Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert, Dmitry Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter :: Oleg Kagan Edition Vol.12

A little disappointing from such fine musicians

John Grabowski | USA | 11/14/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Schubert is the best piece. There's little "objectionable" about it, but it still could use more sweetness, more Schubertian innocence. Kagan sounds a bit harsh at times, and doesn't "sing" enough. But not a bad recording by any means.



The DSCH is another story. Everything is forced and driven, and the piece never has time to contrast or breathe. Oddly (or perhaps not so oddly) the thing about this work is the harder you push it the more the macabe element disappears, and the way to really triumph is to hold back a bit until the very end. But he finale, the Jewish dance, is too brutal and too FAST. The movement never has a chance to build because they come out of the gate stomping and banging. The gray, upfront sound doesn't help either.



This is quite dispensible. There are many finer recordings of both works out there: My favorites are Heifetz/Rachmaninoff on RCA for the Schubert and the amazingly underrated Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio on Arabesque for the Shostakovich. Shostakovich's own rehearsal tapes of Oistrakh and Milos Sadlo and himself is also great...if you can find it (worth the search)."