Vengerov and Virtuosi

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Fiddle fanciers will have a field day with this disc, whose 15 selections veer wildly between treacle and flash, sauce and sentiment. Everything's done with virtuosity. How could it be otherwise with Maxim Vengerov front and center, his instrument either throbbing with emotion or getting giggles from the audience with its imitation of high-pitched bird squawks? He's supported by a pianist and the 11 violins of Virtuosi, who back him in this selection of encore pieces whose arrangements are sometimes clever, sometimes corny. At times, it all gets a bit much (innocent bystanders can be smothered in vibrato); at other times listeners who suspend their critical faculties can just enjoy it. Vengerov certainly seems to and so does the Viennese audience. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

Rachmaninov: Vocalise
Ponce: Estrellita
Brahms: Hungarian Dance no. 7 in A major
Brahms: Hungarian Dance no. 1 in G minor
Brahms: Hungarian Dance no. 5 in G minor
Novacek: Perpetuum Mobile
Dvorak: Humoreske no. 7
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir d'un lieu cher: Meditation
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir d'un lieu cher: Melodie
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir d'un lieu cher: Scherzo
Schubert: Ave Maria
Bazzini: La Ronde des Lutins
Khachaturian: Sabre Dance
Massenet: Meditation
Monti: Csardas

Amazon.com

Fiddle fanciers will have a field day with this disc, whose 15 selections veer wildly between treacle and flash, sauce and sentiment. Everything's done with virtuosity. How could it be otherwise with Maxim Vengerov front and center, his instrument either throbbing with emotion or getting giggles from the audience with its imitation of high-pitched bird squawks? He's supported by a pianist and the 11 violins of Virtuosi, who back him in this selection of encore pieces whose arrangements are sometimes clever, sometimes corny. At times, it all gets a bit much (innocent bystanders can be smothered in vibrato); at other times listeners who suspend their critical faculties can just enjoy it. Vengerov certainly seems to and so does the Viennese audience. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Old-fashioned sentiment.......2006-06-03

This is a wonderful performance of great sentiment and nuance. Yeah, it's schmalzy...but that's intrinsic to the choice of pieces.
As soon as I saw it, I knew this one would be a great gift for my 90-year-old mother, whose father was a violinist and dance orchestra leader. Too bad he's not around to enjoy this CD.

A Violinist of Infinite virtuosity.......2004-08-18

This CD is the best encore yet another best CD by Maxim Vengerov.I listened to this at my local shop & I nearly kicked myself for being guided by one review saying that this CD is bad.I have never heard music sounding so sweet & yet so familiar with a new twist.Once Vengerov put his hands on the violin sparks really fly.He has the ability to make the violin sing on its own, extremely lyrical,expressive & very much technical in handling it. Some reviewers raised concerns of breathing which i think is not a mistake but an added humour to the songs. One must be reminded that some of these songs are based on stories of the past & if the performer incoporates that sense of humour in the performance to tell a story I think its good.Beside that its a minor thing that is not visible.With regard to the premature clapping on the long pause in the last song, well the audience obviuosly thought the song is finished like i did & Im sure most listeners thought the same in this regard & any way the clapping was due to the most beautiful picazato & bowing resulting inexpressible finish.I think the audience could not wait to say encore!encore!U listen to Motto,Bazzini, Tchaicosky which I think is the only slow but most trilling melodie, Bramhs dances are out of this world."Ave Maria by Schurbert is one of the painful beautiful songs ever written for violin.ALL tracks are the best there is. I must say though that i was not totally pleased with the choice of songs.i think the familiar songs are forever played may be the producer could have stuck with the unfamiliar works like Bazzini,Vittorio Motto, Khachaturian, Novasek,Ponce etc I like those unfamiliar composers.We have alwaysed listened to Jules massenet, Schurbert,Dvorack etc for a long time but overall this is an excellent CD with great performance by Vengerov & his crew(Virtuoso) ya! a very appropriate name. From now on I wont only depend on reviews but i think its important to listen to these beautiful works as other reviewers express it too personal in a negative way or misinterpret these encores by the most talented violinist alive today. Go on purchase it as a gift for the one you love the most.

Too Much Vibrato Makes It Cheap Melo-drama Interludes.......2004-05-25

I wish I could give it 5 stars. I cannot,though. And no sorry here. I usually likes his performance. He deserves one this time. There is hefty strain on the melody line. Nothing falls near spontaneous or natural. He plays as if he is obliged to deliberately show off. Ave Maria is too bad in particular. I have never heard it played with so much vibrato as it is here. Ave Maria here is not the Ave Maria from Schubert. It sounds like from third-grade soap opera that you happen to encounter when turning the channels on TV. If that is the way you love it played on Ave Maria, then this disk is for you. Because music appreciation is very subjective. I am now hesitant between discarding it,keeping it, and giving it away.

A CD you'll play many times.......2003-07-10

This is such a thoroughly entertaining CD. Virtuosi has the most uniquely beautiful sound and Vengerov is always so expressive and dynamic. His Ave Maria is a spiritual experience, and compells you to listen over and over again. Track 6, Novacek's Perpetuum Mobile, is one of the coolest things I've ever heard violins do! Why don't more composers write things like this?? The Bezzini Les Ronde des Lutins is so good it'll probably make you laugh out loud. Anyway, one of the other reviewers mentioned breathing...especially on track 12. I believe he was sighing there and it was meant to be humorous, to go with a humorous piece. Anyway, I like to occasionally hear the violinist's breathing. Signs of life only add to the excitment for me!

he revised something totally new.......2002-11-17

I play violin, that Humoresque (track 7) was in Suzuki book 3, and was one easy piece which I usually use to show off at private party. I will never do that again, listen to vengerov' performance, unbeliverble!!!. I even think Dvorak is even greater than ever because of vengerov.

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