The best Russian concerto disc for quite a while…

The best Russian concerto disc for quite a while…

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norman lebrecht

July 01, 2016

The archetype Russian violin concerto – Tchaikovsky’s – looms so large over the musical landscape that all others seem no more than sidebars. Two concertos (each) by Prokofiev and Shostakovich are rooted in political circumstances, inseparable from their history. Miaskovsky’s concerto never took off, despite the advocacy of David Oistrakh, Weinberg’s is emerging too slowly to be counted and the rest barely make up a respectable quorum…

aram-khachaturian

So which concertos feature on the Lebrecht Album of the Week?

Read here.

Or here.

And here.

 

 

Comments

  • Matous says:

    I absolutely don’t see why Prokofiev’s and Shostakovich’s concertos should be inseparable from their history and political circumstances. For me they’re just great music and I had determined that prior to having learned of their history.

  • Gene Gaudette says:

    Not surprised in the least at your choice. The soloist has proven himself top-rank in his recordings for other labels, and the label puts out some of the most technically outstanding new recordings available.

  • Bruce says:

    Violin-playing-wise, I believe it (“best Russian concerto disc for quite a while”). Philippe Quint is incredible.

    Khachaturian, though? I won’t say it’s a bad piece, but I’ve never been able to buy into it the way some people do.

  • MacroV says:

    I’ve never been such a big fan of the Glazunov, for no reason I can justify.

    I do rather like the Khachaturian, though perhaps should be pedantic enough to point out that while he was trained and worked in Russia, he was Armenian; they definitely claim him as their own.

    • M2N2K says:

      Justifiably so. Though born and raised in Georgia (later spending most of his adult life in Russia), he was nevertheless definitely of Armenian descent. Perhaps more importantly, much of his music is closer in character to Armenian folk style than to anything else.

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