Search - Samuel Barber, Dmitry Shostakovich, Maxim Shostakovich :: Violin Concerto / Violin Concerto 1

Like they were written for Nadja

04/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Both these Concertos are well suited to Nadja's wild yet focused temperament. The Barber written in 1936 doesn't give away its date the way some works do. The overwhelming passionate lyricism was Barber's creative genius. The work has its give and take,the beautiful melody of the "First Movement" is something you never forget your entire life. Nadja here fines an emotive center adding just the right amount of herself without being overly sentimental. That is the danger in Barber's music you need always to search for an emotive center and distance yourself.It is still modern music despite its 19th Century affinities. The ending "Toccata" is indeed dangerous yet the perpetual motion is handled here like a goddess above the fury. Shostakovich as well Nadja adds a refinement to the dark pages here."

Nadia -a victim of poor recording techniques

C. F Higgins | Warrenville, Illinois United States | 07/16/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have seen Nadia perform live on more than one occasion, and she was unforgettable; nevertheless, her artistry is invisible here. EMI's attempts invite harsh criticism. The recording lacks ambiance, depth, and tonal quality. Nadia's violin shrinks to the background, and a restricted orchestra struggles to overcome this limited engineering. Even the soloist herself turns in a subpar performance, lacking conviction when she needs it most. Why oh why, can I not find Nadia on a different label such as Phillips or Erato, or better yet, Well Tempered Productions (HDCD) -then we would hear something truly moving."