, Adagio
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 99: II. Scherzo, Allegro non troppo
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 99: III. Passacaglia, Andante
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 99: IV. Burlesca, Allegro con brio
Concerto For Cello And Orch No. 1 In E-Flat Major, Op. 107: I. Allegretto
Concerto For Cello And Orch No. 1 In E-Flat Major, Op. 107: II. Moderato
Concerto For Cello And Orch No. 1 In E-Flat Major, Op. 107: III. Cadenza
Concerto For Cello And Orch No. 1 In E-Flat Major, Op. 107: IV. Allegro con molto

Amazon.com

Sony has brought together Shostakovitch's greatest concertos in first recordings made soon after their American premieres by the artists most closely identified with them. Neither performance has been bettered, though some, such as Vengerov's Teldec Violin Concerto, come close. The Violin Concerto is in solid, detailed mono; the Cello Concerto in fine stereo. Oistrakh goes to the heart of the violin work, playing with extraordinary tonal magnificence and emotional power. He's matched by Mitropoulos, whose identification with the score is apparent. Rostropovitch is as good in the Cello Concerto, getting excellent support from Ormandy's Philadelphians. Both performances share the white heat of fresh discovery and have stood the test of time to become classic recordings. --Dan Davis

Amazon.com

Eugene Ormandy was Shostakovich's great interpreter (along with Bernstein) in the West, and he was entrusted with many U.S. premiers of the great Russian composer's symphonies and concertos. This recording of the First Cello Concerto was made while both the composer and his cellist friend were on tour in the United States, so it has the imprimatur of Shostakovich himself. The Violin Concerto similarly was recorded just days after its U.S. premiere in New York with the Oistrakh, for whom it was written. This is as distinguished a pair of performances as you're likely to hear, and although the Violin Concerto is mono, the sound never gets in the way of your enjoyment. An event. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic oldy but goody..........2007-07-12

I rediscovered the Shost cello concerto. Turns out I had bought a copy on LP back in the 50's. I had forgotten it, but recognised the cover picture on the insert. I haven't played it in many years.

After hearing of Slava's death, I decided to add him to my collection, especially any DSCH pieces. I was pleasantly surprised to re-aquaint myself with an old friend. The sound of these older recordings are fantastic, stereo or not. If you want to collect authentic Shostakovich, you must collect this CD.

Authoritative Performances..........2007-02-02

I have owned both LPs and worn them out with repeated listenings. I feel these performances are breathtaking in their energy and emotion. I only wish there was such a paring on CD of the 2nd Violin and 2nd Cello Concertos with these soloists.

Incredible excitement from a cello.......2006-10-24

I'm a great fan of piano concerti, not string concerti, definitely not cello concerti. But this one makes me go weak in the knees. I first heard it performed by Rostropovich 30 years ago. It made my heart pound. It still does. This performance is the best I've heard. The sound quality is excellent, the orchestra is excellent, and Rostropovich is at the height of his powers. The concerto is modern, but not in the ugly atonal way of much modern orchestral music. It has a driving pulse, simple but powerful melodic lines that linger in the memory, a passionate, almost erotic, exoticism. A friend of mine who didn't like it referred to it as "cosmic debris." I can sort of understand his metaphor, but this trails a glorious plume on re-entry.

The violin concerto was for me just something extra on the disc. But after a careful listening, I'm impressed. Oistrakh was a top-notch violinist, and he was in exteme good form for this performance. The sound quality is good, but not as good as in the cello concerto. The orchestra is dazzling. I won't be skipping over this performance to get to the cello concerto - they make a fine pair in this recording. This disc is a must-have for any lover of 20th century concert music.

Slava! Electrifying stuff! .......2006-03-14

These are absolutely gorgeous recordings of both pieces. Indeed, these are the first ever recordings of both pieces, both recorded just months after their world premieres in the USSR, in 1956 and 1959. Sony have done an excellent job with the remastering, and the sound is crisp and clean.

As for the playing - Oistrakh and Rostropovich in their prime, with Shostakovich present and advising during both recordings - what more needs to be said. Shostakovich dedicated the First Cello Concerto to Rostropovich, his pupil and friend, and he almost seems to breathe the music. Oistrakh is magnificent in the Violin Conecrto, especially in the fast and furious finale. The New York Philharmonic under Mitropoulos and the Phildaelphia Orchestra under Ormandy are pretty damn good as well, and both pieces are fiendishly difficult in places.

Sorry this is praise is a little over the top, but it is entirely deserved!

Stunning Shostakovich.......2005-05-17

Rostropovich in the Cello Concerto is superb and, without question, this is the greatest STUDIO account of the Violin Concerto. But please note: Oistrakh and Mitropoulos gave the American premiere of the Violin Concerto in a LIVE radio broadcast performance on New Year's Day 1956, and the studio recording on this Sony CD was made the following day. That LIVE premiere performance can be heard (excellent sound!) in a 10-disc box set from the New York Philharmonic called "The Historic Broadcasts 1923 to 1987." It's an expensive set ($225), but it contains some other extraordinary items, such as Stravinsky conducting Tchaikovsky's 2nd Symphony, Artur Rubinstein's finest account of the Chopin Piano Concerto #1 with Bruno Walter, Kirsten Flagstad and Walter in an incredible Immolation Scene from Wagner's Gotterdammerung, Stokowski's only recording of Mendelssohn's "Scotch" Symphony, and a great performance by Heifetz with Toscanini of the Brahms Violin Concerto. While I'm not a great fan of Heifetz, this was his finest account of the Brahms.

But the REAL highlight of that NY Phil. set: the SUPERLATIVE performance by Oistrakh and Mitropoulos in the Shostakovich Violin Concerto. While this Columbia studio recording is indeed wonderful, it doesn't quite touch the inspired intensity of Oistakh's "live" premiere. Of course, not all "live" performances are better than their studio counterparts (e.g., I much prefer Sviatoslav Richter's studio Liszt concertos on Philips to his "live" concert recording on BBC Legends). But Oistrakh and Mitropoulos in the premiere tightened the screws and threw off sparks "live" that even this superb studio performance doesn't quite match.

This Sony Columbia Masterworks CD is worth its price just to have the outstanding account of the Cello Concerto with Rostropovich. But if you want to hear Oistrakh's interpretation of the Violin Concerto at its absolute zenith, you should try to hear the NY Phil. set too.

Highly recommended.

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