As well as being a virtuoso soloist and improviser on the piano, Beethoven was also a competent violinist-an experience he put to good use in his ten sonatas for violin and piano. Includes bonus DVD of the recording of these sonatas featuring violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov.
CD Reviews
Riveting Beethoven Violin Sonatas
Oldnslow | Seattle, Washington USA | 10/07/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have perhaps not given the attention, with the exception of the Spring, Kreutzer, and OP.96 sonatas, that these wonderful pieces deserve. That has been rectified with this mezmirizing complete set by Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov. This is playing of the highest order, beautifully recorded. I recently heard Faust play the Mendelsson concerto and was mightily impressed, and these recordings confirmed my observation that she is an outstanding violinist. I would love to hear more of Melnikov too, a superb pianist. This is chamber music playing at its finest. The accompanying DVD about the making of the recordings is also very interesting. Along with the recent Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues by Jenny Lin, this release gets my record(s) of the year vote."
Great Performance!
Qwerty | 12/24/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Why re-invent the wheel when you've found a well-written review you agree with? Here's what David Hurwitz wrote for Classics Today in giving this album a "10/10" rating: (I concur whole-heartedly.)
"This is as fine a set of Beethoven violin sonatas as has ever been recorded. It has everything: excitement, character, explosive contrasts, subtle shadings, and the long cantabile line that Beethoven demands--and it's superbly recorded as well. Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov form a true partnership, playing off of each other and imbuing the music with a genuine, conversational quality that's very fetching. There are so many examples of this, but perhaps the most winning is the give-and-take opening of Op. 30 No. 3, in which the players seem to surprise each other with each rhythmic exchange. Indeed, keenly sprung rhythms give this set much of its special distinction, whether in the dazzling first movement of the "Kreutzer" sonata, or the lilting ländler in the scherzo of Op. 96.
Lyricism and an effortless, singing cantabile also permeate the music, and these interpretations. The opening of the "Spring" sonata seldom has sounded so fresh and natural, while the finale of Op. 12 No. 2 is truly "piacevole" without ever turning "bore-vole". Five of these 10 sonatas have slow movements that are marked either "espressivo" or "cantabile", and that's exactly what Faust and Melnikov offer, without ever turning sticky or drowning the music in excessive sentiment. There's a clarity to the phrasing here, a sharpness of focus and an understanding of Beethoven's large musical paragraphs that's very much part of the expressive point. The bottom line: this is a great set, and if you love these works, you must hear it."
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Overly insistent interpretation
Michael D. Kontor | Australia | 01/26/2010
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Nothing subtle here at all, everything is maximized and overdone, from some extremely hushed playing which disturbs with its overly personal tone, to loud and frenzied playing. There is as a result no room for the music to breathe, or for the listener to let the music in, one is so confronted by the players. Moreover, Faust uses very little vibrato, and because the violin is miked far too closely, this is not a pleasant sound."
5 stars performances & recording; 1 star "Eurotrash" packagi
D. Altschuler | Los Angeles, CA USA | 03/03/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Why term the packaging "Eurotrash"? Because it is extravagant novelty for its own sake with no concern for how frustrating it is for the consumer. You cannot read the booklet without laying a clumsy assembly down on a desk, and there is the very real chance that repeated use will result in tearing some CDs housings off the others. I know this isn't clear, but if you buy this otherwise wonderful set you will understand.
That said, this set is terrific. Crystal-clear sound, elegant and imaginative phrasing; it's all here. I see what one reviewer said about a measure of aggression from Ms. Faust, but it seems a valid enough approach to me. I compared this with the Szeryng on Philips, who does have an extra measure of gentle elegance, but the pianist on this new set comes across with much better recorded sound.
I haven't seen the DVD yet, but the sonatas could very logically have been put on 3 CDs only, leaving the DVD by itself without the Kreutzer on it's opposite side. More bad post production applied to an excellent recording.
You won't be disappointed musically, but somebody at Harmonia Mundi is very, very bored."
