Search - Ottorino Respighi, Sir Edward Downes, Lydia Mordkovitch :: Ottorino Respighi: Concerto Gregoriano / Poema Autunnale / Ballata delle Gnomidi

Beautiful playing

12/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lydia Mordkovitch plays the violin with an immense amount of beauty. Her tone is warm and full and her attack on these pieces captures the nostalgia and forlorn quality of the music. If you like the Lark Ascending and Korngold's violin concerto (and the Barber) you will like these pieces as well. In regard to a previous review that claims the playing is out of tune -- this is utter non-sense. The same person appears to have reviewed Ms. Mordkovitch's recording of the Ysaye solo pieces with the same ridiculous observation. One can only assume the person in question has some sort of issue with the performer or is in need of an ear examination. The recording is lush and full; the playing, execellent. End of story --"

Nice disc

teva_man | United States | 05/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'll admit something right away - I put off buying this disc because the high price ($19.95 at the time...maybe because it is an import?) was a turnoff. But I'm really glad I spent the money. Respighi's two substantial works for violin are almost never played in concerts - and I doubt they ever have been...thus the beauty of recorded music. Lydia Mordkovitch has always been an interesting violinist - her interpretations can yield a pyrophoric temperament, and her enormous tone is always a joy to listen to. Her technique is not always spotless in this discing but it certainly doesn't detract. The only other "Poeme" that most of us fiddlers are familiar with is the radiantly beautiful one by Chausson, but this "Poema Autunnale" is very much an equal. I haven't heard any other recordings done by the conductor, but the orchestral sound is great in both works for the violin and in the Ballade (which is also seldom heard.) Hopefully in the future, discs like this will result in more public performances of such forgotten musical treasures."

Beautiful violin works by Respighi

Adrian | Gold Coast, Australia | 02/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all the violinist is not out of tune. This recording and rightly so comes highly recommended by the penguin and gramophone guides. I don't know if Joshua Bell has ever played these pieces before, but the sound world reminded me very much of The Red Violin.



Highly recommended!"