wimpel69
11-07-2014, 01:50 PM
EAC-FLAC link below. This is my own rip. Complete artwork,
LOG and CUE files included. Do not share. Buy the original!
Please leave a "Like" or "Thank you" if you enjoyed this!
As many know, Dmitri Shostakovich wrote two violin concertos. But his work list suggests two
separate versions of the First, the Op. 77 and the Op. 99. The Violin Concerto No. 1 was originally completed
in 1948, but withheld for seven years by the composer, owing to the oppressive climate for artists in the Soviet
Union at the time. Any new work might have drawn the wrath of Stalin and his cronies in the arts. Shostakovich
returned to the score in 1955 and then assigned the higher opus number to it. Actually, the only documented
change he made came not as a result of second thoughts, but as a matter of consideration for the soloist.
During rehearsals in 1955, the virtuoso violinist David Oistrakh requested of Shostakovich that the opening
statement of the fourth movement's main theme be given to the orchestra, so that the soloist could take a
rest following the long cadenza which leads right into the finale, and Shostakovich agreed to make the change.
The First Violin Concerto begins as a dark work, full of that gloom and dread that pervade so many of
Shostakovich's serious works. The first movement Nocturne starts off with an ominous theme that is
both inwardly reflective and filled with foreboding. Midway through, a thinly veiled Dies Irae appears
as the music becomes more tense. Yet, a climactic release never quite arrives and the suggested conflicts
remain unresolved. The second movement is a rather diabolical Scherzo that contains some interesting
allusions, first to the third movement of the Tenth Symphony (1953) and later to the first movement of the
Second Piano Concerto (1957). The violin and woodwinds scurry about to deliver the playful yet menacing material,
but gradually the character of the movement becomes more sarcastic, eventually breaking into a hallucinatory
folk dance. The latter part of the Scherzo sounds less acidic, the diabolic and sarcastic elements surrender to
the driving, insistent energy. The third movement is a Passacaglia that has a chorale-like quality at the outset,
as the woodwinds deliver a mournful theme. The violin enters playing the main theme, one of the composer's
loveliest and warmest creations. Shostakovich's 1943 Eighth Symphony's fourth movement also featured
a passacaglia, though of a decidedly grimmer character. Here, there is tension, but also much beauty.
The latter third of the movement is taken up by a brilliant cadenza, which leads directly into the brief
finale, a Burlesque of a mostly festive nature. The mood is similar to that of the faster music in the
Tenth Symphony's finale, though there are no clear thematic references. While the work ends
triumphantly, its manic qualities suggest a discomfort by the composer, as though the happy
resolution might have been disingenuous.
Shostakovich eliminated trumpets and trombones from the orchestration of this Concerto, and his
writing is otherwise sensitive to the limited tone of a solo violin playing amid a large ensemble. A
typical performance of this work lasts about 35 minutes.
As was the case with its predecessor, Shostakovich's Second Violin Concerto was inspired by and
dedicated to David Oistrakh. Written in 1967 with the intention of being a 60th birthday present, the
work was, by mistake, presented to the virtuoso a day early. Like many other works written following
the composer's heart attack in 1966, this concerto exhibits the very dark, introspective tone,
repeating rhythmic cells, and obscure thematic motifs so common to Shostakovich's later style.
And like both of his cello concertos, the horn has a dominant role as accomplice and foil to the solo
violin. Though the opening movement begins with some restraint, the first subject hurriedly reaches
an agonized, dissonant climax. The beginning of the second subject eases the tension somewhat,
with a segue into the development section by way of irreverent, mocking five-note figures that
interchange with lyrical, imitative violin and wind passages. The ensuing development distorts the
main thematic material until four vast, even chords announce the arrival of the recapitulation.
The return is brief, however, as a long, unaccompanied cadenza, based upon the primary subject,
gives way to an emotionally drained dissolution of thematic and rhythmic motiifs.The slow second
movement, though more relaxed in tempo, offers no respite from the tension, confusion and
sadness of the opening, as the violin seems to search for clarity and validation, but is repeatedly
denied. The solo line responds by lashing out in frustration with a feral, recitative-like cadenza.
The movement closes with an elegiac horn solo which is subsequently swept aside by the crass
opening of the Finale. Opened by a brief series of imitative, sardonic exchanges between the
violin and horn, the last movement soon settles into a frenetic, uncomfortably charged Allegro
dominated by a chromatic, rondo-style theme which, while lively and complex, has bitter, sadistic
undertones. The orchestra's momentum is then interrupted by a cadenza in which the introductory
material is distorted and broken in a self-mocking fashion. The end of the piece finds major
modality striving for dominance and eventually winning out, though the subsequent feeling is
more dubious than triumphant.
Music Composed by
Dmitri Shostakovich
Played by the
BBC Symphony Orchestra
With
Dmitri Sitkovetsky
Conducted by
Sir Andrew Davis
"This 2-CD set [review of the re-release, coupled with the Prokofiev concertos!] contains the
EMI/Virgin Classics (CD Album/s(x2): 5616332) masterful performances by Dmitry Sitkovetsky
of the Prokofiev and Shostakovich Violin Concertos. Sitkovetsky became a sensation for his
bestselling arrangement for string orchestra of Bach's Goldberg Variations. But it is this 2-CD
set, his best as a performer, which shows the range of his skill and the depth of his art as a violin
virtuoso. His affinity for the material, both emotionally and intellectualy, is very strong, and it
particularly shows in the Shostakovich Violin Concerto 1, by far the best performance committed
to disk (far superior to Vengerov's). The Penguin Guide of Classical Music gave it a "rossette,"
indicating just how special this performance is; Gramophone and other reviewers have praised
it just as highly. Amazon.com is doing its classical music customers (particularly the Shostakovich
fans) a great disservice by improperly labeling this CD, which is also a great bargain. The
information I include in the first line of this review is the correct label information. I hope this
review helps correct this oversight. "
Amazon Reviewer
DOWNLOAD LINK - https://mega.co.nz/#!K84jiLzL!aR9__KVD3YvJe1faP8VuWDyVJL5afavMNQxC74E Scok
Source: Virgin Classics CD, 1990 (my rip!)
Format: FLAC(RAR), DDD Stereo, Level: -5
File Size: 300 MB (incl. artwork, booklet, log & cue)
Enjoy! Don't share! Buy the origina! Please leave a "Like" or "Thank you" if you enjoyed this! :)