Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade
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Free Music Notes for Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade
Free Music Review: Hahn is almost leading Zinman
Hit: 5 Stars
Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 61
(Fritz Kreisler, cadenzas)
I. Allegro, ma non troppo 24'25
II. Larghetto 9'47
III. Rondo. Allegro 9'43
Leonard Bernstein
Serenade for Solo Violin, Strings, Harp and Percussion
(after Plato's "Symposium")
I. Phaedrus. Pausanias (Lent - Allegro) 7'00
II. Aristophanes (Allegretto) 4'19
III. Eryximachus (Presto) 1'29
IV. Agathon (Adagio) 7'10
V. Socrates. Alcibiades (Molto tenuto - Allegro molto vivace) 10'33
Hilary Hahn, violin
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
David Zinman, conductor
Beethoven of Hahn and Zinman: I think the violin concerto by them is to be able to point out the following: compared with the concerto of Beethoven played by Mutter with Karajan, to whom the age parts in the grandchild and the grandfather when Mutter was in her teens, Mutter's performance was only performed and existed on Karajan's palm, though it was made of the best use of the technique and was beautiful and was powerfully unrestricted done. However, Hahn is different. When Hahn enters to play the violin after the exposition by the orchestra of the first movement, the music becomes tightened. Hahn is almost leading Zinman.
After I bought this CD, I could not understand the good points of Hahn's Beethoven for a long time. I heard it not tasty and not lovely. I thought that it were a failure work of self-confidence of a girl stretching herself. I thought, "She could put confidence in the conductor as Mutter did, who played with Karajan in her teens". However, I who had intensively listened to the symphonies of Beethoven and addicted by Beethoven recently, was given immunity to Hahn's Beethoven. So I came to think, "There are no petty tricks in Hahn's Beethoven. She draws it in one stroke. It is very different from other soloists". And I was overwhelmed to Hahn's performance of the third movement.
Free Music Review: And As For The 5 Stars
Most music lovers who buy or seek this CD will do so for the Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 and for good reason: Hilary Hahn offers a sensitive, intelligent and thoroughly informed performance as accompanied by David Zinman conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Surely everyone has a favorite performance of this standard repertoire work: whether or not that performance rests comfortably in memory from a live concert or is secure in the recorded catalogue is a mute point. But few could argue the beauty and skill with which Hilary Hahn caresses this work. It is a very fine performance.But for this listener the reason for adding yet another Beethoven Violin Concerto to the library is the amazingly beautiful Leonard Bernstein 'Serenade (after Plato: Symposium), for violin, harp, percussion & strings'! Having never heard this work in performance this recording is an eye opener. Some of Bernstein's most fluid melodies lie within the disparate structure of this 'Serenade' - aptly titled so as to not restrict the form to concerto standards. Yes, there are sections of the work that are far better than other sections, but the piece as a whole is a graceful addition to the violin/orchestra repertoire. Bernstein's penchant for introducing jazz in the piece is evident, not to the extent of 'Age of Anxiety' perhaps, but insertions of riffs are present. But the real thrill of this work is in Bernstein's orchestration - something very unusual for him: instead of full orchestra he confines his writing to strings, harp, and percussion with great success.
Hilary Hahn plays the piece as though it were written for her, changing moods and styles with enormous facility. Zinman and the Baltimore ensemble provide terrific collaboration. While there are many choices for the Beethoven concerto on recorded CD, there are not for the Bernstein. It is well worth the investment! Grady Harp, August 06
Free Music Review: A fabulous performance for a musician of any age.
Hit: 5 Stars
I had never heard of Ms. Hahn before I listened to this recording at one of the listening stations at the local Tower Records store, and essentially gave it a try because I believe Mr Zinman to be a generally underrated conductor. I now believe his greatest contribution to music to be his acting as a guardian, so to speak, of this amazing talent during her formative years, allowing her to develop away from the kind of publicity circus that would have arisen had she made her debut at a lesser age. In this light, it would have been almost unforgivable ingratitude for her to have made her orchestral recording debut with any other conductor.As to the performance itself, Ms Hahn's is stunning, her technique is marvelous, and the remarkably ego-free way she harnesses that technique to exploring the beauty of the music, rather than showing off her "licks", is even more so. I do not recall ever hearing the Kreisler cadenzas to this piece being played this beautifully. Mr Zinman's conducting, as always, is solid and professional.
An aside on miking. In any really worthwhile concerto there are moments when the soloist accompanies the orchestra, rather than the other way around, but those moments can be almost totally ruined if the soloist is miked too tightly. Soloists should be miked less, not more, tightly than they usually are in contemporary recordings.
Free Music Review: Hahn, the new talent that has endless possibilities.
Hit: 5 Stars
I heard Hahn perform the Beethoven in January of 2000 with the L.A. Phil and was moved beyond words. I had heard about her before but hadn't listened to her yet. I had already thought in my mind that she was just another young violinist with a good technique but nothing special. I expected to be dissapointed like I have been by Vengerov and Chang. With the first note of the her violin I was suddenly struck dumb. She played with a flawless, flawless intonation. Her tone was never muffled or crunched even in the Kreisler cadenzas. I've never heard those cadenzas played so beautifully and perfectly. Her tempo was wonderful. Too many violinists are taking the Beethoven at a tempo that is too slow. Hahn chose a perfectly brisk tempo and did not lose anything because of it. With her there is finally a violinist that has the potential to stand above the rest. We've been in need of one of those for a while. In speaking to Ms. Hahn after the perfomance I was very happy to find her to be just like any other 20 year old. She could very well have been my next door neighbor. She was so unasuming with not a trace of ego. In Hahn I see the violinist for us for the next 40 or so years. She can control the violin world just as Heifetz did for the better part of the 20th century.Free Music Review: Superb! Best recording of Beethoven's Violin Concerto!
Hit: 5 Stars
Protege Hilary Hahn has done an amazing job on this piece. The booklet included contains interesting information on the composers as well as Hilary herself.
Hilary's tone is very sweet, but she still has an amazing amount of power. Each note is very pronouced and clear, as well as artistic. I own the score to this piece, and Hilary doesn't miss one single note, either.
If you combine her performance with the Beethoven concerto, the effect is marvelous. The piece has every emotion imaginable, and the transitions, written in the piece as well as played by Hilary are very smooth and subtle.
The Leonard Bernstein piece is very different from the Beethoven concerto. Each movement settles on one emotion, so there are no transitions, and each movement seems like a seperate piece. It will be hard to listen to this piece after the Beetrhoven concerto, and I usually turn my stereo off after the finale of the Beethoven concerto. still, the Berstein piece is really great. I recommend that you listen to the pieces seperately.
I recommend this CD over recordings made by Anne-Sophie Mutter, Midori, Josh(ua) Bell, and Sarah chang. You will not regret buying this CD. It is a truly PERFECT addition to any music library.
-Ian Snyder